Health director: Pierce County ready for Phase 2.5, not Phase 3, as COVID cases increase
Pierce County health director Anthony Chen said Friday he would recommend to the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health that the county apply for an expanded Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start COVID-19 recovery plan instead of Phase 3.
“Pierce County residents’ efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 are on the right track. But we have more to do before our county is ready to apply for Phase 3 of the governor’s Safe Start Washington plan,” a health department blog post said.
If approved by the state, the expanded Phase 2 proposal would allow larger outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people for social and recreational purposes.
The Board of Health is to discuss the issue on July 1.
Indoor gatherings of up to five people per week from other households would be allowed. Libraries and museums can open with physical distancing and Phase 3 safety requirements.
The modified phase would not allow recreational activities like team sports and the opening of public swimming pools, where respiratory droplets are highly likely to be released. All other businesses and religious services would remain the same.
The move comes on the same week that Pierce County saw new cases push past 40 on Wednesday. Thursday it was 35. Friday, 23.
On Wednesday, Chen warned the county’s grip on Phase 2 was “slipping.”
“Right now, we are not in a position to apply for Phase 3,” Chen wrote at that time. “We expected some increase in disease when we entered Phase 2. We are worried it has increased and is not leveling off. We strongly urge everyone to stay the course with precautions. The governor has not ordered a county to move backwards, but we do not want to become the first.”
Certain areas of Pierce County have seen a marked increase in total cases. As of June 5, when Pierce County moved into Phase 2, the county as a whole reported just nine new cases that day and one new death.
On June 5, Tacoma reported 649 cases since the first reported case on March 6. On Friday, that was up to 778.
Lakewood is now at 249, up from 209 on June 5, and University Place is up to 100, up from 69 on June 5.
Thurston County was allowed to move to Phase 3 on Wednesday.
Phase 3 allows gatherings and outdoor sports of up to 50 people, recreational facilities up to 50 percent occupancy, non-essential travel can resume and restaurants can hold up to 75 percent occupancy.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department says it has increased testing and contact tracing capacity to limit spread of COVID-19.
“We do not want to rush to open when we continue to see an increase in COVID-19,” Chen said Friday. “Proposing an expanded Phase 2 is the right choice for our health and the right choice for our society and economy.”
Derek Young is vice chair of the local board of health and a Pierce County Council member. Young said he is reserving judgment until he gets more information, but he can see the merits of a Phase 2.5.
“There has been a lot of research that there is not a lot of transmission outdoors,” he said. “It’s all difficult to figure out, and I will listen to what the health experts say.”
As of Friday, masks are required in public places in a statewide mandate.
The Pierce County Council plans to discuss the Board of Health’s meeting the day after to review the proposal.
