||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE |||
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced a new statewide requirement for masks to be worn at large outdoor gatherings as Washington’s fifth wave of COVID-19 persists.
Starting on Monday, the state’s current requirement for indoor facial coverings will be expanded to include outdoor events with 500 or more attendees, according to the governor’s office. That mandate will apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
The new order comes after King County’s health department last week announced similar measure, which took effect Tuesday. Meanwhile, Tacoma-Pierce County health officials ordered a mask requirement for the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, which runs through Sept. 26.
The new requirements add to emergency orders Inslee announced last month as a summer wave of cases and hospitalizations spiked.
The governor in August brought back a statewide mask requirement and mandates for state workers, school employees and some health care workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.
READ FULL ARTICLE: www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/washington-gov-inslee-announces-mask-requirement-for-outdoor-gatherings-of-500-or-more-as-covid-cases-persist
