COVID Mask Mandates Are Returning To North Carolina

According to Fox News, a large number of healthcare facilities reinstituting COVID mask mandates across the country. New York City public hospitals just joined the growing list.

The NYC Health + Hospitals system has many different health facilities that are now under an indoor mask mandate. These locations include 30 different health centers, 11 hospitals, and five long-term care facilities.

The new mandates are being put in place as a response to COVID-19 cases and influenza respiratory infections rising. This current increase is basically nothing compared to the spikes seen while the pandemic was active.

The seven-day average of COVID cases in NYC as of Jan. 1, 2024, was 2,131, this is a slight increase when compared to the past few weeks. However, it is nothing compared to other numbers in the past two years. On Jan. 1, 2022, the seven-day average was 41,910, which is almost twenty times higher than current numbers. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, influenza has had a 3% increase in positive cases recently. RSV cases have dropped recently by 18%.

Although the mask mandates do help everyday citizens, they are mainly in place to help healthcare workers working in these facilities on a day-to-day basis. So, what does this mean for North Carolina? Guess only time will tell how far the mask mandates may go.

New York hospital systems aren't the only ones that have instituted mask mandates. At least six other states have as well, including North Carolina, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and Wisconsin. After many people seemed to have been sick over the last month or so, I can certainly see why these mandates are returning back in action. They are not just for COVID, but overall health protection for everyone. What do you think of wearing masks more frequently when under the weather and out in public? Many other countries are already participating in this even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

No one likes going to the hospital. Many times you don't plan on it either. But when you need to go, you want the absolute best care you can receive. And you certainly want that experience to be safe. That's why The LeapFrog Group has made it the company's mission to help you make the best decisions regarding your health care. For over 20 years  they have "collected, analyzed, and published hospital data on safety and quality in order to push the health care industry forward." This puts a sense of transparency into the healthcare industry leading to higher quality of care and hospitals making "giant leaps forward in the safety, quality, and affordability."

And The LeapFrog Group just released its 2023 Hospital Safety Grades. They have ranked each hospital in the nation as either an A, B, or C. You can read the full methodology on these scores here. Most of the Charlotte area hospitals received A grades though a few did receive B and even C grades. Does this mean you won't get good care? No. But it's information consumers have a right to know. All grades are the determination of The LeapFrog Group and you can view those and ones from any other city and state in the US here.