Throughout the pandemic, UI Health Care has monitored the local health situation, making changes as necessary to keep safety our top priority. When the pandemic changed course, so too, did UI Health Care.
As COVID-19 and respiratory virus rates continue to decrease in our community, we’re now able to safely make changes to our face mask guidelines.
What’s changing on Wednesday, March 8
Effective Wednesday, March 8, face masks will be optional for all in our facilities, except for those who have symptoms of a respiratory virus or for those employees who are unvaccinated, for which masks remain required.
Masks are welcome for anyone who chooses to wear one. This change to our guidance was made in partnership with our Program of Hospital Epidemiology.
What’s staying the same – where masks are still required
- Face masks remain required for anyone who has symptoms of a respiratory virus (such as a new/worsening cough, fever, new/worsening sore throat) to prevent the spread of infection.
- Employees who are not vaccinated are still required to wear a face mask at all times.
- Face masks also remain required for pre-pandemic standards of masking in places like the OR, procedural areas, isolation, etc. for safety and infection prevention protocols.
Our commitment to safety remains. We will continue to monitor the local situation and adjust this guidance as necessary.
Frequently asked questions
We’re able to safely make modifications to our face mask policy to reflect the decrease in COVID-19 and other respiratory virus transmission in our community.
We know it is safe to take this approach to masking because of the current community levels of circulating viruses. Additionally, many people have immunity either from vaccination and / or natural immunity from prior infection.
Yes. Face masks are welcome and remain available across our campus for those who choose to wear them.
All those in our facilities are required to wear a mask if they have symptoms of a respiratory virus (such as a new/worsening cough, fever, new/worsening sore throat).
Staff who are unvaccinated for COVID-19 are also required to continue wearing masks at all times.
Face masks also remain required for pre-pandemic standards of masking in places like the OR, procedural areas, isolation, etc.
Fully Vaccinated: A person for whom two weeks or more has passed since they completed a primary vaccination series for COVID-19. These series include either a single-dose vaccine (i.e., Johnson & Johnson) or a second of a two-dose primary vaccine series (i.e., Pfizer or Moderna).
In these locations, such as at HSSB, masks are not required for unvaccinated employees. In facilities or buildings where direct patient care or high-level disinfection or sterilization related to patient care occurs, masks are required for unvaccinated employees.
For vaccinated, asymptomatic employees, you may want to wear a mask if:
- You have an underlying medical condition, are immunocompromised, or are an older adult
- Your close contacts are more likely to get very sick if they contract COVID-19
- You had a high-risk exposure and may become sick
- You are in a crowded space or public transportation, and you want to lower your risk of becoming sick
- You have not had COVID-19 in the last 90 days
- You are caring for a patient who has symptoms of a respiratory virus
For our patients and visitors, you may want to wear a mask if:
- You haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19
- You have an underlying medical condition, are immunocompromised, or are an older adult
- Your close contacts are more likely to get very sick if they contract COVID-19
- You are in a crowded space or public transportation, and you want to lower your risk of becoming sick
- You have not had COVID-19 in the last 90 days
Please note: Unvaccinated employees are still required to wear a face mask at all times. All those in our facilities are required to wear a mask if they have symptoms of a respiratory virus (such as a new/worsening cough, fever over 100.0 F, new/worsening sore throat). Face masks also remain required for pre-pandemic standards of masking in places like the OR, procedural areas, isolation, etc.
No, questions and comments about mask wearing are strongly discouraged. Members of the university community are expected to be respectful of one another’s personal decisions. Whether or not to wear a mask is a personal decision that each person must make for themselves and for their own reasons.
Disrespectful behavior may be addressed according to the university’s ethics policies for staff and faculty. Behavior that constitutes harassment may be addressed according to the Anti-Harassment Policy. If you have questions, please contact your local human resources representative.
Face masks remain required for pre-pandemic standards of masking in places like the OR, procedural areas, isolation, etc.
Throughout the pandemic, UI Health Care has monitored the local health situation, making changes as necessary to keep safety our top priority. When the pandemic changed course, so too, did UI Health Care.
As COVID-19 and respiratory virus rates continue to decrease in our community, we’re now able to safely make changes to our face mask guidelines.
No, social/physical distancing is no longer required. Please follow existing fire/safety guidelines for room capacity.
Meetings and events can continue with no necessary COVID-19 restrictions, aside from the updated face mask guidelines outlined above.
Food and drink are permitted during meetings and events (such as Grand Rounds and faculty/staff meetings), but best practices for food safety should be considered.
Food items do not need to be individually wrapped. Sharing food (such as a potluck event) is not recommended and is discouraged per usual food safety practices.
Yes. Plexiglass barriers can be removed. To request removal of plexiglass barriers, please use the 159 Service Request Form and select “Plexiglass” in the Task Description dropdown menu.
Visitor restrictions are still in place. For the latest information, visit the Patient & Visitor Resources page on The Loop.
Will all entrances to the hospital be open to staff and visitors now?
Susan,
Thank you for your question. At this time there are no changes to our open entrances/exits.
The question about entrances to the hospital needs to be reconsidered. Why can’t the entrances that were previously badge access only be returned to badge access only at ALL times. What are the concerns of allowing that? Are there still going to be screeners at specific entrances asking staff/visitors/patients if they have been vaccinated or have s/s of Covid or the flu to wear a mask? Will they be empowered to ‘make’ them put a mask on? The probability of an unvaccinated visitor/staff admitting to not being vaccinated and being complainant to wearing a mask would be low. What defines vaccinated?
Beverly,
Thanks for your feedback. I will pass this along to leadership. Concerning your question on what defines vaccinated, there is an FAQ on this above. “Fully Vaccinated: A person for whom two weeks or more has passed since they completed a primary vaccination series for COVID-19. These series include either a single-dose vaccine (i.e., Johnson & Johnson) or a second of a two-dose primary vaccine series (i.e., Pfizer or Moderna).”
Does “vaccinated” mean that a person has received the latest/ most recent available vaccine?
Teresa,
Thank you for your question. We’ve added an FAQ about this above. Fully vaccinated is defined as: A person for whom two weeks or more has passed since they completed a primary vaccination series for COVID-19. These series include either a single-dose vaccine (i.e., Johnson & Johnson) or a second of a two-dose primary vaccine series (i.e., Pfizer or Moderna).
Does this mean we need to distance ourselves from the unvaccinated employees wearing a mask to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe? What about when they eat now that there is no plexiglass anymore? Should they eat in a separate room? How do we keep our distance from the unvaccinated in certain situations now that we will know who they are? I can wait for the next elevator if someone has a mask, but I don’t really want to eat in my car to stay safe if they are eating lunch in the breakroom without a barrier. Please advise
Will this be evaluated soon as well? Clinic patients find this an inconvenience.
Will patients and visitors required to wear a mask if they are not vaccinated?
Sara,
No, patients and visitors are welcome to wear a mask, but they are not required to do so based on their vaccination status.
This is good information. Can you clarify if employees need to wear a mask based on vaccination status, because I feel this needs to be clarified.
I am disappointed with our leadership regarding decision to withdraw the mask requirement. Patients come to receive care, not to unknowingly pick up a virus in a petri dish like a large university medical center. Leadership should have required masks long before COVID arrived. It is a simple, visual requirement that protects everyone; we can’t see if patients are washing their hands regularly.
Leadership surveys staff routinely for opinions on our workplace, but failed to survey staff before implementing this change. We are experiencing an unprecented staff shortage, building more facilities, and attending to more patients. Without masks on patients and visitors, more staff will become ill while performing their jobs.
Please reconsider this decision.
Mary,
Thank you for your feedback. I will pass this along to leadership.