SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward joined Up with KREM Wednesday morning to talk about how she thinks Spokane's first weekend in Phase 2 went for small businesses and customers.
The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
KREM's Jen York: How do you think Spokane's first weekend went in Phase 2?
Mayor Nadine Woodward: I think it went quite well. We got the news right about the time we wanted to, before the long Memorial Day Weekend, and just visiting some of the businesses Friday that had been waiting, and that I had conversations with, they were just so happy to open the doors.
Friday was kind of a slow roll for a lot of people, because they hadn't heard that businesses were open, that we're in Phase 2, but by the weekend things definitely picked up.
I'll just say, it's so nice to see more people downtown, and businesses open. For the last eight to ten weeks, downtown has been a ghost town.
I heard from one employee who said I'm so glad that my employer could open his doors, he was on the verge of declaring bankruptcy, so it's really good news for a lot of people.
York: What safety measures have you seen in place at local businesses?
Woodward: Well the good thing, is before we found out on Friday, that we could move into Phase 2, the state had released guidelines for several different business sectors including salons and restaurants.
So while we waited for approval from the Health Secretary, they spent last week getting themselves prepared, so getting their PPE, and Plexiglas that they could use between customers, and employees, and between booths, and single use menus, or putting menus under the glass on tables.
All the things they were required to do they were able to, to be ready for when they could open their doors.
York: After Spokane County moved into Phase 2, we saw a double digit increase in cases. How can the county ensure it's safe for people to go out? Could we potentially be moving back into Phase 1?
Woodward: I am getting some feedback from people who are concerned with those numbers... but the good thing is, even those cases we're hearing about increasing - they are contained, so that's what we're looking for.
Now that we're in Phase 2, we have three times as many contact tracers as we did in Phase 1. That means when there is a case that we can contact people that they've been in contact with, and isolate or contain that spread.
If our spread becomes a community spread and not contained, that becomes an issue, as well as the death rate going up, or our hospitalizations going up, which has not happened.
York: If community spread did go up, could we go back to Phase 1?
Woodward: That is a possibility, and our numbers are being closely watched by the Health Secretary and by the governor, so they are on it every single day. But as of yesterday, our Health Officer, Dr. Bob Lutz, from the Health District, did say we're not in risk of going to Phase 2, because we've been able to, as he will say, "box in the virus," that makes a huge difference.
York: What grade would you give the public when it comes to social distancing and mask guidelines?
Woodward: I would give our community a B+.
When I'm out and about, I really see about 50 percent of people wearing masks, and 50 percent who aren't. I just can't express how important it is to be vigilant about wearing masks and doing all the things that we did in the ten weeks that led us here - that got us to move to Phase 2.
Now, it's wearing masks as directed by our health district, especially in contained places where we can't be six feet apart, but also keeping the social distancing, washing hands regularly, staying home when you're not feeling well, those are all things we need to get used to, that need to be a part of our normal life now so that we don't risk going back to Phase 1.
York: What improvements do you need to see before we move into phase 3, and how long will it be before we get to that point?
Woodward: Our Health Secretary indicated that we would not be able to move to phase 3 before three weeks, and from what I understand, the criteria has not been established yet for phase 3.
As long as we continue to do the things that we are doing now... we are on the road to moving to Phase 3 by June 12.
York: From what I'm gathering it seems like it's now up to the public to stay safe and make sure we're following the guidelines.
Woodward: Absolutely I mean, we all have a responsibility, each and every one of us, and we have all along. We have the opportunity to make the absolute biggest impact to keep ourselves healthy, to keep our neighbors healthy, and to keep our communities healthy.
Also I just want to say, when we go in and we frequent businesses that are open, and they're following all the guidelines that the state has handed down to them, I just ask the public to be respectful of those guidelines.
Oftentimes when you walk into a business, you're going to be required to wear a mask. They may have sanitizer for you to use at the door. There may be a sign with protocol for you to follow... The businesses, they want you inside their stores, their restaurant, their salon, so just be respectful so that we can keep our people working, we can keep our business owners with doors open and so that we can move on to phase 3 but with a very healthy, careful and safe manor.