WA's COVID State Of Emergency Ends

WASHINGTON — Most of Washington's remaining pandemic orders are gone after Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 state of emergency ended Monday, more than two-and-a-half years after it began.

Inslee announced the transition timeline early last month, noting 85 orders had already been rescinded, leaving just under two dozen left. On Thursday, 13 healthcare-related orders ended, followed by another 10 orders expiring Monday evening.

"I can’t express how grateful I am to the health care workers, public health teams and other frontline workers who helped save so many lives and will continue keeping our communities safe and healthy,” the governor said in a statement. "Ending this order does not mean we take the pandemic less seriously or will lose focus on how this virus has changed the way we live. We will continue our commitments to the public’s well-being, but simply through different tools that are now more appropriate for the era we’ve entered."

Washington confirmed the nation's first known infection in January 2020 and reported the first deaths linked to the virus at the end of February, on the same day Inslee declared a state of emergency. Widespread school closures and restrictions began in mid-March, followed by "stay at home" orders later in the month. Businesses reopened at full capacity in June 2021, and most indoor masking requirements ended this March.

Last month, Inslee credited the orders for contributing to Washington's seeing the fifth-lowest COVID-19 death rates in the nation, along with better tools available, including vaccines, reformulated boosters and therapeutic treatments.

Related: Flu, COVID & RSV: Here's The Situation In Washington

The governor's last orders to be lifted Monday include the formal state of emergency declaration, proclamations relating to schools, and certain vaccination requirements for health care workers and educators. Vaccination will remain a condition of employment for workers at most state agencies, according to the governor's office.

Separate masking rules from the Department of Health will remain intact, which requires masking in certain settings like health care and long-term facilities. Last week, the state Secretary of Health said updated guidance would be shared sometime in November.

Pandemic-related workplace standards from the Department of Labor & Industries still require employers keep workers home for at least five days if they test positive or have symptoms, along with exposure notifications and other safety practices.