The state lifts its COVID emergency mandate: What is the South Shore doing?

WEYMOUTH − South Shore Health will lift its universal mask mandate Friday as state and federal COVID-19 emergencies come to an end.

The health system said in a statement that masks will be optional at all of its medical facilities based on the guidance and expertise of infectious disease and other clinical leaders, national public health experts and state officials.

"We are confident at this time that our decision is a safe one. Colleagues and patients can still choose to mask going forward and we will respect those individual decisions," the statement said.

Gov. Maura Healey announced in March that the state’s COVID-19 public health emergency will end May 11. President Joe Biden will end the national emergency and public health emergency declarations for addressing COVID-19 on Thursday as well. The World Health Organization has also said that the global health emergency is now over.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted mask mandates for health care settings in September 2022, but Massachusetts kept its requirement in place for health care facilities.

That mask mandate will end at the end of the day May 11, prompting many health care facilities to stop requiring visitors and patients to wear masks as of Friday.

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South Shore Health said other health protocols like proper hand hygiene and staying home when sick will stay in place as part of the standard response to managing infectious diseases.

"Over the past three years, we have made immense progress in the fight against COVID-19, and the time has come to manage this disease more closely to how we manage other endemic respiratory viruses," the statement said.

State Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said at a news conference this week that people should still stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines and take other steps to protect themselves as needed.

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Reach Jessica Trufant at jtrufant@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore Hospital won't require face masks starting May 12