Face coverings are slowly appearing as people start complying with Governor Inslee's statewide mandate for wearing masks in public places. One exemption to wearing a mask is if you are outside alone or with other household members. There are other exemptions to wearing masks like if there is a medical condition that the mask will interfere with.
"People can have exemptions from wearing face masks, however that exemption does not require that a private business, government or organization allow that person to be inside their business or organization," said Pacific County Health Department Director Katie Lindstrom. "What it does allow for is the business or organization should be making accommodations for the person. They do not have to let the person, for example, inside their store if they are not wearing a face mask due to a valid reason for not wearing a face mask, but what they should do is make reasonable accommodation. That could be doing business over the phone. It could be curbside pick up. It could be having a person wait in a car for an appointment and then enter the building when called or texted so they wouldn't just sit in a waiting room. Video appointments .... Those types of things would be considered reasonable accommodations."
According to the Emergency Operations Center staff exempt cards are not real. They are currently NOT put out by an agency or medical organization. "They are not a legal tool to get around wearing a face mask or for using it to insist on being inside a business or organization [without a face covering]," said Lindstrom. "Good thing to note is while there are exemptions to the law, it does not require the business or organization to actually have that person inside the business."
"We are not necessarily required to make a reasonable accommodation if it [not wearing a mask] is not for a disability or a health reason," said EOC's Kathy Spoor. "So if someone says 'I'm not wearing a mask because you can't tell me what to do," in that example, we are not required to make accommodations."
The EOC would like to encourage people not to be the "face mask police." If you see someone without a face covering, just assume they have a valid reason and keep your distance from them.
Businesses have a legal right to ask a customer to put on a mask before serving them or letting them in their business. The business can also ask the non-compliant person to leave and make a reasonable accommodation for their needs. The newest directive from Inslee makes it a requirement for a customer to wear a mask or they will not be waited on.
If a business is not allowing its employees or customers to wear masks on their premises, they are in violation of the order and can be reported to L&I for non-compliance. To report a business for violating the Safe Start Plan go to https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/09349a1c56844b539fea1c2cabd16d56.
Remember that wearing a mask is to keep others safe. Asymptomatic people usually do not know that they have COVID-19 and are spreading the virus around.