About 20 public health departments and health care systems around the region made the announcement a couple weeks before the state’s remaining indoor masking requirements are set to come to an end on April 3. Most of the Department of Health’s masking mandates have expired, except those in health care or correctional facilities.
Now, the organizations are “working together to establish an approach for continued masking in health care facilities” to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the statement said.
Health departments from King, Snohomish, Tacoma, Kitsap, San Juan, Clallam and Jefferson counties have signed on to support the recommendation, in addition to hospital leaders from UW Medicine, Seattle Children’s, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, MultiCare Health System and Kaiser Permanente Washington.
