New virus case as county moves into Phase 2

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A new case of coronavirus was confirmed just a day before Jefferson County officially moved into the full Phase 2 of the governor’s “Safe Start” reopening plan June 1.

The new case was discovered May 31 and is the first pediatric case in Jefferson County. The patient was tested at Jefferson Healthcare’s drive-through clinic prior to a scheduled surgery.

“These are cases we very much want to find because they can lead us to others that could potentially spread throughout the community,” said Public Health Officer Tom Locke.

This is Jefferson County’s 31st case of coronavirus, and it comes as health officials are preparing for rapid contact tracing and investigations as more  businesses reopen.

Because Jefferson County took a regional approach to moving to Phase 2 — waiting to reopen camping, retail, restaurants and real estate offices until both Clallam and Kitsap counties did — more businesses are now able to reopen, including restaurants with dine-in seating, real estate offices and retail shops.

Kitsap County’s application for Phase 2 included reopening all activities, including retail and restaurants at 50 percent capacity.

Clallam County approved all Phase 2 activities except camping, which means both Jefferson and Clallam counties will not reopen overnight camping until the entire state does.

All businesses must follow state guidelines on reopening, which can be found on the governor’s website.

Meanwhile, all individuals are now required to wear masks in public if they cannot maintain 6-foot physical distance from others.

“COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets and aerosols,” Locke wrote in his announcement of the masking directive May 28. “Cloth facial masks are an effective way of trapping the respiratory droplets and aerosols and preventing the spread of respiratory infections, including coronavirus.”

But to be effective, a high percentage of people must wear masks while in public, he said.

“Arguing that you have a right not to wear a mask when in close proximity to others is arguing that you have the right to expose them to an infection that can have deadly consequences,” Locke wrote.

The directive also asks business owners and operators to require customers to wear masks inside their business. This does not apply to restaurants, bars or taverns while customers are eating or drinking.

Businesses, ports and marinas in Jefferson County must also post notice at entry points indicating that wearing cloth face masks is required inside businesses in the county. The notices must be posted no later than seven days after Jefferson County begins full implementation of Phase 2 of the governor’s “Safe Start” plan for reopening.

On May 29, Gov. Jay Inslee doubled down on the new mask requirements. He announced that beginning June 8, all employees will be required to wear a cloth facial covering, except when working alone in an office, vehicle or at a job site, or when the job has no in-person interaction. Employers must provide cloth facial coverings to employees, unless their exposure dictates a higher level of protection under the Department of Labor and Industries’ safety and health rules and guidance.

As of June 1, the health department has conducted 1,835 coronavirus tests in Jefferson County.

In his weekly report to the Jefferson County commissioners, Locke said the department is doing more intensive testing of nursing homes and testing nursing home staff every two weeks.

The county has to be able to show it can control any increased disease transmission that occurs as a result of the reopening of business before moving to the next phase of the Inslee’s “Safe Start” plan.

There must be a minimum of three weeks between the phases, so Jefferson County will not be eligible to move to Phase 3 for at least another two weeks, Locke said.

“Everybody is excited about reopening,” Locke said. “It’s something as a society we want to do. But we aren’t going to do it with magical thinking; we’re going to do it with sound science and we’re going to do it by coming together as a community.” he said.