VCU Health will begin to pull back on masking requirements across the health system this month.  

Wearing a facemask was a key component in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. At this time, cases of severe illness from the virus are less likely due to widespread availability of vaccines and less severe variants, although patients who are immunocompromised are still at high risk. 

Effective April 10, 2023, masking will be optional in all VCU Health owned, operated and leased facilities. Wearing a facemask will still be required for patient interactions at VCU Medical Center and high-risk patient care areas, including: 

• When entering patient rooms in the hospitals and clinics 
• When triaging patients or retrieving patients from waiting rooms 
• When registering, rooming, or escorting patients through the clinic or facility including patient transport 
• Patient or visitor approaches the nursing station 

This guidance follows standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recommends masking for everyone in a healthcare setting when “in areas of the facility where they could encounter patients.” 

Signs will be posted in areas where masking is required. VCU Health’s masking policy may change in the future due to regulatory obligations and or changes in respiratory viruses.  

To fully protect against COVID-19, medical experts recommend getting the vaccine and follow up booster shots. According to data from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), 6,340,516 Virginians have been fully vaccinated as of early April, accounting for about 74% of the state's population.