Masks to be mandated in K-12 schools this year

Students and staff in local schools will continue to be masked in schools this year. Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would be following CDC recommendations and requiring masks among all staff and students in K-12 schools this year, regardless of vaccination status.

The announcement came as Inslee also recommended, but didn't mandate, mask-wearing indoors in areas where COVID-19 is once again surging.

Since June 30, school staff members hadn't been required to wear masks in settings such as school board meetings if they were fully vaccinated, but were still mask-mandated if not.

Masks have been mandated in schools since the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, the first full school year since the pandemic began.

Other Dept. of Health guidelines for schools expected to be released are a three-foot distancing requirement consistent with the end of the 2020-21 school year. A student will not currently need to be quarantined if they were more than three feet away from a student who tested positive for COVID-19 and both students were following the mask mandate.