Lincoln County Samaritan Hospitals CEO Dr. Lesley Ogden is reminding the public that, although facemask mandates will be lifted in Oregon on Saturday, March 12, facemasks will still be required in all health care facilities, including the clinics and hospitals of Samaritan Health Services. “We wish to remind our patients, visitors, volunteers and vendors that they must continue to wear appropriate facemasks when entering our clinics and hospitals,” said Ogden. “If you forget and show up for an appointment without an appropriate mask, our door screeners will be glad to provide one to you.”
Acceptable masks include medical procedure facemasks and N95 masks. Cloth masks,
bandanas and other similar coverings are not adequate and will not be permitted.
“After two years of pandemic precautions, we are all so ready to be done with COVID, but COVID is not yet done with us,” Ogden said. “We need to remain vigilant in our health care facilities and keep our staff healthy so that we can continue to care for our community.”
Along with health care facilities, facemasks will still be required on public transit, including
buses and airplanes. In addition, anyone who wants to continue to wear a mask can do so, and some organizations and businesses may require individuals to wear masks inside their locations.
