Seattle, King County Urge Use Of Face Masks In Public

KING COUNTY, WA — King County and the city of Seattle are urging the public to wear cloth face masks or face coverings while they are out in public. To that end, they are issuing a Health Officer Directive telling residents to use face masks which will go into effect Monday, May 18.

Under the directive, all residents should wear face masks in indoor public spaces like the grocery or pharmacy. Local leaders say, it's absolutely necessary to keep slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

"Doing this is one more step we can take to help keep those essential workers at those businesses safe," said King County Executive Dow Constantine at a press conference announcing the directive.

The order applies to both shoppers and employees at all essential establishments. Restaurants and food delivery services are urged to wear masks as well, and masks will be required for bus drivers and passengers on King County Metro buses.

The directive also urges the use of masks in outdoor spaces, especially confined spaces where social distancing is difficult. Proper social distancing requires a space of six feet between an individual and anyone who is not a part of their household.

While Washington has significantly flattened the curve of new coronavirus transmissions, health experts say these requirements are necessary to keep the virus from rebounding, especially as the state moves to reopen.

"As we begin to get back to work, the threat of increasing COVID-19 transmission is serious," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer with Seattle & King County Public Health. "We should do all we can to prevent spread to our friends, neighbors and all community members. By wearing a face mask, we protect others from COVID-19 infection and show that we care. Your mask protects me and my mask protects you. Be safe, maintain space and cover your face.”

Leaders say the directive is not about strict enforcement: they say they do not expect police to arrest those in violation of the directive, just that they want to strongly encourage mask use as the county recovers its footing.

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Simple cloth masks or face coverings are enough to meet the standards of the directive. Doctors say a cloth covering will work to block infectious droplets from spreading via coughing or speaking, and that specialized masks, like N95 respirators, should be reserved for health care workers directly battling the virus.

The directive does not include people with disabilities, deaf residents who need facial movements to communicate, or young children. Children under two should not wear masks at all, as they can become a serious choking hazard.

The city and county are also working to make cloth face coverings more readily available. King County says it is distributing over 115,000 face coverings and masks through several community groups. The city of Seattle is also delivering 45,000 masks to vulnerable communities like the homeless population, food bank staffers and older residents.

Leaders say the directive is just one reminder that Washington is not in the clear just yet. On top of the directive, they are still urging everyone to shelter-in-place and restrict travel as much as possible to avoid exposure to the coronavirus.

"Right now the order is still 'stay home'," said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan.