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On Monday, Sonoma County’s top health authorities announced the required masking requirements for a specific health care facility, which is a movement to suppress the spread of influenza, covid-19 and other respiratory viruses in autumn and winter.
Karen Smith, the temporary health manager of Sonoma County, said on November 1, the masking order, which was issued on November 1, is not limited than similarly issued last year and aims to take care of the elderly and weak patients.
The affected facilities include a skilled nursing home. Certain areas of long -term treatment facilities provided with nursing care; Acute and non -acute rehabilitation facility; Injection Center; And dialysis center.
This command applies to all workers and visitors who enter the “patient treatment zone” regardless of the vaccination state.
SMITH says that these facilities are the most widespread spread of respiratory viruses and most of them occur.
Smith said, “It is a place where the most vulnerable people must be protected because of age, immunity, or combination of them.
She often added that the medical facility said, “There is already a struggle to keep the employees completely and the staff can’t afford to get sick.” She said masking protects both patients and employees.
Last year, the Sonoma County Health Authority announced a masking order including a general acute treatment hospital, inpatient psychiatric hospital, and outpatient medical clinic.
Smith said that Bay Area Health Officer was found with clinical directors in the local health care environment and that such facilities were not a hotspot of the current transmission.
“We decided to make a strong recommendation for them, but to some extent and to determine some space in the space,” she said.
Smith said that this year’s health orders were “narrowed down the space.” This year’s mission mission said, “Instead of asking for masking everywhere, the patient and provider naturally focus on the area of a specific facility that interacts with each other.
“This is less wider, more practical and supported by the data we have,” she said.
County health officials said that since 2017, similar health orders have been issued for medical staff to go to masks during the winter flu season.
Smith said that the “summer surge” in the Covid-19 case, which started a little later than usual, is finally retreating. She has a high transmission throughout the state, but is now decreasing to a medium level, she said.
County officials will be reissued every year if the valid orders will be withdrawn by March 31 and the date cannot be adjusted according to the virus surveillance data.
“We still expect to have winter waves,” she said. “But this is good because people offer a chance to get covid vaccines before they circulate again.”
Meanwhile, influenza transmission is still low, but you have to rise again.
You can reach employee writer Martin espinoza (707-521-5213) or Martin.spinoza@pressDemocrat.com. Twitter @pressreno.
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