Baystate Health, including Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, has joined hospitals across the country in the national #MaskUp campaign to encourage everyone to wear a mask, especially as COVID-19 numbers are rising again.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge across the nation and locally, Baystate Health is pleased to take a leadership position among some of the nation’s most prestigious hospitals to send an important and lifesaving message,” Baystate President and CEO Dr. Mark Keroack said. “That message is that wearing a face mask is our best chance at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic across the country and here in Western Massachusetts.”
According to a New York Times database, as of Tuesday afternoon, more than 12.5 million people in the United States have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 258,000 have died.
“The current trends are daunting and frightening,” Keroack commented. “If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more health care facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients. Unfortunately, this is already happening in parts of our country.”
He said the country has reached a “tipping point,” and the power to do what is right is in the hands of everyone, everywhere.
Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield has consistently reported one to two COVID-19-positive patients hospitalized there over the past few weeks, but on Sunday and Monday it reported zero. On Sunday, Baystate Health reported a total of 75 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections in its hospitals, nine of whom are in the critical care unit at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.
Baystate Health spokesman Keith O’Connor said the hospital system will continue to monitor its COVID-19 case numbers, especially as people gather during the holidays. A public service message is running in national newspapers, and hospitals and health systems across the country will continue to share the following message: “As the top nationally ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks. But, here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. So, please join us as we all embrace this simple ask: Wear. Care. Share with #MaskUp. Together, wearing is caring. And together, we are saving lives.”
In addition to wearing masks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Gov. Charlie Baker suggest everyone minimize the number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet from other people, and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas.
Baker has implemented a mandatory face mask requirement when people are in public and a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., during which time people are asked to stay home unless they have to work. He has also limited indoor gatherings to 10 people.
For more information, visit cdc.org, everymaskup.com or baystatehealth.org.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-9591 or afritz@recorder.com.