Posted on 06/23/2020 4:20:32 PM PDT by USA Conservative
SEATTLE -- Washington state will require people to wear facial coverings in public settings, under a statewide public health order announced Tuesday by Gov. Jay Inslee in response to ongoing COVID-related health concerns.
The order, issued by Secretary of Health John Wiesman, takes effect Friday. The order requires face coverings when people are indoor in a public area, and outdoors in a public area when six feet of physical distancing can’t be maintained.
Washington joins several other states that already have statewide mask orders in place, including California, which issued its order last week.
"Even though we have been resourceful and committed, as we have reopened our economy ... we are now experiencing high activity of the virus," Inslee said.
Inslee again said Washingtonians need to practice physical distancing, wash their hands, get tested for any COVID-like symptoms and to stay home if sick.
Yakima County, which has been among the areas hardest hit by the outbreak, has even more stringent requirements under a separate proclamation issued by Inslee that also takes effect Friday. In addition to being covered by the statewide mandate on masks in public, there will now be a legal requirement that prohibits people from entering a place of business — either indoors or outdoors — without first donning a mask.
Under that same proclamation, businesses in the central Washington county are prohibited from allowing a customer to enter a business, or conduct business with a customer in any public space unless the customer is wearing a face covering.
There are exemptions for children under the age of 2 and for people who are deaf or have hearing loss. Facial coverings for children between the ages of 3 and 5 are strongly recommended, but not required under the orders.
People engaged in recreation alone or with household members and those eating out at restaurants wouldn’t have to wear masks as long as they are properly distanced from others.
The statewide order builds on a previous one from Inslee, that — since June 8 — has required workers to wear facial coverings unless they don’t interact with others on the job.
Last month, San Juan County became the first jurisdiction to impose a mask requirement that was enforceable by law, making it a misdemeanor for people to not wear a mask while in public. Brendan Cowan, a spokesman for the county, said in an email Tuesday that to date, no citations have been issued, just “lots of education and outreach.”
Several other jurisdictions — including King and Thurston counties — have issued their own face covering directives or have strongly urged residents to wear masks, though those counties have said that the efforts were focused more on education and that there were no civil or criminal penalties for violators.
A spokesman for Inslee said that violation of the statewide mask order is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Violation of the Yakima County proclamation is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.
The move comes as Washington’s 39 counties are moving through a four-stage reopening plan.
As of Tuesday, 16 counties are in Phase 3, which allows group gatherings of up to 50 people, including sports activities, and allows restaurants to increase capacity to 75 percent. Gyms and movie theaters can reopen at half capacity during this phase. Eighteen counties are currently in Phase 2, which allows restaurants and taverns to reopen at half capacity with limited table sizes, hair and nail salons and barber shops to resume business, and retail stores to reopen for in-store purchases at 30% capacity. It also allows additional outdoor recreation and gatherings with no more than five people outside of a person’s household.
Three counties — Benton, Franklin and Yakima — remain in Phase 1, which only allows essential businesses to be open and limits restaurant service to takeout and delivery and allows limited outdoor recreation.
Two other counties — Chelan and Douglas — are also in a modified Phase 1 of reopening that allows some additional business activity.
More than 28,800 people in Washington state have tested positive for the virus and at least 1,276 have died. The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, and the vast majority recover. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
Saw a women, today, here in Washington, who had torn a hole in her mask so she could smoke...
Dehumanize your population, make them faceless, that way you can get your goons (rioters/looters/communists) to kill them.
It is all part of the plan
Wear your star, I mean mask
And he said that while not wearing a mask; well it isn’t Friday yet.
Uncle Jay, like Uncle Ho, looking out for us. I feel so much better knowing that.
I just talked with the Evergreen Freedom Foundation about suing governor inslee over this diktak.
We the people have been supporting conservative groups with our time and treasure for decades.
Now is the time for them to stand up to these sleazy dictators and defend our freedom.
basically he’s created his own criminal statute w/o the legislature - this is unconstitutional
but the R’s here in WA State are weak and pathetic.
Easier to fine law abiding citizens a 1000 bucks for not wearing a mask than put down the rioters and anarchists. Me thinks there’s a hidden agenda.
Even in CHOP?
Why is being deaf an exemption? And did I miss all the exemptions for asthma, lung disease, obesity, rioting, chazzing, and high melanin load?
http://stateofthenation.co/?p=17388 READ THIS FIRST BEFORE EVER WEARING A MASK (WARNING UPDATE)
Posted on June 20, 2020 by State of the Nation
Somebody make this fool prove masks work. I have scoured for any evidence and find nothing compelling.
Come election day, there are going to be a lot of pissed off people voting.
as the CHAZ/CHOP is no longer part of the state nor country, this does not apply to them??
I hear Oregon is doing same
Masks, if worn properly end of the correct type might make a difference but I have not seen concrete evidence. However, no one is wearing them properly they are constantly touching them taking them on and off, reusing them etc. always completely defeats the purpose of wearing one when you were just reused it or touched it with your hands and shoved it in your pocket.
So back in March and April when everyone was worried about the coronavirus and it was spreading exponentially, in theory, no one was worried about masks but all the sudden four months later oh my God everyone must wear a mask.
Realistically, it comes down to people have Become fed up with the coronavirus thing and want to get on with life and we’re starting to act normal again and the governor decided nope, can’t have that I need to put fear into people again.
Just like filthy Communist China...
Well, We all know the virus is smart enough so it will only become deadly starting Friday it poses no threat as of now, right? That’s basically what he saying.
BINGO!
Follow the money.
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