Washington state will move to fully reopen and lift restrictions put on the economy by COVID-19 by June 30, Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Thursday.
The move comes as new cases of COVID-19 in the state are declining, following a recent flattening trend which caused Inslee to put a two-week pause on the state’s phased “Roadmap to Recovery” two weeks ago.
All counties in the state will move to Phase 3 of the recovery plan on Tuesday. And the governor said the full reopening of the state could happen sooner than June 30 if 70% or more of Washingtonians over the age of 16 initiate vaccination.
Inslee was sending a clear message to those in the state who have not yet gotten a shot: get vaccinated and get back to normal life sooner.
The state has administered over six million doses of vaccine, and 56% of Washingtonians have initiated vaccination. Inslee said 40,000 doses a day are being administered.
Washington will also adopt new guidance issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said that Americans who are fully vaccinated can resume activities indoors and outdoors without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
Fully vaccinated people — those who are two weeks removed from their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson — will be free from state restrictions outdoors and indoors, Inslee said, with the exception of hospitals, schools and public transportation.
Inslee said the ability to go to restaurants and grocery stores without wearing a mask will increase willingness to get vaccinations. He added that individual businesses will retain their right to mandate masks for customers if they desire.
“What we know now gives us the confidence to close this chapter in this pandemic and begin another,” Inslee said. “This next part of our fight to save lives in Washington will focus on increasing vaccination rates and continuing to monitor variants of concern as we move toward reopening our state.”
A return to normal is also on the horizon for the state’s schools. The governor said they’ll be expected to offer full-time, in-person learning for all students and a remote learning option for students who need it this fall. The state Department of Health (DOH) released updated K-12 guidance earlier Thursday.
