By Office of the Governor | Press Release
- Snohomish County moves to Phase 2 on Monday February 1
- Weddings, social gatherings, indoor dining return with restrictions
- High risk sports permitted for practice and training. Fitness and training and indoor sports maximum 25% capacity.
Editor’s Note: The Lynnwood Times included the details of the Phase 2 restrictions to the original article.
OLYMPIA, Wash., January 28, 2021 – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced several changes to the state’s Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery. The governor first announced the regional, phased reopening plan Jan. 6.
The plan will be changed in two ways; first, the evaluation criteria for regions to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, and the timeframe in which regions can progress.
“We are getting closer to finding our way out of this mess, but we aren’t there yet,” Inslee said during a press conference Thursday. “We have sacrificed too much to let our frustrations get the best of us now when the finish line is in sight, however distant that may seem in our field of vision.”
The changes come after further conversations with public health partners and the state’s increasing vaccination rates.
Phase 2 Eligibility
In accordance with the roadmap, several regions will be eligible to enter Phase 2 beginning Monday. The progression is contingent on whether their metrics continue their positive trends.
Regions moving to Phase 2 effective Monday are:
- West (Grays Harbor, Pacific, Thurston, Lewis)
- Puget Sound (Snohomish, King, Pierce)
“The fact that these two regions are moving into Phase 2 is encouraging news,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, secretary of health. “As we continue our community efforts, we hope more such progress will be made. Ultimately our goal remains ensuring the health and safety of all of Washington.”
Phase 2 Restrictions
Social and At-Home Gathering Size — Indoor
- Max of 5 people from outside your household, limit 2 households.
Social and At-Home Gathering Size — Outdoor
- Max of 15 people from outside your household, limit 2 households.
Worship Services
- Indoor maximum 25% capacity.
Retail Stores (includes farmers’ markets, grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies)
- Maximum 25% of capacity, encourage curbside pick-up.
Professional Services
- Remote work strongly encouraged, 25% capacity otherwise.
Personal Services
- Indoor maximum 25% capacity.
Eating and Drinking Establishments (establishments only serving individuals 21+ and no food remain closed)
- Indoor dining available 25% capacity, end alcohol service/delivery at 11PM. Outdoor or open-air dining available, max 6 per table, limit 2 households per table.
Weddings and Funerals
- Ceremonies and indoor receptions, wakes, or similar gatherings in conjunction with such ceremonies are permitted and must follow the appropriate venue requirements. If food or drinks are served, eating and drinking requirements apply. Dancing is prohibited.
Indoor Recreation and Fitness Establishments (includes gyms, fitness organizations, indoor recreational sports, indoor pools, indoor K-12 sports, indoor sports, indoor personal training, indoor dance, no-contact martial arts, gymnastics, climbing)
- Low and moderate risk sports competitions permitted (no tournaments). High risk sports permitted for practice and training. Fitness and training and indoor sports maximum 25% capacity.
Outdoor Sports and Fitness Establishments (outdoor fitness organizations, outdoor recreational sports, outdoor pools, outdoor parks and hiking trails, outdoor campsites, outdoor K-12 sports, outdoor sports, outdoor personal training, outdoor dance, outdoor motorsports)
- Low, moderate, and high-risk sports competitions allowed (no tournaments), maximum 200 including spectators.
Indoor Entertainment Establishments (includes aquariums, indoor theaters, indoor arenas, indoor concert halls, indoor gardens, indoor museums, indoor bowling, indoor trampoline facilities, indoor cardrooms, indoor entertainment activities of any kind, indoor event spaces)
- Maximum 25% capacity or 200 people, whichever is less. If food or drinks are served, eating and drinking requirements apply
Outdoor Entertainment Establishments (includes zoos, outdoor gardens, outdoor aquariums, outdoor theaters, outdoor stadiums, outdoor event spaces, outdoor arenas, outdoor concert venues, rodeos)
- Groups of 15, limit 2 households per group, maximum 200 including spectators for events.
The Metrics
Under the new plan, regions will only be required to meet three of the four public health metrics to progress to Phase 2. The original roadmap required regions to meet all four.
The four metrics remain the same. They are:
- Trend in case rate: Trend in 14-day rate of new C OVID-19 cases per 100K population;
- Trend in hospital admissions rate: Trend in 14-day rate of new C OVID-19 hospital admissions per 100K population;
- Percent ICU occupancy: Average 7-day percent occupancy of ICU staffed beds; and
- Percent positivity: 7-day percent positive of C OVID-19 tests.
The metrics provide an overview of current trends and health care system readiness in
each region, ensuring that health care systems will efficiently and equitably respond to potential future outbreaks.
The requirement to maintain three metrics to remain in Phase 2 remains unchanged. If any region fails to meet any two metrics, they will still regress to Phase 1.
Timeframe
The governor also announced that the Department of Health’s timeline for region’s evaluation will change. Beginning next week, regions metrics will be evaluated every two weeks instead of every week.
Read the full Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery plan here.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
