{"id":74506,"date":"2024-01-17T19:02:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T19:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/17\/amid-covid-surge-va-hospitals-not-requiring-masks-for-all-patients\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:34:19","slug":"amid-covid-surge-va-hospitals-not-requiring-masks-for-all-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2024\/01\/17\/amid-covid-surge-va-hospitals-not-requiring-masks-for-all-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid COVID surge, VA hospitals not requiring masks for all patients"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs health officials<\/a> are not currently planning to require all patients and visitors at department hospitals to wear masks despite several private health care systems making the move in response to rising COVID-19 numbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, local officials can opt to reinstate mask mandates for patient and staff safety if regional conditions warrant it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Private hospital systems in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Maryland and Washington D.C. have returned to mask requirements at their facilities in recent weeks, citing an increase in cases of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> reported that COVID-19 hospitalizations were up more than 56% from the start of December to the start of January. As of Jan. 14, active COVID-19 cases within the VA health care system<\/a> were up nearly 33% over the last month, matching their highest level since 12 months earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\t