KMHC Masking Requirements: No Longer
Written by Jeremy Zafran on 27 July 2023
The Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) has now dropped any and all masking requirements. Several remained in place in certain sections of the building, including in the Main lobby, clinical areas, and short-term care. As of Monday July 31st, masks will no longer be required in those zones or anywhere at the KMHC. Juanita Belanger is the Nursing Advisor for Infection Prevention and Control at the KMHC:
“We have changed our masking mandate that has been in-place for over 3 years at this point, related to wear masks in the public spaces and the clinical areas of the KMHC. So, as of Monday morning, this will no longer be a mandated requirement, it will however still be optional for those people who are more comfortable wearing masks.”
Valerie Diabo is the executive director at the KMHC saying it’s a very good thing to have happen:
“We’ve been wearing masks for the last 3 years and know being able to remove them in all areas of the hospital, it’s wonderful news. At KMHC we take the extra steps to review the epidemiology around that and our experience and then we make a decision on the best decision for our community.”
Back on May 1 it was announced that people could go mask-free to visit to KMHC’s long-term patient care area, as well as non-clinical areas of the hospital. The final and formal decision was made by the KMHC’s senior management team following the directive from the INSPQ (Quebec’s Public Health body, that on July 18th) indicating the end of the provincial masking mandate.
