With heat wave on horizon, Inslee lifts some COVID restrictions for cooling centers
As temperatures in Washington soar toward record highs, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday he was lifting restrictions on capacity at cooling centers that were previously in place to address COVID-19 concerns.
In a news release, Inslee said the easing of restrictions would extend to all publicly owned or operated cooling centers as well as those run by nonprofits.
“Beginning today, and persisting well into next week, meteorologists predict that temperatures will rise rapidly throughout the Pacific Northwest. Consequently, Washingtonians will be at high to very high risk of heat-related effects. In response, many local governments are mobilizing ‘cooling centers’ to protect people from the weather,” Inslee said. “I want to ensure that local jurisdictions have flexibility in options that can provide relief from the heat.”
In an email in response to questions from The News Tribune about how long restrictions would be lifted, spokesperson Tara Lee said, “The overall capacity restrictions will end on June 30 or earlier if we hit 70 percent initiating vaccination.
“This is to get through the heat wave and lift just those restrictions for indoor.”
The governor specified that the lifting of capacity restrictions does not extend to “private, for-profit businesses that offer air-conditioned spaces to the general public.”
Cooling centers are currently available throughout the state through the weekend.
This story was originally published June 25, 2021 at 1:39 PM.
