Washington State Reopens Wednesday: What To Know

SEATTLE — If you are reading this on Wednesday morning or any time after: Congratulations, you have made it through the last major event of the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington state.

As of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Washington will have lifted almost all of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, in what the governor's office is calling the final "economic reopening" of the Evergreen State.

“Because folks listened to science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore masks and got vaccinated, we can now safely fully re-open our state’s economy and cultural centers after 15 long months," said Gov. Jay Inslee in a written statement. "It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of how Washingtonians came together, persevered and sacrificed to fight this virus, and now we’re finally in a place that is safe enough to end this chapter."

Inslee is expected to celebrate the end of COVID restrictions with a visit to the Space Needle Thursday. Businesses, meanwhile, can celebrate by returning to usual capacity and operations.

Here is what is changing when the state reopens:

• There will no longer be capacity limits on bars, restaurants, stores, businesses or theaters.
• Similarly, physical distancing requirements inside businesses will be lifted.
• Businesses do not need to require vaccinated customers or employees to wear masks, but may continue requiring mask use if they so choose.
• Businesses can find more information about how COVID-19 restrictions are changing by visiting the Department of Labor & Industry's website.

These restrictions will remain for the near future:

• Large indoor events with more than 10,000 attendees will be cut off at 75 percent capacity, but will not require physical distancing. Attendees will still need to follow masking guidance.
• Travelers will be asked to follow CDC guidance, which means wearing a mask on public transit like buses and trains and at airports. Masks are not required in outdoor conveyance areas, like on the deck of a Washington State Ferry.
• Schools and childcare centers will continue to require masks and enforce physical distancing.

State health leaders say they know most people are tired of wearing facial coverings, but are asking Washingtonians to hold onto their masks a little longer for the businesses and locations that want to keep enforcing mask requirements.

“Even though the economic reopening represents a return to a more normal life for people who are vaccinated, masks will still be part of daily life for many,” says Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. “Masks will still need to be in your car, your pocket, your backpack – they’ll still be a part of your life as we start to transition into this new phase of recovery.”

Despite those few lingering regulations, lawmakers say they expect this reopening to be a massive boon to the state's long-suffering economic sector.

“Washington has come a long way since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country was found in our state January 2020, and that is in no small part due to Washingtonians’ dedication and resilience in protecting themselves and their communities throughout the pandemic," Inslee said.

Inslee first announced his intention to reopen the state by the end of June back on May 13. At the time, the governor said that if 70 percent of Washingtonians 16 and older got their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, the state could open earlier. While the state drew close to hitting that threshold over recent weeks, it never quite hit the mark, reaching 68.8 percent as of the DOH's latest data.

Though the governor had planned to reopen Washington's economy by June 30 regardless of the state's vaccination rate, he and other health leaders did take time Tuesday to encourage the remaining holdouts to seek vaccination.

"Even though Wednesday marks a new stage in our continued efforts to defeat this pandemic, we still have work to do," Inslee said. "Continued success depends on everyone getting vaccinated and encouraging any loved one who has not yet received this lifesaving vaccine to do so, and quickly."

"While this step forward is exciting, it does not mean the virus is gone or our work is over," Shah said. "Vaccination, testing and precautions like wearing masks if you are unvaccinated will be needed more than ever as businesses try to resume normal operations. If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, do it now in order to safely enjoy reopening and protect your loved ones and people around you."

As of the latest update to the Department of Health's COVID-19 data dashboard, a total 7,795,522 vaccine doses have been administered in Washington. The state continues to average above 18,000 vaccines administered per day.