KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — Six counties in south-central Washington have been approved to move to Phase 2 of reopening and can immediately ease COVID restrictions. Benton, Franklin, Yakima, Kittitas, Walla Walla and Columbia counties were the last of the state’s 39 counties to be moved into Phase 2 by the Department of Health. That means restaurants and bars can serve food and drink indoors, fitness centers can offer more services, and movie theaters and other indoor entertainment businesses can reopen. All will be limited to 25% capacity. The change came after a data error was discovered that had skewed the region’s COVID-19 reopening metrics.. A Walla Walla hospital had incorrectly reported its hospital data for new COVID-19 patients, instead reporting data for all new patients.
Washington’s South Central region OK’d to ease COVID rules
