07/02/2020
Starting July 7, businesses will be required to ensure their customers or clients are wearing face coverings, the governor announced today. This is similar to the order that has been in place in Yakima. This requirement will be monitored by the state Department of Labor & Industries.
There are exemptions to the previous Department of Health order, including people with certain disabilities or health conditions, people who are deaf or hard of hearing and children under the age of 2. Officials encourage use of a face covering by children between the ages of 3-5 if possible. Children 5 and older must wear a face covering. The order does not require you to document or prove a reason for not wearing a face covering. If a business won’t allow you to enter their office or store, ask them what accommodations they can provide such as curbside pick-up, delivery or virtual meeting options.
Also, as of today, the governor has put a pause on all county applications to reopen due to high levels of activity across the state. Counties will remain in their current phase for at least the next two weeks.
More from the Governor’s Office: https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-extends-face-covering-requirement-for-businesses-statewide-and-halts-county-advancements-1a404f3f4a5f
More information on this website, including where the orders will be posted: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/information-for/you-and-your-family/face-masks-or-cloth-face-covering
Graphic credit: WA Dept of Health:https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/WearAClothFaceCovering.pdf
