To Offset Phase 2 Damages, Pierce Council Prepares To Invest

TACOMA — The Pierce County Council is working on a proposal that, they hope, will help offset some financial damages caused by the county's move back into Phase 2.

The state is pushing Pierce County back into Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington plan effective Friday. The move will force local businesses to follow stricter pandemic guidelines, severely limiting capacity at restaurants, bars, and retail, among other restrictions.

The council says, they're aware that's bad news for the county's already-struggling economy, and they're working on several proposals to invest in local businesses and help keep them afloat.

"The news that our county will return to Phase 2 effective April 16 is discouraging. This setback is a gut-punch to all of us, especially our Pierce County businesses that made it through the winter," said Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young.

The most immediate solution could come later this week. The council says, at their next regular meeting Tuesday, they intend to take action on a $4 million quick-fix to support local businesses and non-profits. That money would come from the county’s general fund.

"We hope this helps retailers, restaurants, and fitness centers that recently expanded operations under Phase 3 to avoid layoffs and stay in business to get through what we hope is a short duration event," the council said in a news release.

The council says they are also looking at appropriating funds from the $88 million allocated to Pierce County by the American Recovery Plan Act. The county has yet to receive that money, but say they are preparing in advance to find ways it could be spent to help local recovery efforts.

Pierce County will be in Phase 2 for at least three weeks. The next statewide phase evaluation is set May 3. If the county passes, it would re-enter Phase 3 on May 7.

In order to do that, the county will need to have either a 14-day case rate lower than 200, or fewer than 5 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents in the week leading up to the review. To make that happen, the council says that, while they work on their emergency investments, residents should do their part and follow COVID-19 safety restrictions to get the county above those metrics in time for the review.

"We can all help these local businesses by continuing to support them through to-go orders, outdoor dining and by following public health safety guidelines," the agency said.

Their words were echoed Monday by Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards.

"We have changed the tide on COVID-19 cases before in Pierce County, and we must believe that we can do it again," Woodards said. "While I hope everyone eligible will continue to get vaccinated, we also need to be diligent in masking up, social distancing, and following state guidelines if we are going to slow the spread."

Related: Pierce County To Move Back Into Phase 2 This Week