Washington state mask mandate to be lifted on March 11

Indoor mask mandates in most businesses and public spaces, including schools, in Washington will be lifted at 11:59 p.m. March 11, Gov. Jay Inslee said in a press conference this afternoon.  He also gave notice of a plan to deal with the next surge in cases, should one emerge. Details on that plan will be released later this week or early next. The timeline for lifting the mask mandate, moved up from March 21, was prompted by declining case rates and hospitalizations in the state. The