The public-health officers of King County, Pierce County, and six other counties in western Washington are formally advising citizens to wear masks in any businesses and other indoor public settings—a change from recent loosening of mask guidelines since the advent of vaccinations against COVID-19. In a joint statement issued July 26, the officials said a return to broader mask-wearing will help reduce the risk of COVID-19 to the public, including business customers and workers, help stem the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in many parts of the state, and decrease the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. And anyone who isn’t already should get vaccinated “immediately,” the officials said.

A new state law, an update of earlier legislation that didn’t keep up with rising home prices, can keep older adults and others from losing their homes and retirement savings in a financial crisis. Washington lawmakers also have taken steps to protect renters from being unfairly evicted by landlords and potentially becoming homeless.

The latest “State of the Air” report from the American Lung Association puts the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area among the 25 areas in the United States for worst short-term pollution–unhealthy air quality caused temporarily by spikes in smoke and soot from wildfires, for instance. Older adults are among the people who can suffer the worst health effects of polluted air, said Carrie Nyssen, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association. All but two of the worst 25 cities are in western states, led by 10 in California.

In romance and relationships, trust is what seniors want the most. And technology is one of the ways they try to find it. Dating seniors say they’ve had the best luck in meeting their significant others through an introduction by mutual friends (18 percent), dating apps or websites (13 percent), and local events (12 percent) such as parties and community activities. About 66 percent of those using dating apps or websites had a relationship with someone they met that way.