Bassett Healthcare drops most mask requirements

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Just over a month after state guidance eliminating the mask mandate for health-care facilities, Bassett Healthcare Network announced Monday that masks are no longer required for patients, visitors, or staff members across most areas of the health system.

“Bassett’s experts in infection control, incident command, employee health, and other areas have been diligently reviewing COVID-19 community transmission rates weekly,” Bassett President/CEO Dr. Tommy Ibrahim said in a news release. “They have been looking for a sustained trend of decreasing transmission rates. Bassett’s eight-county service area has now demonstrated declining community-transmission rates for more than three weeks.”

This change does not include Bassett’s skilled-nursing facilities at A.O. Fox Nursing Home, Valley Residential Services, and Valley Health Services, where masks are still required for all employees and visitors. Long-term care facilities continue to follow stricter guidelines from the CDC based on community-transmission rates to try to protect residents.

Building-entrance screening procedures remain in place, according to New York State Department of Health regulations.

Bassett operates five hospitals along with community-based health centers, school-based health centers, and skilled nursing facilities across a 5,600-square-mile region in upstate New York.