On Tuesday, August 9, 2021, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced new vaccination requirements for most state employees as well as workers in private healthcare and long-term care settings. The individuals covered by this requirement will have until October 18, 2021 to be fully vaccinated. A full description of the announcement is available at https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-vaccination-requirement-for-most-state-employees-private-health-care-and-7c765161cbb6
Governor Inslee’s prior proclamations (20-25 and subsequent amendments) addresses requirements for face coverings. The secretary of health issued order 20-03.2 on May 15, 2021 which requires that people in all healthcare settings in Washington – both providers and patients – are required to wear a face covering.
The vaccination requirement announced on Tuesday does not have a testing in lieu of vaccine option. The state will be providing more information for private employers soon. The current FAQ is primarily directed towards state employees. It is available at https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Vax%20Mandate%20FAQ.pdf.
Provider with questions about this announcement and its requirements are encouraged to reach out to the appropriate licensing board: