Starting February 6, King County will no longer require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of Executive Branch employment. Thanks to the success of the vaccine, vaccine mandate, and other precautions King County employees and residents have taken, COVID-19 cases are trending downwards, and the risk of serious infection is falling.

After consulting with Public Health – Seattle & King County and other regional leaders, King County Executive Dow Constantine believes that it is now appropriate to end the Emergency Proclamation and Orders and lift the vaccine mandate as a condition of employment for Executive Branch employees which includes employees with the Department of Assessments, King County Elections, and Department of Judicial Administration. ^[1]

Employees who were teleworking as an accommodation will be able to return to onsite work. Vendors, volunteers, official board and commission members, and contractors no longer need to provide proof of vaccination. King County will continue to follow public health guidance and adjust its policies if and when conditions warrant. For more information, see the COVID-19 employee section of the King County website.

Note: Employees providing healthcare services covered by federal mandate (e.g., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) or employees working in non-county facilities where outside employers require vaccination (e.g., Harborview Medical Center) will still be required to be vaccinated. These employees will be notified by their supervisor should ongoing vaccination requirements change.

As a reminder, we can all help prevent the spread of the virus by staying up to date with vaccinations, including booster doses and, in some settings, with the use of high-quality, well-fitting masks. Except where masking is required by workplace-specific rules, masking is optional for employees. King County encourages all employees who want to wear a mask in the workplace to do so. For additional information, see Public Health’s website. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your manager or HR representative.

^[1] Executive Branch departments: Department of Assessments, Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Department of Executive Services, Department of Community and Human Services, Department of Human Resources, Department of Judicial Administration, Department of Local Services, Department of Metro Transit, Department of Natural Resources and Park, Department of Public Defense, Department of Public Health, Executive Department, King County Elections, King County Information Technology, King County Sheriff’s Office.

Other branches of County government: District Court, King County Council, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Superior Court.