Washington State January 11 COVID recovery plan

In order to slow the spread of rapidly increasing COVID cases in Washington state and ensure that hospital and medical systems are not overwhelmed, difficult but necessary steps are being taken to protect public health.

On November 15, Governor Inslee announced a four-week statewide set of restrictions in response to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus.

On December 10, these restrictions were modified and extended to January 4, 2021.

On January 11, 2021, Washington State will begin a two-phased recovery plan: Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery.

Washington has avoided overwhelming the state’s health care systems throughout this pandemic so far through rigorous safety measures, such as physical distancing and masking, as well as social and economic restrictions. This new recovery system aims to safely ease some restrictions while also maintaining crucial hospital capacity, ensuring care for Washingtonians that need it and paving the way for economic recovery.

Love our cheap ideas? Get our FREE email newsletters.
Choose from daily, weekly, and monthly lists:

Click here to subscribe

Washington State county regions for Roadmap to Recovery plan

Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery

The “Roadmap to Recovery” plan intends to offer a way forward that balances economic recovery and public health issues as Washington State continues to slow the spread of COVID-19 while vaccinations are rolled out in 2021. The path to recovery relies on multiple key metrics, including health system capacity and case numbers. A

Washington State has been divided into eight regions of four or more counties, each region according to available health care services. Every region will begin in Phase 1. The regions are mostly based on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) regions used for evaluating healthcare services.

Each region’s phase will be determined by the Washington State Department of Health in response to data such as rate of COVID-19 cases and hospital capacity, including ICU occupancy.

For more information about the data used to assess phases, visit the COVID-19 dashboards.

For more information, visit: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/–this page will be updated on January 11, 2021 when the governor’s new regional-based Healthy Washington plan goes into effect.

Face Masks requirements in Washington State

Face coverings are required statewide in all public spaces because they are effective in slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially when combined with 6 feet of physical distance. Wear a face covering in indoor public spaces and outdoors when you can’t stay 6 feet apart from others. A governor’s order directs businesses to require and enforce the use of face coverings by all customers or visitors.

More info about Face Masks rules in Washington State and Guidance on Cloth Face coverings.

Delivery Services

Senior hours,

Many grocery stores and other retailers in western Washington offer a special “senior hours” for the most vulnerable customers during the pandemic. Senior hours can also include pregnant women or other vulnerable shoppers or caregivers with pre-existing health conditions who are more susceptible to COVID-19.

For stores with no special shopping hours, curbside pickup and delivery is widely available and recommended. Order online or in their app for free pickup. Delivery is often free with qualifying orders.

The following graphic is only a guide, check with your neighborhood stores to find out if they offer special shopping hours. Listed below the graphic is another list of stores across Washington State and their hours.

We’ve found the following published special senior shopping hours. Subject to change, of course. So call or be patient if things change.

Ace Hardware: Delivery and curbside pickup available. Stores are independently owned, so services and hours will vary.
Albertsons (also Safeway): senior hours Tuesday and Thursday From 7 to 9 a.m. for “vulnerable shoppers”. Delivery is available.
Bartell Drugs: No dedicated hours. Delivery is available, including prescriptions.
Big Lots: senior hours daily during the first hour for “those most vulnerable to this virus”. Order online for curbside pickup.
Costco: senior hours (age 60+) Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 8 to 9 a.m. at all locations except Business Centers. Delivery is available.
CVS pharmacy: No dedicated hours (except inside Target). Delivery is available, including prescriptions.
Fred Meyer (Kroger): senior hours (age 60+): 7am – 8am, Monday – Thursday. Curbside pickup available.
Home Depot: Delivery and curbside pickup available. Stores close daily at 6 p.m.
Lowe’s: Delivery and curbside pickup available.
Metropolitan Market: everyday 7AM-8AM.
New Seasons Markets: Senior hours (including at-risk shoppers) everyday 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Delivery and curbside pickup available.
PCC Markets: senior hours (age 60+ and at-risk shoppers) daily 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Delivery is available.
QFC (Kroger): senior hours (age 60+): Monday – Thursday 7am – 8am. Delivery and curbside pickup available.
Rite Aid: senior hours Monday 8AM-10AM. Delivery is available, including prescriptions.
Safeway (also Albertson’s): senior hours Tuesday and Thursday From 7 to 9 a.m. for “vulnerable shoppers”. Delivery is available.
Staples: Delivery is available.
Target: senior hours each Wednesday 7AM-8AM. Curbside pickup available; order in the Target app.
Town & Country Markets: Senior hours, Monday and Wednesday, 7-9 a.m.
Trader Joe’s: senior hours daily 9am-10am.
Uwajimaya: Seattle senior hours daily 8-9 a.m. All other stores, Tuesday only. In addition, age 60+ gets 10% off regular priced merchandise every Tuesday until 11am.
Walgreens: senior hours and savings day every Tuesday 8–9am, with up to 30% off in-store and online. Delivery is available. 24-hour stores are drive-thru only.
Walmart: senior hours Tuesday 6AM-7AM. Delivery and curbside pickup available.
Whole Foods Market (Amazon): senior hours daily, varies a bit for each store. Delivery and curbside pickup available.
WinCo: senior hours Tuesday and Thursday, 6AM-7:30AM.

Public Parks

Most parks are open for day use. Most camping and overnight stays are closed. Group activities are, of course, restricted. Check their websites for more details.

Washington State Parks
King County Parks
Seattle has over 400 parks totaling over 6,000 acres. Find a Seattle Park near you.
Tacoma Metro has nearly 3,000 acres of parks. Search for a Tacoma park near you or use the interactive map of Tacoma parks.

Tacoma Metro Parks social distancing guidelines in parks and public spaces

Public Transportation

All public transportation systems in the Puget Sound region are operating, with some reductions of services. See their website for more details.

Schools

Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) provides guidance on schools re-opening. Sources of information that educators and families should monitor include:

Love our cheap ideas? Get our FREE email newsletters. Choose from daily, weekly, and monthly lists. Click here to subscribe.