San Juan Regional Medical Center announced it will no longer require visitors to wear masks when visiting the main hospital facility.

A news release stated that the reason for easing the mask requirement was low transmission rates of COVID-19 in the community. The change is effective immediately.

Hospital visitors are asked to self-screen before entering the hospital. Those who exhibit flu-like symptoms, or are COVID positive, will be required to wear a mask to protect patients, caregivers and other visitors.

Caregivers are no longer required to wear masks during direct patient care, unless a patient’s condition requires masking, such as COVID positive patients.

Patients presenting to the Emergency Department or Urgent Care with influenza-like symptoms or COVID-19 will be required to wear a mask.

For healthy individuals with no flu-like symptoms, masks continue to be optional at all San Juan Health Partners clinic locations and ancillary outpatient clinics.

Those who prefer to continue wearing a mask are encouraged to do so.

SJRMC’s masking policy is based on the county transmission rate and could change depending on fluctuations in the county’s COVID transmission rate.