Pierce County issues new mask mandate for indoor public spaces
Aug 18, 2021, 11:24 AM | Updated: 1:41 pm
Mask mandates continue to be reinstituted across Washington. (MyNorthwest photo)
(MyNorthwest photo)
Pierce County health officials announced a new directive Wednesday, requiring masks to be worn in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.
That includes retail spaces, grocery stores, government buildings, and “any business or place where members of the public can enter freely.” It does not include private, non-public businesses, “or other places of employment with limited access.”
The mandate comes as a result of concerns over rapidly increasing COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates, driven by the rising prevalence of the delta variant.
“Masking will reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 for everyone, including customers, workers and children under 12 who cannot get vaccinated,” Tacoma-Pierce County Director of Health Dr. Anthony Chen said in a news release. “I strongly urge everyone in Pierce County to follow this directive and to get vaccinated.”
“We must use all the tools we have to keep our community safe,” he added.
Pierce County’s directive takes effect immediately, and follows a similar directive enacted in Snohomish County last week.
A voluntary statewide mask recommendation remains in place as well, enacted in late July by Gov. Jay Inslee. That guidance is consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Masks are mandatory for all K-12 students and staff on school premises this fall.
In neighboring King County, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin has recommended that everyone — vaccinated or not — wear a mask in indoor, public spaces, but it is not yet a mandate. A mandate could return, he said, if health care systems are threatened or begin trending in the wrong direction.
Snohomish County issued a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, effective Aug. 12. Health officials in Kitsap County issued a mask directive, effective Aug. 14. The directive means it does not carry legal penalties. It does also apply to indoor public spaces.
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