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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Indoor masks won't be required at 11:59 p.m. that day
OLYMPIA—Washington’s indoor mask mandate, which was originally scheduled to end March 21, will now be over at 11:59 p.m. March 11.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the change to the mandate’s end at a press conference Monday, Feb. 28. The move comes in a joint West Coast masking move-on, as Oregon and California will be ending most of their indoor mandates in a similar midnight masquerade.
The first day students won’t be required to wear masks at school will be Monday, March 14 instead of the previously scheduled March 21 date.
“We’ve continued to monitor data from our state Department of Health and have determined we are able to adjust the timing of our statewide mask requirement. While this represents another step forward for Washingtonians, we must still be mindful that many within our communities remain vulnerable,” Inslee said. “Many businesses and families will continue choosing to wear masks, because we’ve learned how effective they are at keeping one another safe. As we transition to this next phase, we will continue to move forward together carefully and cautiously.”
The changed date doesn’t affect the specificities of what settings the mandate will be lifted, including K-12 schools, childcare facilities, libraries, restaurants, bars, houses of worship, gyms, recreation centers, indoor athletic facilities, grocery stores, businesses and retail establishments.
Private businesses are permitted to continue requiring masks if they choose to.
Masks are still required in healthcare and medical facilities, long-term care facilities, public transit and correctional facilities.
California is still requiring masks for unvaccinated people. That won’t be the case in Washington and Oregon.
The end of the mask mandate will end nearly two years to the date of Inslee’s first “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, which took place March 23, 2020.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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