Washington Ends Indoor Mask Order and Coronavirus Vaccination Card

The capital of U.SWashington, will end the requirement to show proof of vaccination against coronavirus to access certain establishments this week and will withdraw the order to wear a mask in some closed public spaces on March 1, its mayor, Muriel Bowser, reported Monday.

The announcement comes amid the progressive relaxation of the use of face masks in many states of the country after the impact of the omicron variant.

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“We are in a much better situation now”Bowser said at a news conference.

The mayor indicated that, despite the withdrawal of the order, the businesses of the city will be able to decide if they want to maintain certain demands on their clients.

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The order to show proof of vaccination, in effect since last December in Washingtonwill cease to be effective on February 15, while the order to carry face mask in some indoor spaces, such as restaurants, bars and gyms, it will expire on March 1.

However, Bowser specified that in certain places, such as schools or public transport, the requirement to wear a face mask will remain in force.

Given the concern that it is premature to modify the restrictions, the mayor stressed that it is important to be “agile” and “adjust” the measures based on a change in conditions.

Specific, Bowser pointed out that the cases of covid-19 have fallen 90% from the peak recorded with omicron and that hospitalizations have dropped 95% in the city.

The District of Columbia, where Washingtonhas more than 72% of its population vaccinated with the complete schedule, above the rate of 64% at the national level.

The announcement of the capital of U.S It follows similar ones adopted by states such as New York, Massachusetts or California, which have also indicated that they will withdraw their orders for the use of masks.

The federal government has, for now, remained cautious and continues with its public health recommendations.

Last week the director of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, said, when asked about the measures adopted by those states, that despite the decrease in infections, she does not expect to immediately modify the guidelines.

“Those decisions are being made at the local level, but at this time we continue to recommend wearing a mask in areas with high infections. That is much of the country now, in the closed public places, ”she pointed out.

The US is the country most affected by the coronavirus with more than 77 million confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and more than 919,000 deaths, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University.

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Source: Elcomercio

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