Washington's Indoor Mask Rules End Saturday: What To Know
WASHINGTON — Statewide rules requiring masks inside schools, gyms, grocery stores and other public spaces will expire at the stroke of midnight, removing one of Washington's last remaining pandemic restrictions. Initially scheduled to end on March 21, Gov. Jay Inslee announced in late February that the mask rules would instead expire at 11:59 p.m. on March 11, joining the governors of California and Oregon in streamlining the end date.
The governor said sharp declines in COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates since the omicron peak made it possible to move ahead with an earlier timeline, supported by guidance from the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While down considerably from previous peaks, DOH data showed case counts remained elevated in most Washington counties through the end of February.
Even as the rules expire, masks will still be required in certain settings, and businesses, venues, school districts, and local jurisdictions will retain the authority to keep their own mask requirements in place.
"While this represents another step forward for Washingtontonians, we must still be mindful that many within our communities remain vulnerable," Inslee said in February. "Many businesses and families will continue choosing to wear masks, because we've learned how effective they are at keeping one another safe. As we transition to this next phase, we will continue to move forward together carefully and cautiously."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/washington-s-indoor-mask-rules-end-saturday-what-to-know/ar-AAUWWkb
= new reply since forum marked as read
giving in to unevolved, uneducated whiners, doesn't keep the rest of us safe. 
