Providence, MultiCare again require people to wear masks in patient areas
Providence Swedish and MultiCare health system locations are beginning to require people to wear masks in patient care areas in response to increasing cases of respiratory illness.
All Providence Swedish hospitals and clinics began requiring masks on Tuesday due to rising rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19 infections, according to a Providence news release.
The requirement applies to all areas where patients are cared for, including hospital and clinic patient rooms and hallways, patient exam rooms as well as registration or front desk and check-in areas, the news release says.
This also includes high-risk settings, such as emergency departments and ED waiting rooms, as well as care settings for immunocompromised patients, such as those in oncology/cancer waiting rooms.
People who enter any Providence Swedish hospital or clinic will find self-screening stations equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers and courtesy masks, according to the news release.
MultiCare Health System, which owns Capital Medical Center in west Olympia, also began requiring masks in patient care areas on Wednesday. This requirement applies to all facilities in Thurston, Pierce, King and Kitsap counties, according to a MultiCare news release.
“In the past week, MultiCare passed the threshold of regional emergency department visits for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), leading to the decision to initiate masking,” the health system said in a news release.
Patients and visitors to MultiCare clinics outside of hospitals are strongly advised but not required to mask, the news release says. However, MultiCare employees are required to wear masks in patient clinics.
“We encourage everyone to be up to date on vaccines for COVID, influenza and RSV to keep our communities safe,” the health system said.
MultiCare said it will lift its masking requirement in geographic areas that go two weeks without meeting any of four threshold metrics identified by the Northwest Healthcare Response Network.
The NHRN requires masking if any of these four metrics are met:
- COVID-19 admissions exceed 10 people per 100,000 population.
- Regional emergency department visits for RSV exceed 0.3% of total visits.
- Regional emergency department visits for COVID-19 exceed 3% of total visits.
- Regional emergency department visits for influenza exceed 1% of total visits.
Providence Swedish follows the same metrics identified by NHRN but also considers caregiver sick call numbers and in-house isolation numbers, said spokesperson Chris Thomas.
