Mount Nittany Health Lifts Masking Requirement

Mount Nittany Health has lifted a temporary masking requirement as cases of respiratory illnesses among patients and staff decline, the health system announced on Friday morning.

Patients, visitors and employees had been required to wear masks since Jan. 12 in all patient care clinical and common areas at the medical center, clinics and physician group offices. Mount Nittany attributed the policy to a surge in influenza, RSV and COVID cases within the community and among patients and employees.

“We still ask those with symptoms to take the appropriate precautions and mask in Mount Nittany Health facilities,” the health system wrote in a news release on Friday.

Cases of flu, RSV and COVID statewide and nationally had been on the rise throughout the fall and spiked in late December, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Respiratory illness activity in Pennsylvania is moderate as of Friday, according to the CDC, after being at the high level when Mount Nittany implemented the masking requirement.

Combined respiratory illness in the Centre-Clearfield Health Service Area (Centre, Clearfield and Jefferson counties) represented 6.7% of emergency department visits according to the most recent CDC data, down from 11.2% in early January

Flu has the highest percentage of positive tests locally at 13.7%, with COVID at 11.8% and RSV at 8.4%, all down from early January.

“Please know we will continue to monitor respiratory illnesses and adjust precautions as necessary to keep our patients, and those caring for them safe,” Mount Nittany Health wrote in the release.