Joint Statement on Mask Excuses in the ED

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Resident and Student Association (AAEM/RSA), the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine (AACEM), the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA), the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD), the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), and SAEM’s Residents and Medical Students (SAEM-RAMS) recognize the growing evidence regarding the efficacy of facial coverings in combination with other measures to decrease the spread of COVID-19. We believe that the emergency department is not the proper setting for requesting or providing excuses from mask compliance.