Masks Now Mandatory At University of Maryland Medical Centers

BALTIMORE, MD — Every single person at any University of Maryland Medical Center hospital or facility is now required to wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

UMMS made the move Monday morning, saying it was necessary for the safety of their staff, patients and communities. Visitors or new patients who come to the hospitals now will be outfitted with a mask, which they must wear at all times on the premises. Repeat visitors will be encouraged to keep and reuse the same mask each time they return, according to University. Anyone who does visit may also be subject to flu symptom screenings at any point during their stay.

As the Boston Sun reports, doctors with the university say the requirement is the only way to be certain that asymptomatic carriers of the virus are not spreading it to others. Doctors also say non-cloth masks will be used in most cases, except for doctors and visitors near patients with the coronavirus, in which case they will have to wear medical masks, gowns and gloves.

The university had already set up stricter visiting restrictions, only allowing certain visitors including:

• Those coming for end-of-life care or end-of-life decision making
• One parent for each child in pediatric treatment or neonatal intensive care
• One visitor to patients in labor
• One visitor to patients undergoing emergency surgery

Instead of visiting in person, the hospitals are encouraging family and loved ones to Skype, Zoom or call patients instead whenever possible to avoid potentially coming into contact with the virus.

For more frequently asked questions about the coronavirus and changes it's forcing at UMMS, visit http://umms.org/maskfaq