Samaritan Announces Mask-Optional in Most Locations

Published on: March 8, 2024

Watertown, NY – As of March 8, 2024,  most Samaritan locations will 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, and other supporting indicators.  Samaritan now safely offers a mask-optional environment in most 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, staff, and visitors:

• In the Emergency Department (ED), all visitors and patients are asked to mask in this location when not in a private room.  
• In the Walker Center for Cancer Care, because of the weakened immune systems of the patients served, we ask patients and anyone visiting the center to wear a face mask when not in a private room. 
• In the Samaritan Keep Home and Samaritan Summit Village due to long term care requirements. 

Patients, visitors and/or healthcare personnel are to follow masking practices per unit/department when specifically indicated. 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 practices.  

Visitors who are not feeling well, have symptoms of fever, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea, or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 cannot visit patients or accompany patients to appointments.