State puts Tri-Cities applications to move to Phase 2 reopening ‘on pause’
The applications Benton and Franklin counties filed last week with the state to reopen more businesses have been put on pause.
The Washington state Department of Health announced the status Tuesday morning following a series of meetings between state and local officials in recent days.
The Washington state Department of Health will meet with local officials later this week to discuss next steps.
State health officials said at meetings Friday and Saturday that the Tri-Cities needs to be doing more to limit the spread of the coronavirus, including better compliance with orders for people to wear masks in public.
More testing is also a concern, with the state agreeing to send the National Guard to help with free drive-thru COVID-19 testing starting Wednesday at the Toyota Center in Kennewick and the HAPO Center, formerly TRAC, in Pasco.
No doctor’s order is required, but appointments must be made by calling 211.
State health officials are concerned with the rate of transmission of COVID-19, as shown by new cases, and the number of people being treated at hospitals in Benton and Franklin counties, said Dr. Amy Person, health officer for both counties, at a district health board meeting Monday afternoon.
“There is a concern that if things don’t change we will see a significant increase in hospitalizations and deaths,” she said.
A major piece of stabilizing the rate of transmission is getting people to wear face coverings in public, maintaining physical distance from others and getting people to stay home when they are sick, she said.
Benton, Franklin and Yakima are the only counties in the state that have not moved to Phase 1.5, Phase 2 or Phase 3, allowing more businesses to reopen and more gatherings.
Gov. Jay Inslee plans to visit Yakima today for outdoor meetings with local elected officials, followed by meetings with local health care leaders and business representatives.
The latest data analysis from the Institute for Disease Modeling continues to show an increase in COVID-19 activity in the state, particularly in Benton, Franklin, Yakima and Spokane counties, according to the governor’s staff.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 9:17 AM.