Respiratory illnesses continue to rise in our communities, particularly RSV, COVID-19 and influenza, resulting in significant increases in hospitalizations impacting health care across the nation, as well as faculty, students and staff on all campuses.
As a result, UNMC’s clinical partners, Nebraska Medicine and Children’s Nebraska have implemented revised masking use and meeting guidance effective immediately.
In cooperation with Nebraska Medicine, given that a significant number of UNMC employees and students provide care to patients or share clinical space, UNMC leaders recommend that employees and learners respect these guidance changes when in a clinical environment.
Masks will continue to be required in specific clinical areas and situations, including but not limited to:
- Areas where care is delivered to cancer patients
- Rooms of new solid organ transplant patients
- Whenever asked by a patient or visitor
Nebraska Medicine and UNMC will continue to monitor the situation, including tracking of local wastewater data, hospitalizations and the test positivity rates of our patients. The precautions will be reassessed in two weeks to determine if they should be relaxed or continued. Check UNMC Today and Nebraska Medicine NOW for further updates.
“We take this matter very seriously and will continue to monitor the data and respond accordingly,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD.
Leaders at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine express their thanks for the collective effort being made to keep patients, coworkers, students and communities across the state safe.