November 16, 2020
On Sunday, November 15, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee announced a four-week set of restrictions in response to the recent rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in Washington and across the country. The restrictions aim to slow the spread of COVID cases and to help protect vital hospital and medical systems in the state from becoming overwhelmed.
The new set of restrictions are effective from midnight tonight Monday, November 16, 2020 through December 14, 2020 in all counties in Washington.
New restrictions include the following:
- Indoor Social Gatherings with people from outside your household are prohibited unless they (a) quarantine for fourteen days (14) prior to the social gathering; or (b) quarantine for seven (7) days prior to the social gathering and receive a negative COVID19 test result no more than 48-hours prior to the gathering. A household is defined as individuals residing in the same domicile.
- Outdoor Social Gatherings shall be limited to five (5) people from outside your household.
- Restaurants and Bars are closed for indoor dine-in service. Outdoor dining and to-go service are permitted, provided that all outdoor dining must comply with the requirements of the Outdoor Dining Guidance. Table size for outdoor dining is limited to a maximum of five (5) people. These modified restaurant and bar restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2020.
- Fitness Facilities and Gyms are closed for indoor operations. Outdoor fitness classes are permitted but are subject to and limited by the outdoor social gathering restriction listed above.
- Bowling Centers are closed for indoor service.
- Miscellaneous Venues: All retail activities and business meetings are prohibited. Only professional training and testing that cannot be performed remotely, as well as all court and judicial branch-related proceedings, are allowed. Occupancy in each meeting room
is limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits or 100 people, whichever is fewer.- Miscellaneous venues include: convention/conference centers, designated meeting spaces in a hotel, events centers, fairgrounds, sporting arenas, nonprofit establishment, or a substantially similar venue.
- Movie Theaters are closed for indoor service. Drive-in movie theaters are permitted and must continue to follow current drive-in movie theater guidance.
- Real Estate: Open houses are prohibited.
- Wedding and Funerals: Ceremonies are limited to a total of no more than 30 people. Indoor receptions, wakes, or similar gatherings in conjunction with such ceremonies are prohibited.
- In-Store Retail shall be limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits, and common/congregate seating areas and indoor dining facilities such as food courts are closed.
- Religious Services are limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits, or no more than 200 people, whichever is fewer. Congregation members/attendees must wear facial coverings at all times and congregation singing is prohibited. No choir, band, or ensemble shall perform during the service. Vocal or instrumental soloists are permitted
to perform, and vocal soloists may have a single accompanist. Outdoor services must follow the Outdoor Dining Guidance, found here, applicable to the structure or facility. - Professional Services are required to mandate that employees work from home when possible and close offices to the public if possible. Any office that must remain open must limit occupancy to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits.
- Personal Services are limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits.
- Personal service providers include: cosmetologists, cosmetology testing, hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, master estheticians, manicurists, nail salon workers, electrologists, permanent makeup artists, tanning salons, and tattoo artists.
- Long-term Care Facilities: Outdoor visits are permitted. Indoor visits are prohibited, but individual exceptions for an essential support person or end-of-life care are permitted. These restrictions are also extended to the facilities in Proclamation 20-74, et seq. All other provisions of Proclamations 20-66, et seq., and 20-74, et seq., including all
preliminary criteria to allow any visitors, remain in effect. - Youth and Adult Sporting Activities: Indoor activities and all contests and games are prohibited. Outdoor activities shall be limited to intra-team practices only, with facial coverings required for all coaches, volunteers and athletes at all times.
If an activity is not listed above, per the new COVID restrictions, it should follow its current guidance.
All K12/higher education, health care, and childcare are exempt from the new restrictions and will follow current guidance. The new COVID restrictions do not apply to courts and judicial branch-related proceedings.
For more information on these new restrictions click here.
The new restrictions come as Washington is experiencing 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.
In Pierce County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reports that there were 2,545 COVID cases in the past 14-days. Pierce County has a 14-day case rate per 100,000 of 282.2. Pierce County is now the second highest county in number of cases with 12,879 cases and has had a total of 211 deaths caused by COVID. For more information on cases in Pierce County visit the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s COVID 19 dashboard, found here.
During the press conference yesterday on these new restrictions, Governors Inslee announced that the state will be committing $50 million in aid to help mitigate financial impacts on businesses and their employees. In the short term, the state is commuting $20 million be dedicated to cash assistance targeted directly to hardest hit industries. Remaining funds will be focused on supporting recovery efforts through business loans. Additional details are forthcoming.
In Lakewood, on Monday, March 16, 2020 Lakewood City Manager John J. Caulfield proclaimed a state of emergency in the city of Lakewood in response to COVID-19. The Lakewood City Council ratified the declaration at its meeting the same evening.
The City urges all residents at this time to follow the directives of the new statewide restrictions.
The City also continues to encourage residents to support one another and help neighbors or friends if they are unable to grocery shop or get items they need. We encourage residents to continue to support local business when possible, either through purchasing food to-go from restaurants that are no longer allowed to offer dine-in seating, or by other means.
The City urges its residents to find safe ways to relieve the stress and anxiety felt right now in light of the uncertainty around this situation. City parks and trails are open. Please maintain distancing and where a mask while using the City’s parks.