Sea-Tac Airport requiring all travelers, workers to wear masks
May 11, 2020, 7:53 AM | Updated: 10:22 am
A pair of workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Starting on May 18, all Seattle-Tacoma Airport passengers, visitors, and workers will be required to wear cloth face coverings.
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Face coverings were provided to Sea-Tac Airport employees starting on April 17. The mandate will not apply to “those who cannot medically tolerate facial coverings and very young children.”
“Airport workers keep our region’s supply chain moving and support safe essential travel,” Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck said in a news release. “I am deeply grateful for the dedication they bring to their work. Many Port employees and partners and members of the public already wear cloth face coverings. This policy makes clear our commitment to public health, safety, and well-being.”
A similar policy is reportedly in the works in Seattle and King County. County Executive Dow Constantine told KUOW in late-April that “such talks were underway,” while Mayor Jenny Durkan told the station last Thursday that her office was working on crafting the policy.
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According to Durkan, it would include guidance on mandatory face covering “in certain retail establishments,” encompassing pharmacies, grocery stores, and more.
“We’re working still with stakeholders,” she told KUOW’s Bill Radke. “We want to make sure we do this in a really thoughtful way, that we highlight what the health reasons for doing this are and give people the strong guidance that they need.”
A press conference from Durkan and Constantine is scheduled for Monday at 2:30 p.m. to announce the new rules regarding face coverings.
