Face Covering Policy

Updated January 4, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.

Face coverings are strongly recommended indoors (in locations where they are not required) for the first two weeks of winter quarter per the University’s COVID-19 Face Covering Policy.

Masks continue to be required in healthcare and clinical facilities, including on shuttles that serve healthcare facilities (read the complete list below).

University strongly recommends wearing a well-fitted, high-quality mask indoors (e.g., KN95, N95, KF94 and surgical masks) to reduce the potential for transmission. High-quality masks are available at no cost in several locations on each campus. University units can purchase high-quality facemasks from the Safe and Clean Storefront.

Please refer to the University's COVID-19 Face Covering Policy, log of changes, and the frequently asked questions below for more information.

UW Medicine medical facility personnel follow the UW Medicine face covering policy.

Requirements

Face coverings are required indoors, regardless of vaccination status, for the following:

1. Healthcare settings and when conducting patient care activities, regardless of vaccination status; including:

UW Medicine medical facilities
Hall Health Center clinical floors, elevators, stairwells
School of Dentistry clinical areas
Employee Health Centers
COVID-19 testing sites
UW Speech and Hearing Clinic
Psychiatry and mental health counseling clinical areas
Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD) clinical areas
Clinical research settings when conducting clinical activities
Health Sciences clinical training classrooms and settings when simulation of patient care activities are conducted
Airlift Northwest facilities and aircraft
Other settings when patient care/clinical activities are conducted

2. UW Shuttles serving healthcare facilities: Health Sciences Express, South Lake Union, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

3. Personnel and students who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who tested positive are required to wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask such as a N95, KN95, KF94, or surgical mask until:

10 days after start of symptoms; or
10 days after a positive test (for individuals without symptoms); or
10 days after their last contact with the COVID-19 positive individual.

Refer to the COVID-19 Public Health Requirements and Guidance Flowchart for more information.

Recommendations

In all other indoor settings where face coverings are not required;

Face coverings are recommended when COVID-19 Community Levels are low and strongly recommended when community levels are medium in King and/or Pierce counties, particularly for the following:

Individuals who are not up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
Immunocompromised individuals or those at high risk for severe illness (particularly when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high)
Childcare settings
Activities that may generate more respiratory aerosols and involve frequent close contact (being within 6 feet of others), such as indoor performing arts
Crowded settings especially when there is a decreased ability to distance from others or when in spaces that may not be well ventilated
When an EH&S risk assessment of activities determines there is a higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (e.g., working with unvaccinated populations)

When you wear a mask, choose a well-fitted, high-quality mask — such as a KN95, KF94, N95 or surgical mask instead of a cloth mask alone— which helps protect you as well as those around you.

Personnel and students should carry a face covering with them while on campus. Free masks can be picked up at a variety of locations on each UW campus.

While not required in most indoor settings, face coverings remain an important way to protect against respiratory illnesses of all kinds, including COVID-19.

Additional information

The University’s face covering requirements and recommendations are informed by high COVID-19 vaccination rates at the UW and the COVID-19 Community Level framework for our broader communities. The COVID-19 Community Level takes into account not only case rates, but also hospitalization rates and hospital capacity for each county.

Face covering requirements will be reassessed if public health indicators change (and/or Community Levels change), cases surge or new variants of concern are identified locally.

Remaining up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters is the most important layer of safety for preventing severe illness. In addition, stay home when sick or symptomatic, and getting tested if you have symptoms or after a close contact exposure.

Frequently asked questions

Face coverings are not required for individuals who are not fully vaccinated in locations where they are not required; however, personnel and students who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who tested positive are required to wear a well-fitted, high-quality mask such as a KF94, KN95, N95 or surgical mask until:

10 days after start of symptoms; or
10 days after a positive test (for individuals without symptoms); or
10 days after their last contact with the COVID-19 positive individual.

Personnel and students with University-approved vaccine exemptions are required to follow safety measures that may change over time based on COVID-19 Community Levels.

Personnel and students are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a University-approved exemption in accordance with the UW vaccination requirement.

If you or your family member are at high risk for severe illness, wear a well-fitted facemask or respirator, such as an N95, KN95/KFN94 or surgical mask (in order of protection), in indoor spaces especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high. Respirators, including N95, KN95 and KF94, or a surgical mask provide greater protection than a cloth face covering. Note: UW employees that voluntarily wear respirators must receive this advisory information.

You may want to take this and other added precautions, especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high. Refer to the COVID-19 Community Levels and COVID-19 Prevention webpage on the CDC website to help you make personal decisions. You may also want to speak to your healthcare provider when making these decisions.

UW Human Resources provides information about individual accommodations for individuals at high risk for severe illness. Visit the UWHR website or contact your HR coordinator or AHR business partner.

When the COVID-19 Community Level is low, we rely less on the use of face coverings as a layer of protection. When the community level increases we rely more on masks. We understand there are individuals who may not be comfortable with relaxing mask requirements. If this is the case for you, consider wearing a well-fitted facemask or respirator, such as an N95, KN95/KFN94 or surgical mask (in order of protection), in indoor spaces especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high. Respirators, including N95, KN95 and KF94, and surgical masks provide greater protection than a cloth face covering.

Note: UW employees that voluntarily wear respirators must receive this advisory information.

You can:

Remind individuals that masks are recommended (or strongly recommended); they offer another layer of protection to further reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
When interacting with others in the University community, you can politely ask that others wear a mask; however, they are not required to wear one in a location where face coverings are not required.

Sample language:

“Wearing a mask indoors when around others is recommended by the University.”
“I strongly recommend/recommend/encourage/request that you wear a well-fitting, high-quality mask.”
“Although masks are not required, given our group is large and we will be close together when we meet, I strongly recommend/recommend/encourage/request that you wear a mask.”

Please remember that individuals may wear — or not wear — a mask for a wide range of reasons. Thank you for respecting those needs and choices.

In University locations where a face covering is not required, University personnel and students are not permitted to:

Require face coverings in your workspace, classroom, meetings, or other settings where it is not required by the University
Require unmasked individuals to leave your workspace, classroom, or meeting
Require the wearing of a mask to receive services
Refuse to perform job duties, including refusing to instruct and/or provide educational services, or other services to individuals who are not wearing a mask
Make critical statements towards or about people who choose to wear or not wear a mask

Although supervisors and instructors can ask/request/recommend/strongly recommend that masks be worn, they cannot require masks to be worn in the workplace or classroom, unless the workplace or classroom is in an area where masks are required by the UW Face Covering Policy, or in locations or situations where PPE is required (for reasons other than COVID-19 safety).

Supervisors and instructors should be mindful of their position of power when asking individuals to wear masks where it is not required. It is important to be clear when communicating that masks are recommended, not required, and that an individual’s decision to wear a mask (or not) will have no bearing on evaluation of their academic or work performance or working/learning conditions.

1. Choose a well-fitted mask with greater protection than a cloth face covering.

Wear a well-fitted facemask or respirator, such as an N95, KN95/KFN94 or surgical mask (in order of protection), in indoor spaces especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high. Respirators, including N95, KN95 and KF94, and surgical masks provide greater protection than a cloth face covering. Note: UW employees that voluntarily wear respirators must receive this advisory information.

2. Make sure your mask fits snugly against your face.

Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask.

Use toggles or a knotting and tucking technique with medical/surgical masks to ensure a good fit.
Using a mask fitter or brace over a disposable medical/surgical mask or a cloth mask can help prevent air from leaking around the edges of the mask.
Check for gaps by cupping your hands around the outside edges of the mask. Make sure no air is flowing from the area near your eyes or from the sides of the mask. If the mask has a good fit, you may be able to see the mask material move in and out with each breath.

FAQs for University settings where face coverings are required

Face coverings are required in healthcare settings and when conducting patient care/clinical activities, regardless of vaccination status, including:

UW Medicine medical facilities
Hall Health Center clinical floors, elevators, stairwells
School of Dentistry clinical areas
Employee Health Centers
COVID-19 testing sites
UW Speech and Hearing Clinic
Psychiatry and mental health counseling clinical areas
Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD) clinical areas
Clinical research settings when conducting clinical activities
Health Sciences clinical training classrooms and settings when simulation of patient care activities are conducted
Airlift Northwest facilities and aircraft
Other settings when patient care/clinical activities are conducted

Patient care/clinical activities include any activities requiring Washington State Department of Health healthcare professional credentialing or licensing to perform. This includes investigational biomedical or behavioral interventions. It also includes activities conducted in association with a research study such as blood draws, diagnostic imaging (e.g., x-ray, MRI), IV placement, among others. It includes these activities regardless of intention (e.g., research only, treatment) or whether they are clinically billable. Visit the Human Subjects Division website for more information on COVID-19 safety measures for research involving human research participants.

Personal office/workspaces: Working or spending time alone in a personal office or workspace with the door closed or open by a few inches to allow others to know if the room is occupied
When actively eating or drinking
When any party to a communication is deaf or hard of hearing and not wearing a face covering is essential to communication
When necessary to confirm the person’s identity
When unable to put on a face covering due to an emergency
While showering, bathing, or engaging in other personal hygiene or grooming activities that require the removal of a face covering
Children younger than five years old: Children who are younger than two years old should not wear a face covering due to the risk of suffocation. Children who are two, three, or four years old, with the assistance and close supervision of an adult, are recommended to wear a face covering when around non-household members.

Face coverings do not replace required job-specific PPE, such as face shields, eye protection or respirators.

UW Medicine medical facility employees and visitors to UW Medicine medical facilities are required to wear a face covering and/or personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with UW Medicine policy.

A face covering must:

Fit snugly against the sides of the face;
Completely cover the nose and mouth;
Be secured with ties, ear loops, elastic bands, or another equally effective method;
Include at least two layers of material;
Allow for breathing without restriction;
Be capable of being laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape (if made with cloth); and
Be free of holes, tears or valves that have the potential to release respiratory droplets.

A face covering can also be a mask that provides a higher level of protection than a cloth face covering, such as a medical procedure/surgical mask, or a respirator, such as a KF94, KN95, or N95 mask.

The following types of face coverings do not adequately contain the respiratory droplets of the wearer:

Bandanas without ear loops that don't fit snugly to the face
Face coverings made of mesh fabric, including neck gators
Face coverings with holes, tears or openings that could release respiratory droplets
Respirators with exhalation valves or vented dust masks
Face shields (when not combined with a face covering)

Individuals required to wear a face covering who have the following medical conditions or health risks may request an accommodation: a mental health condition, a developmental or cognitive condition, or a disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering. This includes, but is not limited to, persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing, who are unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance.

For University personnel requesting a medical or health risk accommodation, determination of the accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis with the unit human resources representatives in coordination with the Disability Services Office (DSO), the unit, and EH&S. The UWHR website provides for more information about this process. Personnel may be required to provide documentation to substantiate their need for an accommodation.

Students seeking an accommodation should contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS) for determination of a medical or health risk. Accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis through consultation with DRS.

In the Workplace:

Personnel are required to comply with this policy as a condition of employment, as well as for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues, and the UW community. Units are required to ensure all of their personnel have a thorough understanding of the requirements outlined in this policy. If, after education and training, personnel refuse to comply, contact your college/school/campus’s dean/chancellor office or your unit’s human resources/academic human resources (HR/AHR) representative to initiate the appropriate corrective action or standard of conduct process. If your dean/chancellor’s office or unit’s human resources representatives require assistance, they should contact their central HR consultant or Academic Human Resources business partner. If personnel state they are unable to wear a mask due to a health condition, refer the individual to the formal accommodation request process. University personnel with concerns that other personnel are not complying should speak with their supervisor or report it to EH&S.

Students:

Students are required to follow the University’s COVID-19 Face Covering Policy at all times when on-site at the University, including any posted requirements in specific buildings or spaces.

If a student refuses to comply with the policy, the student can be asked to leave University premises. If they live in an on-campus residence hall, they can return to their residence hall unit. Student Conduct offices are available for consultations on potential violations of student conduct if needed. University personnel with concerns that a student or group of students are not complying with this policy should speak with their supervisor, consult with the campus student conduct office, or report it to EH&S. Students concerned about other students should contact their campus student conduct office.

Members of the public, customers and visitors on campus:

Members of the public, patients, customers and visitors to the University are required to follow the University’s face covering policy and wear face coverings when entering a University facility or area that requires them in order to receive service in accordance with this policy. If a member of the public, customer or visitor is not wearing a face covering in a required area, the following steps are to be taken:

Begin with a polite verbal request for compliance to educate and persuade the individual to wear a face covering. University personnel should ask the individual to wear a mask or face covering, and have a supply of disposable facemasks to offer individuals who do not have one.

If, following a polite verbal request, the individual continues to decline to wear a face covering or facemask, personnel should notify the site manager to assist the customer with determining if accommodations, such as curbside pickup, can be made.

If the individual refuses to wear a face covering and does not indicate a medical condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a face covering, they should be politely informed that they are not permitted to enter and be asked to leave. Personnel should not attempt to physically block an individual or physically remove them from the space and should avoid confrontation but should not provide service. Law enforcement (e.g., University of Washington Police Department or local law enforcement agency) may be called for help as a last resort.

Units are required to provide all personnel working on site at a University work location with face coverings and/or job-required PPE and replace them when necessary. Personnel may use a personal alternative face covering as appropriate, as long as it complies with requirements in this policy.

University units must train personnel on the proper use, including replacement, care, storage and disposal of face coverings and PPE. This includes informing personnel on the location and process for obtaining face coverings within their workspaces or on campus. Units should refer to the Facemask Use Guidance for training personnel on the selection, care and use of face coverings and facemasks. Units can also refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance with regard to the use and care of masks.

Units must communicate and enforce applicable face covering requirements to all personnel working on site at a University work location and ensure all personnel are trained on the University’s COVID-19 Prevention Plan . Signs indicating the face covering requirements or recommendations should be clearly posted at building entrances

The University of Washington is committed to maintaining a respectful, productive, inclusive, and equitable workplace, and discrimination and other conduct that is inconsistent with our values will not be tolerated.

Units can order face coverings from the Safe and Clean storefront. Information about accessing the storefront is available from UW Procurement.

Clear masks or cloth masks with a clear plastic panel are an alternative type of mask for people who interact with:

People who are deaf or hard of hearing
Young children or students learning to read
Students learning a new language
People with disabilities
People who need to see the proper shape of the mouth for making appropriate vowel sounds (for example, when singing)

If you use this type of mask, make sure:

You can breathe easily.
Excess moisture does not collect on the inside of the mask.
You remove the mask before sleeping, since the plastic part could form a seal around your mouth and nose and make it hard to breathe.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a transparent medical mask, the ClearMask.

UW units can order face coverings with clear panels from the UW Creative Communications Safe and Clean storefront. Information about accessing the storefront is available from UW Procurement.

Masks are an important layer of protection for preventing the spread of COVID-19; however, wearing a mask for long periods of time can cause skin problems including acne (also known as “maskne”), rashes and itchiness.

Cleanse your face before and after wearing a mask.
If you have dry skin, apply moisturizer to your skin before putting on a mask.
Apply a ceramide-containing facial lotion or petroleum jelly as a barrier to help prevent skin irritation in areas where the mask rubs against your skin.
Avoid wearing a liquid foundation or any makeup that can clog your pores, which may cause your skin to break out. Foundation, aftershave, sunscreen and similar products can also rub off on your mask, leading to decreased air filtration, making it harder to breathe. 
Wash cloth masks daily. Replace disposable masks after each use, and when they become contaminated or wet.
Consider wearing a different type of mask if you are uncomfortable with your current mask.
- Avoid synthetic fabrics, such as nylon or polyester, on the inside layer that rests against your face, as these fabrics are more likely to irritate your skin.
- Cloth masks should have an inner layer made from an absorbent material (e.g., cotton) to help absorb sweat that can lead to breakouts
If you are considering using a facemask bracket to prevent acne, be aware that it could lead to gaps between the mask and your face that may cause your mask to be less effective. If you decide to use a bracket under your mask, ensure the mask fits snugly against your face.

Read the American Academy of Dermatology Association article “9 Ways to Prevent Face Mask Skin Problems” for more information.

If you continue to have skin problems that go unresolved after following these recommendations, speak with your health care provider and/or a dermatologist.

Contact

Environmental Health & Safety Department Contact

(206) 543-7262

ehsdept@uw.edu

Reference Files

COVID-19 Face Covering Policy (updated 10/31/22)

246.88KB (.pdf)

Reference Links

Level up your facemask

CDC: Use and Care of Masks

UW Face Covering Policy Log of Changes

Washington State Face Masks or Cloth Face Covering Orders

Face Covering Policy

Requirements

Recommendations

Additional information

Frequently asked questions

Are facemasks required for personnel and students who are not fully vaccinated? (updated 8/30/22)

What if I am at higher risk for severe illness or have a family or household member who may be at higher risk? (updated 6/15/22)

I am not comfortable with others not wearing masks around me, what can I do? (updated 6/15/22)

What can I do to encourage mask use when it is not required? (updated 6/15/22)

How can I improve the quality and fit of my mask? (updated 6/15/22)

FAQs for University settings where face coverings are required

Which healthcare settings and patient care/clinical activities are included? (updated 6/15/22)

When is it okay to remove a face covering in areas where it is required? (updated 6/15/22)

What type of face covering is acceptable (updated 10/6/22)

What if I cannot wear a face covering? (updated 6/15/22)

How is the face covering policy being enforced? (Updated 6/15/22)

Who provides face coverings to personnel? (updated 6/15/22)

Are visitors, vendors and contractors required to wear face coverings? (updated 6/15/22)

How can I report someone who is not wearing a face covering where it is required?

Where can UW units purchase face coverings?

What about people who read lips or others who need an alternative type of mask?

How can I prevent skin problems when wearing a facemask?

Contact

Environmental Health & Safety Department Contact