Governor Inslee Addresses Transition Plan

During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Governor Jay Inslee commended Washingtonians on their sacrifices so far in the face of the coronavirus shutdown, while hinting at his office's process for re-opening the state.

Inslee said that Washington's social distancing effort must first be successful enough to where officials can be confident the curve won't rebound. They can then move to a second stage where there is a more individualized effort with rapid testing and isolation.

"When your house is on fire and you call the fire department, they come very rapidly." Inslee stated, "We need the same type of response, where a person with symptoms can call, get tested immediately, be isolated immediately, and we can contract trace. Go to all the people they have contacted who potentially could have had the virus transmitted to them."

According to Inslee, officials are working with the construction industry to try to figure out how to transition back to work in the safest way possible.

"Usually when you let up on the pedal of a car, you slow down. That's not what happens in this case." Inslee continued, "If you let off the pedal of social distancing, you go backwards and fatalities increase. We cannot accept that."

Inslee added that elective procedures will still be banned in the state as long as Washington is experiencing a shortage in personal protective equipment (PPE).