New Reopening Rules For Washington Go Into Effect Monday

SEATTLE, WA —Washington's 12 remaining phase 1 counties will be eligible to apply for the next step in the state's four-part plan, under new rules that are set to go into effect Monday.

Gov. Jay Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy," order expired on Sunday and will be replaced with an expanded Safe Start plan, granting more flexibility to counties seeking to reopen. The new order adjusts some of the goals counties must fulfill before they can move forward to further phases.

“We are able to do this thanks to millions of Washingtonians pulling together, in the face of sacrifice and suffering, and doing their part by staying home,” Inslee said during a news conference Friday. “But this does not mean that we are returning to normal. It means that after three months, we are successfully moving forward.”

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Among Washington's three largest counties, Pierce and Snohomish have announced plans to apply for phase 2 Monday. King County will apply for a modified phase 1 — a new classification — that would allow for some outdoor dining, salons and retail, along with small private gatherings.

According to state requirements, at least three weeks must pass between each phase, allowing public health officials to monitor the virus's activity. So far, 26 counties are already in phase 2, and the earliest that received approval may be eligible for the third reopening phase as early as next week.

The state Secretary of Health will evaluate each county's progress using a series of specific guidelines unveiled Friday. Inslee said the metrics will be considered as a whole, and individual targets are not necessarily firm requirements. State health officials will use discretion when granting approval and could move to limit certain activities while allowing others to resume.

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New guidelines for reopening:

COVID-19 activity: Under the new target to move forward, counties must report fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents over two weeks to be eligible for the next phase. This requirement replaces earlier guidance that limited disease activity to 10 cases per 100,000 residents.

Secretary of Health John Wiesman said both numbers are the "conservative" side and change as public health consensus grows. Wiesman noted the new rubric is the same number being used by health officials in California.

Local health agencies will also need to show hospitalizations related to COVID-19 illnesses are flat or decreasing.

Testing ability and speed: Counties must demonstrate the ability to process an average number of tests approximately 50 times higher than its number of confirmed cases, and collect samples within two days of symptom onset.

As Washington's largest counties look to the second phase, some of the earliest counties to move forward may qualify for phase 3 as early as next week.

Contact tracing and case investigations: Contact tracing teams should be able to reach 90 percent of patients within 24 hours of a positive test and reach at least 80 percent of a person's contacts within two days, to advise them to self-quarantine after potential exposure.

Managing outbreaks: Under the state's definition, an outbreak is classified as any time two or more non-household coronavirus cases are epidemiologically linked in a workplace, congregate living, or institutional setting. The limit for an acceptable number of outbreaks varies by county size, with a target of zero for small counties, one for medium counties, two for large counties and three for "very large counties" with a population above 1 million.

Health care system readiness: County hospitals will be evaluated based on the number of beds occupied by all patients, and the percentage of those occupied by suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients.

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Face coverings:

All businesses will be required to mandate face coverings for all employees who come into contact with other people by June 8. Businesses must also post notices strongly encouraging customers to wear face coverings, as an added safeguard against spreading infectious respiratory droplets.

Learn more about the state's updated reopening process here.

What phase 2 allows:

• Remaining manufacturing and construction phases
• Restaurants and taverns, at less than 50 percent capacity, with a table size no larger than five people (no bar area seating)
• Outdoor recreation with five or fewer people outside the household (including camping, beach trips, etc.)
• Hair and nail salons
• Retail (in-store purchases allowed with restrictions)
• Real estate
• Professional services/office-based businesses (telework remains strongly encouraged)
• In-home/domestic services (i.e., nannies, housecleaning)
• Pet grooming
• Essential travel and limited non-essential travel to engage in Phase 1 and Phase 2 activities is permitted.

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