Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Lifts COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for State Employees

A stack of COVID-19 vaccine paper cards, which people receive after getting a shot, in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 21, 2021. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

State employees in Washington will no longer be required to have the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of their employment, Gov. Jay Inslee announced on May 10.

The policy covers employees in all 24 executive cabinet agencies and 32 small cabinet agencies.

Inslee’s directive goes into effect on May 11, the same day the federal public health emergency ends and vaccination requirements are also lifted for federal employees and contractors.

“For more than three years, we have all faced incredible challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted every aspect of our lives. Throughout this public health crisis, our state employee family has demonstrated inspiring resilience and dedication, and I want to thank you for your exemplary service under extremely unprecedented circumstances,” Inslee wrote in the directive (pdf).

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee provides details about a temporary statewide shutdown of restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak at a press conference in Seattle on March 16, 2020. (Elaine Thompson/Getty Images)

The mandate was first put into place in August 2021. Inslee will create a $1,000 bonus program for eligible state employees who choose to continue providing their up-to-date vaccination status, according to his office.

On May 5, the World Health Organization announced an end to the COVID-19 global health emergency.

“Though the emergency has ended, the work continues to maintain safe and healthy workplaces and communities,” Inslee said. “We must continue to take steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 and minimize the risk of serious illness and death. State employees should still stay home when sick, wear a fitted face mask if exposed to the virus, and stay up-to-date with bivalent vaccination shots.”

Washington’s Emergency Order

In October, Inslee ended Washington’s COVID-19 emergency order, which was one of the strictest in the nation.

“We’ve come a long way the past two years in developing the tools that allow us to adapt and live with COVID-19,” Inslee said in a statement at the time. “Ending this order does not mean we take it less seriously or will lose focus on how this virus has changed the way we live. We will continue our commitments to the public’s well-being, but simply through different tools that are now more appropriate for the era we’ve entered.”

Republican state lawmakers criticized Inslee for continuing the state of emergency for so long.

In a statement at the time of Inslee’s announcement about ending the emergency order, Republican state Senate Minority Leader John Braun said the governor’s approach was justified early in the pandemic but that he should have relinquished his emergency powers sooner.

“Republicans were right to question his actions, whether he appreciated that or not, and have maintained that his clinging to this extra authority was unfair to the other branches of government,“ Braun said. ”In recent months it’s become obvious he was running out of excuses for continuing the state of emergency, and from that standpoint, I welcome today’s announcement.”

Inslee reassured Washingtonians that the state will continue to provide protective measures against the virus.

“Looking ahead, I am filled with hope and optimism for what the future holds in Washington State. We have risen to the occasion during a defining moment in our history, and the measures we took helped us to achieve one of the lowest death rates in the nation, despite the fact that the pandemic spread here very early on,” Inslee said. “It is my hope that our employees will continue to take necessary steps to protect themselves, their loved ones, and our community.”