from the Association of Washington Business - Statement on New Reopening Guidelines
Kris Johnson, president of the Association of Washington Business, offered the following statement today on the new Healthy Washington phased recovery plan announced by Gov. Jay Inslee:
“This new plan is intended to offer a road map for reopening the economy, but it’s an incomplete map at best with a destination that remains out of reach for too many small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic. Impacted employers need the ability to reopen today (at a minimum 25% capacity), with appropriate safety measures— not a new system with a new set of metrics. It’s unfortunate this plan doesn’t currently provide a pathway to opening beyond 25% capacity for those businesses impacted or closed, and it fails to spell out a way for businesses to fully reopen. We fear this will only make it harder for many communities, employers and families to begin the long process of rebuilding.
“Throughout the pandemic, the employer community has joined with the governor in calling on Washingtonians to make responsible decisions at home to slow the spread of the virus. Wear a mask. Stay six feet apart. Limit the size of gatherings. We renew those calls today for the sake of small business owners and their employees. They deserve the opportunity to demonstrate they can operate safely and responsibly. No one wants businesses to operate safely more than business owners and their employees.
“Likewise, we call on the governor and other elected officials to focus their efforts on the swift and efficient delivery of vaccines. The unprecedented development of effective vaccines is encouraging, but we are concerned about the slower than expected rollout. As we enter a new year and prepare for the start of a new legislative session, vaccine distribution must be the top priority for every elected official. We need an aggressive statewide plan with leaders working 24/7 to get the vaccine distributed to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.