SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Tribe of Indians is implementing a mask mandate at all tribal government facilities starting Monday as coronavirus cases continue to rise.
In a memo to tribal government employees, Deputy Executive Director Joni Wynecoop said all employees and visitors, whether they’re vaccinated or not, must wear a mask while inside tribal government facilities unless they are at a desk with a protective barrier. Failure to wear a mask could results in immediate removal from the premises, Wynecoop wrote. Employees who violate the policy could also face disciplinary actions for insubordination.
This come nearly two weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended all people in area with significant transmission of COVID-19 wear masks indoors, whether or not they are vaccinated.
The new guidance is in response to the Delta variant of the virus, which is more contagious. The recommendation is based on levels of community transmission. The CDC has four classifications based on case rates: low, moderate, substantial and high. The mask guidance applies to counties that fall in the substantial or high categories.
In effect, that means any county with a one-week case rate of more than 50 per 100,000 people is affected by the new advice. According to CDC data, Spokane County currently sits at 244.
Following the CDC’s new guidance, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the state is recommending that residents wear masks inside public spaces regardless of vaccination status in counties where COVID-19 transmission levels are considered “high” or “substantial.”
This new guidance is a recommendation and will not be enforced or part of any compliance requirement, according to Inslee.
Spokane Health Officer Dr. Frank Velazquez said he is not issuing a local mask mandate. However, he is upgrading his advice to more strongly urge people to wear masks in crowded public settings.