Mask wearing to remain mandatory at Peterborough City Hospital when Plan B measures are lifted

From Thursday, January 27, residents are no longer required by law to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces - although Peterborough’s Director of Public Health Jyoti Atri is urging residents to continue to do so as the city has the highest case rate in England.

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However, despite restrictions being lifted, Jo Bennis, Chief Nurse for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford & Rutland Hospitals said masks would remain mandatory at hospital.

Jo said; “We appreciate that the national guidance is changing this week, meaning that certain Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted, including mandatory face masks. However, the government guidance for healthcare settings has not changed, as we have a duty to continue to protect our patients, who are already vulnerable, and also our staff.

“Therefore we will continue to mandate appropriate face coverings for all visitors and staff, as per the rules we put into place some time ago. This will help us to reduce the risk of spreading infection, alongside practicing stringent hand hygiene and social distancing where appropriate.

“We continue to review all safety precautions on a regular basis to ensure that when safe to do so, we can start lifting these. This includes visiting which remains restricted to exceptional circumstances only, due to the high number of Covid-19 cases regionally which has impacted on the number of patients we have seen being admitted for treatment due to the virus.”