Seats sit empty during lunch hour at a restaurant at The Waterfront Vancouver, in Vancouver, Wash., on March 16. Taxes that governments would have collected on dining and many other aspects of the economy are projected to take a hit.
Troy Brynelson / OPB
Movie theaters, libraries and larger gatherings could soon be in store for Clark County, Washington, as local leaders plan to apply for the state’s next phase of reopening.
On Wednesday, the Clark County Board of Health agreed to apply on Friday for the next phase. Friday would be the soonest date allowed, as the state requires three weeks between phases.
According to public health officials, Clark County is hitting state targets for controlling COVID-19 transmission. The county must show it has fewer than 25 cases per 100,000 residents, as well as enough staff, hospital beds and protective equipment to handle the disease.
“I believe Clark County can meet the outlined criteria,” Dr. Alan Melnick, the county’s public health officer, wrote in a letter Tuesday.
Related: How An Outbreak Showed Clark County Was Ready To Reopen
The timeline for a decision from the state Department of Health is unclear. A spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to calls.
As of Wednesday, Clark County has had 732 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Of those, 161 have been diagnosed since June 5, when the county entered the second of Washington's four phases.
Phase 3 allows libraries, museums, movie theaters, gyms and other recreational facilities to open at 50% capacity. Restaurants can allow more people – within limits – and people can start sitting at bars. It also increases the maximum gathering from five people to 50.
Sixteen counties are already in Phase 3, including Lewis, Pacific, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties in Southwest Washington.