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 cant 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 wouldnt 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 dont 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 Washingtons 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 persons 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.
Mebbe all of the rabble protesting is a reason for the Chinus spike, you think?
Its time to start pushing back.
The Black Lives Matter thing seems to be subsiding a bit, so it’s time to bring back the virus. Gotta keep those distractions going until Election Day.
a) force COVID-19 patients into elder care facilities.
b) slow down the investigation into the coup against President Trump until the 2020 election
Given that 40% of Covid-19 deaths have come from nursing homes, (20,000) deaths were avoidable how can these Democrat governor claim the moral standing to require masks or enact lockdown on the rest of us?
Five Democrat Governors, and some of their lackey Mayors (e.g., Cuomo), purposefully ignored military field hospitals, Navy medical ships, and capacity at local hospitals. This is murder. They are killers.
CA Gavin Newsom
PA Tom Wolf
MI Gretchn Whitmer
WA Jay Inslee
NJ Phil Murphy
NY Mike Bloomberg
My very ever first vote for Guv will be to remove him.
“...and for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.”
Inslee is such an idiot. I’m guessing somebody told him that everyone wearing masks would be difficult for the deaf people or hard of hearing. Meaning that they need to be able to read other people’s lips to understand them.
Dimslee hears “difficult for deaf people” and says “Okay - they don’t have to wear a mask! Problem solved!!”
I’m with you...
-Husqvarnarider...known as tigertanker...
Wretched Whitmer. Spit.
Tell the faggot to piss off. There is no rule of law in that State.
(its a MAGA mask)
I think my mask will be one of those scary-ass clowns from It ;’}
Today its masks, tomorrow it will be an electronic neck collar
this has nothiong to do with COVID19 and everything to do with the socialist revolution .
Voting is moot in Orgeon, Washington and California because of massive cheating.
21twelve wrote:
“
...and for people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
Inslee is such an idiot. Im guessing somebody told him that everyone wearing masks would be difficult for the deaf people or hard of hearing. Meaning that they need to be able to read other peoples lips to understand them.
Dimslee hears difficult for deaf people and says Okay - they dont have to wear a mask! Problem solved!!
“
I am severely hearing disabled, and it is impossible for me to understand anyone wearing a mask
Bloomberg is not the governor of New York.
Hasn’t been for 6 years and counting.
Good on ya!
Is it okay to take it off in the restroom and wipe off my sweaty face? I did it in the dentist office.
Good luck with that, they have MAIL IN only ballots and communists in charge of counting.
Bumping your link. Great stuff!
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
The same authorities who are letting Antifa and BLM burn and loot will be harassing citizens taking walks without masks.
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