Inslee Raises Concerns Over Chelan/Douglas Phase Proposal

Governor Jay Inslee spoke briefly at the end of his news conference Wednesday regarding the Chelan-Douglas Health District's modified Phase 1 proposal, saying that it is still under review by the Department of Health.

Inslee stated his administration is considering whether or not the area has adequate enough protections for agricultural workers in place. He also questioned if there was adequate and regular testing in facilities that have had outbreaks.

Inslee said, "We also need to be confident that we have the full measures of protection we need, for instance in using masks. Are people (in Chelan and Douglas Counties) using masks enough to give us confidence that if we do reopen stores, we're not going to see a large uptick in cases?"

The governor also called for more testing on a regular basis of people in the agricultural industry and other sectors in Central Washington, especially those in congregate settings.

"I do believe that the rules that we have propounded strike the right balance to protect workers while still allowing the industries to continue. But they need to be followed," added Inslee.

Inslee said that he will be talking with local leadership in the next couple of days.