After 32 months, the COVID emergency in Washington state is over. As of Oct. 31, the orders still in effect are the requirement for masks in physical care and long-term care services.
Masks are also required in correctional services in counties where transmission from the COVID network is medium or high, as decided by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The point in Okanogan County is low lately.
Since Washington recorded the first case of COVID-19 in the country in January 2020, Governor Jay Inslee declared an emergency and there have been 85 public adequacy orders. Three-quarters of the orders had already been lifted by September. The remaining 23 orders were lifted in late October.
“Ending this order doesn’t mean we take it less seriously or lose sight of how this virus has replaced the way we live,” Inslee said. “We will continue with our commitments for the well-being of the population, but only through other teams now more adapted to the era in which we have entered. “
“Governor Inslee’s cancellation of the remaining emergency orders marks a transition for Washington state, but it does not mean COVID-19 is no longer in our state,” Health Secretary Umair Shah said. “We want to move from responding to the pandemic to adapting our behaviors to coexist with the COVID-19 virus. “
COVID remains one of the deadliest infectious viruses in the United States, according to the governor’s office. Although COVID deaths nationwide have declined over the past two months, there are more than 2600 deaths each week in the United States lately, according to the CDC.
Washington has one of the lowest rates of COVID according to capita mortality rates in the country during the pandemic. Inslee and state fitness officials say the swift adoption of protective measures in Washington has saved lives.
Changes to the vaccination mandate
The fitness and education requirement to get vaccinated against COVID was also removed, but vaccination remains a condition of employment for most state agencies. Employers may require vaccination if they wish.
Shah extended the mask requirement for fitness services on Oct. 27. Children under five years old are exempt, the mask is recommended for children older than 2 to 5 years. Children under the age of 2 should never wear a mask because of the threat of suffocation.
Emergency orders similar to insurance policies also expired on Oct. 31. These orders required fitness insurers to waive copays and deductibles for COVID testing and consumers from the extra expense of lab fees for testing.
The federal COVID emergency is in effect.
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