Johns Hopkins Medicine will resume its masking requirement for all patients, visitors, and employees, regardless of vaccination status, starting Friday, Jan. 12.
The policy change comes as Johns Hopkins Medicine reports increased hospitalization rates caused by COVID-19, influenza (flu), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as low vaccination rates among the general population.
“We anticipate this requirement to be in effect on a short-term basis while influenza-like illness rates are high,” Johns Hopkins Medicine leaders wrote in a letter to patients.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust the requirement as needed,” they added.
Patients, visitors and employees can check the healthcare organization’s website for updates.
As of Monday, 534 Maryland hospital beds were in use by COVID-19 patients, including 477 adults in acute care, 53 adults in intensive care, three pediatric patients in acute care, and one pediatric patient in intensive care.
Maryland had 540 Maryland hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients on Jan. 3. Before that, the last time COVID-19 hospitalizations were this high was nearly one year ago on Jan. 30, 2023, when the state recorded 539 COVID-19 hospitalizations.
COVID-19 hospital admission levels are currently considered to be at a “medium level” in Baltimore City and Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Garrett, Howard, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.
All other Maryland counties are considered to have a “low level” of COVID-19 hospital admissions.
While briefly shopping very early I hadn’t thought of pulling up my mask when a tap on the shoulder caused me to turn. A nice person very close to my face and breathing heavily said “Sir, you dropped your glasses”. If I’d taken time to mask up I wouldn’t have inhaled his breath, which was beyond awful.