The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new guidance for healthcare facilities across the country about masking requirements for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
Community transmission is the measure that will be monitored by the CDC, and that will determine if masks are required or not at Pulaski Memorial Hospital and its clinics. Community transmission describes the amount of COVID-19 spread within a county. It illustrates how many people are positive in the community by noting the number of new positive cases reported in the county over the last seven days.
PMH will update its masking requirements weekly, utilizing data from The CDC’s Community Transmission Map. Following the CDC’s update on Thursday evening, PMH’s changes will take effect on Friday mornings. The only time a change would happen sooner than Friday would be if the county moved to high Community Transmission (red), then masking would be required immediately.
Updates will be communicated via the Hospital’s website, social media pages, and with signage at all entrances to PMH facilities. If the community transmission rate is low, moderate, or substantial then no masks will be required.
If the community transmission rate is high, masks are required for everyone including patients, visitors, and staff.
While masking requirements may be relaxed, patients who are symptomatic or who have a known exposure to a COVID-19-positive individual will continue to be required to wear a mask even though we may be in low, moderate, or substantial categories. All visitors to patients should be healthy, with no symptoms of respiratory illness.
Other helpful CDC COVID-19 resources here.
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
