Providence Swedish South Puget Sound facilities, including those in Centralia and Olympia, will continue to require masks for patients, caregivers and visitors even after the state lifts its mandate on April 3, according to a news release.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities have put patient and health care worker safety first and implemented tools to decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission in patient care settings,” Providence Swedish stated in the release. “One of the most important interventions for reducing spread of COVID-19 in clinical care spaces has been universal source control through masking. Since the spring of 2020, hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centers and clinics have reduced the risk from respiratory viral infections including COVID-19 by requiring patients, health care workers and visitors in our facilities to mask.”
On April 3, all Providence Swedish facilities — along with other health care organizations in the state of Washington — will continue to enforce masking to “protect our patients, our caregivers and the entire community,” according to the release.
This includes those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine or recovered from COVID-19. The decision has also been endorsed by Thurston County Health Officer Dimyana Abdelmalek, according to Providence Swedish.
“While we understand the Washington State Department of Health on April 3 will remove the masking requirement in health care, long-term care and other facilities for people 5 and older, our Puget Sound communities continue to demonstrate substantial COVID-19 case rates and we continue to see patients who have serious health vulnerabilities,” Providence Swedish stated. “When transmission levels are high, the CDC continues to recommend masking, and state guidelines still recommend masks for patients, health care providers and visitors.”
See the Providence Swedish South Puget Sound visitation guidelines at https://bit.ly/3G7xFm6.
