The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) has implemented an updated masking policy, requiring visitors and patients with respiratory symptoms to wear a mask when visiting its hospitals and healthcare facilities. 

The updated masking guidelines issued last week come as the state continues to see an uptick in respiratory illnesses. 

Luminis Health implemented a similar mandatory masking policy on Jan. 2 requiring staff, patients and visitors at its nearly 200 locations to wear a mask while in clinical spaces.

UMMS masking guidelines 

Under UMMS's updated masking policy, individuals who are visiting patients at University of Maryland Medical Center and its eleven affiliated hospitals are required to wear a mask while in contact with patients. 

The policy also dictates that patients at any of the UMMS healthcare facilities who have COVID-19 symptoms or respiratory symptoms, like coughing and sneezing, must wear a mask along with any visitors who accompany that patient. 

A patient in a care facility can request that staff members or visitors wear a mask while they are in contact with the patient. 

UMMS's healthcare network encompasses eleven hospitals and more than 150 other healthcare facilities.

The hospitals include:

• University of Maryland Medical Center (flagship)
• UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center
• UM Capital Region Medical Center
• UM Laurel Medical Center
• UM Upper Chesapeake Medical Center Bel Air
• UMMC Midtown Campus
• University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center
• University of Maryland Golisano Children's Hospital
• University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown
• University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Easton
• University of Maryland Shore Regional Health at Cambridge
• University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center

Surge in respiratory illnesses 

The change in masking guidelines comes as Maryland experiences high respiratory illness activity, according to data from the State Health Department. 

An expert with LifeBridge Health's Northwest Hospital called this one of the worst flu seasons he had seen in a while, and said it is expected to get worse. 

According to Dr. Nishad Rahman, area hospitals have seen a drastic uptick in flu patients in the past month. He noted that it's still early in the flu season. 

"This is actually an earlier and more aggressive peak than we see in any typical year, so we continue to see flu patients well into February in any given year," Dr. Rahman told WJZ last week. 

According to data from the State Health Department, seven people have died from the flu since September 2025. Since the end of December, nearly 484 people have been hospitalized due to the flu, Maryland health data shows. 

Flu cases are also surging across the U.S. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows nearly 5,000 people died in 2025 from the flu, and doctors' visits related to the flu have reached their highest level since 1997. 

According to the CDC, there have been at least 11 million flu cases as of Dec. 27, 2025, and nine related pediatric deaths.