America’s last statewide mask mandate is finally slated to end.
Democratic Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday his state would no longer enforce indoor masking as of March 26, according to The Associated Press. Oregon and Washington are the only other states still enforcing a statewide indoor mask mandate, and both of those policies expire Friday night.
The final statewide mask mandate will be lifted at the end of this month as the coronavirus pandemic eases in the U.S. Hawaii has required masks since April 2020. https://t.co/Nznu7gejjP
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 9, 2022
Hawaii first instituted a mask mandate in April 2020, and hasn’t lifted it a single time since then. The mandate initially applied outdoors as well, although that was later ended. The state will also end its quarantine requirement the same day, which mandates that out-of-state travelers arriving in the state have to show a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination to avoid a five-day quarantine.
Ige said Hawaii’s culture of caring for others is why they were the last state to get rid of mask requirements. (RELATED: Where The Heck Is Anthony Fauci? People Are Talking)
Many Democratic governors began to lift mask mandates in February, as polling shifted to indicate that a majority of Americans were ready to begin moving to a post-pandemic life without restrictions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently modified its masking guidance so that more than two-third of Americans live in areas that are no longer recommended to mask at all times indoors.