SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate University Hospital is again requiring staff, visitors, and patients in clinical areas to wear masks at the downtown facility, Community campus, and ambulatory clinical spaces.
In addition, COVID testing is now mandatory for all patients being admitted to the hospital, Upstate University Hospital tells CNYBJ.
The new mandatory masking and testing policies are now in effect and will be reviewed in three weeks.
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The updates to the protocols are due to EG.5, the new COVID variant circulating in Central New York, Upstate said.
The COVID EG.5 variant is causing an increase in patients hospitalized with the virus and an increase in SARS-CoV-2 signal in both community and hospital wastewater testing, Upstate noted.