This is what the Tri-Cities has to do to reopen restaurant dining rooms and fitness centers

The Tri-Cities will be part of a six-county group under a new Washington state plan for reopening the economy by regions announced Tuesday.

To move forward with a limited resumption of activities, including indoor restaurant dining, under the new “Healthy Washington” plan the six counties combined must show improvement.

The new phased reopening plan will replace the state’s Safe Start plan as of Jan. 11, said Gov. Jay Inslee.

Jan. 11 was the day that restrictions which began Nov. 15 were scheduled to lift. The temporary restrictions banned indoor seating in restaurants and bars..

All counties in the state are grouped into eight regions designated according to their health care systems’ resources and use, and all will start the new plan under Phase 1 on Jan. 11.

Benton and Franklin are grouped with Yakima, Kittitas, Walla Walla and Columbia counties.

Information was not available Tuesday afternoon on how close the group of counties is to meeting the newly announced goals.

To advance to Phase 2, the region must:

▪ Show a greater than 10% decreasing trend in new COVID case rates over two weeks.

▪ Show a greater than 10% drop in COVID hospital admissions per 100,000 people over two weeks.

▪ Have hospital intensive care unit occupancy rates lower than 90%, with both COVID and other patients considered.

▪ Have fewer than 10% of COVID tests return positive.

To remain in Phase 2, regions must continue to have flat or dropping new case and hospital admission rates and maintain ICU occupancy rates and COVID positive test rates to the standard that allowed them to advance to Phase 2.

“This plan offers the start of clear way forward as we continue to slow the spread of COVID-19, while we get more people vaccinated over the next few months,” said Lacy Ferenbach, the state deputy secretary for COVID response.

State officials will look at progress each Friday and decide which regions are eligible to advance to a new phase on the following Monday. They also will look at which regions will drop back a phase.

For now there are just two phases, with more expected to be added as regions in the state make progress in the four criteria considered to advance to Phase 2.

Under Phase 2 indoor restaurant dining will be allowed until 11 p.m. at 25% capacity.

Fitness and training centers can offer indoor use for fitness and training at a maximum 25% capacity.

Indoor gatherings with nonhousehold members will be allowed for up to five people outside a household with a limit of people from just two households.

It remains too risky in many regions of the state to allow indoor dining, Inslee said.

Grocery shopping, for example, has a lower risk of spread of the virus because people are wearing masks and not sitting next to each other and breathing on each other for an hour or more, he said.

“It is a little bit surprising to me that people don’t sort of figure that out on their own,” he said, referring to complaints from some people in Eastern Washington that restaurants should be allowed to open indoors if stores can.

The sooner regions reduce their rate of new COVID cases, the sooner restaurants can reopen, he said.

“Our goal is to reopen our economy safely, and to do it as quickly as possible,” said Secretary of Health Umair Shah.

Sara Gentzler contributed to this report. She covers Washington state government for the Tri-City Herald, The Olympian, The News Tribune and The Bellingham Herald.

This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 5:53 PM.