LEWES, Del. - Masks will be required at Beebe Healthcare facilities for all patients, visitors and team members beginning Friday morning at 7 a.m. Locations include hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient offices and all Beebe Medical Group practices.
Beebe has tracked data for community spread of the flu, RSV and COVID-19. According to a company spokesperson, the health group's leadership decided to reimplement masks in the interest of safety and to help slow the transmission of respiratory illnesses amidst a seasonal rise in cases. This aligns with healthcare systems across the country as well as others in Delaware. TidalHealth mandated masks for all visitors at the end of December and Bayhealth facilities followed suit shortly after for patients and visitors.
Surgical masks or those with a higher level of protection such as an N95 are required. Patients hospitalized at Beebe will be allowed to remove masks in their rooms but must wear them elsewhere. Visitors may remove masks when eating in the cafeteria and are asked to refrain from eating in patient rooms. Beebe says this masking requirement does not change the number of visitors a patient can have.
"Safety of our patients and caregivers must always remain our top priority," said David Tam, president and CEO of Beebe. "We do not take this decision lightly because we understand the impact that masking can have on our community and team members. We must follow the evidence of our data and the guidance from our infection prevention experts. Thank you for your consideration and kindness towards our team members who will be here for you throughout the respiratory illness season."
Beebe went mask optional in April as cases were falling and the winter season, which sees the highest number of respiratory illness cases, came to an end. Company infection prevention experts will continue to monitor the local spread to determine when masking requirements may end. More information on masking and visitation can be found at beebehealthcare.org.