Essentia Health says that universal masking for patients, visitors and staff will remain a requirement in all of their facilities across Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.
They add that while they respect the decision to loosen the mask mandates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent guidelines "do not cover health care settings like hospitals, clinics and long-term-care facilities." In fact, the CDC recommends visitors to health care settings continue wearing a well-fitted face covering, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status.
COVID-19 remains prevalent in the communities we serve and wearing a mask has been proven to reduce transmission of the virus. This is especially important among the vulnerable populations often found in health care facilities, including those with compromised immune systems.