These 8 Washington counties should wear masks indoors, CDC says
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday rescinded 12 COVID-19 emergency proclamations that he said are no longer needed to respond to the pandemic, but the virus is still impacting people across the state.
According to the latest data made available to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were calculated on Thursday, July 28, there are eight counties in Washington with COVID-19 community levels rated “high.” That’s down from 12 counties that had high community levels the week before.
COVID-19 community levels are considered high when a county has had 200 or more new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days, or they’ve had more than 20 new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people within a seven-day period.
The CDC recommends people in counties with high COVID-19 community levels wear masks indoors in public and on public transportation.
The following counties all have COVID-19 community levels rated high:
- Chelan County: 278.5 cases per 100,000 people
- Okanogan County: 220.15 cases per 100,000 people
- Ferry County: 288.45 cases per 100,000 people
- Grant County: 295.7 cases per 100,000 people
- Adams County: 380.32 cases per 100,000 people
- Franklin County: 329.76 cases per 100,000 people
- Benton County: 244.63 cases per 100,000 people
- Walla Walla County: 223.83 cases per 100,000 people
In Counties with high community levels, the CDC says anyone at risk for severe illness in these communities should consider taking additional precautions besides simply wearing a mask. The CDC recommends staying 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and says people should wash their hands often.
The COVID-19 proclamations Inslee rescinded Friday prohibited certain activities at health care facilities and were intended to provide the flexibility needed to respond to the pandemic and protect those receiving care. Some examples of the rules he suspended include those related to training, testing and certification of various health care professionals and the certificate of need process for health care facilities.
Inslee has now terminated approximately 87% of all COVID-19 emergency proclamations in the state.