The Washington State Department of Health released Updated Safe Start Guidelines for Benton, Franklin, Yakima, Chelan and Douglas counties who are still in “Modified Phase 1”:https://coronavirus.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/Central%20WA%20Modified%201.5_Changes_0.pdfThe Department Of Health also released New Negative Testing Metric guidelines: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/Articles/ID/1331/Washington-state-changes-negative-test-reporting-for-COVID-19. DOH will be updating figures for all counties relating to this 5th metric. Reviewing the State’s Online Dashboard, it continues to be evident that 12 counties currently in Phase 3 and 11 counties currently in Phase 2 are only meeting 2 of the metrics designated by Governor Jay Inslee to move forward in Phased Re-Opening Safe Start Plan. https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/covid-19-risk-assessment-dashboard. Due to Governor Inslee’s pause, #YakimaCounty continues to be stuck in Modified Phase 1, though we are now seeing positive cases and hospitalizations decline while other counties enjoying much more freedom to operate businesses and have group activities are seeing a rise in their positive test rates. What are your thoughts on our inability to move forward and how it is negatively impacting our local economy?Email Governor Inslee: https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-messageEmail DOH: https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/opinio/s?s=DOHFeedback
