More hospitals are requiring masks as flu and COVID-19 cases surge

Published January 3, 2024 4:30 PM

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — More U.S. hospitals are requiring masks and limiting visitors as health officials face a post-holiday spike in flu and other illnesses. New York City last week instituted a mask mandate for the city’s 11 public hospitals. Similar measures were ordered at some hospitals in Los Angeles and Massachusetts. Flu and COVID-19 infections have been increasing for weeks, with high levels of flu-like illness reported in 31 states just before Christmas. Updated national numbers are to be released Friday, but health officials predict infections will grow in many states well into January.

Article Topic Follows: Coronavirus Coverage

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