Hamilton hospital networks say mandatory masking will stay in place

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Published June 9, 2022 at 5:09 pm

The two hospital networks in Hamilton has affirmed that mandatory masking will remain in place in its facilities on Saturday, when the provincial requirements expire.

Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, echoing numerous health-care networks across Ontario in the 24 hours since an announcement by Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer, says its masking policy will remain.

On Wednesday, Moore said the rules requiring that people wear masks on public transit and many health-care settings will expire at 12 a.m. on June 11. They will still be required in long-term care homes and retirement homes. Critics and concerned residents noted that many older Ontarians who live in those facilities that are keep masking could be going to hospital settings where it is optional, or strongly recommended.

“We will review the (Ontario) Ministry of Health’s updated guidance around masking and determine the appropriate next steps,” St. Joseph’s said in a tweet. “Thank you for helping to protect our patients and staff.”

For its part, HHS said Thursday night that “everyone who enters our buildings must wear a mask. We’ll provide an update if we change our policy, which will be made on the advice of internal and provincial infection control experts.”

Directives around mask requirements for healthcare workers will be replaced by Ontario Ministry of Health guidance outlining when masks should be worn in hospitals and other health workplaces.

Moore stated Wednesday that he made the decision based on high vaccination rates and improvements in the provincial COVID-19 situation. Some Toronto media outlets reported Thursday that although Moore is a public servant, he was not available for interviews.

The Canadian Press reported at that time that the province says organizations can keep their own mask policies. People should keep masking if they are high-risk for the illness, are recovering from COVID-19, have symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has the illness.

Hamilton had 36 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. On the city’s COVID-19 dashboard, all but one of the tranmission indicators are trending positively. The lone exception is intensive-care-unit admissions, which are stable, and public health experts treat that metric as a lagging indicator.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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