As COVID-19 cases rise across the state, Washington announces pause on Phase 4

Gov. Jay Inslee and Secretary John Wiseman announced Saturday, June 27, that the Washington Department of Health “is putting a pause” on counties moving into Phase 4 under the “Safe Start” plan.

Inslee and Wiseman made the joint statement in a news release Saturday afternoon. As positive cases of COVID-19 continue to spread across the state, moving into Phase 4, which means basically no restrictions, is “impossible at this time,” according to the release.

“Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we can’t do that now due to the continued rise in cases across the state,” Inslee said in the release. “We all want to get back to doing all the things we love in Washington during the summer, and fully open our economy, but we aren’t there yet. This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data.”

In addition to sending a letter to local and tribal health leaders throughout the state Saturday, Wiseman encouraged all Washingtonians to follow the health guidelines laid out by the state Department of Health.

“The best thing Washingtonians can do to slow the spread of the virus and save lives is to wear facial coverings, continue to maintain physical distancing and good hygiene practices,” Wiesman said in the release. “Now that testing supplies are available, it is critical to get a test if you have any symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.”

This story was originally published June 27, 2020 at 12:44 PM.