Washington state is enacting a mask mandate for large outdoor events due to the spike in coronavirus cases, Report informs referring to The Hill.
Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced on September 9 that the mandate would begin on September 13. The Seattle Times reported it would apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
“Today, I announced that starting Sept. 13, facial coverings will be required for large outdoor events with 500 or more attendees,” the governor posted on Twitter.
In a press conference announcing the measure, Inslee said there were more than 4,200 new coronavirus cases on Sept. 9 and 59 deaths from the virus, The Seattle Times reported.
Hospitals are also seeing an influx of patients due to the virus as the highly contagious delta variant has caused mayhem throughout the country.
“The fact is when you make a decision to not be vaccinated, it is not just about your health, it is about the health of everyone around you,” Inslee said. “So we need more people to think a little less about ‘me’ and a little more about ‘we,’” he added.