Rochester Regional Health is requiring all patients, visitors, and team members to wear masks in clinical settings due to a rise in respiratory viruses.
The requirement became effective Tuesday morning and will be in place for about a month at all of the system's hospitals, ambulatory practices, and extended care settings, including home care, according to a notice on the health system's website.
Rochester Regional's hospitals include Rochester General and Unity; United Memorial Medical in Batavia, Genesee County; Clifton Springs in Ontario County; and Newark-Wayne Community in Newark, Wayne County.
Hospital officials will monitor the situation and adjust the requirement as safety allows.
Rochester Regional said it is seeing higher flu-related hospitalizations, more patients requiring isolation, and increased illness among care teams. Those conditions, the notice said, carry added risk for patients with complex or chronic health needs.
