03
August
2023
|
13:20 PM
America/Chicago

Effective Aug. 4, 2023: COVID-19 Mask and Vaccine Update

Effective Aug. 4, 2023

Covid-UpdateMasks:

  1. Routine wearing of masks is NO LONGER REQUIRED for ALL Cook Children's employees, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.  As always, an employee may choose to wear a mask at their discretion.
  2.  Annual N-95 mask fit testing remains mandatory per OSHA guidelines.
  3.  N-95 masks or other isolation PPE will still be required for caring for a patient with an active COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 Vaccination:

COVID-19 vaccination is no longer mandatory for current employees or new hires.

COVID-19 Hotline

  1. The COVID-19 Hotline will be discontinued.
  2. Staff members experiencing illness will refrain from coming into work and will follow their normal department notifications.
  3. Return to work procedures through Occupational Health for absences are still required.

We appreciate your adherence to our COVID-19 guidelines, and we believe that our vaccine mandate truly made a difference in the lives of our patients and staff.  Our community's and organization's baseline immunity has evolved over the past three years. With that assurance, we feel comfortable with our new path forward. CMS has ended their mandate for COVID-19 vaccination and for masking, and we will follow their recommendations.

COVID-19 continues to circulate world-wide and throughout the United States. If future COVID-19 variants again cause more widespread infections and severe disease, we will adapt accordingly, and could need to resume masking and/or the vaccine mandate for the protection of our patients, families and employees.

We highly recommend staying up to date with vaccine boosters as they become available, especially for those with health conditions putting them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease.  An updated COVID vaccine is expected to be available this fall.  For those at higher risk, please remember that early and prompt treatment with antiviral medications active against COVID-19 can prevent more severe disease, hospitalization and death.