County moves to Phase 2 reopening

DAVENPORT - Restaurants, barbers, nail salons and retail stores are among businesses preparing to open as guidelines are issued by the state Department of Health under Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 reopening plan.

Businesses are not allowed to open until these guidelines are announced. The guidelines, how-ever, involve more than keeping people six feet away from each other. The first set of Phase 2 guidelines that has been released is for restaurants.

In addition to social distancing requirements-including serving to only 50% capacity- restaurants are required to keep a log of all of their customers for 30 days. This log must include name and contact information for customers and what time they were at the restaurant. Gov. Inslee said the purpose of the log is to make it easy to contact people should a resident test positive who had vis- ited the establishment.

"We want to be able to open restaurants," Inslee said at a press conference Tuesday. "People are anxious for that and we want to do some common-sense things so that if someone does have an infection at a restaurant, we will be able to save other patrons' lives."

Other guidelines for restaurants require hand sanitizer be available for staff and patrons, bar seating remain closed and no table may have more than five people at it. Menus and condiments must also be single use.

Davenport restaurants are reviewing the guidelines before deciding whether to open table service in their dining rooms.

A message on the Tribune Smokehouse's Facebook page says they plan on opening soon.

"We must be able to meet [Inslee's] requests so we are working on getting things in order as soon as possible," the post reads.

Shantelle Coolidge of Edna's Drive In said her dining room will be closed at least through summer, regardless of what the state allows.

"Until we can guarantee we can be safe, our dining room is staying closed," Coolidge said.

El Ranchito opened a few tables in its dining room Wednesday.

Retail stores

On Tuesday, Inslee announced guidelines for in-store retail businesses. These include things such as limiting the buildings to 30% capacity, having distance markers on the floor and performing routine cleaning and sanitizing.

In addition, both restaurants and stores must "screen employees for signs/symptoms of COVID-19 at start of shift." If an employee is sick, management must send them home.

No guidelines for hair or nail salons had been issued as of press time.

Lincoln County is one of five counties that the state Department of Health approved Friday to move to Phase 2 of Inslee's plan to reopen the state economy, Health Administrator Ed Dzedzy confirmed last week.

Dzedzy said businesses are more than ready to start up.

"We get calls from them routinely," Dzedzy said.

Phase 2 also allows gatherings of up to five people. Dzedzy said that while moving to Phase 2 is welcomed news for many, several safe practices should still be in use.

"It is still critical for our people, our residents of Lincoln County, to abide by the basic prin- ciples we started with," Dzedzy said. "Like washing your hands, wearing a face mask, social distancing, covering your cough and staying home if you're sick."