The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—On Monday, the county Board of Health accepted a recommendation from the Columbia County Medical Director, Dr. Larry Jecha, to apply for Phase 3 of Governor Jay Inslee’s four-phase coronavirus recovery plan, and the Board of County Commissioners adopted that recommendation.

“I see no reason for you in Columbia County not to go to Phase 3,” said Dr. Jecha at the meeting of the BOCC.

Jecha said he was basing his recommendation on adequate hospital preparedness and no new cases of COVID-9 since last March.

“Fifty people is the magic number,” Public Health Director Martha Lanman said about the difference between being in Phase 2 and Phase 3.

During Phase 3 the following activities will be permitted:

• Professional sports without audience participation.

• Outdoor recreation/sports activities (limited to groups of no more than 50 people).

• Restaurants operating at less than 75 percent capacity with a table of fewer than ten guests.

• Gyms at less than 50 percent capacity.

• Movie theaters at less than 50 percent capacity.

•Customer facing government services (with continued telework encouraged).

• Libraries.

• Museums.

• All other business activities not yet listed except for nightclubs and events with greater than 50 people.

• Social gatherings of up to 50 people.

• Resume nonessential travel

High risk populations should continue to 'Stay Home, Stay Healthy.'

Lanman said she will finish the application and send it to the state Secretary of Health on Tuesday of this week, and she hopes to hear good news at the first of next week.