Inslee: Masks are Back for Indoors, Teachers Get Vaccinated or Fired

Wednesday Gov. Jay Inslee reinstated an indoor mask mandate for everyone, including vaccinated persons, and also put out a vaccine requirement for all K-12 educators, except for tribal schools.

The vaccine mandate will require the following persons to get the shot, and they have to be fully vaccinated:

Teachers, coaches, bus drivers, school volunteers, as well as daycare providers. This includes licensed, certified, and contracted early learning and daycare facilities.

He said there will be exemptions for medical and 'deep' religious convictions to seek such an exemption, but personal opinions and preferences do not count.

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He said any of the K-12 educators who fall under the vaccine mandate who refuse will be "subject to dismissal" according to Inslee's office.

He's also brought back the mask mandates, anyone indoors must wear one regardless of vaccine status. This mask mandate will return starting August 23rd., which is next Monday. There are a handful of rare exceptions, but for the bulk of us, masks are required indoors again beginning that day.

It does not apply to children ages 5 and under.   Inslee said to those who are "frustrated" by our actions (the state) it's because not enough people have gotten vaccinated, sounding rather bully-like.

He said the Delta variant is like a whole new virus, recycling his previous talking points.