Washington governor: Decision on indoor mask mandate soon

By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state’s indoor mask mandate remains in place for now, but Gov. Jay Inslee has said he expects to be able to share a date on when that will change next week. In the meantime, Inslee said that elective surgeries can resume in the state Feb. 18 and a mask mandate for large outdoor events will be lifted that same day. Washington is one of just a handful of states that still have an indoor mask mandate. In recent days, Democratic governors in several states have ended or set dates to end masking rules in public places or in schools. The White House has also signaled it is beginning to prepare for a less-restrictive phase of the national COVID response.