With flu, COVID and RSV infections on the rise across the tri-state area, New Jersey’s largest hospital network has made masks mandatory again for visitors.

Since Dec. 16, RWJBarnabas Health requests that staff, patients and visitors at its 14 medical centers statewide wear “an appropriate face mask.”

Additionally, the New Brunswick-based health care system is asking the public to defer hospital visits if they’re sick or experiencing symptoms related to the flu or COVID.

Anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus or been exposed to someone who had it within the past 10 days should also avoid visiting, according to the policy posted online.

New masks will be provided to everyone who walks into the hospitals. Visitors may be asked to replace their facial covering with a hospital-supplied one or to clean their hands with sanitizer prior to entering the facilities, RWJ said.

Hospitals in RWJ’s network include:

• Children’s Specialized Hospital, New Brunswick
• Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville
• Community Medical Center, Toms River
• Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston
• Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City
• Monmouth Medical Center and The Unterberg Children’s Hospital, Long Branch
• Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, Lakewood
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, Newark
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, Hamilton
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital, New Brunswick
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, Rahway
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, Somerville
• RWJBarnabas Health Behavioral Health Center, Toms River
• Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth

RWJ also said masking is “strongly encouraged” for staff, visitors, and vendors at its outpatient and medical group facilities.

At doctors’ offices, any patient or doctor treating anyone with respiratory symptoms must wear a mask. All patients have the right to request their health care provider and staff wear a mask when treating them, RWJ said.

The updated policy comes as COVID cases have climbed in New Jersey. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state’s level of respiratory illness activity is categorized as “moderate.”

As of Dec. 19, masking remains optional at other New Jersey health systems, including Hackensack Meridian Health, Atlantic Health System, Virtua Health, Inspira Health Network, Cooper University Health Care, Valley Health System and Englewood Health.