Beginning Thursday all staff members providing direct patient care at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington will be required to wear masks.
Staff at the hospital must wear a mask when they are in a patient or exam room, and when providing direct care to a patient.
The requirement is only applicable to hospital employees.
Masking will remain optional in public areas such as nurses’ stations, cafeterias and hallways.
Officials are encouraging everyone who is not feeling well, may have been exposed to an illness or is immunocompromised to wear masks.
The decision to return to limited masking mandates for employees is due to an increase in respiratory infections of RSV, influenza, COVID and Rhinovirus in the area.