The Clinical Chief of Infection Prevention and Control for NL Health Services’ Eastern Zone says an early surge in respiratory illness is what prompted the health authority to impose a mask mandate in all health care settings.

One time, waves of illness were a little easier to predict, but Dr. Natalie Bridger says since COVID, nothing is “typical” anymore.

The mask mandate is in place until the end of March.

She says typically a surge in illnesses like COVID and pneumonia are followed by a later surge in RSV and the flu.

I’ve been wrong before, I could be wrong again” she says, “but everything is moving in that direction.