Roadmap to Recovery: entire state to remain in Phase 1 until at least January 18

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that based on Governor Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery plan released earlier this week, that all eight (8) regions in Washington will remain in Phase 1 until at least Monday, January 18, 2021.

As outlined in the Governor’s COVID-19 phased recovery plan, regions must meet each of the following four metrics in order to move into Phase 2:

1. Decreasing trend of 10% or more in two-week rate of COVID-19 cases per 100k population;
2. Decreasing trend of 10% or more in two-week rate of new COVID-19 hospitalizations;
3. Less than 90% Intensive Care Unit (ICU) occupancy; and,
4. COVID-19 test positivity of less than 10%.

“When we look at the data from each one of the eight regions, we are seeing some positive trends. This is encouraging, and we are hopeful these trends will continue, and we will see regions begin to move into Phase 2 very soon,” said Deputy Secretary for COVID-19 Response Lacy Fehrenbach.

“We know that all people in Washington want to move forward as quickly as possible with respect to COVID-19. However, these metrics show that we are just not ready to do so now,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Washington’s Secretary of Health. 

“We have made progress but need to continue to work together to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 across our state.”

DOH will reassess all the metrics each week and announce any changes to current phase status every Friday. For more detailed information on where each of the eight regions falls with regards to the four metrics please visit the DOH website.