TO: Ballad Health All
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: Oct. 7, 2022
TITLE: CDC guidance on masking, boosters
COVID-19 inpatient cases: 65
COVID-19 patients in ICU: 8
COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 2
COVID-19 pediatric inpatients: 0
Masking guidance for healthcare facilities
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) recently updated its infection control guidance for healthcare facilities, which has resulted in some confusion about masking.
Ballad Health has made changes to its masking policy. We hope this memo will clarify where and when team members and patients are required to mask.
Team member and patient masking guidelines
- Masking is required by team members when present in exam rooms and patient rooms for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated team members.
- Masks are required for all team members and patients who are personally experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness. Visitors experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness should not be permitted to visit unless authorized by facility leadership.
- Facial hair must not prohibit a proper mask or N-95 fit. Masks must provide a close fit and cover the nose and mouth appropriately.
- Any team member can continue to wear a mask in any situation they desire.
- Masks are no longer required for anyone in public hallways, lobbies, break rooms, registration areas or nursing stations.
- Patients and visitors in waiting rooms ARE required to wear masks, but there may be situations where it is not required, as determined by clinical leaders for the specific area in question.
New COVID-19 booster recommended for everyone 12 and up
The Food and Drug Administration and the CDC recently approved a new bi-valent COVID-19 vaccine for everyone ages 12 and up. The updated vaccine targets Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, as well as the original strain of the COVID-19 virus, in a single shot.
The vaccine is recommended for everyone and can be given if it’s been at least two months since your last dose of COVID-19 vaccine (either your primary series or last booster). For the safety of our team members and our patients, Ballad Health encourages all team members to stay up to date with the COVID-19 vaccine. It is also recommended that people get their appropriate booster if they have experienced active COVID-19 infection at the same interval of two months post this infection.
The vaccine boosters have proven effective in helping protect people from severe COVID-19 illness, especially as the effectiveness of a previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes over time. It is never too late to get the added protection offered by a COVID-19 booster.
Contact tracing
Contact tracing activities will transition to focusing on facility/unit outbreaks of COVID-19. Team members experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 should have a low threshold for testing. If using an antigen (at-home, over the counter) test, a negative test in the presence of symptoms should be confirmed with a second negative antigen test taken 48 hours after the first negative test.
Questions
Have a question about vaccines, the BA.5 variant or other COVID-related topics? Contact the Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center at BalladhealthcorporateEOC@balladhealth.org.
