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2 Colorado hospitals to end mask mandate after 3 years

Nearly 3 years after the start of the pandemic, two Colorado hospitals are dropping a mask requirement.

DENVER — Nearly three years after the start of the pandemic, Denver Health and UCHealth are preparing to eliminate mask requirements for patients and staff.

UCHealth will end its universal mask mandates for patients and staff on Wednesday, March 1.

Denver Health said face masks will no longer be required for asymptomatic patients, visitors and staff on Wednesday, March 1.

UCHealth and Denver Health said staff, providers, partners, patients, volunteers and visitors are welcome to continue wearing masks if they prefer.

"We feel the time is right to make this change because UCHealth hospitals, along with the state of Colorado, have seen substantial decreases in COVID-19 cases, and influenza cases have also fallen," UCHealth said in a statement.

"While the universal mask mandate is being lifted at UCHealth, we encourage anyone experiencing cold, flu or other respiratory symptoms or who is not fully vaccinated to continue wearing one. As was standard prior to the pandemic, any patients who have an infectious disease may be required to wear a mask, and any staff members or providers who care for those patients will be required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment – which may include masks, eye protection, gloves, gown, etc."

"Patients, visitors and staff with respiratory symptoms (such as a cough or runny nose), and any staff members who are unvaccinated against COVID-19, are still required to wear masks in Denver Health facilities for infection prevention measures," Denver Health said in a statement.

"We ask all patients, visitors and employees to please be welcoming and respectful of anyone who decides to mask out of personal preference, individual risk factors or as required for illness symptoms.

"Denver Health’s decision to lift the masking policy assumes there are no significant changes in epidemiological trends and is subject to change should any community respiratory virus infection rate rise to a level requiring universal masking to ensure patient, visitor and employee health."

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