Masks no longer required in many WA hospitals, some continue policy

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has ended the requirement to wear masks in hospitals as of April 3.

The Secretary of Health Mask Order required masking in healthcare, long-term care, and prisons or jails for people aged 5 and older.

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“Masks have been – and will continue to be – an important tool, along with vaccinations, to keep people healthy and safe,” said Washington state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah, MD, MPH. “We are thankful for our health and long-term care providers, staff members, patients, and all Washingtonians, for following the important public health measures put in place during the pandemic to protect one another.”

DOH continues to recommend masks for patients, healthcare providers, and visitors in healthcare settings. Licensed healthcare facilities are required to have infection prevention policies and programs consistent with CDC guidance.

Some hospitals have made the decision to continue requiring masks, including University of Washington Medicine, EvergreenHealth, Swedish Medical, Overlake Medical, Kaiser Permanente Washington, and Seattle Children’s.

These hospitals and others signed a consensus statement with the NW Healthcare Resource Network saying that while the state did not feel the need to require masks, they would continue the policy in a certain area of the facility as they each see fit.

“Our organizations will continue to require masking in patient care areas and strongly recommend or require in public spaces,” the statement said. “We do so with the expectation that public health and infectious disease experts will assist in determining how best to guide masking policies in the future. We understand that the health impacts of this pandemic continue to develop, and future policies will need to take into consideration multiple factors.”

COVID-19, RSV, and influenza disease rates have continued to decline in Washington, and hospitalizations have also gone down since the end of last year.

Local or tribal governments, facilities, and providers may choose to continue to require masks in these or other settings.