Inslee Institutes Outdoor Mask Mandates for Groups 500 or More

In a move that some GOP legislators are already saying is out of desperation, Gov. Inslee announced Thursday (Sept 10) that starting Monday, Sept. 13, there will be a statewide outdoor mask mandate for crowds exceeding 500 persons.

It's similar to the ones put in place recently in King and Pierce Counties. This would seemingly apply to such events as football games or other entertainment venues that exceed 500 persons.

For example, this would apply to all persons attending MCC Tri-City area football games, provided there are more than 500 persons, which usually happens.

  This will apply to anyone attending such events, regardless of vaccination status. 

It is not known how this will be policed, because it appears venue operators would have to either count the number of persons present or perhaps base it upon ticket sales etc.

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Regarding the vaccination status, as recently as July 28th Reason.com questioned the CDC and other health authorities when it became clear that even fully vaccinated persons should still wear masks.  They said we (at that time) appeared to be headed in that direction.

Now, with the outdoor mandates, it appears to reinforce that premise. During the press conference, there was no data or in-depth explanation as to why the number 500 was chosen. This was not explained when the Pierce and King County mandates went into effect recently, either.