Masking policies return at city hospitals in response to COVID, flu cases

Doctors from NYC Health + Hospitals say they’ve been seeing a mix of people getting sick from holiday gatherings and recent weather conditions.

News 12 Staff

Dec 28, 2023, 11:20 AM

Updated 283 days ago

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It’s the season where you could easily catch a cold — or something more serious — as city hospitals are filling up with patients amid the holidays.
Doctors from NYC Health + Hospitals say they’ve been seeing a mix of people getting sick from holiday gatherings and recent weather conditions.
COVID-19, RSV and flu cases are all on the rise, and have been on the up since Thanksgiving. In response, all NYC Health + Hospitals are reinstating a mask policy in all areas of their facilities.
They’re also making some recommendations that are pretty familiar to city residents after the last few years.
"It's the same advice we've been giving to people year-round — if you don't feel well or others don't feel well, try to stay home or isolate,” says Dr. Elias Youssef, of NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. “If you do go out in enclosed spaces, please wear a mask, an N95 is considered the best mask, if you have one available to you."
According to city data, COVID-19 hospitalizations from November compared to last week have gone up by approximately 36%.