10 More Washington Counties Eligible For Phase 2 Reopening

OLYMPIA, WA — Ten Washington counties are newly eligible for an expedited reopening timeline under updated guidelines unveiled by Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday.

The state's previous criteria for granting early reopening limited qualification to counties with a population under 75,000 and with no new coronavirus cases in three weeks.

Under the state's adjusted guidance, counties can apply when they have fewer than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over two weeks. Inslee said the new metrics are consistent with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Counties newly eligible for phase 2 reopening

• Spokane
• Adams
• Mason
• Thurston
• Lewis
• Clark
• Clallam
• Kitsap
• Island
• San Juan

After Tuesday's announcement, a total of 22 counties are qualified for phase 2 of the Safe Start plan, and 10 counties are already approved. Inslee said that number represents approximately 30 percent of the state's population.

The second phase allows several types of businesses to resume limited in-person operations, including restaurants, salons and retail stores. Recreational activities and social gatherings will be limited to no more than five people outside the household until the third phase.

Dr. John Wiesman, the state secretary of health, said the application process remains largely the same, starting with each county's local health officer making a recommendation on whether or not they should move forward with phase 2. The recommendation is then considered and voted on by the local board of health.

Wiesman said local hospitals must be involved in the process, and maintain 20 percent surge capacity and a two-week supply of personal protective equipment.

Each county must demonstrate the ability to perform contact tracing investigations on any new cases within 24 to 48 hours.

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Related: Washington Begins Contact Tracing: Here's How It Will Work

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Variance application steps

• Local public health officer's recommendation
• Board of Health vote
• Letter from hospitals confirming bed capacity
• County commission vote
• Testing data and information
• Local capacity to case and contact trace
• Isolation and quarantine information
• Local capacity to perform outbreak investigations

Inslee said Tuesday's news should be cause to feel some joy, but warned against complacency, noting that Washington is still typically reporting between 150 and 200 new coronavirus cases each day.

"We have flattened the curve, but it counties to haunt us and infect us," Inslee said.

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Learn more about the county variance process here.

Review each Safe Start reopening phase here.

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