Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that new criteria will allow 10 more counties to be eligible to move onto phase 2 of the state's reopening plan.
The state currently has approved 10 of its 39 counties to move to phase 2, Inslee explained today in a press conference. Two other counties were eligible to move to phase 2 as well, but have not yet applied, Inslee said.
"That makes 22 counties in the state that are currently eligible for a variance upon application or already moving to phase two," Inslee said.
"Combined, these counties represent about 30% of the state's population," he said.
Phase 2 allows for:
- In-store retail purchases with restrictions
- Reopening of barbershops and salons
- Reopening of restaurants at 50% capacity and table sizes no larger than 5
None of the counties moving into the next reopening phase include the state's most populous ones like King, Pierce, or Snohomish - once the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in the US.
The new criteria focuses on counties having less than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over a 14 day span, Inslee said.