Keep Wearing Masks Indoors, King County Health Officer Urges

SEATTLE — King County's top health official is urging all residents to keep their face coverings on in public indoor settings, while Public Health - Seattle & King County evaluates its broader mask mandate. In a tweet Monday, Dr. Jeff Duchin said people should continue their mask practices indoors, regardless of vaccination status, and he encouraged businesses to keep existing policies in place.

New guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that loosened masking recommendations for fully vaccinated people has led to confusion and different approaches across the country. California health leaders announced on Monday that they would wait until June 15 to lift mask requirements, giving the state four weeks to prepare for the change while vaccination efforts continue.

Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Washington would immediately adopt the CDC's mask guidance with some flexibility, allowing most businesses to relax mask rules for fully vaccinated people. Businesses may also choose to continue requiring masks for all employees and customers, and also to ask for proof of vaccination, Inslee said.

A growing number of grocery chains, including Trader Joe's and PCC Markets, have already revised their policies, while others are in a holding pattern. Some employees and unions, including United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), have raised concerns that the change forces essential workers to "play mask police" and further puts them at risk.

Public health officials in King County are discussing potentially reinstating the countywide indoor mask mandate, and they expect to have an update in the coming days.