(KRON) — Kaiser Permanente has reinstated its mask mandate policy at its Santa Rosa hospital due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.

The masking requirement is mandated for physicians, staff, patients, members and visitors in the hospital and medical offices. For all other Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, masks are highly recommended to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.

Infection prevention and control experts for Kaiser continue to monitor transmission rates closely and encourage individuals to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Kaiser Permanente issued the following statement to KRON4 that read in part:

“Kaiser Permanente Northern California is committed to protecting the safety of our members, patients, employees, physicians and visitors, which includes taking appropriate steps to prevent the spread of transmissible infectious diseases in our facilities.“