WA’s mask mandate for schools, businesses to end March 21, Inslee says

Washington’s COVID-19 mask requirements will lift on March 21 for schools, child care facilities, grocery stores, bars, gyms and a host of other indoor establishments, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.

Masking will still be necessary after March 21 for health care facilities, long-term care facilities, prisons, public transit and school buses, and any private businesses or local governments that want to continue with masking requirements.

State Department of Health officials will release updated guidance for K-12 schools during the week of March 6, to help schools prepare for the March 21 transition.

Meanwhile, starting March 1, large events will no longer have to verify the vaccination status of patrons.

The mask mandate that lifts March 21 for retail businesses will also end for a host of indoor group settings, including houses of worship, recreation centers, athletic facilities and libraries.