Kaiser Permanente reintroduces mask mandate for staff in Washington

Kaiser Permanente employees who work in person with patients now must wear masks.

It’s the latest new mask mandate instituted in local health care facilities as they deal with wintertime illnesses.

Kaiser Permanente instituted the requirement on Friday, according to spokesperson Linnae Riesen. MultiCare Deaconess Hospital in Spokane reintroduced a mask mandate last week for staff, patients and visitors. As of Dec. 26, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and other Providence facilities in Spokane have not reintroduced a mask mandate.

Patients in Kaiser facilities are strongly encouraged but not required to wear masks.

According to Kaiser Permanente’s revised masking guidance, the requirement applies to all “staff and care team members in all patient care and public spaces” of their medical facilities, including Spokane.

Some patient care settings and waiting areas require masks for patients and visitors but most Kaiser health care settings do not require masks for nonemployees unless they show symptoms of respiratory illness.

“Masks are not required but are strongly recommended for patients and visitors who do not have respiratory symptoms and are visiting low-risk areas of our medical facilities,” reads the guidance.

Rather than COVID-19, the primary culprit for the return to masking is RSV, another respiratory virus.

According to data collected through Dec. 16, RSV makes up 0.8% of hospitalizations statewide. According to MultiCare guidelines, that metric needs to be below 0.3% of hospital admissions in a given area to lift the mask mandate.