King County To Reopen Some Businesses With 'Modified Phase 1'

KING COUNTY, WA — King County does not qualify to enter Phase 2 of Gov. Inslee's Safe Start plan to reopen businesses, but county leaders say they've found a safe way to reopen some businesses — albeit with extra strict safety guidelines — through what they're calling a "modified Phase 1."

The move comes just as the state unveiled a new set of rules for the remaining Washington counties trying to enter Phase 2. Even under those new looser rules, King County still cannot move on. So instead of a leap forward, the county will take a careful step, as King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a press conference Friday afternoon.

"We are on the right track. We haven't quite hit our numbers," said Constantine. "Even with the great progress we've made, we're still not where we need to be."

Under the modified Phase 1 plan, businesses will be allowed to partially reopen with the following restrictions:

• Restaurants:
  • Diners must be seated in outdoor dining spaces. Indoor dining is not allowed.
  • Outdoor seating is restricted to 50 percent maximum capacity.
• Recreation and fitness:
  • Classes must be held outdoors and restricted to five students.
• Real estate:
  • Offices must be kept at 25 percent occupancy.
  • Visitors or customers can only stay for 30 minutes or less.
• In-store retail:
  • Stores must max out at 15 percent of building occupancy.
  • Customers can only shop for 30 minutes or less.
• Personal Services:
  • Offices must be kept at 25 percent occupancy.
• Pet grooming
  • Pet salons must be kept at 25 percent occupancy.

Construction, manufacturers and photography businesses will also be allowed to reopen exactly as they would under Phase 2 guidelines.

Outdoor gatherings of five or fewer people will also be allowed, but in public spaces and in the reopening businesses everyone is expected to continue practicing physical distancing. Health officials say residents will need to keep using cloth face coverings whenever possible and frequently washing their hands.

The county is still working on the modified Phase 1, so some restrictions are subject to change. The county will also need approval from the state, but Constantine says they expect to receive it sometime in early June, at which point the chosen businesses can reopen.

After King moves into the modified Phase 1, health officials will be closely watching the number of new coronavirus cases for possible spikes or outbreaks. If there are no major complications for two weeks, they say they'll begin to completely transition into Phase 2 of Inslee's plan.

Phase 2 guidelines still contain a number of safety restrictions, but are generally looser than the proposed modified Phase 1. Restaurants and bars would be allowed to take patrons indoors, and hair salons and barbers could go back to work.

When Gov. Inslee first announced the four-phase Safe Start plan to reopen the state, it had been projected that King might be able to enter Phase 2 around June 1, but near the end of May the number of new daily coronavirus infections was still too high. To enter Phase 2 early, the state required a county to have fewer than 10 coronavirus cases for every 100,000 residents over a two-week period. As of Wednesday, King County was nearly three times that, with an average of 28 new daily cases per 100,000 residents.

On Friday, Inslee announced a plan to rework the Phase 2 requirements effective Monday. Under the new requirements, a county can have up to 25 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, putting King County much closer to the threshold.

Still, Executive Constantine appears optimistic about results so far. At Friday's conference he pointed to a series of reports that suggested that King County's efforts to contain the virus saved almost 10,000 lives and prevented countless more infections.

“Thanks to the people of King County, whose united efforts have flattened the curve and saved thousands lives, we are ready to continue safely, carefully reopening our economy,” said Constantine. “Our continued vigilance against the virus can help make this a one-way journey from lock-down back to prosperity."

Still, Constantine acknowledges that road back to prosperity may be a long one. "Thousands upon thousands of our family, friends and neighbors have lost their jobs. Make no mistake, the price paid by our region has been devastating," said Constantine. "Even with these openings, we still have a long way to go before our economy is anywhere close to where we were three months ago."

Related: New Reopening Rules For Washington Go Into Effect Monday