Gov. Inslee: Washington state on track for full reopening by June 30
Last edited Thu May 13, 2021, 09:45 PM - Edit history (1)
That light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel appears to be getting much brighter. It was just a few weeks ago that Governor Inslee and state health officials warned the fourth wave of COVID-19 hitting our state could have a dire impact, especially with new variants becoming more dominant.
Nearly two weeks ago it started to look like case rates were hitting a plateau, and now it seems they’re declining. Because of the progress the state has made, Gov. Inslee said Thursday that Washington is on track for a full reopening by June 30.
That full reopening could come even sooner, Inslee says, if 70% or more of Washington residents 16 and older have at least initiated their vaccination before then. Right now, the state health department says 57% percent of those 16 and older have initiated their vaccination, while nearly 44% are fully vaccinated.
Gov. Inslee says those numbers and current trends appear to put us at late June for a full reopening, but he’s hopeful more people will be encouraged to get vaccinated to allow the state to reopen sooner.
https://mynorthwest.com/2897021/washington-on-track-full-reopening-by-june-30/
Washington state lifting mask mandate for fully vaccinated people
People who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Washington state will no longer be required to wear face masks in most indoor and outdoor settings.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the state is adopting the updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which states that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks unless they're in crowded indoor settings like schools, buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the one shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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Despite the changes, businesses can still legally require customers to wear masks if they choose and they can also inquire about a customer's vaccination status.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/washington-state-lifting-mask-mandate-for-fully-vaccinated-people/ar-BB1gHWkm