Inslee extends restrictions for three weeks

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that he is extending statewide restrictions on public gatherings, restaurant dining and gym use, another three weeks, until Jan. 4.

“What we do between now — when COVID activity is still at crisis levels — and the time when vaccines are widely available, is literally a matter of life and death,” Inslee said during a press conference Tuesday morning.

Inslee said the restrictions, which were initially imposed in mid-November as COVID-19 cases were rising substantially across the state, come as 80% of the state’s intensive care unit beds are currently occupied, the governor said.

“If COVID overwhelms our medical facilities, every other person with a significant medical need will be affected, not just COVID-19 patients,” Inslee said. “We are all, quite literally, in this together.”

In mid-November, Inslee ordered all restaurants closed to indoor dining, as well as closed all gyms and fitness centers, and banned all “indoor social gatherings” involving people in different households.

The restrictions were originally set to expire Dec. 14.

Republican members of the state House and Senate said the restrictions will continue to jeopardize both the mental and physical health of state residents, as well as put businesses struggling to stay afloat at risk of failure.

“Small-business owners care deeply about their customers and are trying to be safe,” the House and Senate GOP Caucus said in a statement. “Instead of unfairly restricting their ability to earn a living, we should be working with them to find ways to reduce the spread of the virus. We could achieve the same results by partnering with small business owners instead of targeting them.”

“It’s very disappointing to see someone who has been drawing a government salary through this entire hardship ordering small businesses to continue complying with restrictions that are making it hard or impossible for them to feed their families,” the statement continued. “The governor has no idea the anguish and desperation average people are feeling right now.”

In addition to closing restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and movie theaters, the restrictions also limit the size of wedding ceremonies or funerals to no more than 30 people and prohibits receptions, limits in-store retail to 25% of capacity and bans indoor visits at long-term care facilities.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at [email protected].