Thursday, February 11, 2021

Today, Governor Inslee announced that five additional regions in the state are moving to Phase 2 as part of his Healthy Washington reopening plan. Once these regions move, seven out of eight of the state’s regions will be in Phase 2.

The North, Northwest, North Central, East and Southwest regions, as outlined in the map below, will move into Phase 2 beginning this coming Monday, February 15*. During Phase 2, indoor service is permitted at 25% capacity with restrictions. The Puget Sound and West regions are already in Phase 2.

At this time, the South Central Region remains in Phase 1, during which indoor service is not permitted. Outdoor & open air service is permitted during Phase 1, as outlined below. The South Central Region includes Kittitas, Yakima, Franklin, Benton, Walla Walla and Columbia counties.

*Although Monday was announced as the start date, the Governor might allow an earlier start to allow restaurants and hospitality industries to take advantage of Valentine’s Day weekend. Updated information will be posted on the Governor’s website as available.

Healthy Washington: Phase 1 and 2

Under these new phases, the following restrictions are in place for eating and drinking establishments:

Phase 1

1. Indoor service prohibited.
2. Outdoor and Open Air Service: 11pm close, maximum 6 per table, limit 2 households per table.

Phase 2

1. Indoor service: 25% capacity, 11pm close. maximum 6 per table, limit 2 households per table, limit 2 households per table. Food/Snacks requirements as outlined here.
2. Outdoor and Open Air Service: maximum 6 per table, limit 2 households per table.

See this chart for all of the restrictions in Phases 1 and 2.

 

Healthy Washington: Regions

The regions are mostly based on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) regions used for evaluating healthcare services. There are eight regions of four or more counties, divided according to available health care services based on metrics such as hospitalizations, case data and disease mobility.

 

Every region must meet three of the following metrics before moving to Phase 2, and to remain in Phase 2. According to the Governor’s office, the South Central region has only met two of the metrics as of this week, with increases in both the trend of new COVID-19 hospital admissions and the test positivity rate:

During the press conference today, a representative from the Department of Health spoke directly to the South Central Region metrics and acknowledged the numbers are now beginning to trend in a more positive direction. The metrics for each region will be updated every other Friday. DOH will move eligible regions into a new phase the following Monday. The next possible date for any region to move to Phase 2 or back to Phase 1 would be March 1st.

Open Air Seating Guidance and Live Music Outdoor & Open Air Seating Requirements This document outlines the guidance for Open Air and Outdoor Seating Requirements, as updated on January 19. Washington Wine Institute, Washington Brewers Guild, Washington Hospitality Association, representatives from the Liquor & Cannabis Board, Labor and Industries, and the Department of Health hosted a webinar to discuss the latest open air guidance for restaurants, wineries and breweries. You can view the webinar, recorded on January 22, here. Live Music Rules around live music and other activities in Phase 2 are being worked out now and more information will be shared as soon as possible.

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

Questions? This is an unprecedented time and we understand there are a lot of questions. Our goal is to streamline the collection of questions and capture them all in one place so that we can share your questions with the appropriate authorities and create a helpful FAQ for all wineries to utilize. We have created this simple form for you to submit your questions through, but always feel free to email us directly as well. Reopening after COVID 19 FAQ’s

We will continue to work with our industry partners to provide updates and information to best support you during this time. We continue to focus our lobbying and similar efforts on hospitality-related assistance options during the 2021 legislative session.