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Masks No Longer Required for Most Patients and Visitors at Mount Nittany Health Facilities

Most visitors and patients are no longer required to wear masks at Mount Nittany Health facilities, three years after the health system made them mandatory amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only those who are symptomatic or positive for COVID-19 will be required to wear masks, according to a news release on Wednesday. The change applies to all Mount Nittany Health locations, with a few exceptions that have been communicated to those impacted.

Mount Nittany will continue to provide masks for anyone who chooses to wear one.

“Mount Nittany Health’s first priority has always been the safety of our people, patients and visitors,” Tiffany Cabibbo, executive vice president for patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, said in a statement. “To this end, our team has continually monitored recommendations, mandates and guidance from the CDC, OSHA and state and local public health organizations, and has set our policies accordingly.”

Visitation also will return to pre-pandemic policies and spaces such as the cafeteria will return to pre-COVID-19 setup and capacity.

The Centers for Disease Control updated its guidance in September to no longer recommend universal masking in health care settings. Instead, the CDC says facilities in communities with high transmission should require “source control” like masks and respirators.

Centre County currently has moderate community transmission of COVID-19, according to the CDC. Community transmission measures the presence and spread of COVID-19 and is different from the CDC’s community levels, which emphasizes measures of the impact of the virus in terms of hospitalizations and healthcare system strain, as well as transmission. The county is at the low community level.

“We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and CDC, state and local requirements and make adjustments in the future, if necessary,” Dr. Upendra Thaker, chief medical officer, said.