Against a backdrop of declining COVID-19 inpatient numbers, a reduction in community infections, and current public health guidance, we are making changes to mask requirements in our hospital and community settings.
From Monday 24 October 2022:
Mask requirements in non-clinical areas
- Masks will no longer be required for employees, visitors and patients in all non-clinical areas. Non-clinical areas include shared corridors, retail, café, dining areas, and shared office spaces.
Mask requirements in clinical areas
- There will be no change to mask requirements for employees, visitors and patients in patient-facing areas. Patient-facing areas include patient waiting rooms, outpatient clinics, patient in-person group therapies, in-patient areas and emergency departments.
- For employees:
-
- Caring for non-COVID/non-SCOVID and non-ED patients, surgical masks plus standard precautions are required.
- Caring for COVID/SCOVID patients, N95 plus standard precautions are required.
- Caring for Emergency Department patients, N95 plus standard precautions are required.
- For patients and visitors:
- When entering in-patient areas, surgical masks are required.
- When entering our Emergency Department, for adults (18+) an N95 mask is required. For children aged 8-17 a surgical mask.
Patients and visitors will continue to be screened at visitor entrances to all our hospital and community sites. Surgical masks will continue to be handed out to patients and visitors at the front entrance.