Gov. Jay Inslee and Sec. John Wiesman announced the Washington State Department of Health is putting a pause on counties moving to Phase 4 though the “Safe Start” phased approach.
According to the officials, rising cases across the state and concerns about continued spread of the COVID virus have made Phase 4, which would essentially mean no restrictions, impossible at this time.
Eight counties were eligible to move from Phase 3 to Phase 4 before the pause.
Grays Harbor would have been eligible starting July 8 to move into the next phase pending new case counts and approval, with Pacific County eligible on July 7.
Grays Harbor reported the 25th local case over the weekend, the 8th for June. Pacific County has reported 17 cases.
Wiesman sent a letter to local and tribal health leaders throughout the state on Saturday.
The letter states:
“Dear Local and Tribal Health Leaders,
“I am writing to let you know Governor Inslee and I have decided to pause progression to Phase 4 statewide.
“We decided to prohibit any counties from moving into phase 4 at this time due to increasing COVID-19 activity across the state and significant rebounds in COVID-19 activity in several other states. The changes between Phase 3 and Phase 4, especially with regards to gathering size and occupancy rates, could further increase the spread of COVID-19 in our state, even in communities that have very low rates of disease. The progress we’ve made thus far is at risk, therefore we are making the prudent choice to slow down our phased approach to reopening.
“In the next couple of weeks, I will work with Governor Inslee and his team to assess the need for a modified approach for moving beyond Phase 3. I will communicate that decision to you when we have more information. Counties that are currently able to apply to move from Phase 1 or 2 are still able to apply when eligible.
“Thank you for your continued work to protect the health of Washingtonians during this unprecedented time.”