06-02-2020 COVID-19Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Overview
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Stay Home, Stay Healthy ended on May 31 replaced by
Safe Start – Washington’s Phased Reopening
In this new approach, counties will now have more
flexibility and the ability to apply to the Secretary of
Health to demonstrate they can safely allow
additional economic activity based on target metrics
and a holistic review of their COVID-19 activity and
ability to respond.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Safe Start – Washington’s Phased Reopening
Each county will be required to comply with the
requirements of their respective phase, with any
differences approved by the Secretary of Health.
Each county would start June 1 in their current
Phase but would be able to apply to move between
the phases or add new business activity as outlined
below.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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How will the county-by-county approach work?
Starting on June 1, any county can apply to the
Secretary of Health to move to the next phase. The
application process will include target metrics set by
the Secretary of Health below.
The application must be submitted by the County
Executive, in accordance with the instructions
provided by the Secretary of Health. If the county does
not have a County Executive, it must be submitted
with the approval of the County Council/Commission.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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The Secretary of Health will evaluate county
application based on how their data compare to these
targets and their ability to respond to situations that
may arise in their county, including outbreaks,
increased deaths, health system capacity and other
factors.
These metrics are intended to be applied as “targets,”
not hard line measures. The identified actions each
contribute to reducing risk of disease transmission,
and are to be considered in whole.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Where one target is not fully achieved, actions taken
with a different target may offset the overall risk. A
final decision on whether a county is ready to
implement a variance program rests with the Secretary
of Health.
The secretary may approve a county moving in whole
to the next phase, or may only approve certain
activities in the next phase.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
9
COVID-19 activity
--Target of <25 cases/100,000/14 days
--Flat or decreasing
--R number < 1
Healthcare system readiness (80% or under)
Testing: 50 times the number of cases (or 2%)
Case/contact investigations (% reached 24-48 hrs)
Protecting high risk populations
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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What if it becomes necessary for a county to move
to an earlier phase?
Counties can identify when they need to return to an
earlier phase by submitting a rationale and relevant
data to the Secretary
Alternatively, the Secretary has the authority to return
a county to an earlier phase if the county chooses not
to do so on its own, and the Secretary has identified a
need to do so and must notify a county in writing and
provide a rationale for it being moved..
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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King County Phase 1.5 approach:
On Friday, May 29, King County Executive Dow
Constantine, in consultation with Public Health
– Seattle & King County leaders, announced
that pending state approval, King County will
begin to re-open some business activity with
limited or modified openings for a number of
sectors.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
12
Once submitted, it will likely take several days
to be approved by the state. We will issue
updates as we have them once the application
process is underway.
NOTE: As of 1:30 p.m. on June 1, King County
has not yet submitted our application for the
modified phase of the Safe Start reopening plan.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
13
Working with community, business, and
government partners – including the County
Council and Board of Health leadership – King
County Executive Dow Constantine announced
that the county is prepared to move forward to
allow limited or modified openings for several
business sectors and personal activities.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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As King County has not yet met key criteria to
enter Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan and case
counts are still unstable, the will move forward
with a modified approach of partial re-opening
of the following businesses and activities:
Gatherings: Only allowed outdoor of 5 or
fewer people outside the household
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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In-store Retail
-15 percent of building occupancy
-Indoor services limited to 30 minutes
Personal Services
--25 percent of building occupancy
Professional services
--25 percent of building occupancy
--Indoor services limited to 30 minutes for customers
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Pet grooming
--25 percent of building occupancy
Restaurants
--No indoor dining allowed-
--Outdoor dining is permitted but seating at 50%
of existing outdoor capacity
Recreation and fitness
--Only allowed outdoor with 5 (less instructor)
or fewer people outside of household
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Real estate (residential and commercial)
--25 percent of building occupancy
--Indoor services limited to 30 minutes
Additional construction (Phase 2 guidance)
Manufacturing operations (Phase 2 guidance)
Photography (Phase 2 guidance)
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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New updates from the King County Council
Committee of the Whole Meeting this afternoon:
Phase 1.5 may begin this Friday, June 5
Phase 2 is possible in two weeks
Home and domestic services allowed
Indoor fitness allowed for 1 on 1 personal trainers
30 minute limit on personal services is no longer
Cities may allow more outdoor restaurant seating
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
19
King County will continue monitoring
progress over the course of two weeks.
If metrics are more stable and meeting the
state’s criteria, more businesses and
activities will reopen in accordance with
Phase 2.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Draft of letter asking for a
“sub-area”
and city by city approach
in counties.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
21
As the Mayor and the City Council of the City of
Federal Way, we share the disappointment of
many of our citizens that our City, along with all
other cities in King County, will not be able to
completely proceed safely to Phase 2 of the “Safe
Start Washington” plan on June 1.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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We are grateful for the option that will allow
King County to apply to have some businesses to
open under the new “Safe Start—Washington”
plan, called Phase 1.5. However, we would like
consideration of a proposal as we are concerned
that it does not go far enough so that cities and
“sub-areas” be allowed to proceed in an
accelerated fashion into Phases 2, 3 and 4.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
23
We commend both of your efforts in guiding our
region and state through the last four months.
We are well aware that both of you sympathize
with citizens who have not been able to work
since the “Stay at Home” took effect March 25.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
24
Phase 1.5, once King County applies and the State
approves, allows the safe reopening of personal
services, professional and office-based services,
in-store retail, pet grooming and other small
businesses and activities. However, while this
phase allows for outside seating for restaurants,
it leaves this important business sector in critical
shape.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
25
Through the extraordinary and ongoing efforts of
our citizens to socially distance, the heroic efforts
of our healthcare institutions and workers, and
notably, the guidance of King County Public
Health and State Department of Health, together
we have made continued progress to contain the
COVID-19 outbreak.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
26
The health of our citizens, especially our
vulnerable populations, healthcare workers, and
first responders, comes first. The measurements
being used by both the State and the County
have provided guidance and have been successful
in lowering the risk to our citizens.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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However, it is time to re-examine the
geographical application of the measurements as
many individual communities in areas of our
large county have succeeded in qualifying for
subsequent phases.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
28
As you know, King County’s population is so vast
that it would be the 36th largest state in our
nation. Unfortunately, the individual hotspot
areas on the county dashboards are holding back
communities that are ready to move on to Phase
2 and beyond.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
29
Of note is the fact that if the positive cases
from the locked down long-term care
facilities are taken out of the equation, many
areas of King County would qualify for
moving on to Phase 2.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
30
Therefore, we propose that it is time to adopt a
regional, “sub-area” and city by city approach to
the opening of King County.
To quote President Lincoln, now is the time to
“Think anew and act anew.”
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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We call on the King County Executive to
immediately convene a joint emergency meeting
of the King County Council and the King County
Board of Health to discuss and adopt a regional
“sub-area” city by city focus and apply to the
Governor to let those areas of the county apply to
proceed to Phase 2.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
32
In addition, we are asking the member cities of
the Sound Cities Association to join in
advocating for this effort to adopt this sub-area
and city approach versus the current “one-size-
fits-all” rationale that would allow them to
proceed to Phase 2, 3 and 4.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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We are also asking that the Governor carefully
consider modifying your “county approach"
and consider acceptance of a county “sub-area”
and city approach so that many more areas may
safely proceed to Phase 2 of the “Safe Start
Washington” plan that would allow more
affected citizens and businesses begin the task
of safely rebuilding their lives and livelihood.
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
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Thank you in advance for your consideration and
we appreciate our continued partnership.
Jim Ferrell, Mayor Susan Honda, Council President
Lydia Assefa-Dawson, Councilmember Gregory Baruso, Councilmember
Hoang V. Tran, Councilmember Mark Koppang, Councilmember
Martin A. Moore, Councilmember Linda Kochmar, Councilmember
cc: Mayor Dana Ralph, President, Sound Cities Association
Deanna Dawson, Executive Director, Sound Cities Association
Council Letter to Governor Inslee and
Executive Constantine
regarding a plan to reopen businesses
35
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