What use is the vaccine if the vaccinated are not protected?
OLYMPIA — Washington will follow federal guidance and recommend that those who are vaccinated wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas where there is “substantial or high” rates of COVID-19, Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday.
People who are unvaccinated are still required to wear masks in indoor public spaces, the same as before, but Inslee said he doesn’t want to make the the new guidance mandatory because he didn’t want to take away a benefit from those who are vaccinated, and he still had hopes that vaccination rates will increase in the coming weeks.
“People who aren’t vaccinated right now are a danger to their fellow citizens, they create a risk to their fellow citizens and that’s a danger that we can’t ignore,” Inslee said at a news conference.