Now that spring is right here and COVID-19 an infection charges stay comparatively low in Illinois, Advocate Health Care is stress-free its visiting and masking protocols.

Beginning Monday, all Advocate areas — which incorporates Illinois Masonic Medical Center and Lutheran General Hospital — will now not restrict the variety of affected person guests nor require face masks “under most circumstances,” the well being care system introduced Friday.

The visiting adjustments don’t apply to common pediatric and pediatric intensive care settings, which can proceed to permit solely two guests at a time, the well being care system stated.

Masking will proceed to be required for guests of sufferers in “transmission-based isolation,” together with sufferers who’re COVID-19 optimistic.

“We realize and recognize how important it is for patients to have visitors and it certainly contributes to recovery in the hospital and then after they leave the hospital,” Dr. Robert Citronberg, an Advocate infectious illness skilled, instructed reporters Friday.

Citronberg described the masking coverage change as a “really big step,” noting that masks have been required because the begin of the pandemic.

“Now, with declining rates of community transmission of COVID in all the counties in Illinois in which we serve patients, we are safely able to remove that masking requirement,” he stated. “This is in accordance with [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance and other state and federal regulations too.”

People who’ve examined optimistic for COVID-19 or who’ve been uncovered to somebody who has examined optimistic for the virus nonetheless should wait 10 days earlier than visiting a affected person, the well being care system stated.

Northwestern Medicine and UChicago Medicine stated Friday that their COVID-19 protocols stay unchanged. These hospital methods require masks for many guests and though customer restrictions differ, normally, not more than two guests per affected person are allowed at anybody time.