Dealing with a surge of coronavirus cases from the Delta variant, Washington state’s most densely populated county said Thursday it is reinstating outdoor mask requirements for large events, the Associated Press reported.
In addition, people are being encouraged to wear masks in other outdoor settings when social distancing isn’t possible.
Public Health – Seattle & King County said masks will again be required for outdoor events of 500 or more people as of September 7, for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people over the age of 5. Outdoor masks are recommended for situations in which people ages 5 and up, regardless of vaccination status, are unable to socially distance by keeping 6 feet apart.
“With high rates of disease spread, and our health care system straining to keep up, it is time to take additional steps to keep ourselves and our communities safe,” the health agency said.
State health officials are reporting that Washington is running out of intensive care unit beds, a reality for many states dealing with case spikes from the Delta variant, the AP said. The cases are near the record highs seen during the early months of the pandemic.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
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King County, which includes Seattle, is home to about 2.2 million people. Just last week County Executive Dow Constantine had boasted that King County had one of the highest vaccination rates of any large county in the U.S. As of last week more than 70 percent of people 12 and older had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In its statement, the county health agency noted the region’s high vaccination numbers but said “there are still approximately 750,000 people in King County who remain unvaccinated and susceptible to COVID-19.”
That number includes children under 12 who are not yet eligible for COVID-19 shots.
Health officials said vaccinated people were at a “much lower risk” catching and spreading the disease than unvaccinated people, “but the risk is not zero.”
This week state health officials said the delta strain of the COVID-19 virus is filling hospitals at an “alarming” rate and continuing to strain health care workers. There are now about 1,500 COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals.
“Layering multiple prevention strategies, including wearing a well-made and snug-fitting face mask when in crowded outdoor locations, is a necessary precaution at this time to limit COVID-19 spread and preventable cases, hospitalizations, and deaths,” said King County health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin.
As of last week people in Oregon, regardless of vaccination status, were once required to wear masks in most public outdoor settings.
Ted S. Warren,File/AP Photo
