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Dana-Farber requires masks again as respiratory illnesses rise

The change requiring masks will be in place for the "foreseeable future," the hospital said.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA on November 11, 2023. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

December 18, 2023

1 minute to read

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has reinstated their face mask policy, requiring all patients, staff, and visitors to wear masks as of Monday.

The change will continue for the “foreseeable future” due to higher rates of respiratory illnesses in the region, officials from Dana-Farber shared on their website.

If levels of respiratory illnesses drop, they will adjust their policy accordingly, they said.

“We check a number of different data points, including rates of influenza-like illness, staff absenteeism, and emergency room visits and hospitalizations caused by respiratory viruses,” they wrote.

This week in Massachusetts, more than 15% of all hospital visits were due to acute respiratory illness, namely COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.

COVID-19 is on the rise this winter compared to recent months. During the first two weeks of December, more than 4,000 cases were reported each week. This is a peak for the state this respiratory season, which begins in July and ends the following June. A total of 44,919 cases of COVID have been confirmed so far, as well as 17,224 probable cases.

Influenza is currently a moderate risk, the state said. Hospitalizations and illness visits are also mildly trending up, according to state data.

Boston Medical Center, Harvard Medical Center, and Mass General Brigham all do not require masks.