Washington state expands mask mandate. Here’s how the Tri-Cities area is doing

Residents in the greater Tri-Cities showed in the latest survey of shoppers leaving grocery stores that they could stick to their commitment to wear masks.

The results came just before Washington’s Secretary of Health John Wiesman issued new face mask requirements on Saturday.

The statewide face covering order was expanded to require coverings in any indoor setting outside of your home not just public buildings.

It also expanded the outdoor requirement to non-public areas when you can’t stay 6 feet away from non-household members. That includes common spaces, such as in apartment buildings, condos, fraternity/sorority houses, assisted living facilities and other similar places.

The state said it’s part of the continuing effort to reduce the increasing spread of COVID-19 everywhere in Washington.

“Congregating indoors in groups outside your household members — like birthday, anniversary, and retirement parties; book clubs; and just to socialize and hang out — is one of the worst things we can do right now,” said a state health office news release. “The same is true for outdoor gatherings when at least 6 feet of distance isn’t maintained at all times.”

Tri-Cities survey

On Friday, the Benton Franklin Health District released its second expanded survey of grocery store shoppers.

The latest survey, conducted July 17-23 at 15 grocery stores throughout Benton and Franklin counties, found 98% of 6,360 shoppers with masks.

It is up from the first survey of 15 grocery stores done a month ago that found 53% compliance.

The star of the survey was Benton City, where the percentage of people wearing masks jumped from 26% to 100% with every shopper having a mask.

Prosser also had 100% compliance, up from 58%.

Here’s how the other cities ranked:

▪ West Richland was just shy of 99% compliance, up from 55% a month ago.

▪ Connell also had nearly 99% compliance, up from just 34% in the June survey.

▪ Pasco had 98% of grocery shoppers wearing masks, up from 51% in June.

▪ Richland had a little under 98% compliance, up from 58% a month ago when it had the largest percentage of mask wearers in the survey.

▪ Kennewick was last, but still had close to 97% compliance, up from 53% in the June survey.

Earlier, in two smaller surveys shoppers were checked at just eight grocery stores and results were not released by town.

In the survey results released July 10, 95% of shoppers leaving grocery stores had masks and in the survey results released July 17, 98% of shoppers had masks.

The local health district committed to weekly surveys to convince the Washington state Department of Health to move from Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start reopening plan to a modified Phase 1 on July 3.

Area cities have loaned employees to collect data outside stores, with staff volunteers assigned to stores in towns other than where they work.

Are masks working?

State and local public health officials said on Wednesday and Thursday that Benton and Franklin counties may be beginning to see the positive effects of more people wearing masks.

New confirmed case numbers have dropped from some highs of more than 200 some days in late June and early July to many recent days with case counts of just over 100 and some days with significantly fewer cases.

However, Wiesman, the Washington state secretary of health, said during the Kadlec on Call podcast this week, that he’s concerned that people are not being as diligent in wearing masks when they socialize.

“There are just some people who are not really paying attention to wearing face coverings in ... social environments,” he said.

There also is concern that too many people are ignoring orders prohibiting group gatherings.

The only gatherings now allowed in Benton and Franklin counties are behavioral health sessions for five or fewer participants, such as small Alcoholic Anonymous meetings.

Both state and local orders require people in the Tri-Cities area to wear masks in public if they cannot be sure of keeping at least six feet away from nonhousehold members.

They also prohibit businesses from serving customers who do not wear face coverings.

Businesses who ignore the order could be fined or lose their business licenses. They are required to find reasonable accommodations, such as curbside service, for people who cannot wear masks, including for medical reasons.

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 6:02 PM.