Easing of masking rules at Quinte Health hospitals

In alignment with many hospitals across Ontario, effective Monday, April 24, Quinte Health has eased requirements to wear masks as a pandemic control measure in its four hospitals at Picton, Belleville, Quinte West and Bancroft.

Quinte Health will still require masking in the emergency department, clinics and waiting rooms, inpatient units, diagnostic imaging and in all clinical, patient-facing areas for all inpatient, outpatient, and community-based programs.

Health care workers will continue to wear a mask in patient care areas, including during patient care interactions.

The measured step-down approach will allow staff, patients and loved ones to unmask in non-patient care areas (e.g. offices, hallways, washrooms, lobbies, cafeterias, meeting rooms, break rooms).

Quinte Health asks people to consider vulnerabilities and level of comfort when deciding whether to mask in common areas such as hallways and coffee shops. Masks will continue to be available at hospital entrances and entry points of patient care areas/waiting rooms.

Quinte Health will continue to monitor risk indicators and community prevalence and respond appropriately with heightened control measures, or reduced control measures, depending on what is being seeing in the community.

People with symptoms of illness, are asked to put on a mask at the hospital entrance and leave it on and not to visit patients if you have any symptoms of illness.