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Health Officials are urging both the vaccinated and unvaccinated to wear masks while indoors due to a prolonged spikes in infections driven by the Delta variant.
Spokane Regional Health Officials are urging the community to mask up while indoors to reduce the spread of more infectious COVID-19 variants.
Credit Rebecca White/SPR The Center for Disease Control is now recommending everyone, vaccinated or not, wear masks while indoors due to an increase in infections driven by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Dr. Francisco Velazquez, the Spokane Regional Health District’s interim health officer, said the Delta, as well as other variants, have been detected in Spokane County.
Credit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
After loosening masking recommendations for vaccinated people, the CDC is now urging people in areas with high COVID-19 case rates to put on a face mask when indoors.
The recommendation comes as the significantly more contagious Delta variant spreads through communities that have much lower vaccination rates. That has led to an increase in hospitalizations for younger people.
According to CDC data, several counties in Eastern Washington have a high rate of COVID-19 spread. Those counties include Spokane, Ferry in Northeast Washington, and most of the Southeast region of the state.
A little more than half of Spokane County residents have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Most other counties in Eastern Washington have vaccination rates between 34% and 49%.
KXLY
July 27, 2021 7:16 PM
SPOKANE, Wash. Spokane and Kootenai counties are considered high risk for transmission. On Tuesday, the CDC announced all Americans in these high risk areas should wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
People in the Spokane community are conflicted when it comes to the new guidance. Some are in favor of it, others feel like it’s a step backwards.
“My first thought is empathy. Everybody is doing the best they can with the information that’s given,” said Tricia Fernandez.
It’s information that’s constantly evolving.
“We look at the data and look at the studies and what it’s showing for people who are vaccinated getting re-exposed,” said Fernandez.
KXLY
July 27, 2021 5:21 PM
Updated:
SPOKANE, Wash. Due to new guidance from the CDC, the Spokane Regional Health District is now encouraging people to wear masks indoors, regardless of whether they are vaccinated.
First and foremost, the health district says if you are not vaccinated, now is the time to get your shot.
Due to surging COVID-19 cases, @CDCgov issued guidance today related to the Delta variant and masking. SRHD urges residents to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, in indoor settings where vaccination status of others is unknown and to get vaccinated as soon as possible. https://t.co/pfxPbQgYt5
KXLY
July 27, 2021 8:38 PM
Updated:
SPOKANE, Wash. Joining the trend of other schools, Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) will now require COVID vaccinations and masks for students, faculty and staff.
Jonathan Glover, communications director at CCS, said both Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College will require vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff, in accordance to Gov. Jay Inslee’s higher education proclamation.
He said the requirements have not yet been communicated to all CCS employees or students, but a message will be finalized soon.
Religious, philosophical and medical exemptions will be allowed, as specified by the proclamation. To ensure the health and safety of all students and employees, Glover said CCS is going to require non-vaccinated students and employees to wear masks, as well as campus visitors.