Who can go maskless? How new CDC guidelines square with increasing numbers of COVID cases in Washington

The new federal guidance on masks is welcome news for a pandemic-weary nation. But it comes as COVID-19 infections rise in Washington.

Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee held a news conference announcing that the state had entered the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. With cases climbing and hospitalizations rising, what should be made of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidelines for face coverings? They say that people who are fully vaccinated don’t have to wear a mask outside unless they are in a large gathering or someplace crowded.