City of Mercer Island issued the following announcement.
On November 15 at 11:00 AM, Governor Jay Inslee announced a four-week tightening of COVID-19 restrictions that will begin Monday, November 16 at midnight.
In response to what the Governor and state officials have dubbed an “explosive situation,” the series of updated measures are aimed at pushing back this third wave of the pandemic.
Washington has “entered a phase of accelerated or exponential growth of the outbreak,” State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy said. “The number of cases reported each day in our state has more than doubled from about 1,000 cases a day reported, to more than 2,200 cases reported per day. If that doubling time continues, in two more weeks, we’ll be seeing over 4,000 cases per day.”
“Today we are in a more dangerous position than we were in March,” the Governor continued during the special weekend press conference, but he is confident that Washington can knock down the virus again. To do that, he is implementing a series of modified restrictions, including:
Social Gatherings
- Indoor gatherings with people outside the household will be prohibited unless participants:
- Quarantine for fourteen days (14) prior to the social gathering; or
- Quarantine for the seven (7) days prior to the gathering, and receive a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 48-hours prior to the gathering.
- Outdoor gatherings are limited to no more than five people.
- Only outdoor visits will be allowed.
- Indoor visits may be permitted for essential support persons or end-of-life care.
- Restaurants and bars will be closed for indoor service.
- To-go service and restricted outdoor dining allowed.
- In-store retail, including grocery stores, and personal services are limited to 25% of occupancy.
- Religious services will be limited to 25% indoor capacity or 200 people, whichever is less.
- Choirs, bands, or ensembles are prohibited from performing.
- Wedding and funeral ceremonies can go on with limited attendance – indoor receptions of any size are prohibited.
- Indoor service will be closed at fitness facilities and gyms.
- Youth and adult amateur sporting activities are limited to outdoors only with facial coverings.
- Bowling alleys, museums, zoos, aquariums, and movie theaters will be closed for indoor services.
- Outdoor recreation, including ski resorts, tennis clubs, guided activities
The restrictions are statewide and will take effect Monday, November 16 at 11:59 PM and will remain in effect until Monday, December 14. The modified restrictions of restaurants, however, will take effect Wednesday, November 18 at 12:01 AM. All new guidance is posted to this page of the Governor's website.
Original source can be found here.
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