Governor of U.S. state of Washington Jay Inslee announced on Saturday that the State Department of Health is putting a pause on counties moving to Phase 4.
Rising cases across the state and concerns about the continued spread of COVID-19 have made Phase 4, which would essentially mean no restrictions, impossible at this time, the announcement said.
Eight counties were eligible to move from Phase 3 to Phase 4 before the pause.
"Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we can't do that now due to the continued rise in cases across the state," Inslee said.
"We all want to get back to doing all the things we love in Washington during the summer, and fully open our economy, but we aren't there yet. This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data," he added.
"The best thing Washingtonians can do to slow the spread of the virus and save lives is to wear facial coverings, continue to maintain physical distancing and good hygiene practices," Secretary of Health John Wiesman said.
Wiesman also sent a letter to local and tribal health leaders throughout the state on Saturday, noting that the changes between Phase 3 and Phase 4 could further increase the spread of COVID-19 even in communities that have very low rates of disease.
According to Wiesman, counties that are currently able to apply to move from Phase 1 or 2 are still able to apply when eligible.
