These mandates are a reaction to the increase in COVID-19 cases and respiratory influenza infections, although the current increase is minimal compared to the spikes seen during the pandemic.
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As of Jan. 1, 2024, the seven-day average of COVID cases in New York City was 2,131, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Although this is a slight uptick over previous weeks, it is far lower than the count seen two years ago in Jan. 1, 2022, when the seven-day average was 41,910 – nearly 20 times higher than today.
Hospital systems in several states have reinstated mask mandates, according to recent reports, but for some it’s a challenge. (iStock)
For influenza, there was a 3% increase in positive cases during the week ending Dec. 30, 2023, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Positive cases of RSV decreased by 18% over the past week.
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The indoor mask requirement applies to patient care spaces at the facility, Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan told local media.
The resumption of the masking mandate is seen as a way to protect medical staff from respiratory illnesses, he said.
However, none of the city hospitals are overwhelmed with patients at the moment, Vasan added.
Hospital systems in at least six states — California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin — have instituted mask mandates, according to recent reports. (iStock)
“Masking remains an extremely important and effective way to reduce transmission of respiratory viral infections, including COVID and influenza,” Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital.
In addition to New York, hospital systems in at least six other states — California, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin — have also instituted mask mandates, according to recent reports.
As of Jan. 1, the seven-day average of cases in New York City was 2,131, nearly 20 times lower than the 41,910 cases seen in the same period in 2022.
Some of them come with UC Health in Cincinnati; Sonoma Valley Hospital (California); University of Chicago Medical Center; City of Hope in Duarte, California; Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Medical Center in California; and UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, among others, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
Nationally, COVID-19 hospitalizations rose 16. 7% to 29,059 during the week ending Dec. 23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Omicron JN. 1 variant is expected to account for 39% to 50% of variants circulating in the U. S. According to CDC data as of Dec. 23.
The resumption of the masking mandate is helping medical staff amid emerging respiratory illnesses, a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Despite the variant’s quick growth, the agency said “there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants” as it does not appear to cause increased severity of illness.
Hospital admissions linked to influenza also increased nationally to 14,732 for the week ending Dec. 23.
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“CDC estimates that there have been at least 7.1 million illnesses, 73,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths from flu so far this season,” the agency noted on its website.
In the U. S. , about 44% of adults had gotten a flu shot as of the end of December and only about 19% had gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccines as of early December, according to CDC data.
In the United States, about 44% of adults had received the flu vaccine as of the end of December and only about 19% had received the updated COVID-19 vaccines as of early December, according to CDC data. (iStock)
“The decision to mandate the wearing of masks — versus just strongly recommending them — will depend in part upon the incidence of COVID and influenza, the presence of immunocompromised patients on selected units and many other variables,” Glatt told Fox News Digital.
The CDC urges people and institutions to visit the agency’s website for information to help them make an informed decision on when to wear or require a mask.
Some points that influence resolution come with local COVID hospital admission levels and a person’s underlying risk points for serious illness, such as complex age, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions.
The CDC urges people and institutions to visit the agency’s website for information to help them make an informed decision on when to wear or require a mask. Not all doctors, however, support universal mask mandates. (iStock)
“Each facility wants to evaluate all of those parameters and come up with an appropriate policy that can be seamlessly implemented and modified as needed,” Glatt added.
On social media, others have voiced their opinions on the removal of mask mandates.
One user wrote in a YouTube thread about mask mandates: “Imagine double-masking and getting quadruple jab, getting COVID, and thinking this works. “
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Another said: “Just in time for the election year. “
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. , released his reaction to the City of St. John’s imposition of mask mandates. Louis on Jan. 5, calling the move “tyrannical. “
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, also weighed in on the issue of hospitals reinstating mandates.
“There is a sharp increase in hospitalizations due to a combination of COVID and flu season that is starting to peak. The RSV is contributing to this but it has already peaked,” he told Fox News Digital.
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While Siegel said he doesn’t impose universal mask mandates, he said they “make some sense” in hospitals.
“Doctors and nurses know how to use masks and are more likely to opt for a more effective, high-quality mask,” he said.
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“When treating hospitalized patients, all the equipment we have at our disposal is helpful in slowing the spread of the virus among vulnerable and critically ill people,” Siegel added.
“Otherwise, unfortunately the hospital staff will probably comply. “
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