Masks Required Once Again At City Of Puyallup Facilities

PUYALLUP, WA — The City of Puyallup is once again requiring that all visitors wear masks while at city-run facilities.

Though the state's mask mandate does not go into effect until Monday, the City of Puyallup says that it is following the directive issued by Pierce County Director of Health Dr. Anthony L-T Chen, asking that everyone 5+ begin wearing masks in public spaces, and has begun requiring masks effective Thursday.

As the city explains:

"All visitors to these indoor public facilities, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask or face covering until further notice. The mask directive will remain in effect until further guidance is obtained by Pierce County or the State of Washington."

City facilities include:

• Puyallup City Hall
• Puyallup Public Library
• Puyallup Police Department
• Puyallup Municipal Court
• Puyallup Recreational Center
• Pioneer Park Pavilion
• Puyallup Memorial Center
• Puyallup Senior Activity Center
• Public Works Corporate Yard

The city is also asking that visitors help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by washing their hands often with soap and warm water, practicing social distancing, covering their sneezes, avoiding touching their face and eyes and, most importantly, staying home when they feel sick.

As mentioned above, the state's mask directive will go into effect starting Monday. The mandate means that everyone, including the vaccinated, will be required to wear masks in public places. Public places listed by the governor include restaurants, shops, or any other public-facing settings.

The requirement does not apply to vaccinated workers who do not have face-to-face interactions with the public. It also does not apply to children under five, or athletes who are actively competing. Unvaccinated workers, however, will continue to be required to wear masks in all settings.

The return of the mask mandates are a response to the state's rapid increase in new COVID-19 cases. That swell in case counts has hit Pierce County especially hard, with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reporting a record-high 14-day case rate of 466.3 COVID-19 cases per every 100,000 county residents Wednesday.