Are Phase 2 reopening goals set too high? Not if we want to slow COVID-19 | Editorial
Initially we had hoped that June 1 would be the day hair salons would open in the Tri-Cities, and we all could get that much needed haircut.
Sadly, that’s not to be.
The coronavirus infection rate is still too high in Benton and Franklin counties, and Tri-Citians continue to be stuck in Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order.
However, Inslee acknowledged this week that he is willing to take another look at the metrics being used to determine whether counties can reopen.
This could be good news. While we all want to be safe, the benchmarks may not need to be the same for every county in the state. Unique situations can be acknowledged.
However, we all must recognize that the stay-home restrictions are in place to save people’s lives and keep our hospitals from being overwhelmed. We also must realize we are better off trying to reach the high bar than asking the governor to lower it.
Some are arguing that outbreaks in tight communities like nursing homes should be considered outside COVID-19 numbers in the general population.
Leaders in the hospitality industry would like to see all restaurants in the state open with restrictions on Monday, regardless of which county they are in.
And people living in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties are pushing the governor to adjust the benchmarks for higher populations — otherwise they worry they may never move on.
The new criteria used to determine whether a county can move to Phase 2 includes an infection rate below 25 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over 14 days.
In order for the Tri-Cities to open, Benton County will have to drop to no more than 50 cases for two weeks, and Franklin County will have to have no more than 25 cases.
Right now, we seem a long way from making that goal.
On Friday alone, our local health officials announced 44 new COVID-19 cases in Benton and Franklin counties, bringing the total to 1,618. There have been 82 deaths related to the illness.
That the Tri-Cities is among the worst spots in the state for spreading the disease is troubling.
Compare that with Thurston County — home to the state capitol. Latest census figures show it has a population of 290,536, which is comparable to Benton and Franklin counties’ combined population.
Amazingly, Thurston County has only 132 COVID-19 cases and only one death as of Thursday. Perhaps the disease never took hold there like it did here. Or perhaps the citizens there are doing a better job of isolating themselves and wearing masks when they go out in public.
So far, 26 of Washington state’s 39 counties have moved to Phase 2 of the governor’s reopening plan. Small and rural counties were the first to reopen, but other, more populated counties like Spokane also have been able to.
Benton and Franklin counties couldn’t even knock on the door.
While this is disappointing to those of us who had been looking forward to taking a step toward normalcy, the delays to Phase 2 are devastating to Tri-City business owners who thought they might have a chance to reopen and start recovering from two months of forced closure.
Restaurant owners had been counting on a June 1 reopening date. Many have invested in Plexiglas barriers, thermometers, hand sanitizer, and staff training in the hopes of bringing people to their dining rooms again.
If they don’t open soon, many will lose their businesses. They can only stay afloat so long.
The state could reset the goal line at some point so the Tri-Cities isn’t stuck in place while other counties move ahead.
But we shouldn’t count on that. No matter which phase we are in, we must all do our part to stem the outbreak in our community.
This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 12:45 PM.