NNA - Washington’s statewide indoor mask mandate, one of the few left in the country, will lift in most places on March 21, including at schools and child care facilities, Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday.

And starting on March 1, vaccine verification or proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer be required for attendance at large events.

Masks will still be required in health care settings, like hospitals and doctor’s offices, and at long-term care facilities, prisons and jails. They will also still be required on public transit, taxis, ride-hail vehicles and school buses.

Private businesses and local governments that want to require masks for employees, customers or residents will still able to do so.

Inslee said that the late March date to lift the mask mandate is based on hospital admission projections. During Thursday’s news conference, he showed a chart that shows hospitalizations for COVID-19 are about 20 per 100,000 people. His goal is to get that number down to 5, which is when he said hospitals can return to more normal operations.--AP

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