Washington ready for reopening, but some COVID-19 precautions remain

Media contact: Communication from the Ministry of Health
Public inquiries: State COVID-19 Hotline, 1-800-525-0127

OLYMPIA – As a state of Washington reopens for business and leisure today, the Department of Health (DOH) encourages people to continue doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. Reopening does not mean the pandemic is over or that the risk of COVID-19 is gone.

The Secretary of Health the mask order remains in place. If you are not vaccinated:

• Continue to wear masks when you are indoors in public places.
• Continue to wash your hands and watch your distance.
• Activate WA Notify for completely private exposure notifications and get tested for symptoms of COVID-19.

As businesses begin to resume normal operations, these precautions will be needed more than ever to help protect unvaccinated people, including children who are not yet eligible.

People who have been vaccinated can return to their normal lives for the most part, with a few exceptions such as limits on large scale events and mask requirements in certain high-risk settings. Most sectors can operate as in January 2020, as long as you follow occupational safety requirements of the Ministry of Labor and Industry. However, counties and businesses may have more protective requirements and the DOH urges people to follow the rules of the room they are in.

While the state has made huge strides in immunization, more than 35% of people 12 and older in the state have yet to receive their first dose. The Ministry of Health continues to see epidemics in areas and settings where vaccination rates are lower. If you’ve been waiting for the vaccine, now is the time. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, to protect your loved ones and those around you. If you have already been vaccinated, you can help by encouraging people you know to get vaccinated.

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