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Washington Counties Ready To Apply To Level Three

Washington Department of Health

The Board of Health for Washington’s three northeast counties voted today [Tuesday] to apply for phase three of the state’s four-phase coronavirus reopening protocol.

Tomorrow [Wednesday] is the first day for Washington counties to apply. They must have spent a full three weeks in phase two before they can apply to move up.

Tri-County Health District Administrator Matt Schanz says he’s pulling together the relevant documents to submit them on Wednesday. Stevens technically isn’t eligible yet, but will be in a few days. As with the application for level two, it’s applying at the same time as its neighbors, Ferry and Pend Oreille.

Also eligible to apply are Lincoln, Garfield and Columbia counties. No word yet whether they’ll also submit their paperwork to the state Health Secretary John Wiesman tomorrow.

“One of the things that we’ll be looking at on phase three applicants is what’s happened in the last three weeks in their communities as more businesses have opened up," he said.

Wiesman says he’s also interested in hearing the lessons learned by the first counties to open up, details that might help other counties as they advance to the next level.