Vaccine Verification Rule For Large Events Begins Monday In WA

WASHINGTON — New vaccine verification rules roll out Monday for large events across Washington, mandating that visitors 12 and older show proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently tested negative for the virus.

Gov. Jay Inslee announced the plan one month ago and said he hoped the rules would limit the scope of a potential winter wave of infections, as well as encourage more people to become vaccinated.

"This is another step in the ongoing battle against this disease; we believe it is an important one," Inslee said in October. "It can help incentivize people to decide to get vaccinated and avoid the headache of having to get a test."

The state-level event requirements arrive three weeks after King County stood up a vaccine verification program of its own, requiring proof of full immunization or a negative test result for a wide array of activities, from professional sporting events and concerts to indoor dining.

Related: King County Fields Reports Of Noncompliance With Vax Check Rules

Inslee's order, which applies to counties without local requirements, is considerably more narrow and focuses only on large events, defined as having more than 1,000 attendees at indoor venues or more than 10,000 at outdoor venues.

"This applies to ticketed or registered events that have defined entrances, like conventions, concerts, sporting events, fairs that have defined entrances, theme parks and more," Inslee said.

Sufficient proof of vaccination includes:

• A CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Record Card.
• Documentation of vaccination from a health care provider or electronic health record.
• A state immunization information system record. For individuals vaccinated in Washington, this may include a Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination or QR code from MyIRMobile or WA Verify.

Shopping malls, museums, grocery stores and large businesses open to the public as part of their daily operation are exempt from the order, along with school events that take place on school property.

Read the full text of Inslee's statewide vaccine verification order online.

Patch editor Charles Woodman contributed to this report.