Washington governor announces vaccine, testing mandate for large events, including outdoor events with more than 10,000 attendees

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that large events will soon be required to confirm that attendees have either been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they have tested negative for the illness within the prior 72 hours.

The requirement, which will go into effect Nov. 15, is applicable to attendees ages 12 and older, Inslee said.

Not only does it pertain to indoor events involving 1,000 or more people, it also pertains to outdoor events involving more than 10,000 individuals in attendance.

"For now this applies to ticketed or registered events that have defined entrances, like conventions, concerts, sporting events, fairs that have defined entrances, theme parks and more. This does not cover large venues like shopping malls, museums, or grocery stores that are open to the public as part of their operations," Inslee said.

He noted that K-12 school-related events that take place on school grounds are exempt from the mandate, and that religious services are also exempt.

Inslee said that "we know that outdoor venues are safest, but they still have some transmission risk, and that's why we've taken the steps that we have."

Inslee, a Democrat, has served as governor of the Evergreen State since early 2013 and his current term is slated to last until early 2025. He mounted a presidential bid during the 2020 election cycle but ultimately dropped out.

He went on to win re-election in the 2020 Washington gubernatorial election contest, becoming the second governor in state history to secure election in three consecutive terms, according to Ballotpedia.

WATCH: Inslee mandates COVID-19 vaccine or negative test for large events in Washingtonyoutu.be