King County Prepares For Vaccine Verification Rollout

KING COUNTY, WA — Seattle and King County officials previewed the incoming vaccine verification program Monday, one week before temporary orders take effect requiring that customers provide proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative before they can participate in a variety of public events.

The county outlined the details of the public health order back in September, giving businesses and venues several weeks to prepare for the change and implement screening processes.

In general, the rules will apply to:

• Outdoor events with 500 people or more – such as professional and collegiate sports and entertainment events.
• Indoor entertainment and recreational events or establishments – such as professional and collegiate sports, entertainment, performing arts, museums, theatre, live music, gyms, and conferences/conventions.
• Restaurants and bars (including indoor dining) – this does not apply to outdoor dining, take-out customers, and places that aren't primarily used as a restaurant, such as grocery stores.

On Monday, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan joined other local leaders to walk through the process at a cafe in the University District.

"This new policy will keep people safe and keep businesses open, protecting our community’s health and economy as we continue to navigate this pandemic," Constantine said. "As King County businesses and residents prepare for the vaccine verification health order to go into effect, we are here to help with resources, customer service support, and technical assistance."

The county also unveiled a new "Vax Verified Toolkit" to help business owners and patrons learn more about the settings covered by the order, along with the activities that are exempt.

Businesses can accept multiple forms of vaccine proof, including:

• Original COVID-19 vaccination record cards.
• Photo of a vaccination card.
• Printed records from vaccine providers or MyIRMobile.
• Digital record from MyIRMobile or other vaccine verification apps.

Those who have yet to reach full immunization status, or are unable to provide proof of vaccination, will need to provide negative PCR test results taken within the previous 72 hours, or take a rapid test on-site, if available. The requirements do not apply to children under 12.

Some organizations are hosting further events this week to help businesses learn the ropes and get their signage in place before next Monday. OneEastside SPARK will host a free webinar Thursday afternoon, with speakers from the King County Executive's Office and the Seattle Metro Chamber available to answer questions.

Businesses covered by the order are required to display signage provided by the county, which can be downloaded online.

King County officials said the rules are designed to be temporary, and the need for them will be reevaluated within six months. Separate rules from the governor's office are poised to roll out statewide in mid-November, which will apply to counties without their own orders in place, mandating vaccine verification for larger indoor and outdoor events.