Updated Masking Guidelines

High Risk Areas Include:

• Transplant units  
• Dialysis  
• Chemotherapy units  
• ED & urgent care  
• Open Bay Medical ICUs 
• SCI and CLC (staff and visitors only)  

 

Staff may remove masks in these high-risk areas only under the following circumstances: 

• they are not in a patient room; 
• they are not within six feet of a Veteran in a congregate area (e.g., shared meals in CLC); or
• they are not within six feet of a patient in an open treatment area/room.

 

Masking also continues to be required:

• for those with a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection or other viral respiratory infection;
• for VA staff during clinical encounters when requested by a Veteran, caregiver or family member; or
• where local leadership warrants continued masking is required.

 

Masking is no longer universally required in the following locations:

• Acute inpatient medical/surgical units
• Acute inpatient mental health units
• Intensive care units with closed rooms
• Clinical areas where aerosol generating procedures are performed
• Laboratories collecting or handling specimens from known or suspected COVID-19 patients (e.g., areas where staff are manipulating cultures from known or suspected COVID-19 patients)
• Congregate settings and bedded residential settings (e.g., blind rehab, residential mental health, homeless shelters)
• Outpatient areas where a significant proportion of patients have high-risk for complication

 

In addition, VHA will no longer require routine testing for ambulatory procedures or for Veterans leaving and returning to a closed congregate setting. Surveillance testing for CLC and SCI-D Staff is no longer required in all circumstances.