With indicators of a ‘plateau,’ Washington pauses COVID-19 reopening rollbacks that means Seattle can keep in Section 3 — for now

With the prospect of its largest county falling behind, ongoing economic impact concerns and the prospect that the current wave of COVID-19 spread could plateau, Governor Jay Inslee Tuesday announced a two-week break in the gradual system of reopening the state.

The state process was set for its periodic assessment on Tuesday which would have found King County well above the thresholds for current Phase 3 status.

“The decision was made in consultation with the Ministry of Health and reflects recent data suggesting that Washington’s fourth wave has reached a plateau,” said the announcement from Inslee’s Olympic bureau.

“We are at the intersection of progress and failure and we cannot stray from the path of progress,” Inslee said in the announcement. “Our economy is showing signs of growth thanks to some of our great legislative successes, and we know vaccines are the ticket to another reopening – if we stick to public health until enough people are vaccinated.”

“We appreciate that the governor has announced a pause for further rollbacks recognizing the sacrifices we have all made to protect one another.” Anthony Anton, President and CEO of Washington Hospitality Associationsaid in a statement. “Rolling back counties would be the wrong decision given the advances in vaccinations, the reduction in hospital stays, the incredible damage the shutdown is doing to families and small businesses, and the fact that previous rollbacks have not worked been.”

Anton said his group is keen to “go beyond the rollback-only approach”.

New cases, hospitalizations and deaths continued to surge in Seattle and King Counties as officials looked at this week’s assessment to see if the county needs to reset its reopening phase and reinstate stricter social distancing and business requirements.

On Capitol Hill, the day-to-day decision is most impactful for restaurants, which can now continue to serve personal customers at 50% capacity.

State officials also plan to enable events, venues, and businesses, including cruises, sporting events, performances, and school graduations, to expand capacity later this month by requiring proof of vaccination, a measure that has been successfully implemented in other states.

To stay in Phase 3, King County should have maintained at least one of two key metrics – the 14-day average of new COVID cases at or below 200 per 100,000 residents, or the 7-day average of new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents five or less . The rate of both measures rose above the acceptable thresholds last week and currently stands at 242 new positive cases per 100,000 people and 6.5 new hospitalizations per 100,000 per day.

In the announcement, officials say there are signs that the state’s fourth wave of COVID-19 is “flattening out”.

“The fourth wave was less severe, and case numbers and death rates were not associated with rates of increase as in the past,” the announcement said.

State officials say the changes are due to rising vaccination rates, which “shorten hospital stays and reduce the severity of the disease”.

“The early prioritization of the vaccine by the state has also been linked to improved data and declining death rates in the state’s most vulnerable populations,” Inslee said in the announcement.

CHS reported here on Seattle last week that it reached 40% of vaccinated adults and the sudden widespread availability of appointments thanks to the increased federal supply.

Inslee and state officials have now taken two weeks to hopefully improve things before suffering painful economic – and political – setbacks.

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