Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, February 10: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world

While several states have already moved to drop mask mandates, White House officials are still in the process of speaking with health experts to plan a transition to the next phase of the pandemic.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the country could reach a level of “normality” if cases continue to fall and no new variants emerge. But Fauci advised that any transition from current safety requirements would need to be gradual due to the unpredictability of the pandemic.

At the same time, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the outdoor mask requirement for gatherings of 500 people or more will end on Feb. 18. Inslee is expected to announce next week when mask requirements for schools and businesses will end.

Meanwhile, 33 hospitals in Afghanistan have been forced to close due to a lack of doctors, medicines and heating. Only five hospitals in the country are reportedly offering COVID-19 treatment amid a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

We’re updating this page with the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the U.S. and the world. Click here to see the rest of our coronavirus coverage and here to see how we track the daily spread across Washington.

Gov. Jay Inslee has set a press conference today at 2 p.m. to discuss the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch here:

6:40 am

Catch up on the past 24 hours

Washington state’s outdoor mask mandate will end next week, Gov. Jay Inslee said yesterday. He’s mapping out when to end other mask rules as pressure grows from politicians and the state schools chief.

Is it even a good idea to unmask? As scientists split over lifting mandates, here are the facts and perspectives to consider. “We are not there yet,” the CDC warns. But in a slew of liberal states, many of the mask restrictions that have divided Americans are vanishing abruptly, leaving President Joe Biden hemmed in.

A Western Washington warehouse has been fined $285,000 for “severe” violations of COVID-19 rules after more than 250 of its workers tested positive in just a few months.

Ten-year-old Teresa’s teacher appointed her “class nurse.” The girl beamed with pride as she talked about walking sick classmates to the office, her dad says. Then Teresa, too young to be vaccinated at the time, came home sick herself. Within a week, she was dead. Her grieving parents want answers.

—Kris Higginson

Seattle Times staff & news services

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