OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman has approved applications from Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties to move on to phase two of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the state.
Businesses in the counties approved to move into Phase two of the governor’s Safe Start plan must wait to reopen until guidance has been released for their industry on how to keep workers and customers safe.
To apply for a variance, counties must have a population of 75,000 people or less and have no new cases of COVID-19 in three weeks. Counties must also demonstrate they have adequate local hospital bed capacity, as well enough PPE supplies to keep health care workers safe.
Applications for a variance must also include plans for:
Making testing available and accessible to everyone in the county with symptomsStaffing case investigations and contact tracing. Housing people in isolation or quarantine who can’t or don’t want to do so at home. Providing case management services to those in isolation and quarantineResponding rapidly to outbreaks in congregate settings.
Requests are then reviewed by the secretary of health who approves the plans, modifies, or denies them as they’re submitted. If circumstances change within the jurisdiction, the variance can be revoked.
Kittitas, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties have applied for a variance and their applications are under review. Stevens County has applied, however, they are not eligible based on the current criteria.
