Healthcare providers in the Twin Cities metro area are putting masking back in place as cases of RSV, COVID-19 and the flu increase. M Health Fairview has started requiring masks for staff members and Allina Health will be doing the same, starting Tuesday.

“We are seeing a lot of respiratory illness in Minnesota right now,” said Melissa McMahon, a senior epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health. “There’s a lot of COVID activity, there’s a lot of flu activity.”

The latest MDH data shows COVID and flu hospitalizations continue to increase statewide, as they have for weeks. RSV hospitalizations are the same as last week.

“I do know that hospitals and emergency departments are reporting that they’re quite busy right now,” said McMahon. “I do think we are probably of range of busiest times of the year. I can’t predict how much higher activity will get or when it will start to drop off.”

Hennepin Healthcare is telling patients it’s experiencing high demand and longer wait times in its clinics and emergency departments. Allina Health has put out similar advisories for its hospitals citing a surge in flu, SRC and other seasonal illness cases.

Children’s Minnesota is also warning patients of longer than usual wait times in its emergency departments. At times this week, the provider has reported wait times of four hours or more for non-critical concerns at its Minneapolis location. By Friday afternoon, that improved to 30 to 60 minutes. The St. Paul campus, however, reported two to three-hour waits.

“ER wait times, it’s busy, it’s busy just like our other clinics,” said Dr. Liz Placzek, a primary care pediatrician for Children’s Minnesota. “Unfortunately we’ve had to send several kids this week to the emergency room from clinic.”

She said they’re seeing a combination of patients with colds, COVID, RSV and the flu in the clinic.

“These numbers started to increase right before the holidays so we knew we were going to see more sick kids,” she said.

Children under the age of two years old, and especially those younger than eight months old, are at the highest risk for illness, according to Placzek.

“Keep them away from people who are sick if you can so avoid big groups and gatherings if you know your child is at increased risk,” she said.

Children’s Minnesota advises taking your child to the nearest emergency room if they are experiencing severe symptoms such as a high fever, difficulty breathing or a blueish skin color.

Click here to see wait times at Children’s Minnesota emergency rooms.

Click here to see wait times at Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s emergency room.

Click here for a list of Hennepin Healthcare locations.