The St. Luke’s University Health Network on Saturday announced updated visitor guidelines to ban facemasks with vents amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“WE’RE MASKING UP FOR YOU,” says St. Luke’s visitor policy page at slhn.org. Please wear your mask for your entire visit.
DO: Cover your mouth and nose.
“NO: wear masks with exhalation valves.
“Valved masks allow exhaled air to be vented in the room, exposing everyone to that air. If you come in with one of these masks, we will provide you with a surgical mask to put over your mask. “
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, under the guidance of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, that “exhaled valve respirators should not be used in situations where they should be maintained a sterile field (for example, during an invasive procedure in an operation or procedure room) because the exhalation valve can allow unfiltered exhaled air to escape to the sterile field. “
To the general public, the CDC says, “Fabric liners are a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 that could reduce the spread of the disease, particularly when used universally within communities. There is increasing evidence that face cloth covers help prevent people with COVID-19 from passing the virus on to others. “
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,054 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 106,625 with 7,114 known deaths.
The death toll in New Jersey from the coronavirus rose to 15,776 on Saturday, with 178,858 total cases in nearly five months.
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Kurt Bresswein can be contacted at [email protected].
