Meanwhile, governor allows Puget Sound region to move to Phase 2
SPOKANE – A day after Sen. Andy Billig said area residents would be "glad" about the expected loosening of coronavirus restrictions, Gov. Jay Inslee announced he is keeping the East region pinned down.
In addition, Eastern Washington businesses will now have to wait at least two more weeks for coronavirus relief following a gubernatorial press conference at 2:30 p.m. today, Jan. 28.
During the press conference, Gov. Inslee, a Bainbridge Island Democrat, said he will allow his so-called “Puget Sound” and “West” regions to move to “Phase 2” on Monday. Snohomish, King, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties are in those regions.
That means inside service will be allowed on a limited basis for restaurants, bars, taverns and other businesses in those counties, he said. Limited sports will also be allowed.
But the remaining six regions – 32 counties in all – will have to wait until mid-February for another shot. That’s because state health officials will no longer review coronavirus-related data sets on a weekly basis.
Inside services will remain prohibited in those counties for the foreseeable future, as the state will no longer continue to update coronavirus data sets each Friday.
“The metrics will be posted every two weeks,” Deputy Secretary of Health Lacy Fehrenbach said during the press conference.
The governor’s move to keep Eastern Washington pinned down in Phase 1 for at least two more weeks will likely impact the effort to reopen high school sports.
On Wednesday, Jan. 27, Sen. Billig, D-Spokane, teased his constituency here during a town hall digital meeting, suggesting the governor would be offering the area more "flexibility" in coronavirus restrictions.
The press conference was ongoing at the time this story was posted.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, columnist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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