Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance has decided to extend the practice of wearing masks indefinitely despite provincial mask mandates being lifted Friday in some settings.
Masks will be required for all visitors, caregivers, outpatients, inpatients where they can be tolerated, and staff. As well active screening of everyone entering a hospital will continue.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have been assessing what we feel are appropriate protections for our team and our patients as well as those visiting our hospital sites,” says Andrew Williams, President, and CEO. “We have consistently put safety first and will be continuing with universal masking indefinitely. It is the right thing to do, and I know people will support the HPHA in placing their health and the health of our patients, caregivers, family members, and team members at the core of all we do.”
On Monday, proof of vaccination will no longer be required at Huron Perth hospitals.
The province’s mask mandates are all set to expire this weekend (June 11th). Those had been kept in place for high-risk settings including hospitals, public transit, doctor’s offices, and long-term care or retirement homes.
With the provincial mandate expiring the decision to require mandatory masking has been left up to individual hospital sites and HPHA says they are following the guidance of Public Health Ontario and are keeping in alignment with other Southwestern Ontario hospitals in keeping the practice mandatory for its sites.
