New CDC guidelines say most of Washington can go maskless

Most of Washington can go maskless, according to CDC

Gov. Inslee has not changed the date of the removal of masks in Washington state, despite the CDC saying it's okay

WASHINGTON - The Centers for Disease Control released new guidance on mask-wearing on Friday, and it suggests that the majority of Washingtonians can go maskless right now. Gov. Jay Inslee previously said he will keep the indoor mask requirement in effect until March 21.

However, following the CDC announcement, Inslee's office said, "We have not had a chance to review the new guidance. Once that has happened, there will be a broader discussion with the governor’s office and the Department of Health about its implications for our state."

UPDATE: Washington, Oregon and California will drop masking requirements for schools and most public places on March 12, the states jointly announced on Monday. Read more here

Using a series of metrics based on a community’s hospital capacity and the rate of new COVID hospitalizations, the CDC came up with a simple-to-understand color code system for each county in the country.

Green means a low impact on the area’s healthcare system and low levels of severe disease. Yellow means some impact on the healthcare system and more people with severe disease.

Orange is a high potential for healthcare system strain and a high level of severe disease. The CDC is also suggesting everyone in an orange county wears a mask in public indoor settings including schools.

The CDC says people may choose to wear a mask at any time but those with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to COVID should wear a mask.

Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Pierce, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Jefferson and Clallam have all been labeled as orange by the CDC.

When asked before the CDC released its new guidance, the Governor’s Press Secretary that the March 21 lifting will stay in place.

"COVID trends are declining, but still remain very high relative to other waves over the pandemic," Deputy Communications Director Mike Faulk told FOX 13.

"I think the governor should follow the CDC advice," said Republican House Minority Leader JT Wilcox.

Sixty percent of the state’s 39 counties have a majority of Republican voters. In many of those areas, people have not been following the governor’s mask mandates for some time.

Wilcox says the Governor talks about following the science to make policy decisions. He says he should follow the advice of the scientists at the CDC.

"We have to assume he is following the science and I think it’s time to tell people in the state, at least for now, all of this stress is over," says Wilcox.

One of the factors the Governor has set up as a key metric to lifting the indoor mask requirement is the seven-day average of new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

During his Feb.17 announcement, Inslee said he wanted that metric to be down to 5 people per 100,000 by March 21. The metric has been trending downward. The last reported number was 79 per 100,000 on Feb. 22.

The CDC is still advising that people, including schoolchildren, wear masks where the risk of COVID-19 is high. The new recommendations don't change the requirement to wear masks on public transportation.

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