PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County Commissioners are expected today to discuss submitting an application on June 29 for moving to Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan.
Phase 3 would allow more businesses, such as gyms, to open, and it would allow more capacity in restaurants and bars.
County commissioners originally were set to discuss the application Friday, but they delayed the meeting due to technical difficulties. All of the county’s meetings are being held on Zoom due to COVID-19 and social distancing.
The Jefferson County Commissioners meeting will begin at 9 a.m.
As part of the discussion, the county will hear a presentation from Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke about the possibility of penalties that could be issued to individuals or businesses if they don’t wear face masks in public or if they allow people in their businesses without coverings.
Inslee issued a mask mandate Saturday for Yakima County, which is experiencing a major outbreak of COVID-19 cases.
Yakima, the eighth-most populous county in Washington with 250,000 people, has the second-most COVID-19 cases in the state with 6,359 — essentially, 1 person out of 39 in Yakima County has been infected with the virus that causes the disease.
Locke said he participated in a statewide call Saturday with state and county health officials during which the possibility was discussed that Inslee might issue a statewide masking mandate.
Jefferson County has a mandate, but no penalties are currently tied to it. Locke said he will talk with officials in the county prosecutor’s office about what civil or criminal penalties might be available to help enforce the mandate.
Locke said he expects to make a recommendation on what those penalties could be before the June 29 application to the state to move to Phase 3.
“There no penalty right now. The question is, should there be a penalty?” Locke said. “We really need people to get serious about masking.”
Locke said nearby San Juan County has instituted an enforcement policy. The San Juan County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution May 15 that stated violating the masking order is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, arrest and up to 90 days in jail.
There were no new cases reported in Jefferson County this weekend as the county had 33 cases with 30 considered to be recovered.
Clallam County remained at 34 cases, with 27 recovered.
Locke’s COVID-19 presentation before the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners is set for 9:45 a.m. There was no time specified for the discussion of applying for Phase 3 since it is a continuation of Friday’s canceled discussion. Locke expects it will be in the morning, however.
The meeting can be viewed at www.tinyurl.com/jeffcomeeting.
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Sports Editor Pierre LaBossiere can be reached by email at plabossiere@ peninsuladailynews.com.
