Masking update
By Doug Beardsley | April 14, 2023 | All providers
The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) long-term care compendium Webex conducted on April 5, 2023, provided additional clarity on the current requirements for masking in healthcare facilities. In a nutshell, nothing has changed, as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has not issued any new guidance. MDH conducted a similar call with hospitals on April 6, 2023, informing them of the masking requirements that remain in place.
The good news is, effective with the CDC’s community transmission data posted on April 6, 2023, there are currently zero counties in Minnesota who have HIGH/red transmission rates!
Facilities are directed by the CDC to
consider monitoring county community transmission rate decreases that drop a county below high for two weeks before relaxing masking mandates. These maps are updated every Thursday afternoon/evening. When the maps are posted, they are comprised of the prior week’s data. For example, the map above was posted on April 6, but is comprised of data from March 30–April 5. The subsequent update, which will be on April 13, will be comprised of data from April 6–12. These are the dates that should be considered when making decisions regarding relaxing masking guidance (the dates data was used for two subsequent updates).
If you choose to relax your masking, based on county community transmission rates, the following could apply:
- Passive screening, via signage at each building entrance, outlining signs and symptoms of COVID-19
- N-95s and eye protection are still required by staff when caring for residents in isolation (confirmed COVID-19) or quarantine (suspected COVID-19)
- Facilities must determine what additional precautions are in place for staff with vaccination exemptions (this could include having those individuals continue to mask until some period of time—for example, until the county community transmission rate is LOW/blue)
- Any new outbreak would require reinstatement of the masking mandate for the unit or area of the facility experiencing an outbreak, until no new cases have been identified for 14 days
When community transmission levels are HIGH/red, masking is required for everyone in a healthcare setting when they are in areas of the healthcare facility
where they would encounter residents. Masking requirements should be implemented “as soon as possible” when the country transmission rate moves up from LOW/blue, MODERATE/yellow, or SUBSTANTIAL/orange to HIGH/red.
County transmission rates and dates of data can be found
here. If you see a map with green, you are on the wrong screen! Make sure you select the data type “Community Transmission.”
Current PPE requirements are nicely summarized on
this MDH grid.
Note—this healthcare masking guidance does not apply to licensed assisted living facilities that have “opted out” and are using general community guidance instead of healthcare guidance. In those situations, proper PPE must be used in situations of quarantine, isolation, or outbreak status in a unit or facility.
We do expect the CDC to issue new PPE guidance, but it is unclear when such updates will be released. Such changes may, or may not, be in alignment with the May 11, 2023, end of the public health emergency. Stay tuned!
Doug Beardsley | Vice President of Member Services |
dbeardsl@careproviders.org | 952-851-2489