MYNORTHWEST NEWS

The masks come off: What you need to know with statewide mandate ending March 12

Mar 11, 2022, 10:49 AM | Updated: Mar 12, 2022, 7:26 am

Image:A light rail train in Seattle advertises free rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments on March...

A light rail train in Seattle advertises free rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments on March 10, 2022. (Photo: John Moore, Getty Images)

(Photo: John Moore, Getty Images)

Starting on Saturday, March 12, masks will no longer be required in most places in Washington state.

Washington health leaders urge continued mask wearing after mandate lifts

That means that those at restaurants, bars, schools, child care facilities, houses of worship, gyms, grocery stores, businesses, and retail establishments will no longer have to mask up moving forward. The mask mandate will remain in place for health care facilities, hospitals, long-term care settings, public transit, taxis and rideshares, and correctional facilities. Private businesses and individual counties will also still be permitted to enact their own masking requirements.

For travelers, masking requirements at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — and airports across the country — will remain in place through at least April 18, after the Transportation Security Administration extended its previously set end date on Thursday.

Originally set to lift on March 21, Gov. Jay Inslee moved Washington’s indoor mask mandate end date up following updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s guidelines for masking divide counties into three risk categories based on the level of community transmission. For areas where the risk level is low, masking is no longer recommended. Residents in medium areas are advised to wear a mask if they are at risk for severe illness, while those in high-risk counties should wear a mask in all indoor public settings, regardless of their medical status.

As of March 10, all but one county in Washington is either in the low or medium category, with Asotin County the lone exception as the last remaining high risk area. In the Puget Sound region, King and Snohomish counties are both in the low risk category, while Pierce County is still classified as medium risk.

Washington’s COVID emergency order will not end yet, says Gov. Inslee

Moving forward, it will be up to individuals to assess their own personal comfort levels, or as UW Virology’s Dr. Keith Jerome puts it, “people need to use their common sense.”

“And really think about their own tolerance for risk, what their own situation is, and what they’re doing,” he added while speaking to KIRO Newsradio on Friday. “If you’re outside in small groups, it’s completely fine to take them off at this point. Flipside, if you’re going to a concert in a crowded arena, why not keep that mask on and protect yourself?”

Washington first enacted a statewide mask mandate in June of 2020. That was briefly peeled back last May for those who had been vaccinated against COVID-19, but it was later reinstated in full in August 2021 when COVID case rates spiked with the arrival of the delta variant.

Washington’s outdoor mask mandate — which applied to large events, like sporting events or festivals — was lifted on Feb. 18.

MyNorthwest News

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize jumps again after $1.1B Mega Millions win

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $935 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.

8 hours ago

Photo: The Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center....

James Lynch

King County’s plan to close youth detention center met with fierce backlash

The King County Law and Justice Committee received a final report on Executive Dow Constantine's plan to close a youth detention center.

10 hours ago

Image: A cargo ship is stuck under the part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after ...

Associated Press

Authorities identify 2 bodies recovered at site of Baltimore bridge collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below.

12 hours ago

Photo: Mountaineer Jim Whittaker has died at 95....

Gene Johnson, The Associated Press

Lou Whittaker, among the most famous American mountaineers, has died at age 95

Lou Whittaker, a legendary American mountaineer who helped lead ascents of Mount Everest, K2 and Denali, has died at age 95.

12 hours ago

File photo: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024....

Associated Press

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP pick in 2000, dead at 82

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who nearly won the vice presidency on the Democratic ticket with Al Gore in 2000, has died.

12 hours ago

Image: A Tacoma teen was shot outside her Tacoma Hilltop area apartment over the weekend....

Heather Bosch

Estranged boyfriend suspected in Tacoma teen’s death turns himself in

We're learning more about the man who's accused of fatally shooting a teenager outside her Tacoma Hill Top area apartment over the weekend.

13 hours ago

The masks come off: What you need to know with statewide mandate ending March 12