Washington Gov. Inslee extends COVID-19 restrictions through early January
Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday announced a three-week extension of current COVID-19 restrictions that have eliminated indoor dining at restaurants and bars, closed gyms to indoor activity, and limited occupancy at retail stores.
The governor announced the extension at a virtual news conference Tuesday morning, where he also announced $50 million in new economic relief for businesses. That funding comes in addition to the $135 million relief package announced last month.
Inslee introduced the current restrictions in mid-November in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Originally slated to last through Dec. 14, the extension will keep the same restrictions in place through Jan. 4.
That end date isn’t set in stone.
“This extension could end up shorter, if there was significant improvement,” Inslee said. “And, unfortunately, people know it could end up longer if there’s a deterioration. But, at this moment, we wanted to strike the right balance of allowing business owners to plan their next several weeks and deal with this uncertainty of the data.”
Officials say they see indications that restrictions may be working to curb pandemic activity, but they remain concerned.
Cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, state data show, with steep inclines in recent weeks. Data in the last week or so suggest there could have been a reduction in the rate of the increase, Inslee said. But, there are also “troubling” signs in preliminary data, he said.
It’s also too early to know if data reflects the results of Thanksgiving weekend gatherings.
Hospitalizations are still concerning, with 1,094 patients hospitalized with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 in the most recent state data and 81.4 percent of adult, staffed intensive care unit beds occupied by patients (overall, not just with COVID). The governor presented bleak projections at the news conference.
“In the worst-case scenario, we’d need to nearly double our ICU capacity before the end of this year, which is extremely difficult to achieve,” Inslee said, adding that hospitals used to be able to pull nurses from other hospitals, but there’s less reserve capacity now.
During the upcoming December holidays, Inslee urged residents again to not host gatherings that pose a risk for transmission of the coronavirus. At one point, he referred to the promise of a vaccine as a “bright light.”
Secretary of Health John Wiesman said the state expects to receive about 62,400 doses of the Pfizer vaccine by Dec. 15 and a total of 219,000 doses this month. And, if the Moderna vaccine is approved, the state would anticipate about 182,000 doses of that vaccine by the end of the year.
The first group who will get the vaccine are high-risk health care workers, as McClatchy previously reported. There are an estimated 300,000 health care workers that fall in that category, and both vaccines require two doses. Officials have previously said the timeline for everyone who’s eligible to receive a vaccine will take “many months.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to review Pfizer’s vaccine Thursday and Moderna’s next week.
“Hope is here, a vaccine is on the way, it’s going to take a bit of time and, until then, we need everybody continuing to practice the safe practices and keep everyone healthy,” Secretary of Health Wiesman said.
New economic relief measures
The $50 million will be added to the latest round of Working Washington grants, according to the governor’s office. The recently announced $135 million package allocated $50 million to the round, which now totals $100 million.
“I know how hard it has been for so many, especially as we head into the holiday season,” Inslee said. “And I realize that this amount is not going to solve everyone’s problems associated with this pandemic. But I am grateful we’ve been able to do $50 million today so we can get that out the door as fast as humanly possible, as we continue to look for additional options for these hard-hit businesses.”
The department has received more than 16,000 applications for the current grant round, according to Lisa Brown, Director of the Department of Commerce. In order to get the grants awarded by the end of the year, she encouraged businesses to apply by Dec. 11.
Businesses most impacted by the current restrictions, such as restaurants, breweries, yoga studios, and music venues, across the state will be prioritized for this round of funding, Brown said.
Both Brown and Inslee emphasized the need for federal lawmakers to act on providing more economic relief.
Absent action from Congress, Inslee said the state will extend Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits for people on the system as of the week of Nov. 21. Otherwise, assistance would run out Dec. 26.
The program helps people not usually eligible for unemployment benefits. Funds to extend it are available through executive action, Inslee said, and there’s consensus among state legislative leaders it’s a wise move.
“We will not allow people to fall off that cliff in the state of Washington if congress does not act,” he said.
Reminder: What’s in the rules
Industry groups have lobbied Inslee to reconsider the restrictions, which touch a range of industries. However, Inslee has not altered the measures and the same restrictions will continue to apply.
Under the restrictions, indoor social gatherings with people outside one’s household are prohibited, and outdoor gatherings should include five or fewer people from outside the household. However, people can gather inside if they all quarantine for 14 days before or seven days with a negative test no more than two days before they gather.
Restaurants and bars can’t offer indoor service, but can offer to-go orders. Outdoor dining is allowed with up to five people per table. Retail stores are limited to 25% capacity inside, and common seating areas must be closed.
Religious services are limited to either 25% occupancy inside or fewer than 200 people, whichever is smaller. Soloists can perform, but not choirs, bands, or ensembles. Facial coverings are required for the congregation members, who aren’t allowed to sing. Guidance released Dec. 2 clarified that religious services can be held outdoors with up to 200 people, regardless of location, if social distancing guidelines are followed and face coverings worn.
Gyms and fitness facilities are closed to indoor activity, as are movie theaters, zoos, aquariums, and bowling centers.
Real estate open houses aren’t allowed, and neither are wedding and funeral receptions — ceremonies are allowed, though, with 30 guests or fewer.
A full list of the restrictions is available here: https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/COVID%2019%20November%20Statewide%20Restrictions.pdf.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 10:37 AM with the headline "Washington Gov. Inslee extends COVID-19 restrictions through early January."
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