Health & Fitness

Washington's Phase 3 Review: Here's What To Know For Monday

Washington state officials will evaluate all 39 counties' reopening status on Monday, and some may have to roll back to Phase 2.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a news conference Friday, March 12, 2021, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks during a news conference Friday, March 12, 2021, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

OLYMPIA, WA — For the first time since Phase 3 began, Washington state leaders on Monday are set to revaluate the reopening status of all 39 counties — and there is a good chance a handful may have to revert to Phase 2.

While the specific standards for large and small counties vary slightly, both have a target threshold for new cases and hospitalizations when officials review the data every three weeks.

(Office of the Governor)

Under the state's adjusted criteria, counties that fail both metrics are at risk for moving backward. Those that meet at least one are safe in Phase 3.

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Last week, the Washington State Department of Health acknowledged the likelihood that some counties might not make the cut, as the rate of new cases and hospitalizations continues to trend higher in much of the state.

"We will have to take action when people may be at risk, and if we feel that because of case rates or because of other metrics that we need to dial back, we will have to do that," said Dr. Umair Shah, state Secretary of Health. "We are also hopeful we won't have to do that."

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Counties that revert to Phase 2 will have to make several notable adjustments, including cutting indoor capacity in half — down to 25 percent — and hitting pause on sports tournaments.

Here are the differences between all three phases:

(Office of the Governor)

For Puget Sound, Pierce County appears most likely to face a rollback. State data through the end of March showed a 14-day rate of cases well above the benchmark, while the county's most recent data shows it right on the cusp. Pierce County is also cutting it close on the hospitalization threshold, most recently showing just a notch above the cutoff.

(Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department)

As the News Tribune reported Friday, Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier joined Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and other leaders in a letter asking the state to postpone Washington's first review until May 3. According to KING 5, a coalition of dozens of business organizations sent a letter of their own, arguing a move backward would unnecessarily punish struggling businesses.

In the state's most populous county, the public health officer said Friday that it looked likely that King County would narrowly meet both metrics Monday, but a course correction could be on the horizon if things keep moving in the wrong direction.

"I really would have thought, based on our trajectory last week, that we would have crossed that threshold this week," Duchin said. "It's very much dependant on our behaviors, how we interact in the community, the safety measures we take in our homes, in our workplaces and when we socialize. Hopefully, we'll be able to exercise restraint for just a few more weeks as more people become vaccinated...however, we are not there yet."

Any county that fails the test Monday will have to move back into Phase 2 by Friday, April 16. The next chance for them to move back into Phase 3 would arrive after the second evaluation on Monday, May 3.

Learn more about Washington's Roadmap to Recovery plan on the state's coronavirus website.


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