Health P.E.I. says visitors and staff no longer have to wear masks at its facilities
While mandate was in place, people could take masks off in cafeterias, private rooms
Now that respiratory illness season is dying down, Health P.E.I. has lifted a mandatory masking policy that was in effect at all of its facilities.
"Monitoring data from Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office show the positivity rate for influenza testing is well below five per cent, the national benchmark for declaring respiratory season over," the health authority said in a news release Friday afternoon.
For the last several months, masks could be removed only in designated areas of P.E.I. hospitals, health centres and publicly operated long-term care homes.
Those included cafeterias and canteens, as well as private patient rooms as long as no health-care worker was present.
"Staff will continue to follow routine personal protective practices, including using proper hand hygiene and the cleaning of patient care equipment and the environment," the news release said.
The Chief Public Health Office releases test positivity data every week and meets with Health P.E.I. every second week to review it in case a change in masking policy is called for.