Quick Read:
- UW Medicine is maintaining masking requirements at this time for patients, visitors, vendors and healthcare workers in areas considered to be part of the “clinical footprint,” including administrative spaces.
- We will review this policy and recommendations at the end of April when there is a better sense of transmission rates and hospital admissions.
- Our goal is to maintain a higher level of safety for the UW Medicine community and to maintain all operations to meet our mission.
- UW and UW Medicine personnel who do not work in clinical areas can follow the UW masking policy starting March 28.
Why are we keeping masking requirements in clinical areas after March 28?
While the University of Washington is relaxing some indoor masking requirements beginning March 28, we are concerned about the current COVID-19 community transmission rates in King County, which remain substantial (56.7 new cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days), as well as patterns of increased hospitalizations in some countries (Our World in Data) and a recent increase (about 32%) in the omicron variant BA.2 (Rosalind Tracker). In addition, as healthcare workers, we regularly interact closely with patients and colleagues who are immunocompromised and are more vulnerable to infection. Our goal is to maintain a higher level of safety for the UW Medicine community and to maintain all operations to meet our mission. Note: UW and UW Medicine personnel who do not work in clinical areas (see list below) can follow the UW masking policy starting March 28.
What are the recommendations for moving between clinical and non-clinical areas?
We strongly recommend that UW Medicine clinical personnel continue to wear masks when in non-clinical and UW indoor spaces and maintain physical distancing at work. We recognize that you may move between UW Medicine clinical, non-clinical, and UW spaces, and we support following the specific policies that apply to each of those areas. For guidance on meetings in non-UW Medicine spaces, please check the Environmental Health & Safety COVID-19 resource site.
When will this decision be reassessed?
The UW Medicine Infection Prevention & Control and Employee Health teams will review this policy and recommendations at the end of April when there is a better sense of transmission rates and hospital admissions. Regardless of how we roll back masking requirements over time, we must all be prepared to re-engage rapidly with higher levels of protection if/when we see additional surges.
Which data sources are being used to inform our masking policy?
- CDC community transmission rate (our goal is a rate of moderate or low)
- Our World in Data
- Public Health – Seattle & King County dashboards
- Rosalind Tracker (for variants)
- CDC wastewater surveillance
What areas of UW Medicine clinical campuses should continue to follow the masking policy
UW Medical Center – Montlake Clinical Spaces
Hospital floors 1, 2 and 3 that lead directly into the AA wing double doors to the east of the Health Sciences Building lobby are considered clinical spaces. In applying this rule, please be sensitive to the location of the Dental Clinics, which extend into the Health Sciences Building in the A and D wings.
Hospital floors 4 through 8 ending at the Pacific elevator’s doorway and leading into Health Sciences Building are considered clinical spaces.
The Roosevelt Clinic Buildings 1 and 2, Eastside Specialty Center, Stadium Sports Medicine Clinic, Edmonds Cardiology Clinic, and Yakima and Arlington Maternal Fetal Clinics are clinical spaces.
UW Medical Center – Northwest Clinical Spaces
The main hospital building, Medical Office Building, Outpatient Medical Center, and all clinic spaces on or off the main hospital campus are considered clinical spaces.
Masks must be worn in public areas shared by patients such as elevators and hallways.
Harborview Clinical Spaces
The main hospital building (including the Maleng Building) and off-campus clinics (for instance, Pioneer Square Clinic).
Ninth & Jefferson Building, floors 1 through 11, except for research spaces and faculty and administrative offices with locked entrances on those floors.
Patricia Steel Building, floors 1 and 2.
Harborview COVID-19 vaccine clinics and vans.
Edward Thomas House Medical Respite, DESC and other shelters and spaces served by UW Medicine personnel.
Research & Training Building, floor 1.
Airlift Northwest
Employees can follow the University of Washington masking policy when at base and during flights without patients.
UW Medicine’s Primary Care Clinics
Masking is required in all clinics.
South Lake Union Clinics and Patient Research Spaces
Masking is required in all SLU clinics and adjacent entrances, elevators, and bathrooms.
Employees can follow the UW masking policy elsewhere at the site.
Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic
Masking is required of all healthcare workers and vendors.
UW Medicine Clinical Laboratories
Masking is required of all healthcare workers and vendors.
UW Tower
UW Medicine employees who work in the UW Tower can follow the University of Washington masking policy.
UW Health Sciences Building
The Health Sciences Building is not considered a clinical space except for the dental clinics, which extend into the building in the A and D wings.
See “UW Medical Center – Montlake Clinical Spaces” above for more details.
Off-Site Administrative Buildings (for example, Columbia Center, South Lake Union Building C)
UW Medicine employees should follow the University of Washington masking policy at off-site buildings that do not have any clinical activity.
We recognize that our masking requirements may feel out of step with what we are experiencing in the community, and some may feel that we are being overly cautious. We know that these past two years have shown us that things can change very rapidly, and we must be prepared to reassess our policies and recommendations to keep us safe. Given all we have been through over the last two years, our hope is that holding the course for another month will not be too great a burden.
Sincerely,
UW Medicine Infection Prevention & Control and Employee Health
