New restictions limit retail, gatherings, and other areas statewide

Four weeks of new statewide restrictions begin this week in response to the recent spread of COVID-19 virus in Washington.

In an address on Sunday, Governor Jay Inslee announced that the restrictions are statewide and will take effect Monday, November 16 at 11:59 PM and will remain in effect until Monday, December 14. 

Modified restrictions of restaurants, however, will take effect Wednesday, November 18 at 12:01 AM.

The new restrictions come as Washington sees consistent increasing daily case counts, with over 2,000 cases a day over the weekend and average cases in the state doubling over the past two weeks.

“This spike puts us in a more dangerous a position as we were in March,” Inslee said during a press conference Sunday. “And it means, unfortunately, the time has come to reinstate restrictions on activities statewide to preserve the public’s well-being, and to save lives. These were very difficult decisions that have very real consequences to people’s livelihoods. I recognize that and don’t take those impacts lightly, but we must act now and act quickly to slow the spread of this disease.”

Restrictions include:

• Indoor gatherings prohibited with people outside your household, unless there is a 14-day quarantine or 7-day quarantine period and a negative COVID-19 test
• Outdoor gatherings limited to 5 outside your household
• Restaurants
  • Closed for indoor service
  • Outdoor dining and to-go service allowed
  • Table size limited to 5 for outdoor
• No indoor fitness facilities or gyms. Outdoor limited to 5 people.
• Youth and adult amateur sports limited to outdoors only with facial coverings
• Bowling, museums, zoos, aquariums, and movie theaters closed for indoor services
• No real estate open houses
• In-store retail limited to 25% indoor occupancy. No seating areas or food courts.
• Religious Services
  • Limited to 25% occupancy or no more than 200 people, whichever is fewer
  • No choir, band, or ensemble performances. Soloists permitted
  • No congregational singing
  • Face covereings required at all times
  • Weddings/funerals allowed. Ceremonies limited to 30 people. Receptions prohibited indoors. 
• Professional services
  • Must work from home when possible
  • Offices are restricted to 25% occupancy and closed to public.
• Personal services are limited to 25% max occupancy.
• Long-term care facilities limited to outdoor visits only. Indoor allowed for essential support or end-of-life care.

Activities not included in the modified restrictions should follow current guidance. All K-12/higher education, child care, and courts and court-related proceedings are exempt from the new restrictions.

“We understand that this is both an economic and a public health crisis. We do not take lightly the impact these restrictions will have on local businesses, many of which have already had a very difficult year. You are not alone, and we will continue to provide supports,” Inslee said.

“There is light at the end of this tunnel. We will continue to fight, adapt and persevere. It may be months before we’re totally out of the clear, but medical advances are putting us closer to the goal of restoring all activities eventually. For now, we have to keep everyone’s interests in mind and take steps that protect all Washingtonians.”

Employment Security Department Commissioner, Suzi LeVine, released a statement on Sunday, following Gov. Inslee’s announcement .

“With Governor Inslee’s announcement this morning, the Employment Security Department stands ready to assist any affected Washington workers while we all strive to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Whether customers need to restart their claim or are coming to us for the first time, all the information they need can be found at esd.wa.gov. While there will always be new challenges to address, we have learned much throughout this crisis that will help in the weeks and months ahead. We have updated our information, increased our staff, clarified claimant questions and upgraded our technology to handle this demand.”

The full proclamation is available here.

The full guidance page is available here.

You can watch the full press conference on TVW here.