Submitted by Providence Swedish
Beginning, Tuesday, December 5, 2023, all Providence Swedish hospital and clinic locations will require patients, visitors and caregivers to wear face masks in areas where patient care is administered.
With respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19 infection rates on the rise, Providence Swedish, along with other health care facilities throughout Puget Sound, are prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of patients, caregivers and visitors by requiring everyone to wear masks in patient care areas throughout our hospitals and clinics. This also includes high risk care settings, such as emergency departments, and care settings for immunocompromised patients, such as those receiving cancer treatments.
Masking is strongly recommended in most indoor locations; however, patients, visitors and caregivers must wear masks within the following locations throughout clinics and hospitals:
- · Hospital patient rooms and hallways
- · Patient exam rooms
- · Registration/front desk and check in areas
- · Emergency departments and ED waiting rooms
- · Oncology/cancer waiting rooms
- · All clinic locations, including urgent care clinics
Self-symptom screening stations will remain in place at patient/visitor entrances. Stations are equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers and courtesy masks for those who need them.
When transmission levels are high for common respiratory viruses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends universal masking in health care settings.
