Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that statewide mask orders will be ending for most indoor settings March 21, including K-12 schools and child care facilities. Masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals, outpatient and dental offices, long term care settings, and correctional facilities.
“The virus has changed significantly over the past two years, and so has our ability to fight it,” Inslee said at a Thursday press conference. “While caution is still needed, we are entering a new phase of the pandemic.”
The mask mandate for events with more than 500 people will expire Feb. 18. In addition, beginning March 1, vaccine verification for large events will no longer be required.
Businesses and local governments can still choose to implement vaccination or face mask requirements for workers or customers, and school districts can still choose to have students and teachers wear masks. Federal law still requires face masks in certain settings such as public transportation and school buses.
Edmonds School District Superintendent Gustavo Balderas said in a message to parents Thursday that the district will discuss mask-wearing requirements during the Edmond School Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
The State Department of Health will issue updated guidance the week of March 7 for K-12 schools that will go into effect March 21, the governor’s office said. The guidance will be released early to help schools prepare for this transition.
Schools will still be required to report COVID-19 cases and outbreaks, and cooperate with public health authorities in responding to these consistent with procedures for other communicable diseases.
Students and staff with symptoms of COVID-19 will continue to be required to quarantine away from school buildings. Schools must also ensure access to testing for staff and students who have symptoms of or who may have been exposed to COVID-19. If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they must remain at home and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health isolation protocol.
The Department of Health will also shift existing requirements regarding distancing, ventilation, and sanitation so they become recommendations.
“The fact that these restrictions are being relaxed over the next few weeks is a sign that Snohomish County’s residents have taken the necessary steps to put the omicron variant behind us,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said Thursday. “The sacrifices everyone has made over the last two years have saved lives and prevented the worst from happening. While the pandemic is not over, we have reached a point where vaccines, knowledge about the virus, and the adaptability of our institutions have given us this opportunity to take a step forward. We will continue to monitor local hospitals and ensure we are prepared in case a new variant arrives.”
The Snohomish Health District emphasized in a separate announcement that the governor’s action does not signal the end of the possible need for masking nor the end of the COVID pandemic. All people in Snohomish County, including employers and organizations, are required under the county health officer’s order to continue to follow the state requirements, including the masking order that remains in effect until March 20, as well as all other state requirements still in effect beyond March 20, the health district said.
“What has been announced reflects the ongoing evolution of our COVID response,” said County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters. “Masks themselves are not going away as a prevention measure. I still strongly recommend that all people in high-risk settings, all people who are not up to date on their vaccines, or those who are immunocompromised should continue to wear them in public indoor and crowded outdoor settings.”
Masks will also continue to be required for isolation and quarantines practices, the health district said. If someone who was COVID-positive is returning to work, school, or other public settings after a five-day isolation period, they must wear a well-fitting mask for six to 10 days after their symptom onset or positive test result. Anyone who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 must continue to wear a mask when around others for the full 10 days after exposure.
For more information, the Snohomish Health District has developed a list of commonly asked questions about mask requirements.
“It is important that we remain vigilant and flexible for future times when it may become advisable to resume universal use of masks to protect ourselves, others, the healthcare system and other essential societal functions,” added Spitters. “In the meantime, anyone who feels more comfortable wearing one should also continue doing so.”
The health district said it urges all people, enterprises, and organizations in Snohomish County to comply with these requirements and to respect the right of people to continue wearing masks, even in settings where they are not required.
Don’t worry I won’t condemn you for continuing to wear your mask in your car by yourself walking around the block by yourself fishing on the pier by yourself I might laff outloud though. I will bet the elite will still continue to force their servants to wear masks at their galas and restaurants while they go maskless. Oh and don’t forget the children who should be the first to go without masks because they are the least vulnerable but will likely be the last to take them off if they ever get too my guess is children will be in masks again next year maybe forever. The least vulnerable should wear them the longest
How is it two years in some people still can’t comprehend the obvious? Children, like adults, were asked to wear masks primarily to protect others and slow the spread of COVID. I drive by kids walking to and at bus stops all the time. I never see them without their masks, with them below their noses or scrambling to put them on at the last minute. Kids are more adaptable than adults.
Yes kids are more adaptable than adults. The only thing that screws kids up are adults. History will decide if what was done to these kids the past 2 plus years was a net positive or negative. While the slogan” follow the science” has been a popular war chant for any excuse to impose restrictions, the science is becoming more and more clear on these issues and we will see if those same folks acknowledge or ignore the factual science. Some will never want this to end. The drunk feeling of power and control is too much for many weak elected individuals to give up. So hopefully the days of arguing and disagreeing on how to proceed are coming to an end and we can move forward. I only hope that when the history clarifies the real facts from fear mongering we will learn from this and that those that politicized these issues are held accountable and that unneccessary real damage that was inflicted on our “more adaptable kids” can be repaired. Facts are becoming more and more clear and I sense many of the “ follow the science” gang will be hiding from the factual science.
Only in the U.S. with our malignant political party affiliation needs would things like medical masks and vaccinations become a political symbol and statement. Anywhere else people would and do wear a mask or get a vaccination when a little common sense and potential disease protection is the order of the day.
A former state patrolman only in his 50’s publicly told the Governor to take his vaccinations and shove it, then died of Covid some months later. Boy did he show that damn Governor what’s up. What a waste, and pointless tragedy in order to make a point. I just don’t get it.
Don, some good points but I am already old and some younger person in Everett got sick, and he had been to China. Then a number of old people died in Kirkland. None had been to China that I recall. Then I think we lost 12 in a care facility right here in Edmonds. Those Kirkland and Edmonds folks were around my age. My “math science” at that time said. Stay away from China or a Nursing Home. At that point that is all the science I had to go on so following that science I stayed home except to buy food and toilet paper. The science at that moment was some form of airborne virus like the flu but killing old folks at a rate greater than what the is normal at the onset of the flu season. Not sure that I made the best scientific decision, but I did decide to use the freedom I had to get food. I friend brought over some new toilet paper so that was helpful. I used some probability analysis (not science but worked for me) and went to get food in the biggest store possible at times when I guessed fewer folks would be there.
But Don is correct that we now know a bunch more about a bunch of stuff and we may not have done each step correctly. But we should learn something in this process and move to a higher ground as we move forward.
I am happy the Governor locked us up but unhappy that he did not consult the legislature in a timely way to get some more help in interpreting the science we had at the time. The legislature I think just fixed that and limited the time for emergency orders. Looks like left leaning government decided that in the future they want to participate it taking away our freedoms and not leave all the fun to just one person.
For all who are dodged this bullet (opps, did not want to get into 2nd amendment stuff) I am glad you are safe and alive.
Mandates are being removed because it’s an election year. How’s that for taking politics out of the science? Are the case numbers lower than when the mandates were implemented? And children still can’t vote, so they will be the last to breathe freely. And expecting something to protect you that clearly states on the packaging that it is not to be used for that intent doesn’t make any more sense today than it did two or twenty years ago. Be smart and be safe.