Flu case decline brings end to NY mask mandate for unvaccinated health care workers
A boy gets a flu shot at the Nassau County Department of Health in February 2019. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Health care personnel who are unvaccinated against the flu no longer must wear masks at work, the state Health Department announced Wednesday, citing how influenza is no longer prevalent after the worst flu season in years.
The announcement rescinds a seasonal mandate that started Dec. 6 and applied to unvaccinated personnel at hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, certified home health agencies, long-term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, licensed home care service agencies, limited licensed home care service agencies and hospices. The rule required a surgical or procedure mask.
The mandate — under the Regulation for Prevention of influenza Transmission — was first imposed during the 2013-14 flu season and was done annually until 2019. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and a masking mandate was left in place until May 2023, when the public health emergency was declared over.
On Wednesday, the health commissioner, Dr. James McDonald, said in a news release announcing the end of this year’s flu-related mask mandate: “As influenza season winds down and the virus is no longer prevalent in New York, we are rescinding the masking requirement for health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and adult care facilities who have not been vaccinated against flu. However, as the virus continues to circulate, I recommend appropriate precautions, such as staying home from work or school if you are sick to prevent spreading illness.”
During the 2023-24 flu season, New York State had 395,522 cases of the flu and 25,182 hospitalizations, according to the department's Flu Tracker website.
This season, the state had more flu cases and more related hospitalizations compared to the previous two seasons — 336,986 cases and 24,074 hospitalizations in 2022-23 and 125,709 cases and 7,471 in 2021-22. Long Island had 25,828 in Suffolk and 30,472 in Nassau in 2022-23 and 14,931 in Suffolk and 14,837 in Nassau in 2021-22.
So far this season, there have been 74,941 cases on Long Island — 39,813 in Suffolk and 35,128 cases in Nassau. Of the hospitalizations, 3,911 of the hospitalizations were on the Island — 1,820 in Suffolk and 2,091 in Nassau
Statewide, the worst week of the season was the week ending Dec. 30, when there were 32,843 cases and 2,437 hospitalizations.
The week ending Dec. 30 was also the worst on the Island, with 6,847 cases on Long Island — 3,764 in Suffolk and 3,083 in Nassau. That was also the worst week for hospitalizations, with 460 on Long Island — 220 in Suffolk and 240 in Nassau.
In the most recent available week — ending April 27 — there were 3,550 cases and 223 hospitalizations, the tracker said.
On the Island in the most recent week, 509 cases were reported — 303 in Suffolk County and 206 in Nassau, the tracker said.
Health care personnel who are unvaccinated against the flu no longer must wear masks at work, the state Health Department announced Wednesday, citing how influenza is no longer prevalent after the worst flu season in years.
The announcement rescinds a seasonal mandate that started Dec. 6 and applied to unvaccinated personnel at hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic and treatment centers, certified home health agencies, long-term home health care programs, AIDS home care programs, licensed home care service agencies, limited licensed home care service agencies and hospices. The rule required a surgical or procedure mask.
The mandate — under the Regulation for Prevention of influenza Transmission — was first imposed during the 2013-14 flu season and was done annually until 2019. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and a masking mandate was left in place until May 2023, when the public health emergency was declared over.
On Wednesday, the health commissioner, Dr. James McDonald, said in a news release announcing the end of this year’s flu-related mask mandate: “As influenza season winds down and the virus is no longer prevalent in New York, we are rescinding the masking requirement for health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and adult care facilities who have not been vaccinated against flu. However, as the virus continues to circulate, I recommend appropriate precautions, such as staying home from work or school if you are sick to prevent spreading illness.”
During the 2023-24 flu season, New York State had 395,522 cases of the flu and 25,182 hospitalizations, according to the department's Flu Tracker website.
This season, the state had more flu cases and more related hospitalizations compared to the previous two seasons — 336,986 cases and 24,074 hospitalizations in 2022-23 and 125,709 cases and 7,471 in 2021-22. Long Island had 25,828 in Suffolk and 30,472 in Nassau in 2022-23 and 14,931 in Suffolk and 14,837 in Nassau in 2021-22.
So far this season, there have been 74,941 cases on Long Island — 39,813 in Suffolk and 35,128 cases in Nassau. Of the hospitalizations, 3,911 of the hospitalizations were on the Island — 1,820 in Suffolk and 2,091 in Nassau
Statewide, the worst week of the season was the week ending Dec. 30, when there were 32,843 cases and 2,437 hospitalizations.
The week ending Dec. 30 was also the worst on the Island, with 6,847 cases on Long Island — 3,764 in Suffolk and 3,083 in Nassau. That was also the worst week for hospitalizations, with 460 on Long Island — 220 in Suffolk and 240 in Nassau.
In the most recent available week — ending April 27 — there were 3,550 cases and 223 hospitalizations, the tracker said.
On the Island in the most recent week, 509 cases were reported — 303 in Suffolk County and 206 in Nassau, the tracker said.
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
