Berkshire County — As the wave of respiratory illness that swept the area in January begins to recede, Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) has announced new masking and visitor guidelines, effective Monday, January 29.
Patients and visitors will no longer be universally required to mask. Patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days or who have symptoms of respiratory illness (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, or runny nose), however, must mask before entering any BHS healthcare center and must notify their provider of their symptoms.
Visitors under the age of 18 are now allowed in all clinical settings. That is the only alteration to the visitor guidelines. BHS strongly encourages all visitors to take the extra precaution and wear mask in their healthcare facilities. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days or have any symptoms of respiratory illness, BHS asks that you not accompany or visit any patients in their care. The full list of visitor guidelines can be found here.
Berkshire Health Systems will continue to monitor data and adjust its policies to reflect any changes in respiratory illness rates in the region.
For minor respiratory infections, BHS recommends you visit Urgent Care or contact your primary care provider.
BHS urges the community members to keep themselves healthy by getting vaccinated and washing their hands. Learn more about how to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community from respiratory illnesses on the CDC’s website.
