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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Here are the new mask policies at 5 of the biggest Mass. hospitals
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
We could see a few spots of snow flurries this morning, but the main event is this weekend, with the arrival of what’s likely to be our first plowable storm of the year. There’s still a lot of uncertainty for Eastern Massachusetts, so keep a close eye on that rain-snow line.
But first, let’s plow ahead to the news:
Return of the mask: Massachusetts stopped requiring everyone in healthcare settings wear a mask nearly eight months ago. But in our first post-COVID emergency winter, the state’s largest hospitals have unilaterally reimplemented mask mandates for certain individuals — largely staff — due to a rise in respiratory illnesses. (One in six emergency room visits in Massachusetts are now due to respiratory infections like COVID, flu and RSV.) Here’s a look at the new mask policies at five of the state’s biggest hospital systems:
- Mass General Brigham: As of this Tuesday, the state’s largest health care system is requiring employees to wear a mask during “direct interactions with patients” in hospital rooms, bays and other clinical care areas. Patients are also “strongly encouraged” to wear a facility-issued mask during those interactions. (Masks are not required in lobbies, waiting rooms and other common areas.)
- UMass Memorial: As of Tuesday, the Worcester hospital is requiring employees to wear masks in all patient areas and common areas — and “strongly” encouraging patients to do the same, especially if they are sick. Patients and visitors may be asked to leave if they are asked to wear a mask and refuse.
- Baystate Health: As MassLive reported last week, the Springfield-based hospital system is now requiring almost everyone to wear a mask at all times inside its hospitals. As of last Friday, that also includes all visitors over the age of 5.
- Beth Israel Lahey: While masking is still optional for visitors, Beth Israel is now requiring masking for all employees upon entry to a patient room or bed space, The Boston Globe reported last month.
- Boston Medical Center: The hospital updated its mask mandate on Dec. 21 to cover everyone in clinical areas, like hospital rooms and the emergency department. Patients and visitors must also wear a mask in all areas if they have respiratory illness symptoms.
The Massachusetts Senate is slated to vote on a bill today aimed at making it easier for people to get their wheelchairs repaired. WBUR’s Gabrielle Emanuel reports movement on the issue comes after years of complaints by wheelchair users that they often have to wait weeks or months for fixes, disrupting their lives.
- What the bill would do: Massachusetts already has a wheelchair warranty law, but this bill would add more consumer protections. That includes increasing the required minimum warranty from one year to two, setting time limits for manufacturers to assess defective chairs and provide loaners, and allowing wheelchair users to get repairs without prior authorization from a doctor for anything expected to cost under $1,000.
- Go deeper: Disability advocates say the state’s wheelchair laws lag behind most of the rest of the country, including neighboring Connecticut and Rhode Island. “We’re catching Massachusetts up to get in line with other states who have stronger protections right now,” state Sen. John Cronin, the bill’s sponsor, told Gabrielle. However, the bill has faced opposition from wheelchair manufacturers and providers. Read more about the debate here.
Ballot battles: Secretary of State Bill Galvin has officially sent all potential 2024 ballot questions to the State House. Now lawmakers will have the opportunity to act on them before they’re put to voters. You can read here about all six of the ballot campaigns, which range from legalizing psychedelics to raising the tipped minimum wage. (While there are six campaigns, one submitted five different versions of its question, meaning there are technically 10 of those for the Legislature to consider.)
- What’s next: State House lawmakers have until April 30 to act on the issues (a rare but not unprecedented option). If they don’t, ballot campaigns must gather an additional 12,429 signatures to get their question on the November ballot. Galvin’s office says it expects to finalize the official list of questions in July.
P.S.— Former Gov. Charlie Baker’s official State House portrait was quietly installed just before Christmas, and this thread on X has the story behind all the Easter eggs you might not notice in the picture.
