Washington Hospitality Association calls on Gov. Inslee to fully open state by June 15
Outdoor seating at a cafe in Seattle, set up during the COVID-19 pandemic. (MyNorthwest photo)
The head of the Washington Hospitality Association is pushing for the state to fully reopen by June 15.
“Let’s set a date: June 15th, it’s time to fully reopen. Let’s do it by June 15th,” said Anthony Anton, the president of the association.
Anton says June 15 is the same day as California’s promised full reopening, and it’s a date far enough away that he thinks it will give people plenty of time to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have announced they further ease capacity restrictions on May 19.
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SPOKANE, Wash. The Washington Hospitality Association (WHA) is calling on Governor Jay Inslee to release a plan for reopening the state by June 15.
WHA says 48 other states have already released reopening plans. A June 15 reopening would put Washington in line with California, WHA Spokesperson Niki Reading said in a press release. Governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced their states will reopen on May 19. President Joe Biden and the Governor of Oregon announced reopening by July 1.
LOS ANGELES Los Angeles and San Francisco are reopening for more business under Californiaâs least restrictive coronavirus safety rules, even though these counties have more infections than many others.
State data shows nearby Orange and San Bernardino counties have similarly low coronavirus case and positivity rates to Los Angeles but canât reopen further because they arenât conducting as much testing.
It wasnât immediately clear why some counties were conducting so much more coronavirus testing and others, much less. But those that do are rewarded under the stateâs color-coded tier system by being allowed to expand business activity.
May 4, 2021 at 5:17 pm
A sports bar in Seattle s Fremont neighborhood makes it clear that it is still open during the COVID-19 pandemic. (MyNorthwest photo)
So far, Gov. Inslee’s announcement that all counties in Washington will remain in their current phase for the next two weeks as rollbacks are put on pause seems to have been received as good news.
The Washington Hospitality Association, which represents restaurants and hotels statewide, is pleased with the governor’s pause. The head of the group, Anthony Anton, says the pause on further rollbacks recognizes the sacrifices that people in his industry have made to keep others safe. Anton says rolling back more counties to Phase 2 would have been the wrong decision.
Federal grant aims to help Washington restaurants hit hard by the pandemic
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed in March by President Joe Biden, created the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund to help struggling businesses. Author: Steve Soliz Updated: 7:16 PM PDT May 3, 2021
KIRKLAND, Wash. Restaurants, bars and breweries across western Washington can now apply for much needed help from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, signed in March by President Joe Biden, created the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The money will be awarded in grants to restaurants that suffered financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.