Pierce County Will Re-Enter Phase 3 Next Week Under Inslee's Plan

TACOMA, WA — After nearly a month stuck in Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington plan, an end is in sight for Pierce County.

Gov. Jay Inslee has announced Thursday that, as part of his new timeline for fully reopening Washington state, Pierce County will be moved back into Phase 3 this coming Tuesday, as will all other counties that had previously been rolled back into Phase 2.

"On Tuesday next week, every county will have the opportunity to be in Phase 3 of Healthy Washington, including those who are currently in Phase 2," Inslee said. "So, we will have a consistent statewide pattern based on state restrictions."

Following that, all of Washington will fully reopen on June 30, possibly earlier if the vaccination rate increases.

"That will mean on June 30 we will have full capacity for our restaurants, our movie theaters, our bowling alleys, you name it," Inslee said. "This full reopening can happen earlier...if we obtain 70 percent Washingtonians who are over the age of 16 who have at least initiated their first dose of the vaccine before then."

Pierce County was first pushed back into the second phase on April 16, a move that reimposed several pandemic safety restrictions, cutting capacity at restaurants and retailers and closing down some industries outright. The move back into Phase 3 means that most indoor activities can resume at 50 percent capacity.

The governor says the move was made possible thanks to plateauing or declining case counts across the state, and will free Washingtonians to focus on the next hurdle: getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

“What we know now gives us the confidence to close this chapter in this pandemic and begin another,” Inslee said at a press conference Thursday. “This next part of our fight to save lives in Washington will focus on increasing vaccination rates and continuing to monitor variants of concern as we move toward reopening our state.”

Inslee's move was met by a strong positive reception from local leaders, many of whom had publicly expressed concerns about the economic damage the Phase 2 rollback had had on Pierce County businesses.

"I appreciate the State of Washington’s willingness to re-evaluate the metrics guiding our COVID-19 response, as vaccination has become more broadly available and accessible across our community," said Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards in a statement. "This will open up opportunities to uplift our businesses and engage in activities that benefit our mental health. At the same time, it is important that we each remain keenly aware of our continued responsibilities to protect our own health, and the health of others, while COVID-19 numbers remain high in our region. As we look ahead, I hope the expanded activities becoming available will provide greater incentive for everyone and their loved ones to get vaccinated."

Read more: Washington Will Fully Reopen June 30 Or Earlier