use of face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19 With local COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates decreasing but still at elevated levels, Public Health - Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin has issued a Health Officer Directive strongly urging all residents, fully vaccinated or not, to temporarily continue wearing face masks in public indoor settings.To get more news about
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“Continued use of face masks for everyone five years of age and older within indoor public spaces is reasonable and necessary in King County to reduce the risk for COVID-19 transmission until more of the population is protected through vaccination and COVID-19 disease rates decline,” the Directive states. In addition to the local Directive, the Washington State Department of Health Order continues to require everyone to wear face masks in schools, public transportation, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and health care settings, including doctor’s offices, long-term care, and hospitals. "I strongly urge all people in King County to voluntarily comply with this Directive, and urge all businesses that are open to the public, including grocery and other retail establishments, to continue policies and practices to ensure that their customers and employees continue to wear face masks," the Directive continues. "We have made enormous progress, but there are still hundreds of thousands among us who are at risk and are putting others at risk," said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
"This is the moment when our community can turn the corner into a summer of rebuilding - but recovery depends on every person in King County doing their part, getting their shot, and taking the simple precautions needed to stamp out the virus." "Seattle has led the country with the lowest deaths, cases, and hospitalizations of COVID-19 because we have relied on the local public health experts and scientists," said Mayor Durkan. "The decisions we made saved countless lives. Seattle's goal is to keep our community safe and healthy in every way possible, and as more individuals and young people are seeking vaccinations, we know masking in indoor public spaces will continue to allow our community to have the highest level of protection.
" "King County has done remarkably well compared to other parts of the U.S. throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and although we are beginning the transition towards fewer mandates and more personal decision making, we need to continue doing what's been working for us for a bit longer," said Patty Hayes, Director for Public Health – Seattle & King County. "Please continue to use your mask in indoor public spaces while we get disease rates lower, more people vaccinated and more of our community protected. To help get us back to normal as soon as possible, get vaccinated soon." Furthermore, with no practical way to know who is or is not vaccinated in public spaces, a policy that has different rules for vaccinated and unvaccinated people is difficult to implement and unfairly shifts the burden to businesses and frontline workers. When unvaccinated people are not wearing masks indoors, they are at risk both of getting COVID-19 themselves as well as spreading it to others. This directive will remain in effect until Public Health – Seattle & King County confirms that 70% or more of residents age 16 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Someone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot (or in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, their first shot). Public Health currently projects the county will reach the threshold in late June.
