Washington Governor Jay Inslee Announces End Date For COVID State Of Emergency

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Washington state’s COVID-19 state of emergency will end Oct. 31, along with about 10 remaining orders related to the pandemic.

Gov. Jay Inslee announced the timeline Thursday.

A vast majority of the 85 orders issued since Feb. 29, 2020 had already been previously lifted, including  most mask requirements, restrictions on commerce and restaurants.

Masking requirements will remain in place at health care and long-term care settings after the state of emergency ends, under an order that was updated by the state Department of Health last month.

That order also will continue to require masking at Correctional and jail facilities when the county in which the facility is located has a medium or high level of COVID-19 transmission.