Phase 3 begins on March 22 for the entire state

March 19, 2021 - WWI News

On March 11th, the Governor announced that on Monday, March 22, the entire state will move to Phase 3 of his Healthy Washington reopening plan.

 

During Phase 3, wineries and tasting rooms are permitted to offer on premise service at 50% capacity. Physical distancing and masking protocols must still be enforced. Additionally, alcohol service must end at midnight, and there is still a minimal food requirement for indoor service (see below). Additional information including table size will be released next week, and we will share the full guidance as it becomes available. 

 

The 50% capacity allowance is for up to 400 people maximum. Larger venue events, including baseball games and other sports, are capped at 25% occupancy or up to 9,000 people, whichever is less

 

Healthy Washington Phase 3 Reopening Metrics

 

Under the updated plan, the metrics of counties, not regions, will be individually evaluated every three weeks. The evaluations will occur on Mondays with any possible changes taking effect Friday. Large and small counties will have different sets of criteria, as seen below. If any county fails one or more of the metrics below, that county will move down one phase.

 

 

Vaccine Eligibility Update

The Governor also announced a revised start date for all WA residents that fall into Phase 1B – Tier 2 of the vaccine rollout will now become eligible on Wednesday March 17.
As food processors and for those owning vineyards, some employees involved on the production and vineyards sides of the business will qualify for eligibility in Phase 1B – Tier 2. This includes employees engaged in activities that meet the following criteria:

  1. Congregate agriculture–specifically those who work and/or live in a congregate setting interacting with a high volume of co-workers (vs. animals) over extended periods of time (i.e., >3 hours in 24 hour day). Relevant roles are more likely to include crop selection, production and packaging vs. equipment maintenance
  2. Congregate food processing–specifically those who work and/or live in a congregate setting interacting with high volume of co-workers over extended periods of time (i.e.,>3 hours in 24 hour day).

The WA Department of Health has an online tool where you can check your vaccine eligibility. You can find the full framework for vaccine allocation and prioritization here.

Open Air Seating Guidance, Live Music, and Food Requirements

 

 Outdoor & Open Air Seating Requirements


This document outlines the guidance for Open Air and Outdoor Seating Requirements, as updated on January 19.
Live Music
The guidance for live music can be found here. Dancing is prohibited except in a minimal and prescriptive fashion at weddings.

 Food/snacks Requirements
There is still a food/snacks requirement for indoor service, although it was updated on March 5. The new guidance requires either minimal food/snacks service or an allowance for food to be brought in from a restaurant. Please note that no longer are both required.

 

COVID 19 Operations Best Practices

State leaders worked with Byron Marlow, Professor of Hospitality Management at WSU, to put together a comprehensive list of guidelines and suggested best practices for wineries. These best practices apply for both indoor and outdoor service. 

  1. Washington Winery COVID 19 Reopening Requirements Guidelines and Best Practices.
  2. Washington Winery COVID 19 Supplement Response Operations Checklist.
  3. Washington Winery COVID 19 Supplement Response Posters.
  4. Voluntary Customer Log Template