Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes information on King County’s approval to move to a modified Phase 1.5, a new public health dashboard for cities, a call for unity, and more.



In 1969 when black Americans were still prevented from swimming alongside whites, Mr. Rogers decided to invite Officer Clemmons to join him and cool his feet in a pool, attacking a well-known color barrier.

King County Approved for Phase 1.5

King County’s variance application to enter into Phase 1.5 has been approved by state regulators. This means immediate changes to guidance in King County regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, drafted by the King County Council and Executive Dow Constantine, allows limited and modified openings for a wide range of businesses, recreation, and personal activities in King County. Restaurants and retailers will be able to serve customers in their establishments (with capacity constraints). The plan also calls for local public health officials to monitor transmission trends, medical capacity and other key indicators to help inform further reopening decisions. Below is an overview of what’s happening in key business sectors in King County.

• Restaurants:

o Outdoor dining activities are allowed at 50% capacity with all tables and chairs maintaining 6 feet of distance, though additional seating will be allowed provided it follows public health guidelines. Restaurants will also need to go through the normal process within their city – or King County if the establishment is located within unincorporated King County – to seek approval to expand outdoor seating.

o Indoor dining services may operate at 25% of capacity, provided tables and chairs are more than 6 feet away from each other.

• In-Store Retail

o All activities allowed but an establishment’s occupancy should not be higher than 25% of capacity.

o Businesses are directed to provide signage encouraging indoor visits to be less than 30 minutes, with face to face interactions limited to 30 minutes.

• Construction

o All construction, including those activities for which social distancing may not be maintained and the start of new construction projects, is authorized to resume.

You can learn more about the full application and other guidelines for recreation, fitness gatherings, and more here. In addition, if you have specific questions, you are encouraged to call the business & community compliance line at 206-296-1608.



Today, I had the opportunity to enjoy outdoor dining at the Chopped Leaf in Federal Way with Mayor Jim Ferrell.

New Public Health Dashboard for King County

The daily summary dashboard hosted by Seattle – King County Public Health now includes additional information. In particular, it includes city and neighborhood level data and trends. Unincorporated areas and sub-regions can also see the trends in their areas. You can view the new dashboard at this link.

Longtime Mariners Head Groundskeeper Retires

Bob Christofferson has been the head groundskeeper for the Seattle Mariners since 2000. Earlier this week, he announced his retirement. Bob’s career is a testament to service in sports, and I wanted to share the profile of him by Larry Stone. You can read more here.

King County Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 63 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 8,396. In addition, they reported 2 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 566.

Paraprosdokians are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected, usually in a humorous way. In fact, Sir Winston Churchill loved them. I am including some of these figures of speech in my updates, so we can all keep our minds sharp, and hopefully find some humor as well.

Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember