Local business says it's ready to say goodbye to mandatory masking

After months of hanging "masks required" signs on their doors, businesses across King County and Washington state preparing for next month when the mask mandates are slated to end.

How are local businesses handling these changes?

"I was immediately excited, to be honest," Halhuli said. "I think all along all I've really said is we want to do what's safe. We want to be told that what we are allowed to do is safe. So the fact that we're being told that we can remove the mask mandate should mean, and to me means, that we're being told that it's safe to do so."

Halhuli is the owner of the Mule Tavern, a craft dive bar in South Tacoma.

Halhuli said it's been difficult, finding the right language to use when asking customers to keep their masks on. That's in part because of the different messaging customers have received, depending on where they go.

"That translation of the rules into something digestible is different in different places," Halhuli said. "From the range of bars doing absolutely nothing to like the bars up and Seattle actually checking vaccinations. So with that range, you know, that can be confusing for customers."

While the mask mandate won't be sticking around, Halhuli hopes that one other thing does: an increased respect for sick time. And for employees to take time off when they need it.

"The thing that sticks should be that we wear our masks when we're sick. And you just need to go out and buy a bottle of Nyquil because you don't have anyone else to get you one. That you stay home when you're sick. So those are really the changes in the way that we treat our employees - is to let them know that there have a safe environment to take care of their health."