This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NHPR and other outlets to republish its reporting.
You may be asked to wear a mask the next time you visit a New Hampshire hospital or health care facility.
The New Hampshire Hospital Association said Wednesday the change comes as hospitals are nearly full due to an increase in respiratory illnesses among patients and staff, including flu, COVID-19, and RSV. It did not identify which hospitals have resumed mask requirements or are considering it.
The state has not instituted a mask mandate.
“The decision to change the use of masks in health care settings is driven by data and guidance from health care experts,” said Steve Ahnen, president of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, in a statement. “That data and expert guidance ensures hospitals and health care facilities are safe places for patients to receive both routine and emergency care.”
That increase in respiratory hospitalizations has exacerbated hospitals’ existing challenges to keep beds open due to workforce challenges and limited options to discharge patients to other settings, such as nursing homes.
“Hospitals are busy, and beds are full,” the association said in a statement. “Just last week, hospitals from across the state reported overall capacity at nearly 100%.”
It also encouraged the public to keep up to date with vaccinations and other guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 68.2 percent of residents have completed the primary series of COVID-19 vaccinations and 55.7 percent have received a booster.
“Working together, utilizing the tools, resources, and information we have gathered over the past several years, we can and will get through this,” said Ahnen.
Many hospitals dropped the mask mandates they instituted during the pandemic in April. Hospitals in other states have also resumed masking in light of an increase in COVID-19, flu, and RSV cases.
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