It is critical that health care providers be able to set safety protocols for their offices that protect their most vulnerable patients. Requiring patients to wear a mask to help protect everyone in the space from infectious disease may be appropriate in certain situations. In particular, physical therapy is often provided in open spaces, with multiple people receiving treatment at any given time. It would be unsafe for providers to be forced to allow patients to set the safety protocols in their offices. Furthermore, gathering a complete health history can be critical in understanding certain symptoms and conditions. The proposed rules would make it impossible for providers to protect the health of all of their patients and I am opposed to the petition.