Inslee revises Phase 3 to limit gatherings to 10, says another stay-home order possible
Gov. Jay Inslee said he’s further limiting gatherings in Phase 3 counties and banning live entertainment — and another stay-home order is possible if COVID-19 numbers continue to rise.
“Too many individual citizens, regardless of their age or their ethnicity, are simply not exercising the caution that is necessary if we are going to arrest this very, very dangerous rise of this pandemic,” he said at a virtual press conference Thursday.
He said live, in-person entertainment that has already been banned in restaurants and bars will now be banned more broadly indoors and outdoors, including drive-in concerts.
Gatherings in Phase 3 counties will be limited to 10 people, with the exception of spiritual services, weddings and funerals.
The restrictions take effect Monday.
Inslee also emphasized that gatherings in Phase 2 and modified Phase 1 counties under the state’s Safe Start plan remain limited to five people, and that masks and social distancing remain imperative.
The governor warned of further restrictions if people fail to take precautions such as using masks, social distancing, and limiting gatherings, and COVID-19 transmission continues to grow.
“Today’s rollbacks may be a forerunner to additional rollbacks, and we cannot rule out the potential for another stay-home order this year, and perhaps not in the too distant future,” he said.
The state’s seven-day rolling average of cases, for June 26 to July 2, is 629 cases, Inslee said — the highest it’s been throughout the pandemic. The rate of new cases per 100,000 people in the state, 115.6, is twice as high as during the onset of the virus, he said.
Secretary of Health John Wiesman, who joined Inslee on the call, said the ability to reopen schools for in-person learning is among the many things at risk “if we don’t get a handle on this.”
Inslee said hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 continue to rise. “We simply do not want to see scenes in Mukilteo or the Tri-Cities or in Olympia that look like Arizona and Texas today. In those states, those communities are having to bring in refrigerated trucks for people who have lost their lives, because of the onslaught of this pandemic.”
If the trends in Washington state continue, “at some point we would be in that situation,” the governor said.
It’s “innocent social get-togethers” where infection is spreading and leading to deaths, he said.
He noted a Seattle Times article about a couple in Tacoma who were “doing every thing right.” They limited a recent birthday party at their home to a few guests, and still became infected.
“That’s the type of thing that we all have to be on guard against,” the governor said.
Inslee acknowledged “it’s been a long and frustrating process for all of us.”
It’s been hard not to hug his new grandchild, “a little beauty named Annie,” he said. He’s been watching her crawl electronically.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
