The University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto is implementing a mandatory mask policy in response to the approaching respiratory illness season.
Visitors to any of the network’s hospitals—Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre—will be required to don a mask as of Oct. 28, according to a UHN notice posted Oct. 18.
Masks will be mandatory for everyone who is receiving or waiting for care and are also required in areas where patients are at a higher risk of illness, the notice said.
“Signs are posted throughout the hospital, letting you know which areas are high-risk,” the notice said. “Look for signs as you enter a care area to see if masks are required. If you are unsure, ask UHN staff.”
The mandate applies to all patients, visitors, and staff, but masks will remain optional in common areas such as lobbies and food courts, UHN said.
Dr. Susy Hota, medical director of infection prevention and control at UHN, told The Epoch Times having the mask mandate in place will help curb transmission of COVID-19 as well as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which typically ramp up in November. She said there is currently a “moderate level” of COVID-19 activity in Ontario.
“Masking helps prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses such as influenza, COVID-19, RSV and a variety of other respiratory viruses that circulate in the cooler months,” Hota said. “Influenza usually picks up in November, peaks in December/January and then comes back down by March or April. RSV is expected to start rising a little earlier than influenza but has a similar duration of peak activity.”
The hospital network said medical masks approved by UHN will be provided at every entrance, as well as at outpatient clinics and inpatient units. Those with cloth or disposable masks will be asked to use a mask provided by the hospital instead.
Patients with a medical condition that prevents mask use will be expected to contact their UHN doctor or nurse practitioner’s office prior to their appointment, the health network said. If an exemption is approved, the patient will need to bring their filled out exemption form to the hospital to show to staff. Those with exemptions will be asked to wear a face shield instead.
The length of the respiratory virus season will determine how long the mask mandate will be in place, Hota said.
“Masking changes are made in response to respiratory virus activity,” she said. “We anticipate being able to remove the requirement when those levels are down to a more manageable level, likely in late February or March.”
