Several area health care facilities have announced plans to lift their mask mandates. PennHighlands Healthcare, which is made up of eight hospitals, including Penn Highlands Mon Valley, says that effective Monday, May 1st, the mask mandate that has been in place at its facilities for the past three years is being lifted. Meanwhile, effective on the same day, UPMC says masking will no longer be required at most of its facilities, with the exception of some specific areas where patients are particularly vulnerable to infection. These are the latest health care facilities to lift mask mandates. Allegheny Health Network discontinued its mask requirements on April 20th.