King County Submits Reopening Application

SEATTLE, WA — King County leaders submitted a joint application Wednesday, seeking to move forward with reopening under the governor's updated guidelines.

If approved, King County would enter a "modified phase 1," which would restore more recreational activities and businesses throughout the county, with some limitations.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County's health officer, recommended the several activities be allowed, including the following:

• All outdoor recreation permitted in Phase 2 in Gov. Inslee's Safe Start plan
• Expanded opening indoor fitness studios for one-on-one activities
• Restaurants with indoor seating at 25% of normal capacity
• Hairstylists and other personal services at 25% capacity
• Manufacturing operations allowed under phase 2
• All construction allowed under phase 2
• Social gatherings with five or fewer people outside the household
• In-store retail, with occupancy, limited to 15% and visits limited to 30 minutes

According to King County Executive Dow Constantine's office, the state Secretary of Health will decide whether to approve the plan in the "next several days."

"Our plan to safely reopen our region's economy is based on the latest data, recommendations by Public Health experts, and insight from communities and businesses," Constantine said. "We are ready to take the next careful step toward an equitable recovery that benefits everyone who calls King County home."

So far, 27 Washington counties have reached phase 2 in the reopening plan, and six have applied to move forward with phase 3. In King County, improvement is still needed among three of five metrics the state uses to measure coronavirus risk.

"While King County has not yet met key criteria to enter Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan, we are seeking approval [to] move forward with a more modified approach," the county's application reads.

The state unveiled an online dashboard Wednesday morning that provides real-time updates statewide and by county. The new dashboard tracks all five targets that the state uses to determine when each county can move forward. Public Health maintains its own coronavirus activity dashboard, which can be found here.

View the new coronavirus risk assessment dashboard here.
Read the county's application letter here.
Review the complete application packet here.