WHITMAN COUNTY, Wash. — Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved Whitman County to move into Phase 3 of Governor Jay Inslee's safe start plan.
As of June 4, 2020 Whitman county has 20 confirmed cases and no coronavirus-related deaths. 18 of the 20 total cases have recovered and two are stable and isolating at home.
Businesses must operate under the Governor's Phase 3 guidelines.Businesses in Phase 3 include movie theaters, libraries, and museums. Those businesses may only reopen after Washington state publishes its guidelines for Whitman County, according to a press release from the Washington State Department of Health.
Director of Whitman County Public Health Troy Henderson anticipates those guidelines to be posted Saturday. With Whitman County entering Phase 3, there are now eight counties across Washington State in Phase 3.
On Friday Whitman County submitted an application to move from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of Washington State's reopening plan.
Whitman County Public Health and Board of County Commissioners submitted the request to the State Secretary of Health.
According to the Whitman County Director of Public Health Troy Henderson, 18 of the county's total 20 those have recovered, and two are stable and isolating at home.
Whitman county was approved to move into Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan on May 15, making the county eligible to advance on June 5.
In order to move forward, the county was required to have less than 25 cases per 100,000 people in a two week period. Whitman County had two cases over a two week period per 50 thousand people, according to the health department.
Whtiman County also met the requirements for healthcare system readiness, testing, case and contact investigations, and protecting high risk populations, according to the County's Phase 3 application.
