Washington state to require face masks after county runs out of hospital beds

Source: CBS News

A county in Washington state has run out of hospital beds because of a recent spike in coronavirus cases — and now, Washington Governor Jay Inslee says the entire state is going to take a more aggressive approach to handling the pandemic. Everyone in the state, minus a few exceptions, will now have to wear a face mask, and will be charged with a misdemeanor crime if they fail to do so.

In a Tuesday press conference, Inslee said the state is experiencing an "uptick" in COVID-19 activity, and that to stop it, the state needs to "remain vigilant and diligent and resourceful."

"The number of people that one person infects is now going up," Inslee said, adding that every coronavirus-infected individual in the state is potentially infecting around three other people.

As of Tuesday evening, there are 28,870 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Washington, and more than 4,000 hospitalizations, according to the state's Department of Health. Yakima County, which sits just southeast of Seattle, has the second highest numbers in the state — and said it has run out of hospital beds to help battle the virus.

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