Paris, TN – Effective September 19, 2022, Henry County Medical Center and its Medical Clinics will be masking optional for patients, visitors, and staff in non-clinical areas This policy DOES NOT apply to Henry County Healthcare Center, which is bound by CMS regulatory guidelines related to masking and COVID-19.

The masking optional policy is based on currently available information about COVID-19 and the current situation in the United States, which includes community transmission rate, infections identified in healthcare personnel (HCP) and volume of cases within the surrounding community.

Patients and visitors may choose to wear their own face covering in the facility. Patient care staff will continue to mask in patient care areas in the hospital or by patient request in other settings.

HCMC continues to recommend masking for those individuals unvaccinated or partially vaccinated while in the facility. Individuals that have fever or respiratory symptoms will be asked to remain at home, perform a COVID-19 test, and if positive stay home until day six. Individuals must also have improving symptoms and remain fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications.

At Henry County Medical Center, we will continue to follow the science and take the steps necessary to protect our patients, especially the most vulnerable. **HCMC reserves the right to re-institute mandatory masking at any time based on the status of community COVID transmission, new community outbreaks or recommendations by nationally recognized regulatory agencies.**

For updates, please go to www.hcmc-tn.org.