Governor’s Proclamations Related to COVID-19 Outbreak
April 7, 2020
March 2nd – Proclamation 20-05: Declares a State of Emergency
March 10th– Proclamation 20-06: Places certain restrictions statewide on nursing homes and assisted living facilities until midnight on April 9th, 2020
Visitors must be adults, residents are allowed one visitor per day, and the visit must take place in the resident’s room. Excludes hospice situations
All staff including volunteers must be screened at the start of every shift and all visitors much be screened prior to entry for signs of COVID-19
All visitors must present identification and enter information into a detailed visitor’s log and the log must be retained by staff for 30 days
If any single member of staff, volunteer, or resident tests positive for COVID-19 subject to DOH recommendation, all residents must remain isolated in their rooms away from other people. A resident can choose to discharge from a facility at any time.
Staff and volunteers are prohibited from disclosing protected and confidential health information except as otherwise provided by law or with consent from the resident.
March 11th – Proclamation 20-07: Prohibits gatherings of 250 people or more in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until midnight on March 31st
March 12th – Proclamation 20-08: Prohibits in-person educational or recreation instruction administered by public school districts, charter schools and private schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties
March 13th – Proclamation 20-09: Mandates K -12 school closures statewide until April 24th, 2020
March 13th –Proclamation 20-10: Expands 20-06 provisions to include LTC facilities
March 13th –Proclamation 20-11: Expands limitation on gatherings to be in effect statewide (20-07)
March 13th –Proclamation 20-12: Prohibits institutions of higher education and apprenticeship programs from conducting in-person instruction until April 24th, 2020
Excludes labs and clinics when social distancing and other public health guidelines are followed
Excludes administrative services, safety programs, dormitory and other services
March 16th – Proclamation 20-13: Mandates closure of dine-in restaurant and beverage services, public venues of entertainment and recreation including but not limited to: theatres; bowling alleys; fitness centers; food courts; bars; restaurants; taverns; coffee shops; catered events; clubs
Excludes: grocery stores; pharmacies; convenience stores; gas stations; pet stores; and libraries
March 16th –Proclamation 20-14: Revises prohibition on gatherings to reduce the size to 50 people or less until March 31st, 2020
March 16th –Proclamation 20-15:Pertains to DOL until April 15th, 2020
Waives eyesight examinations
Waives personal appearance before the department (where previously deemed necessary) to renew a license effective March 23rd
Expands allowance for mail or electronic renewal of Identicards effective March 23rd
March 16th – Proclamation 20-16: Restricts any visitors to: nursing homes; assisted living facilities; state operated adult psychiatric facilities including Western State and Eastern state hospitals; McNeil Island Special Commitment Center; King County Secure Community Transition Facility; Pierce County Secure Community Transition Facility on McNeil Island; The Fort Steilacoom Competency Restoration Program, Residential Treatment Facility; Maple Lane Competency Restoration Program, Residential Treatment Facility; Yakima Competency Restoration Program Residential Treatment Facility; intermediate care facilities; state operated living alternatives; nursing facilities; assisted living facilities; adult family homes; enhanced service facilities
March 17th – Proclamation 20-17: Extends prohibition on visitors to include LTC or treatment facilities
March 18th – Proclamation 20-18: Takes necessary action to prevent disruptions to the long-term care system by waiving or suspending certain requirements until April 9th and gives DSHS discretion todelay inspections of LTC facilities for 24 months if said facilities have had three consecutive inspections with no violations (statute requires inspection every 18 months)
March 18th – Proclamation 20-19: Temporarily prohibits residential evictions until April 17th, 2020
March 18th – Proclamation 20-20: Waives penalties for late renewal of certain business and tax licenses and late filing of taxes until April 17th, 2020
March 18th – Proclamation 20-21: Waives the statutory requirement that an applicant for unemployment insurance be unemployed for one week in order to be eligible
March 18th – Proclamation 20-22: Waives limitations to truck driver hours normally statutorily limited to 12 hours per day with a minimum of 10 hours between services and certain WSP inspections
Includes but is not limited to waiving the requirement that drivers not drive: after 80 hours in seven consecutive work days; after 90 hours in eight consecutive work days
March 18th – Proclamation 20-23: Protects utility service maintenance through: suspending disconnection due to nonpayment; waiving late fees; expansion of payment plan options; improved access to energy assistance for affected customers
March 19th –Proclamation 20-24: Prohibits non-urgent medical procedures defined as all hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and dental, orthodontic and endodontic offices in Washington State from providing health care services, procedures and surgeries that require personal protective equipment, which if delayed, are not anticipated to cause harm to the patient within the next three months (until May 18th, 2020)
Excludes: outpatient visits delivered in hospital-based clinics; family planning visits; heart attacks; strokes; motor vehicle accidents; tumor removal; emergency dental work
Examples of procedures to delay include, but are not limited to: most joint replacements; most cataract and lens surgeries; non-urgent cardiac procedures; cosmetic procedures; some endoscopy; and some interventional radiology services
March 24th – Proclamation 20-25: Stay Home – Stay Healthy Order
Prohibits the following activities by all people in the state until midnight on April 6th, 2020: leaving one’s home or place of residence except to conduct or participate in essential activities such as employment in essential business services; engaging in any public or private gathering with people others who are not part of a single household or residential living unit;
Essential activities include: obtaining necessary supplies or services; engaging in activities essential for health and safety; caring for a family member, friend, or pet, residing elsewhere; outdoor exercise activities
Does not apply to individuals: whose homes are or become unsafe, such as victims of domestic violence; experiencing homelessness
Prohibits all non-essential businesses in the state until midnight on April 6th, 2020 from operating outside of performing basic minimum operations such as payroll processing, maintenance of inventory,
Excludes: businesses consisting of employees or contractors working from home
Mandates that essential businesses operate using DOL-established social distancing and sanitation measures
March 24th – Proclamation 20-23.1: updates 20-23 by additionally waiving statutory obligations relating to tariff change limitations until April 17th, 2020.
Strongly encourages utilities in Washington to, “take reasonable actions to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on their utility customers,” by implementing 20-23 provisions
March 24th – Proclamation 20-26: extends the authority of the LCB to waive certain penalties for payment of late taxes to microbreweries, domestic breweries, beer distributors, wine distributors, and wineries until April 22nd, 2020.
March 24th –Proclamation 20-27: implements SB 5641, allowing for new notary electronic services to take effect March 27th until April 26th, 2020. (Originally, SB 5641 takes effect October 1st, 2020.)
March 24th – Proclamation 20-28: until April 23rd, 2020, suspends or amends certain provisions and requirements within the PRA and OPMA including those which provide for any activity that necessitates in-person settings – instead requiring that options for meetings be provided for public attendance such as telephonic access, electronic, internet or other remote access and waiving the requirement that agency facilities be made available for the copying of public records.
March 25th – Proclamation 20-29: implements ESSB 5385 requiring that providers be paid at the same rate when providing services via telemedicine as they are paid for providing the same services in-person until midnight on April 24th, 2020. (Originally, ESSB 5385 takes effect January 1st, 2021.)
March 25th – Proclamation 20-30: waives certain statutory provisions related to obtaining unemployment benefits including job search requirements.
March 26th – Proclamation 20-31: waives requirements by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) that hinder or delay child care providers from making child care available to the children of essential staff from low income families including:
Waiving the requirement child care workers submit to background checks including fingerprint-based and out-of-state background checks given that many services are closed and law enforcement agencies are unable to provide fingerprint services due to the COVID-19 pandemic response
Suspending requirements that group care staff must usually conduct fingerprint-based background checks on individuals awaiting approval to be foster and adoptive parents
March 26th – Proclamation 20-32: waives many barriers to continued or resumed medical practices including requirements concerning training, license renewal deadlines, and continuing medical education in order to, among other things, bring retired medical professionals back to work more quickly.
March 26th – Proclamation 20-33: waives multiple requirements concerning visitation of children in custody of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) including those related to in-person visitation, court reporting, and certain regulations governing foster and group homes in response to Directive of the Governor 20-02 until midnight on April 25th, 2020.
Exempts: stipulations outlined in private parenting plans
March 26th – Proclamation 20-34: temporarily relieves the Washington State Auditor from time constraints imposed on filing financial reports in order to allow staff to focus on critical essential functions until midnight on April 25th, 2020.
March 31st – Proclamation 20-35: immediately implements SHB 2417, removing requirements mandating the arrest and detention of individuals for low level violations of community custody. (Originally, SHB 2417 takes effect June 11th, 2020.)
March 31st – Proclamation 20-36: suspends certain portions of licensing and administrative statutes enforced by the Department of Health in order to remove barriers to adding beds to facilities to meet increased demands created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Waives some statutory requirements related to the manufacture and distribution of hand sanitizer which may hinder supply in anticipation of shortages
Waives certain requirements related to application deadlines for hospice and dialysis facilities’ licensing and certificate of need application
March 31st – Proclamation 20-37: waives certain requirements that registered nursing assistants (NAR) who are necessary to provide essential care services in nursing homes need to complete their mandated training and testing within the four-month period from beginning their employment currently allowed in statute, as many testing and training operations have been suspended.
March 31st – Proclamation 20-38: allows the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to license additional long-term care facilities including assisted living facilities and nursing homes by waiving certain construction review requirements and certificate of need requirements in order to increase statewide capacity.
April 1st – Proclamation 20-39: suspends statutory restrictions on post-retirement employment which limit many retired public sector employees with critical skulls necessary to return to work to assist with and supplement the COVID-19 emergency response given that many public sector agencies and offices lack adequate staff to respond to the COVID-19 requirement.
April 2nd – Proclamation 20-25.1: extends the Stay Home – Stay Healthy order (20-25) to May 4th, 2020.
April 2nd – Proclamation 20-40: delays, among other things, the implementation of new State Building Code requirements authorized by the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) from July 1st, 2020 as required by statute to November 1st, 2020, given that training, outreach, and other preparations for implementation are inhibited by the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 3rd – Proclamation 20-41: temporarily extends the renewal date of personal and commercial driver licenses until midnight on May 3rd, 2020.
April 3rd – Proclamation 20-42: temporarily waives certain statutory time limits requiring administrative hearings on license suspensions within 30 days of a DUI arrest and for entering into a deferred prosecution within mandated time limits in order to avoid driving under the influence (DUI) license suspensions from being dismissed.
April 6th – Proclamation 20-09.1: extends Proclamations 20-08 and 20-09 through June 19th, 2020.
