Coronavirus updates: Pierce, Thurston counties move into Phase 2, paving way for indoor dining, youth sports
The Washington state Department of Health reported 2,584 new cases of COVID-19 and 32 deaths Thursday.
Pierce County reported 228 cases Thursday and one new death. Pierce County has a total of 391 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are 307,809 cases and 4,243 deaths. Those numbers are up from 305,225 cases and 4,211 deaths Wednesday. The case total includes 13,831 cases listed as probable. DOH revises previous case and death counts daily.
As of Jan. 9, the date with the most recent complete data, 83 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were admitted to Washington state hospitals.
Preliminary reports indicate average daily hospital admissions were 90 in mid-January.
Out of the state’s total staffed intensive care unit beds (1,243), approximately 80.3% (998) were occupied by patients Thursday. Of those staffed ICU beds, 15.7% (195) held suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Pierce, Thurston among counties moving to Phase 2 Monday as reopening plan shifts
Seven counties that make up Washington’s West and Puget Sound regions in the Healthy Washington plan will move to Phase 2 of reopening Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday. The move is made possible by a change to the plan that will make it easier for other regions to do the same.
The state made the changes in part based on declining case rates, easing of hospital capacity, and increasing vaccination rates, according to Inslee, along with empathy for businesses struggling under restrictions.
The state’s two-phase “Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery” plan went into effect Jan. 11, and all eight regions of the state had so far remained in Phase 1, with restaurants closed to indoor dining, indoor gatherings banned, and other restrictions in place.
With their move to Phase 2, gyms and restaurants in King, Pierce, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Snohomish and Pacific counties will be able to reopen to indoor activity at 25% capacity, among other loosened restrictions.
While residents await their vaccines, Inslee again emphasized the importance of public health precautions such as mask-wearing and social distancing — specifically, he emphasized people need to be careful during the upcoming Super Bowl.
“We have these weapons available today,” Inslee said. “And we’re going to bring the big gun, which is the vaccine, but we’ve gotta use everything we can.”
CHANGES TO THE PLAN
Regions will now need to meet three of the four targets set by the state to advance to Phase 2, Inslee announced Thursday, which allows the West and Puget Sound regions to make that move. The regions were formed largely based on healthcare resources.
Previously, regions had to meet all four. The targets are:
A 10% decline in case rates per 100,000 population over the last 14 days compared to the prior two weeks;
A 10% decline in two-week COVID-19 hospital admission rate per 100,000 population;
Average seven-day intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rate below 90%; and
A test positivity rate below 10%.
Data shared Thursday shows both the Puget Sound and West regions met the goals for hospital admissions, ICU occupancy, and test positivity. The two regions, together, represent roughly half of the state’s population, Inslee said.
Another change: Rather than evaluating whether regions should move phases on a weekly basis, that will now happen every two weeks. This will provide more predictability and stability, Inslee said.
There is a time lag in some of the data available on the state’s “Roadmap to Recovery” dashboard — case-rate trends were current through Jan. 16 in data updated Thursday, for example, and test positivity data was complete through Jan. 9.
Asked how these biweekly decisions are made when data lags to that extent, Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health, explained the goal is to use the most complete, recent data for each metric.
“It’s really important on each of these metrics that we’re measuring either the seven-day or 14-day period that is most recent for the specific metric,” Fehrenbach said. “These metrics come from different data sources and systems, and those systems have different degrees of timeliness and that results in different time frames. Our goal here is always to be using the data that are the most complete and recent for each of the four metrics.”
If a region in Phase 2 misses any two metrics, it will still slide back to Phase 1. Two trend metrics — case rates and hospital admission rates — can be declining or flat and still be considered meeting those targets, according to previous reporting.
The timeline for possible additional phases of the plan is so far unclear.
Pierce County restaurants can restart indoor dining on Monday after Inslee announcement
Restaurants in seven western Washington counties can restart indoor dining at limited capacity on Feb. 1, following an adjustment to the state’s Healthy Washington plan announced Thursday by Gov. Jay Inslee. Gyms and fitness studios also can begin indoor activities.
The Puget Sound region, which includes Pierce, King and Snohomish counties, as well as the West region of Thurston, Grays Harbor, Lewis and Pacific, have been upgraded to Phase 2 for meeting three of the plan’s four metrics. Originally, a region had to meet all four to move forward, sustaining at least three to remain at that level.
Thursday’s changes allow bars and restaurants to seat guests indoors, up to 25 percent capacity — with windows closed, should they so desire.
Social media posts ensued from restaurant accounts in the area saying they would take advantage of the upgrade, looking especially forward to Valentine’s Day, one of the industry’s most lucrative days of the year. Marzano, an Italian restaurant in the Parkland neighborhood near Tacoma, quickly shared the news. Many others might hold off, however, as such limited numbers inhibit the ability to turn a profit. Risks to staff and customers also remain a worry for countless owners and workers.
Plenty of restaurants had already flung open their windows to accommodate open air dining, which allows limited seating in enclosed areas as long as the airflow mirrored the outdoors. The state and the Washington Hospitality Association refrained from considering this scenario “indoor dining,” but it was an effort to give businesses some leeway in where they could safely seat guests.
Until those rules were shared two weeks ago, eateries were relegated to outdoor dining at half capacity plus takeout.
“We believe that you have to make a decision based on science and reason, and we’re bringing both of those to the table,” Inslee told reporters Thursday afternoon.
He praised Washingtonians’ efforts thus far to combat the virus through mask wearing, social distancing and generally being careful and stressed the importance of continued vigilance.
“We believe this is a reasonable step,” he said, adding that the hopeful influx of additional vaccine doses will enhance the state’s ability to pursue a viable reopening path.
After move into Phase 2, high school sports officially back in South Sound
High school sports are officially back in the South Sound.
Seven counties that make up Washington’s West and Puget Sound regions in the Healthy Washington plan will move to Phase 2 of reopening Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday. King, Pierce and Thurston counties are among those that will move into Phase 2.
The move paves the way for all fall sports, including football, to return to play. Football teams in the South Sound will begin practicing Monday, Feb. 1, while other fall sports, including cross country, golf, girls soccer, girls swim and volleyball will begin practice Feb. 8.
Season 2, which will now include spring sports, will begin practices on March 15 and end May 1. Winter sports will now take place in the third and final season, beginning April 26 and ending June 12.
South Sound area leagues will look a bit different this year. Olympia High School, part of the Class 4A South Puget Sound League, announced it will join the 3A South Sound Conference as a temporary member for the 2020-21 school year, joining other Thurston County Schools. Gig Harbor and Peninsula high schools, part of the 3A SSC, will join the 4A SPSL as interim members.
The 4A SPSL will begin kick off the football season with a jamboree on Feb. 13, with week one of the football season beginning Friday, Feb. 19. The 3A South Sound Conference will begin its football season with scrimmages on Feb. 12, also opening league play on Feb. 19.
Sea-Tac releases new COVID-19 protocols for international travel
Updated 10:25 a.m.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has released new COVID-19 protocols for international travel. These are some of the newest testing requirements to be aware of for those planning international trips.
- A negative COVID-19 test is required for all international passengers coming into the U.S. with written documentation of a laboratory test result (paper or electronic copy) provided to the airline. This is combined with the CDC recommendation to get tested again 3-5 days after arrival and stay home for seven days post-travel. Effective as of Jan. 26, the CDC’s protocols are in place during international arrivals and passport control process at SEA as well as the implementation of facial recognition.
- A presidential proclamation expands travel restrictions for South Africa, Brazil, Britain and 27 European countries. Due to go into effect on Jan. 30, the proclamation applies to noncitizens attempting to come to the U.S. from any of those countries for 14-days prior to travel.
- All travelers headed to the Netherlands must show a negative rapid test within four hours of departure. This is in addition to the already mandatory negative PCR test, which must be taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Pre-flight testing is available for those flying to Amsterdam from SEA through Discovery Health MD at the South Satellite SkyClub Lounge near Gate S10 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or four hours before departure to the Netherlands.
Craig Sailor, Kristine Sherred and Sara Gentzler contributed to this story.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: Pierce, Thurston counties move into Phase 2, paving way for indoor dining, youth sports."
