Mill Creek

Roadmap to Recovery

Roadmap to Recovery
Posted on 01/06/2021
Roadmap to RecoveryGov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday shared details of a new roadmap for fighting COVID in Washington. As he outlined during a televised press conference, the Healthy Washington plan goes into effect Monday, Jan. 11. It replaces the Safe Start plan that has determined much of the statewide response to COVID since spring, including restrictions on businesses, public gatherings and recreation.
The plan takes a regional approach to attacking the virus, dividing Washington into eight areas. It focuses less on hitting hard-target case numbers and more on trends.
Snohomish County’s performance will be tracked as part of a region that includes King and Pierce counties. The roadmap’s regions were developed based on available health care services.

Under the new plan, there initially will be two phases, with all regions starting in the first phase, the most restrictive. It is like Phase 1 under Safe Start, with no indoor dining permitted but other essential businesses such as manufacturing and construction continuing to operate following specific guidance.

Phase 2 would allow more indoor activity, including dining at 25% capacity. People would still be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing.

To move into the next phase, the region must hit each of these metrics:
• Decreasing trend in two-week rate of COVID cases per 100,000 in population. The decrease must be greater than 10% in the most recent two-week period compared to the prior two-week period.
• Decreasing trend in the two-week rate of new COVID hospital admission rates per 100,000 in population. The decrease must be greater than 10% in most recent two-week period compared to the prior two-week period.
• COVID test positivity of less than 10%.
• ICU occupancy (total) of less than 90%.
Additional information here.