Associated Press
SEATTLE — The top public health official in Washington’s largest county is urging residents to keep wearing masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status.
That’s despite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance relaxing mask requirements for vaccinated people, The Seattle Times reported.
Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer with Public Health — Seattle & King County, said that for now, Seattle and King County residents are strongly encouraged to continue wearing masks while the agency evaluates its mask mandate.
The mixed messaging comes after the CDC last week eased mask-wearing for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to generally stop masking outdoors and in most indoor settings, though it still calls for masking in places including buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
Washington aligned with federal guidelines and dropped many mask requirements for fully vaccinated people, but Duchin said on Twitter Monday that he agreed with a statement saying “the point of vaccinating most of the population is to get us all to the point where we halt viral transmission & everyone can then interact unmasked.”
Duchin also encouraged businesses to keep mask policies in place.
Nearly 59% of people age 16 and up in Washington have had one vaccine dose, according to the state Department of Health.
Public Health — Seattle & King County, department spokesperson James Apa said the agency is evaluating whether ending the indoor mask mandate is the best option in King County. The department will provide an update later this week, Apa said.
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