Some California nurses question state ending mask requirements in health care settings

SAN FRANCISCO — Members of the California Nurses Association say the state’s decision to stop requiring masks in health care settings this week puts them at higher risk for catching COVID-19. 

Some nurses argue long COVID remains a serious concern for them more than three years into the pandemic. 

“We know that wearing a mask — a high-quality mask, a well-fitted mask — is a very simple, non-pharmaceutical intervention that everyone can do to protect themselves from COVID,” said Dolores Flanagan, a nurse who works in San Francisco. “It just doesn’t follow the science. It doesn’t make sense. It is an afront to everything that nurses do.”

The California Department of Public Health announced in March that the new policy would take effect on April 3. Instead of a statewide requirement, local health departments and facilities would decide what requirements are best for them. 

“My first reaction was one of surprise. A little shocked actually. Not because I don’t think it’s the right time for some context,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at UCSF. “It was something that we were doing so religiously for so long. It gave healthcare workers a lot of confidence, improved morale at a time when we didn’t have a lot of tools.”

Dr. Chin-Hong said he understands the concerns some healthcare workers have about the policy but believes the move is based on data and the evolving circumstances around COVID-19. He also expects that many Bay Area hospitals and public health departments will still require masks in patient-facing areas and for high-risk populations like patients in the ICU. 

“You can’t eliminate the risks altogether. You’re just trying to lower the risk,” he told KPIX. 

Flanagan says with other respiratory infections remaining a threat to staff and patients like the flu and RSV, she does not think removing the mask requirement makes sense at this time. She continues to take many precautions to keep her safe like wearing a fitted N95 mask whenever she enters a building. 

“It’s entirely necessary that people still be required to mask in healthcare settings where people are vulnerable,” she told KPIX. “My principle is that I don’t share indoor air with people at all.”

KPIX asked CDPH about the concerns raised by members of the California Nurses Association like Flanagan. The agency said masking still remains a recommendation based on the CDC guidelines for community levels of COVID-19. 

Chin-Hong added that it’s a baby step toward getting back to the normal people remember from before the pandemic. But for Flanagan, she does not believe we have made enough progress to start changing polices. 

“I don’t want to be sick, I won’t to be able to work and take care of the people of my city,” she said. “I don’t think nurses go into this work without a sense of wanting to do their best to take care of patients and that’s my goal as a nurse.”

Web links:

CDPH Current Masking Guidance
CDC COVID Data Tracker