"Massachusetts urged to maintain mask mandates in healthcare facilities"

Health groups in Massachusetts are urging the state to maintain mask mandates in healthcare settings, even as the state plans to lift the mandate on May 11th. Members of the Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity met with health officials from the Healey administration to implore them to maintain the mask rule in health settings. The decision to lift the mandate was made following "extensive conversations with health care experts" and aligns with CDC guidance and federal requirements based on transmission rates. However, health care settings remain the most likely places for high-risk people to encounter a COVID positive person, and some studies have found that universal masking is more effective than one-way masking.