Frustration and confusion are understandable. The thought of renewed mask recommendations to fight COVID-19 might seem oppressive, but Gov. Jay Inslee was blunt last week about the choices facing Washington residents and leaders.
“We can’t have unvaccinated people injuring their fellow citizens,” the governor said during a press conference. “We are recommending statewide that people consider wearing masks regardless of their vaccination status. … This is only a recommendation, it is not a legal requirement.”
Even vaccinated people are urged to wear masks indoors in areas with high infection rates. Clark County has “substantial” transmission rates — the second-highest category, but we can hear the groaning now. “Masks? Really?”
We have endured a long 16 months of masks and social distancing and restrictions on businesses, all in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19. Those measures have largely been effective, with Washington ranking among the least-infected states per capita since the outbreak of coronavirus. While 18 states have had at least 200 deaths per 100,000 population attributed to coronavirus, our state has had 80 deaths per 100,000 people.
There’s no secret to it: States with stricter rules have had fewer COVID cases and deaths.
All of that seemed relatively moot a few weeks ago. With vaccines proving effective and with more than 70 percent of Washington residents over the age of 16 being at least partially vaccinated, it had appeared that we were close to normalcy.
But a spike in infections, which experts attribute mostly to the delta variation of the virus, has given us pause. Inslee’s recommendation echoes new guidelines for masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is tracking increased virus activity across the country.
State officials estimate that the delta variant is responsible for about 90 percent of new COVID cases. The increase is particularly disconcerting because it is happening during the summer, when viruses normally decline because people are less likely to gather in indoor groups.
That leads to questions about the fall, when schools reopen. Inslee said last week that students and staff in public schools will be required to wear masks, and Superintendent Mike Merlino of Evergreen Public Schools told The Columbian, “My guess is we’re in this for a while.”
All of this will require patience. It also will point out the need for people who have declined vaccines to reconsider. According to state health officials, from February through June, unvaccinated people accounted for 97 percent of COVID cases, 96 percent of hospitalizations and 94 percent of deaths in the state.
While vaccines are not 100 percent effective in preventing coronavirus, they provide additional benefits. Vaccinated people who contract the disease typically incur relatively mild symptoms. The Mayo Clinic reports: “If you are fully vaccinated, the overall risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 is much lower than among unvaccinated people with similar risk factors.”
Inslee is wise to follow CDC guidance and recommend the wearing of masks. He did not issue any new mandates, and mask requirements in businesses remain up to the proprietor.
But some people likely will have a problem with the recommendation to wear a mask. That is where the idea of having choices comes in. The choice is whether to take reasonable measures to slow the spread of COVID, or to allow the disease to remain disruptive for the foreseeable future.
