More Religious Services Can Resume In Washington, Inslee Says

OLYMPIA, WA — In-person religious gatherings can immediately resume outdoors, with up to 100 attendees, provided that certain health precautions are in place, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday.

The relaxed rules apply to all places of worship in Washington and require physical distancing, with marked seating or standing areas placed six-feet apart, and face coverings worn by all. Facilities are required to train staff according to state health guidelines and ensure areas and equipment are sanitized frequently. Inslee said multiple services can take place throughout the day.

Apart from standard religious services, the new rules allow for weddings and funeral services to resume under the same guidelines governing other spiritual gatherings.

Religious institutions in the 24 counties that have already reached phase 2 of the state's reopening plan may resume indoor services at 25 percent capacity, or with fewer than 50 people — whichever number is lower. In-home services and counseling can take place at a person's home, with five or fewer people from outside the household.

---

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Washington. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

---

The governor said singing would be allowed with face coverings, but choirs should not perform, due to the increased risk of transmission.

"This virus is transmitted, of course, through exhalations," Inslee said. "The louder we project our voices, the further this virus travels.

Religious institutions are encouraged to maintain a voluntary, two-week log of attendees, to help contact tracers should an outbreak occur. The governor said places of worship should continue to offer services via digital means as possible.

"We knew this would be a challenging time, we knew we would all have to find creative ways to go about our lives, so we could jointly corral and suppress this virus," Inslee said. "This crisis may affect our physical connections, but we should not allow it to stop our emotional connections."

Phase 2 requirements for remaining counties expected this week

Inslee's stay-at-home order expires on Sunday, but the state has not revealed the framework it will use for moving the rest of Washington's counties — including its three largest — into the second reopening phase.

"We remain hard at work determining our next steps forward as a state on June 1," Inslee said. "We do not believe that every county will be able to move forward to phase 2 on that particular date."

On Tuesday, Secretary of Health John Wiesman said health officials were working with the governor's office to develop updated standards for reopening and expected those rules to be finalized this week. The governor expects to have an announcement in the coming days.