The last mask mandate is set to end in less than a month for those in Washington’s healthcare facilities. It comes as health officials say COVID-19 rates are continuing to decline, and the federal government prepares to end its pandemic response declaration this May. So where do things stand now with the virus in Washington-- and can we let our guard down? It's a question on many people's minds as the pandemic’s impacts evolve locally. Washington’s statewide hospitalization data corroborates that. Remember that COVID-19 wave two summers ago, and then that massive Omicron spike that came around Christmas of 2021? Since then, Washington’s hospitalization numbers seem to have calmed down significantly. And an epidemiology leader at the University of Washington told KING 5 Tuesday that unless a new variant develops, he believes immunity we’ve gained from vaccination or past infections will keep things how they are. READ THE FULL STORY HERE: https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/covid-19-washington-then-now/281-df3685b5-1df3-4b4b-b931-57e5fa538032