SPOKANE, Wash. — Even though Washington Gov. Jay Inslee lifted the state's mask mandate for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, some small businesses in Spokane are joining large national retailers that are still requiring face coverings for staff and customers.
Inslee announced on Thursday that the state would adopt updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which states that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks unless they're in crowded indoor settings such as schools, buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The governor also announced on Thursday that all counties will be in Phase 3 of reopening on May 18 and Washington is on track to fully reopen by June 30 unless 70% of people over 16 initiate vaccinations before that date.
Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane was one of the first local businesses to respond after Inslee's announcement about masks. In a post on social media, the popular local businesses said it would be "requiring masks until further notice."
“The statewide mask mandate is still in effect, and only about 37% of Spokane County is vaccinated. We care about the comfort and safety of our customers and staff and their families, and do not have the capacity to be checking vaccination cards at our doors,” the post reads in part.
Other local businesses voiced support for the bookstore's decision, writing that they will also keep their mask requirements.
Madeleines Cafe shared the post from Auntie's on Facebook and said in part, "Right on Sister. We agree 100 percent." The downtown Spokane business said its staff will continue to wear masks and require that guests do the same when they are not seated.
Boo Radley's also wrote on Facebook that it will require masks "until further notice" and Ruins, a restaurant and cocktail bar in Spokane, said its staff members will also keep wearing their masks.
"Even though all Ruins employees are fully vaccinated, we’ll be keeping our masks on - for your sake and ours - until such time as it seems safe and prudent to remove them," Ruins wrote in a Facebook post.
Jen Menzer, manager of Boo Radley's, said in an interview with KREM's Amanda Roley that "it just seems safer to continue the mask."
"It's not that hard, it will help other people, and it helps us and it makes us feel safe and our families feel safe...and just being in the public all the time, I don't think it's too bad to wear a mask," she added.
Several major national chains, including Target, Home Depot and grocer Kroger Co., have also announced that they will keep mask mandates in place for now.
Kroger operates thousands of grocery stores around the United States, including Fred Meyer.
A spokesperson for Fred Meyer provided the following statement to KREM:
"At this time, The Kroger Family of Companies continues to require everyone in our stores to wear masks. We are encouraging and incentivizing associate vaccinations by offering a $100 one-time payment to associates who receive the recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. As we have throughout the pandemic, we are reviewing current safety practices, the CDC’s latest guidance, and soliciting feedback from associates to guide the next phase of our policy.
Additionally, we continue to encourage everyone to practice social distancing and frequent hand washing as well as consider the use of no-touch grocery delivery or low-contact grocery pickup."
In a statement on Thursday night, Target said it "will continue to require all of our coronavirus safety measures in all stores, including masks and social distancing" while the company reviews the guidance from the CDC. A representative for Starbucks also told CNN they plan to keep their policy mandating customers and employees wear masks.
Meanwhile, Costco, Trader Joe's and Walmart are among the major retailers to announce that fully vaccinated customers can shop in their stories without wearing a mask. At Costco, face coverings are still required in healthcare areas such as the Pharmacy, Optical and Hearing Aid areas.
TEGNA and KING 5 staff members contributed to this report.