Mask mandate ends at midnight in King County

Meghan Walker Ballard

King County’s mask mandate expires tonight (March 11) due to low case numbers of COVID-19 and dropping hospitalizations.

The county is now classified at a “low COVID-19 community level” on the CDC’s framework.

The end of the mask mandate applies to most public spaces including the following:

  • Schools, childcare facilities, and libraries
  • Restaurants and bars
  • Churches, mosques, temples, and other houses of worship
  • Gyms and other sports facilities
  • Grocery and other retail stores and businesses

Masks will still be required at the following:

  • Healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, dentists, and pharmacies
  • Long-term care settings like nursing homes
  • Public transit, taxis, rideshare vehicles
  • Jails and prisons

“We need to be aware that COVID-19 is still circulating and some risk still remains,” Public Health – Seattle & King County writes on the Public Health Insider. “Layered protections continue to be important, including staying up to date on vaccination and boosters, improving indoor air quality through ventilation and filtration, and for high-risk persons especially, masking and limiting time in crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.”

Photo: Kiss Cafe on Facebook