Gee & Ursula: We’re vaccinated and wearing masks indoors

Eight Washington counties — including King County — are recommending that everyone wear masks in indoor, public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.

CDC reverses course on indoor masks in some parts of US

“Ursula, it is going to get real when ‘back-to-school’ happens,” Gee emphasized Monday morning on KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show. “There are kids that are too young for the vaccine. They can’t get vaccinated.”

Gee said it’s up to us to take control of the situation because the Delta variant has the potential to cause real harm to the country.

“Should we be doing what LA and St. Louis are doing?,” Ursula asked.

“I want to wear masks again, not because this is something that I love to do, because I know that there are children that are going to be going back to school,” Gee said. “I know that there are unvaccinated people that are going to be in school. According to what experts are saying, this Delta variant is more transmissible and harder on the body. Yes, I want to do my part to help others.”

“I’m going to do my part,” Ursula said. “When I’m in public settings, I’m going to wear a mask.”

Ursula said she’ll wear her mask for the people who still refuse to get vaccinated for whatever reason.

“Everyone in my household is vaccinated and I still want to do more to help others,” Gee said.

King County recommends everyone wear a mask ‘once again’

Ursula said she’s not sure a mandate will do anything to help. It’ll be upon the public to voluntarily wear a mask, and likely on individual businesses to require people to wear them indoors as well.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County health officer, cited a recent report from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in his briefing Friday, which found that if universal masking were to be implemented in Washington this week, it would prevent between 540 to 880 deaths in the state by Nov. 1.

“The vast majority of my own infectious disease and public health colleagues are personally wearing masks in indoor, public spaces, and they recommend that for their friends and family,” Duchin said.

Listen to the Gee and Ursula Show weekday mornings from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.