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Gov. Inslee announces statewide outdoor mask mandate to be lifted Feb. 18

OLYMPIA, Wash. — In a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee said Washington will lift its outdoor mask mandate on Friday, Feb. 18.

The governor says he is planning to make an announcement next week on when the state’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted.

Discussions on the state’s mask requirements come as several states including Oregon and California have announced plans to roll back their own mask mandates.

>> Pressure grows for Inslee to roll back mask mandate

“We are continuing to track cases, hospitalizations and deaths,” said a spokesperson with the governor’s office Tuesday. “We are optimistic that these numbers will continue to decline in a way that will let us revisit the mask requirements in the near future.”

Washington’s current mask rule began last August after a rise in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant.

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