OLYMPIA, WA – Governor Jay Inslee announced new COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday to slow the spread of coronavirus at college residential facilities, including face masks in living spaces, limits on visitors, and on the number of people allowed in sleeping rooms.

“We’ve just got to get these spikes under control,” Inslee said during the afternoon news conference.

He cited 800 new coronavirus cases tracing back to college dorms and apartments at the University of Washington campus, Washington State University and at other colleges statewide.

As of Monday, 601 University of Washington students have been diagnosed with coronavirus, including 295 cases at 18 fraternities and sororities on the university’s Greek row, which Inslee addressed today.

Washington State University administrators have been cracking down on large parties.

The new mandates announced Tuesday by Inslee include:

• Face masks are required at all times at college residential facilities, except outside dorms or bedrooms.
• No more than two people are allowed per bedroom – no congregate sleeping porches are allowed.
• Visitation is limited to five people outside of the house at one time (must be masked and physically distanced).
• Only one visitor is allowed in a dorm or bedroom (must be masked and physically distanced).
• Only five people or visitors are allowed at one time in one place. He said there will be no Apple Cup watching with more than five people (must be masked and physically distanced).
• Colleges must provide isolation and quarantine facilities to Greek system houses, off-campus congregate houses, students living in dorms and personnel if they don’t have a place to go.
• For institutions without residential facilities, plans must be developed with the relevant local health jurisdiction to address isolation and/or quarantine needs among any of their staff and students who are unable to isolate or quarantine in their usual residence.
• All meals must follow current guidance – grab-and-go or single tables.
• The new measures also include suggestions on public safety enforcement agency partnerships.

The Department of Health warns of a possible new wave of infections this Fall and Winter if people do not take necessary precautions.

OLYMPIA — Governor Jay Inslee announced today that five counties east of the Cascade Mountains will advance to the second phase in his four-part state reopening plan.

Those five counties — Yakima, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, and Franklin — have stayed for months in a modified first phase, which is the most restrictive of Inslee’s pandemic emergency plan that locks down many businesses, social activities and social events.

It’s the first major movement forward since Inslee put his entire county-by-county plan on hold amid a statewide spike in corona virus cases.

These five counties were major corona virus hot spots this summer as Yakima County ranked among the nation’s most severely afflicted, and was the first area to require a face mask mandate. Days following, Inslee issued a statewide face mask mandate.

Inslee praised people in those communities for tamping down the spread of the virus, including through the use of facial coverings.

“And as a result of masking up, they have knocked down these numbers down dramatically,” Inslee said.

He told Washingtonians to keep masking up, and said those who don’t wear masks are “irresponsible” and even encouraged families to wear masks in their homes. Inslee also noted that cases continue to spike in Clark and Spokane counties. 

In today’s Clark County Public Health update another 23 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and one person has died – a man in his 80s with no underlying health conditions. To date, 3,979 Clark County residents have tested positive and 64 people have died.

The current incidence of new COVID-19 cases in Clark County is 100.1 cases per 100,000 residents over 14 days. That’s an increase from last week (95.6 cases per 100,000), and means Clark County remains in the “high” range under the state’s school reopening guidance.

Currently, Clark County has 135 active cases. 

“The number of active cases reflects the number of confirmed cases who are currently in their isolation period. For most people, isolation is based on when symptoms began, not when they received the positive test result. Some individuals learn they are COVID-19 positive and only have a few days of isolation remaining,” said Marissa Armstrong, of Clark County Public Health.

There are 20 COVID-19 patients and nine persons under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19 hospitalized.