SEATTLE — King County officially dropped its mask directive Tuesday, which means fully vaccinated residents can shed their face coverings outside and in most indoor settings.
This comes now that 71.7% of county residents age 16 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Also announced Tuesday, Mayor Jenny Durkan said that 80% of eligible Seattle residents have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The state’s mask guidance now takes effect.
As of Tuesday, the state says people who are not fully vaccinated should continue wearing masks indoors and everyone, vaccinated or not, should still wear masks in high-risk crowded places like medical facilities, on public transit and in schools.
But Wednesday, June 30, is the day the state is expected to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
This means restaurants, events and retail businesses can go back to full capacity just ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
Public health officials are still urging residents who are not vaccinated to get it done as soon as possible.
There has been some debate over lifting mask restrictions because of the delta variant, which spreads easier and causes more severe COVID-19 symptoms.