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Niagara Health reinstating mask mandate for staff starting Monday

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All staff at hospitals in the Niagara region will be required to wear a mask starting Monday.

A spokesperson for Niagara Health says a mask mandate will take effect for staff, physicians, volunteers, students and residents while providing patient care or service in patient-facing areas.

These locations include emergency departments, urgent care centres, diagnostic and procedural areas, and outpatient clinics, including Walker Family Cancer Centre, dialysis units, neurology clinics, EVS, Spiritual Care, New Port Centre and Withdrawal Management Services.

“This change is intended to protect our patients and maintain the health of our workforce, and is in line with Public Health Ontario guidance supported by the regional COVID-19 Subject Matter Experts committee,” Niagara Health spokesperson Tiffany Mayer said in an email to CHCH News.

The health network says visitors and patients are strongly encouraged to wear a mask whenever possible.

It also recommends that patients with a fever or respiratory symptoms put on a mask in all clinical and non-clinical settings, if tolerated, as they would have pre-pandemic.

Niagara Health says it is taking these measures in response to rising COVID-19 prevalence in Ontario.

Several hospitals in Ontario are following suit, including Hamilton Health Sciences that reinstated a mask requirement for staff, physicians, learners and volunteers in patient-care areas as of Wednesday.

READ MORE: Hamilton Health Sciences to reinstate mandatory masking for staff