Inslee orders face masks to be worn in public

OLYMPIA — An order by Gov. Jay Inslee and the state Secretary of Health for Washingtonians to wear face coverings went into effect Friday, June 26. Masks are to be worn in public when social distancing cannot be maintained.

Inslee made the announcement on Tuesday, June 23, and said that failure to comply would be a misdemeanor, punishable with up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. However, Inslee noted that he expected the order to serve primarily to educate the public, not to lead to their arrest.

In late May, Grant and Adams counties’ Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny ordered people inside the two counties to wear masks under similar conditions but did not identify penalties for failing to comply. Officials with Grant County Health District have recently stated that Brzezny had the legal authority to fine or penalize people who weren’t compliant but chose not to do so.

Exemptions exist for those whose health may be impacted by face coverings, for those who are deaf or hard of hearing and for children under the age of 5, among others with health-related reasons. Children under the age of 2 should not wear masks, Inslee said, though children age 2 to 5 are recommended to wear facial coverings.

This order does not replace existing social distancing and hygiene requirements, Inslee said.

Both the Grant and Adams county sheriffs have announced that they will continue to educate people about wearing masks.

“The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has much larger public safety priorities than writing a ticket for a person not wearing a mask,” said Sheriff Tom Jones in a statement, echoing Inslee’s Tuesday comments regarding enforcement. “I have full trust in the residents and business owners of our great county that they will continue to use common sense and good judgment to be safe.”

Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a social media post that his office “is not mandated to detain, cite or arrest violators of this order.”

“We will continue to work with our community to educate and give guidance as best we can relating to the coronavirus,” Wagner said. “The Sheriff’s Office will not be issuing citations for any persons not wearing a mask. We are taking precautions as best we can as a community to work and moving forward in moving through the phases of reopening our economy as soon as we can.”