Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) said that the bronchiolitis epidemic in the region and the ongoing circulation of Covid-19 were behind its decision to reimpose the wearing of facemasks among staff and patients.
“In view of the fact that the Île-de-France region has entered the bronchiolitis epidemic phase and that SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] is actively circulating, all staff, patients and visitors must wear a surgical mask as soon as they enter areas where patients are present”, states the AP-HP.
The measure applies to all hospital staff who are in contact with patients, including ambulance drivers and volunteers.
Hospitalised patients must wear masks when leaving their rooms, as must visitors, anyone in waiting rooms or moving around a hospital building.
Only children under the age of six are exempt from the mask rule.
AP-HP runs most of the hospitals in the greater Paris region, with the exception of private hospitals like the American Hospital of Paris.
In its most recent health bulletin, national public health agency Santé Publique France said that acute respiratory infections were leading to an increasing number of hospitalisations among under fives, but were stable across all other age groups.
Cases of influenza were at ‘baseline levels’ across the country, it said, while bronchiolitis indicators were up in hospitals nationally, and Covid-19 cases were declining, but the virus was still actively circulating.
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