Samaritan Announces Mask-Optional Emergency Department and Walker Center for Cancer Care

Published on: July 11, 2023

Watertown, NY – On July 11, 2023, the remaining Samaritan departments will now be mask-optional for all staff, patients, and visitors under certain criteria. This decision comes after closely watching transmission levels of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, declining COVID-19 hospitalization and infection rates, declining influenza and respiratory illness rates, and other supporting indicators.  Samaritan now safely offers a mask-optional environment in all areas and facilities, however if any of these metrics have an uptick, we could return to wearing facemasks. 

The following use of face masks will be asked of patients and visitors:

• In the Emergency Department, if a patient or patient’s visitors come to the Emergency Department with any respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, sneezing) or a fever they will be asked to wear a face mask following our infection prevention practices.
• In the Walker Center for Cancer Care, because of the weakened immune systems of the patients served, we ask that anyone visiting the Center with any respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, sneezing) or a fever wear a face mask.

Patients, visitors and/or healthcare personnel are to follow masking practices per unit/department when specifically indicated. Though numbers are declining, respiratory illnesses are still active, and, for the health and safety of the community, we reserve the right to require any patient in any area who has signs or symptoms of respiratory illness or COVID-19 to wear a facemask as per Samaritan’s source control policy.

Visitors who are not feeling well or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to stay home and cannot visit patients or accompany patients to appointments.   

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