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Phase 2 by June 1 in question for state’s 3 most populated counties, rest of state

None of Western Washington’s three most populated counties – King, Pierce and Snohomish -- are ready to move into the next stage of the state’s Safe Start reopening plan by June 1 under the current criteria.

That goes for several other counties across the state as well.

Previously, officials said June 1 would be the earliest the state would move to phase 2, when Gov. Jay Inslee’s current stay-home order expires.

To move to phase 2, a county must have a daily average of 10 new coronavirus cases or less per 100,000 residents for two weeks.

King County is currently averaging 45 cases, Pierce is averaging 12 and Snohomish is averaging 19.

But on Tuesday, the state’s health secretary said it was likely that there could be a new standard for large counties, which could mean moving to the next phase faster.

“We are working right now with the governor’s office and having the conversation; looking at the data across the state in terms of where we are, and so we have not made any decisions at this point around what the exact criteria will be for moving forward,” said Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman.

Wiesman said currently, no decisions have been made.

State health officials say most of the state’s cases are currently in King and Yakima counties.

King County is moving in the right direction, but health officials want to see cases declining at a higher rate.

Yakima County’s number of cases is steadily on the rise. Earlier this month, the Washington Department of Health sent a team of infection specialists, including two CDC experts, to help control the spread of the coronavirus in the region.

According to new data released at the Institute of Disease Modeling in Bellevue, there will need to be substantial testing, contact tracing and social distancing to avoid new infections and lift restrictions in other counties.

Twenty-four of 39 counties in the state are now in phase 2 of reopening from the COVID-19 shutdown: Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Pacific, Pend Orielle, San Juan, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Whitman, Kittitas, Thurston, and Walla Walla.