Boston hospital reinstates masking policy amid uptick in respiratory illnesses in the area

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BOSTON — A major Boston hospital has reinstated its masking policy for staff and patients due to higher rates of respiratory illness in the area.

The adjustment to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s face mask policy took effect on Monday and will continue for the “foreseeable future,” according to a post on the hospital’s website.

“Your health and safety are our top priorities,” the hospital stated. “Face masks are currently required for everyone at Dana-Farber.”

The hospital shared the following information:

  • Face masks are available at our entrances and hygiene stations for your use. You can wear our mask by itself or over your own mask.
  • Please use the face mask that we give you when you arrive, and ensure it covers your mouth and nose at all times.
  • We will continue to monitor levels of respiratory illness in the community and adjust our policy when appropriate. We check a number of different data points, including rates of influenza-like illness, staff absenteeism, and emergency room visits and hospitalizations caused by respiratory viruses. We will lift the mask requirement when these data points remain consistently lower.

Those who have an appointment at the hospital are urged to check for the following symptoms before arrival:

  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Runny nose/nasal congestion
  • Muscle aches
  • Loss of smell or taste
  • Shortness of breath

Mask-wearing policies were first rolled to slow the spread of COVID-19 during the 2020 pandemic.

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