King County will end COVID vaccine requirements at restaurants, bars, gyms

Restaurants, bars, theaters and gyms in King County will no longer be required to check the vaccination status of their patrons, beginning March 1, officials announced Wednesday, as the county begins to unwind pandemic policies that have been in place for months.

From March 1, businesses will be free to impose their own vaccination requirements if they choose, but the countywide requirement will disappear. Since last fall, indoor eateries and cultural and recreational spaces have been required to verify their customers’ vaccination status or a negative COVID test, as a condition for entry.

The policy has also applied to outdoor events with more than 500 people, like concerts and sporting events.

“Our public health experts believe that now is the appropriate time to lift vaccine verification, based on high rates of vaccine coverage and the decrease in new cases and hospitalizations across the county,” King County Executive Dow Constantine said Wednesday. “We are moving in the right direction, and can continue taking additional steps toward recovery.”

In King County, average daily cases have fallen by more than 82% since peaking in early January, according to county data. Hospitalizations have fallen by more than 62%.