Annapolis, MD - Luminis Health has ended universal masking at all its facilities, including Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, as well as all other clinical and non-clinical areas. Luminis Health, which serves nearly two million residents in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties, the Eastern Shore and beyond, has shifted to optional masking for all-staff, patients and visitors.
Luminis Health mandated a mask requirement in March 2020 to help prevent the spread of the novel SAR-CoV2 virus. Three years later, Luminis Health is shifting to an endemic recovery response. “With high vaccination rates and a major reduction in community transmission, we are no longer seeing a significant number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” said Jean Murray, system director of Infection Prevention and Control at Luminis Health. “With the reduced risk to the community and hospitals, and the pending end of the federal public health emergency in May, our Incident Command Team feels it’s appropriate to lift the universal mask requirement.”
Patients and visitors who prefer to wear a mask while in our facilities may do so. Patients may also request that their care team members wear masks. All care partners and support persons will be required to wash or sanitize their hands throughout their visit. While masks are now optional, patients with respiratory symptoms will be asked to wear masks as part of standard precautions and visitors should still refrain from visiting when ill.
Luminis Health will continue to follow the science and Centers for Disease Control recommendations and if the situation changes the health system will review and update its visitation guidelines and practices.
Since the COVID-19 vaccine became available at the end of 2020, Luminis Health has administered more than 125,000 COVID-19 vaccines in the communities it serves. We continue to encourage Marylanders get vaccinated and/or boosted to keep the public safe and healthy.
