Dr. Kurt Schlicker, left, speaks with Dr. Daniel Kaminsky, Walla Walla County Public Health Officer, at Providence Southgate Medical Park on Nov. 6, 2021, during the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic for children.

WALLA WALLA — The Washington State Department of Health announced on Friday, March 3, that the statewide mask mandate for health care, long-term and correctional facilities will be lifted in April.

While the state mandate will be dropped Monday, April 3, Walla Walla health officials say local mask requirements might stay in place.

“It sounds like masks are just going to go away,” said Daniel Kaminsky, medical director and public health officer at the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health. “But I think it’s more nuanced than that. Like we’ve seen a lot throughout COVID-19, a lot of things change from mandates to recommendations.”

Emily Volland, director of communication at Providence St. Mary Medical Center, the hospital does not have a plan to drop its mask requirements.

“Apart from any action government entities take, we hold regular reviews of our infection prevention processes, as well as the current levels of infection in the community,” Volland said. “Those reviews continue and include discussing the implications of the announced masking requirement changes. For now, masking is still required in our Providence patient care facilities.”

Kaminsky said health officials were considering what lifting mask requirements would look like for workers and patients.

“Employers have an obligation to protect their staff,” Kaminsky said.

People are trying to figure out “what it looks like on the ground to release the mandate,” he added, but also to fulfill federal and state recommendations and requirements.

“It’s hard to say where it’s going to land,” he said. “We’ll know more in the next couple of weeks.”

Meanwhile, Washington State Penitentiary has partially lifted its mask requirements for staff and inmates.

“Employees and the incarcerated haven’t been required to mask at all times for a while,” said Chris Wright, communications director for the Washington State Department of Corrections. “They do have to mask if there’s an outbreak at the prison or if the county the facility is in has a high number of cases.”

Walla Walla is home to the Washington State Penitentiary.

Wright said the penitentiary had seen two cases of COVID-19 in the past 30 days.

“We just learned about the change,” Wright said, “are evaluating our masking policies and expect to have an update later this week.”