Samaritan Summit Village goes ‘mask optional’

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - As of this week, Samaritan Summit Village in Watertown is mask-optional for staff, residents and visitors, Samaritan announced Thursday.

But in a press release, the facility cautioned that “if there is a local uptick in COVID-19, Influenza, or other respiratory illnesses, we could return to wearing facemasks.”

Staff who have respiratory symptoms or exposure will be required to mask until they are cleared by our employee health caregivers.

If there is a respiratory outbreak in a particular unit, all residents, staff, and visitors will be required to wear a mask in that area.

Staff who do not have the Influenza vaccine will be required to wear a mask during flu season.

Staff who are caring for residents with respiratory symptoms will be required to wear the appropriate mask during care of those residents.

Samaritan Keep Home continued to require the use of masks “due to current COVID cases in various units,” Samaritan said in its press release.