UNC Health Nash Announces Mask Policy Updates Effective March 21 

Effective Tuesday, March 21, UNC Health Nash is updating its mask policies for all patients, visitors and staff.

“All of our mask policy updates are based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, low levels of community spread metrics, and recommendations from our COVID Task Force,” said Dr. L. Lee Isley, president and CEO of UNC Health Nash. “We remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for our patients, visitors and staff based on the latest guidance from these local, state, and national authorities.”

Updated Policy for UNC Nash Patients and Visitors
Effective March 21, UNC Nash will transition from “masks required” to “masks optional” for patients and visitors, with the following exceptions:

• Patients and visitors who have symptoms of respiratory illnesses must wear a mask.
• COVID patient rooms will still maintain current personal protective equipment (PPE) and masking requirements that patients and visitors are required follow.
• Additionally, individual needs of patients may require mask usage in specific patient rooms, per normal (pre-pandemic) infection prevention policies. Signs will be posted prominently in these rooms and all visitors will need to follow the masking and PPE guidelines specific to these areas.

The mask policy for patients and visitors may change as UNC Nash continues to monitor CDC guidelines, COVID infection rates in the community, and recommendations from the UNC Nash COVID Task Force.

Any changes made to the patient and visitor mask policy will be communicated via UNC Health Nash’s website, social media channels and through various local media sources.

Updated Policy for UNC Nash Staff, Providers and Vendors
To help patients and visitors understand when they should expect members of their care team to wear a mask, the updated policy for staff, providers and vendors is outlined below.

UNC Nash will transition from “masks required” to “masks optional” for staff, providers and vendors effective March 21. Masks will still be required in COVID patient rooms, isolation patient rooms and when in direct patient care in the cancer center.

The “masks optional” for staff, providers and vendors will remain in place until community transmission levels are deemed “High” by local and state officials. Should we reach a “High” community transmission level, masks may again be required in all clinical patient-facing areas.

“It is important to note that any patient, visitor, staff, provider or vendor may continue to wear a mask at UNC Nash if they choose to do so. As part of this change, we will no longer screen patients in front lobbies. We will continue to offer respiratory stations with masks, sanitizer and tissues in all lobbies, as we always have,” said Isley. “Our number one priority is ensuring a safe environment for all who enter our doors.”