Snohomish County to Advance to Phase 2 of Healthy Washington Plan

Eased restrictions for indoor dining, entertainment and recreation takes effect Monday

Governor Inslee announced a modification to the Roadmap to Recovery plan, allowing regions to move forward if three of four metrics are met. The Puget Sound Region met three metrics and will move to Phase 2.
 
The following activities will now become permissible when Snohomish County moves to Phase 2 on Monday, February 1:

• Social gatherings – indoor gatherings of no more than five people outside the household, and a maximum of 15 people for outdoor gatherings. Both indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to two households, and face masks and physical distancing still apply.
• Dining – indoor dining available at 25 percent capacity, with a max of six people per table and a limit of two households. Alcohol service must end by 11 p.m., but bars that do not serve food must still remain closed.
• Weddings and funerals – ceremonies and indoor receptions, wakes or similar gatherings are permitted, following the appropriate venue requirements. If food or drinks are served, eating and drinking requirements apply. Dancing is prohibited.
• Recreation and fitness – indoor fitness, training and sports at 25 percent capacity. Low and moderate sports competitions are permitted, with high risk sports competitions permitted outdoors only.
• Entertainment – indoor entertainment venues may have a maximum of 25 percent capacity or 200 people, whichever is less. Outdoor venues may have a maximum of 200 people at the venue, with individual groups no larger than 15 people and limited to two households.

Details and further guidance can be found online. 

Rather than weekly updates, the Washington State Department of Health will update data by region every other Friday. Regions that continue to meet at least three of the four criteria will remain in Phase 2. However, if a region drops to two of four metrics, it will move back to Phase 1.
 
“This is good news and I am grateful for everyone’s efforts and sacrifices to get us here, but we can’t celebrate too soon or let our guard down,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “While case counts and hospital numbers are going down, absolute numbers and rates of cases, deaths, and hospitalization are still at very concerning levels. We have lost more than 70 residents to COVID since the beginning of the year. We’re far from out of the woods and still in a precarious position.”

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