Washington Mayor Drops Vaccine Mandate, Keeps School Masking Requirements

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks to a congressional panel in Washington on June 22, 2021. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Washington’s mayor is dropping the city’s private business COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but will keep masking requirements in place for schools.

The vaccine mandate, which forced businesses to make sure each customer had received a COVID-19 vaccine, will no longer be in effect, starting on Feb. 15. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said the mandate and other strict rules had led to a drop in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.