POTSDAM — A facility-wide masking mandate has been implemented once more at all St. Lawrence Health facilities due to a substantial uptick in reported COVID-19 infections.

All SLH facilities fall under the mandate.

Facilities include Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Gouverneur Hospital, Massena Hospital, Edwards Health Center, St. Lawrence Health Medical Campus in Canton, E.J. Noble Professional Building in Canton, Helen Snell Cheel Medical Campus in Potsdam, the MH Medical office building in Massena, and the 20 Cottage Street Medical Campus in Potsdam.

Patients, visitors or staff arriving at any of the SLH buildings who do not have masks of their own can pick one up at the facility entrances.

SLH had previously implemented facility-wide, universal mask mandates during the pandemic, until the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on May 11. Masking still continued in certain high-risk areas, including areas serving immunocompromised patients.

The newest mandatory masking protocol is reportedly in response to an increase in reported COVID infections within the county and at the health system facilities.