Washington state will move into Phase 3 of its COVID-19 recovery plan starting March 22, Gov. Jay Inslee said late last week.

Inslee also said grocery store workers, bus drivers, farm workers and others in Tier 2 of the state’s vaccination plan will be eligible to receive a COVID vaccination starting March 17.

“Because of the progress we’ve made by decreasing our case rates and hospitalizations, as well as our tremendous efforts to get more people vaccinated, our reopening plan is once again based on counties, not regions,” Inslee said during his press conference Thursday. 

“We are excited to take this step and we will keep evaluating our progress, and the impacts of these changes, to determine how and when we reopen further,” the governor added.

Under Phase 2 of Inslee’s reopening plan, in-person spectators will be allowed at sporting events, with capacity capped at 25 percent for facilities with fixed seating.

The change includes high school and professional sports, as well as other outdoor spectator events. Masks and social distancing will still be required.

Up to 400 people will be allowed to attend outdoor activities. Large venues will be capped at 25 percent occupancy, or up to 9,000 people, whichever is less.

Restaurants and other indoor spaces will be allowed to open to 50 percent occupancy, or 400 people maximum.

“Some of the hardest hit businesses in Washington will be able to return to 50 percent capacity as we continue on the road to recovery. On March 22, we make one more step to beating this virus and rejuvenating our economy,” Inslee said.

The state is also moving away from its regional approach of COVID-19 restrictions.

Inslee said counties will be individually evaluated every three weeks, and larger counties will face stricter metrics in determining the recovery phase they should be in. 

Smaller counties must maintain a 14-day average of 30 or fewer new cases of COVID-19, and a new seven-day hospitalization average at three or fewer.

Others in Tier 2 for vaccinations also include workers in agriculture, food processing, firefighters and law enforcement, and people over the age of 16 who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high-risk.

Jefferson County commissioners were excited by the announcement.

“The prioritization of front-line workers and public facing civil servants is great news,” said Commissioner Greg Brotherton.

“The recognition of the strong progress Washington and Jefferson County are making against the transmission of COVID-19 is appropriate,” he said.

The work is not done, however, and vigilance is still needed, Brotherton added.

“In Jefferson County we need to continue to embrace reasonable mitigations so we can continue on this path to fully re-opening.  Are we ready for Phase 3? Absolutely. Does it mean we’re out of the woods?  

“No. We need to remain vigilant even as the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer,” Brotherton said. 

Commissioner Kate Dean agreed.

“I am thrilled that we’ve gone almost a week and a half without a new case,” Dean said.

“Given the progress we’ve made statewide, I’m so glad we can relax some restrictions. But the important thing is to stick with all we’ve learned in the last year and continue to be safe so that we don’t go backwards, either in terms of case count or reopening.

“Most exciting to me is that the metrics for re-opening are moved back to a county-by-county basis, not regions,” Dean said.  “So Jefferson County really gets to determine its own fate, and I hope that we will continue to do as good a job as we have recently.”