Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced today a changed to an earlier announcement regarding lifting the mask mandate to March 12 instead of the previous March 21. According a press release from the Governors office which includes an agreement with Oregon and California Governors states. With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the west, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance. After 11:59 p.m. on March 11, California, Oregon and Washington will be adopting new indoor mask policies and move from mask requirements to mask recommendations in schools.

State policies do not change federal requirements, which still include masks on public transit.

“We’ve continued to monitor data from our state Department of Health, and have determined we are able to adjust the timing of our statewide mask requirement. While this represents another step forward for Washingtonians, we must still be mindful that many within our communities remain vulnerable, said Governor Inslee. “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.”

In Washington, indoor mask requirements will be lifted as of 11:59 p.m. on March 11. This new date does not change any other aspect of the updated mask requirements Inslee announced last week. Masks will still be required in certain settings including health care, corrections facilities, and long-term care facilities.

The Washington State Department of Health will be issuing new guidance for K-12 schools next week so schools can prepare to implement updated safety protocols. Additional guidance could come from Seattle-King County Public Health for areas where COVID-19 could be spreading. Cases at Lindbergh have dropped sufficiently from January’s 141 cases. The month of February has only seen 15 cases as of last Friday. District wide cases fell from 1831 in January to 236 cases in February.