Garfield County gets OK to move to Phase 3

Seven counties were approved to move to Phase 3 of Washington’s four-phase reopening plan Friday, including Garfield County.

The move, which continues the process of reopening local economies shut down in response to the coronavirus pandemic, came less than 48 hours after Garfield County submitted its variance application.

Whitman County commissioners are hoping they get the same expedited service. They voted unanimously to submit a Phase 3 variance request to Secretary of Health John Wiesman on Friday; that was the earliest date at which the county was eligible.

“It’s been three weeks since we moved to Phase 2,” noted Whitman County Public Health Director Troy Henderson, during a brief board of health meeting. “We’ve had three new cases in that time, and we were able to do contact tracing on those cases in a timely fashion. We’re well-positioned to move to Phase 3.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Whitman County has had 20 people test positive for the virus. None of the cases required hospitalization, Henderson said, and there have been no deaths. Eighteen of the 20 have since recovered, and the other two are isolating at home.

Given the availability of additional testing supplies, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the state is now encouraging anyone with even mild COVID-19 symptoms to get tested for the virus.

Henderson echoed that advice Friday, saying Whitman County should be able to handle any increase in demand.

“Should the (Washington State University) student body return to Pullman, that might present additional challenges,” he said, but for right now the county has adequate testing capacity and enough people to handle any necessary contact tracing.

Under Phase 3, bars and taverns can open at 25 percent capacity. Movie theaters and indoor gyms can open at 50 percent capacity, and restaurants can expand to 75 percent, up from 50 percent in Phase 2. Libraries and museums can also reopen, non-essential travel can resume and gatherings of up to 50 people can proceed.

County offices will also reopen to the public.

“That’s our plan, once we (get approved) for Phase 3,” said Commissioner Art Swannack. “There will be some social distancing rules in place, and it looks like our staff will have to wear face masks, like other businesses.”

Given that businesses are reopening and more social interactions are taking place, Inslee has mandated that all public and private employees wear cloth face coverings, beginning Monday. The masks are required for anyone who interacts with the public or co-workers; they aren’t needed when people are working alone in an enclosed office or vehicle.

Any business or organization that opens in Phase 3 still needs to comply with state safety protocols and social distancing guidelines. Businesses also need to have written safety plans in place, indicating what steps they’re taking to control the spread of the virus.

A safety plan template, as well as safety guidelines for specific industries, can be found online, at https://coronavirus.wa.gov.

“Being fairly closely connected with economic development issues in the county, I guarantee you there are a lot of businesses that are looking forward to opening up and getting the economy back up to speed,” noted Commissioner Dean Kinzer.

Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.