In light of the expected (yet still alarming) rise in Washington state Covid-19 cases during this Fall season, Governor Jay Inslee announced on Sunday that new state-wide restrictions will be placed on business and other social activities to try and slow down Washington’s third wave of COVID-19 growth during the pandemic. Most of the restrictions will take effect on November 16th and are expected to last for four weeks until December 14th. Restaurants, bars, and other dine-in services will have an extra day to prepare, with their restrictions starting on Wednesday, November 18th.

The new restrictions on businesses include:

• Restaurants and bars must close any indoor dine-in service, but outdoor service may continue provided that they comply with the Dining Guidance.
• Professional services employees must work from home when possible and close offices to the public. If they remain open, occupancy is restricted to 25%.
• Indoor retail and grocery stores will be limited to 25% occupancy.
• Gyms and fitness centers are closed for indoor activities. Outdoor activities may still take place, but are limited to five people from outside a household.
• Movie theaters are closed for indoor showings.
• Religious services will be limited to 25% occupancy or 200 people, whichever is less.

You can read more about the new statewide restrictions here.

Governor Inslee also announced that another $50 million in federal grants and loans will be made available to businesses and workers before the end of the year, and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan joined Governor Inslee’s press conference to announce that a new small business relief package would also be on the way with direct financial aid to small businesses in Seattle. We will provide an update on the details of Washington’s and Seattle’s aid packages as soon as they become available.

Enlist Help

At Equinox, our team can assist you with determining measures your business needs to take to remain compliant, how to handle situations where employees are violating policy, and policy development for face coverings and other COVID-19 regulations. Contact us today to get started.

Legal Disclaimer: This article contains general information. Do not view this article as legal advice. Talk with counsel familiar with your unique business needs before taking or refraining from any action.