The Horizon Health Network is expanding its masking guidelines across all of its facilities in New Brunswick.

Starting Monday, Oct. 30, medical-grade masks will be required in all patient-facing and clinical areas.

That includes inpatient units, outpatient/ambulatory care clinics, emergency departments and any other clinical setting, including waiting areas.

Masks will not have to be worn in non-clinical areas of the facility, such as lobbies, hallways and cafeterias.

Since Oct. 3, masks were only required in Horizon facilities that were dealing with respiratory illness outbreaks.

“We continue to ask the public to treat our physicians, staff, patients and other visitors to our hospitals with kindness, respect and understanding as we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission of respiratory illness in our facilities and do our best to protect our most vulnerable patients,” Horizon said in a news release.

Patients, social visitors and designated support persons (DSPs) must continue to self-screen for symptoms of COVID and other respiratory illnesses prior to entering.

DSPs with new symptoms of respiratory infection in the past 10 days or those who have tested positive in the last 10 days will fail screening and are asked not to enter.

Social visitors with new onset symptoms of respiratory infection in the past 10 days or those who have tested positive in the last 10 days are not permitted to visit.

Symptomatic patients may attend their appointment as planned, but they must clean their hands, put on a mask and inform their health care team that they have failed screening.