Toronto hospital network reinstates masking requirement

Toronto General Hospital is shown on April 5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

The University Health Network (UHN) is making masks mandatory as respiratory illness season ramps up.

Starting on Oct. 28, visitors to UHN sites will need to wear a mask when receiving or waiting for care.

“This requirement applies to patients, visitors, and staff. You must also still wear a mask in areas where many patients may be at a higher risk of illness,” the hospital network said in a note posted on its website.

Masks will still be optional in common areas such as lobbies and food courts.

UHN includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehab, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and other sites.

Dr. Susy Hota, medical director of infection prevention and control at UHN, told CP24 Monday that the masking policy is aimed at trying to head off the next wave of infection going into winter.

“We really wanted to be ahead of the curve in terms of when we expect respiratory viruses to really be taking off,” Hota said. “And looking at what the trends were like last year, for example, we really noticed a lot more respiratory virus activity with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV, which is another common respiratory virus, as of November.”

She said that that the masking policy is a tool which will be adjusted throughout the season as needed.

“We anticipate, again, looking at what we see in previous years, that by the end of February, the respiratory viruses should be coming down a little bit in terms of the prevalence,” Hota said. “So we will be looking at the trends over time, reevaluating when would be an appropriate time.”

The hospital network said UHN-approved medical masks will be available at all entrances, outpatient clinics and inpatient units.

Hospitals have been plagued in recent years by staff shortages, which have been made worse by the spread of illness among staff, particularly respiratory illnesses such as flu and COVID-19.

While the level of transmission for various respiratory illnesses is not high at the moment, Hota said, this is the time when preventative actions can help curb infections in the months ahead.

“We are seeing a steady, low-to-moderate level of respiratory viruses in the hospital system, in health-care settings, and of course within the community,” Hota said. “But you know, things are manageable right now. This is our time for action to do the prevention that we have control over, like masking and vaccinating, etc.”

Ontario is also starting to roll out distribution of the flu vaccine and the updated COVID-19 vaccine this month.