Whitman County now in Phase Three

COLFAX — Washington advanced to Phase 3 of virus re-opening Monday.

All indoor spaces are allowed to increase capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent, including stores, restaurants and gyms. For larger spaces, crowds as large as 400 people will be permitted when masking and physical distancing is enforced.

To remain in Phase Three, Whitman County needs to have fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 people in a two-week period and less than five new hospitalizations per 100,000 people over one week.

Starting April 12, counties will be assessed every three weeks.

If a county does not reach one or more of the metrics, it will drop back a phase.

The new phase designation also returns Whitman County to its own metrics-system, following the period in which it was included in the larger Eastern Washington region.

“Welcome to Phase Three,” said Jerry Pugh, Colfax School District superintendent, to the school board Monday night. “We’re glad it’s back to county level, but WSU is spiking and we don’t want to be held accountable for WSU students.”