Our independent, nonprofit newsroom produces award-winning stories, podcasts and events. mask A new law enacted on Feb. 16 effectively barred mask mandates in schools, by giving parents the right to exempt their children from mask-wearing without stating a Washington state's mask mandate will lift March 12, ahead of The CDC data uses seven-day totals for COVID-19 hospital admissions, new COVID cases as well as percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Here's what to know. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Inslee will be joined at Mondays press conference by Washington State Department of Health secretary Umair Shah, MD, MPH. Arielle Dreher's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is primarilyfunded by the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, with additional support from Report for America and members of the Spokane community. Gov. In Washington, indoor mask requirements will be lifted as of 11:59 p.m. on March 11. In light of these new recommendations and decreasing COVID-19 activity in Washington State, Governor Inslee has shortened the timeline for lifting the mask mandate. Responding to a query from The Spokesman-Review, a district spokesperson said that SPS will continue to follow public health guidance. Jenna James, who has long covid and other chronic conditions, feels uncomfortable in hospital settings now that masks are no longer Arielle Dreher's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is primarilyfunded by the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, with additional support from Report for America and members of the Spokane community. Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens. In a blog post, Public Health -- Seattle & King County said the county is now classified at a low COVID-19 community level according to framework from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When will the mask mandate end in Washington state? | king5.com DOH also urged everyone to respect the choices of those who continue to wear masks. The Department of Health will also update its school guidance on other safety measures, such as social distancing, hygiene and ventilation, next week. WATCH MORE: CDC releases new mask guidance that would ease mask restrictions for many Americans. Shah said the department is monitoring BA.2 and encouraged people to protect themselves against BA.2 and potential future variants. Washington Updates COVID-19 Rules After Lifting Mask Mandate. Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. 1.16, has been designated as a variant under monitoring by the World Health Organization. John Carrey's indoor mask order was lifted Feb. 11, 2022. The following is a FAQ related to vaccine requirements for state employees, pursuant to Directive 22-13.1 . The governor has instituted some of the strictest public-health measures in the nation to tamp down the coronavirus, including a requirement that masks be worn in public places. As of Feb. 23, BA.2 made up 11% of sequenced cases in the state, while the original strain of the omicron variant made up the rest and vast majority of sequenced cases in the state.