We know that the Washington state COVID-19 news has been a little crazy lately. And if you’re feeling a little bit lost we’re here to try to help. The new mask mandate can be a bit confusing so here’s where are you do and don’t need to wear a mask in Washington right now.
At his last press release, Governor Jay Insley announced that Washington would be dropping the mask mandate and allowing shoppers to return to stores maskless. However, this change only applies to those who are fully vaccinated and have waited two weeks since they got the last dose of their COVID-19 vaccine. That being said stores still have the choice to choose whether or not they mandate masks or let shoppers in.
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I’m also announcing that we will fully adopt the new masking guidance released by @CDCgov. That means fully vaccinated individuals can go without a mask in many situations.
I’m working with @WADeptHealth & @lniwa to provide updated guidance for businesses as soon as possible.
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) May 13, 2021
For the time being, Target, CVS, PCC, Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Home Depot, Walgreens, and Aldi have all dropped their mask mandates. Additionally, Kroger, the parent company behind QFC, and Fred Meyer announced that they will no longer require masks starting today. Regardless of your vaccination status, we think it’s probably safest to continue wearing your mask.
You should also know that masks are still required in hospitals, health care clinics, public transit, and public schools.
With all this in mind, Washington state will be making formal mask guidelines to help ease some of the confusion. Better yet, the department of health should be releasing a statement sometime this week. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled and in the meantime, feel free to visit the above stores maskless if you have been fully vaccinated. Again though, we highly recommend continuing to wear your mask. Learn more by clicking here.
