An increase in new COVID-19 cases has persuaded Spokane County Commissioners and Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward to backtrack on their previous attempt to relax pandemic restrictions.
As early as last week, commissioners and Woodward were requesting that health officials allow Spokane County to immediately move to Phase 3 of the governor’s reopening plan. But in Friday’s interviews, they said the cases should be dropped and that more people should follow security measures before again advocating for a further reopening.
Last week, Dr. Bob Lutz, Spokane County Health Officer, did not consider county commissioners’ request to immediately begin the process to move the county to Phase 3 of reopening, citing evidence of community spread. Since Lutz rejected the commissioners’ request, there have been 274 new cases.
Spokane County Commissioner Al French said commissioners were having a “continuing conversation” with health officials about the new cases and the hospital’s capacity, and said he does not plan to push for the reopening for at least a couple of weeks.
“We are working on a case-by-case basis until we see progress and a drop in numbers,” he said. “So we will go ahead and make another request, but I don’t see that happening in the next week or so.”
Meanwhile, he urged everyone to take safety precautions and wear a mask.
“I think the most important thing to be aware of is to wear the mask and try to reduce these numbers so that we can reopen our businesses.”
Without more people physically distancing themselves, covering their faces and following the guidance for Phase 2, Lutz said residents can expect to stay in the governor’s reopening phases. As is, hospitalizations have doubled in the past two weeks and case counts have skyrocketed.
“We are not going to enter Phase 3 any time soon,” Lutz said.
In fact, while going back a phase is unlikely, a stricter application of the use of facial covers could be just around the corner. Governor Jay Inslee and Health Secretary John Wiesman visited Spokane on Thursday, and the governor warned that an order similar to the one issued in Yakima County is possible here. In Yakima County, businesses cannot serve customers without facial coatings.
On Friday, the statewide Wiesman masking order went into effect, requiring Washingtonians to wear face covers when they are in public, both indoors and outdoors, when it is not possible to physically distance themselves at least six feet from others.
Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney said the sheer number of new cases is troubling and that people should take precautions when they can, and wear facial covering when they are around other people, including a scarf if they are not comfortable with the masks.
Kuney said he did not have a specific date he planned to push to reopen, saying it would depend on the advice of the health officer and hospitals, as well as the number of new cases.
“I think it is continuous monitoring of the situation,” he said. “You have to look at the numbers on an average of 14 days. I don’t think you can say any time period until we can get our numbers back.”
Just 10 days ago, Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward supported the county commissioner’s request to move to Phase 3. But on Friday, she said that while she anticipated an increase in the number of cases that would increase due to tracking and evidence of robust contacts, the recent increase in hospitalizations is “worrying”.
“We don’t want to see that increase, and I think our hospitals are very concerned,” Woodward said.
Woodward said he understands the need many feel to move to Phase 3, especially given that Spokane is surrounded by counties that are already in Phase 3 and borders a state with fewer restrictions. But the fastest way to get there, she emphasized, is to wear a mask. She encouraged residents to use one and local businesses to demand that customers wear one to receive the service.
When local officials met with Inslee on Friday, Woodward said the main issue was the mask order, and said the governor leaned on them to help foster compliance.
When Woodward posted on Facebook about skins earlier this week, he received around 1,400 responses, more than ever before, he said. Most commentators opposed wearing a mask, and the overriding reason was that people did not want the government to tell them what to do.
“I understand that, but we are talking about a health pandemic like we have never seen before and sometimes more extraordinary measures must be taken … I do not know anyone who likes to wear a mask, but for me it is a small sacrifice so that we can get to the next phase, “Woodward said.
