Here’s what Whatcom’s elected officials are saying about Inslee’s COVID ‘Roadmap’
Whatcom County officials are pushing back against Gov. Jay Inslee’s new regional plan for expanding limits on social interactions, restaurant capacity and other gatherings enacted to curb the spread of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Inslee’s Roadmap to Recovery, announced Jan. 11, sees a phased reopening of Washington state businesses based on regions, rather than individual counties.
“We learned of the changes to the Roadmap to Recovery the day they were released, without being given any opportunity to weigh in, share our experiences as local elected officials or share concerns or unintended consequences,” according to a letter that was approved Tuesday, Feb. 2, by the County Council acting as the Health Board.
A motion to sign and send the letter to Inslee passed on a 6-0 vote, with Council President Barry Buchanan absent.
“We now witness counties with far higher case rates being granted the ability to reopen while our North Region’s averages are much lower and our businesses continue to suffer in lockdown,” the letter said.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu endorsed the letter in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
“The Health Board’s criticism of the new standards and their application is appropriate and justified,” Sidhu said Wednesday.
“The governor needs to live up to his commitment to equitable and science-based standards,” he said.
In their letter, Health Board members called the new strategy inequitable.
“How is it that San Juan County, with a two-week case rate of 64/100,000, has businesses shuttered, but King County, with a two-week case rate of 300/100,000 (six times higher disease burden) is reopening?,” the letter said. “The new metrics cannot be justified with science, risk or equity.”
Although some regions were allowed to advance, Monday, Feb. 1, Whatcom remains in Phase 1 under the Roadmap — along with the North Region, which also includes Skagit, Island and San Juan counties.
According to Jan. 28 data from the state Department of Health, the North Region is missing two of four metrics required to advance under the Roadmap.
Advancement to Phase 2 requires:
▪ A decreasing 14-day trend in new COVID-19 infections per 100,000 residents. The North Region is up 69%.
▪ A decreasing trend in hospital admissions for COVID-19. The North Region is up 16%.
▪ Average seven-day occupancy of ICU beds below 98%. The North Region is at 58%.
▪ Less than 10% seven-day average of percent positive of COVID-19 tests. The North Region is at 9%.
Phase 2 would allow North Region residents to meet with up to five members of two families from outside their household per week, allow social gatherings of 15 people from two households, expand religious services to 25% capacity and allow indoor dining at 25% capacity, allow weddings and funerals under certain guidelines and expand participation and attendance at sporting events.
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 12:51 PM.
