From the Kittitas County Public Health Department
Kittitas County Health Order: Stay-at-Home
According to RCW 70.05.070(3), the Health officer will control and prevent the spread of any dangerous, contagious or infectious diseases that may occur within his jurisdiction.
An outbreak of the disease caused by 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) especially within vulnerable populations, poses an immediate threat to public health and safety of the residents of Kittitas County and Washington State.
Kittitas County Health Officer, Dr. Mark Larson, is requiring that all residents of Kittitas County stay at home.
RCW 70.05. t20(41: Any person violating any of the provisions of chapters 70.05, 70.24, and 70.46 RCW or violating or refusing or neglecting to obey any of the rules, regulations or orders made for the prevention, suppression and control of dangerous contagious and infectious diseases by the local board of health or local health officer or administrative officer or state board of health, or who shall leave any isolation hospital or quarantined house or place without the consent of the proper health officer or who evades or breaks quarantine or conceals a case of contagious or infectious disease or assists in evading or breaking any quarantine or concealing any case of contagious or infectious disease, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars or to imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed ninety days or to both fine and imprisonment.
THIS ORDER HEREBY REQUIRES:
To protect public health, the Health Officer orders all individuals living in Kittitas County to stay at home or at their place of residence except as needed to perform essential tasks or to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors, as outlined at https://www.cisa.eov/identifvingcritical-infrastructure-during-covid-19 (see Figure 1). ln addition, and in consultation with the Kittitas County Emergency Management Department, the Health Officer may order cessation of any of the aforementioned sectors if necessary or designate additional sectors as critical in order to protect the health and well-being of Kittitas County residents.
All individuals living in the County; except that individuals may leave to provide or receive certain essential services or engage in certain governmental services; exempting individuals experiencing homelessness but urging individuals experiencing homeless to find shelter and government agencies to provide it; directing all businesses and governmental agencies to cease nonessential operations at physical locations in the county; prohibiting all nonessential gatherings of any number of individuals; and cessation of non-essential travel.
This order is effective as of Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at 12:01 a.m. and shall continue in effect until April 3, 2020 at 11:59 p.m., unless modified or rescinded. It shall be reviewed every 10 days to determine the need to continue this order and renewed as needed.
The intent of this order is to ensure that the greatest number of people remain in the places of residence to the maximum extent feasible, while enabling essential services to continue, to slow the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. At this stage of the emergency, it is essential to slow virus transmission as much as possible to protect the most vulnerable residents of Kittitas County and to prevent the healthcare delivery system from being overwhelmed.
When people need to leave their places or residence, whether to obtain or perform vital services, or to otherwise facilitate authorized activities necessary for basic life functions, they should at all times, as reasonably possible, comply with social distancing requirements. All provisions of this order should be interpreted to effectuate this intent, Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this order constitutes an imminent threat to public health.
To the extent individuals are using shared or outdoor spaces, they must at all times, as reasonably possible, maintain social distancing of at least six feet from any other person when they are outside their residence. Social distancing requirements are waived for household members.
All persons may leave their residences only for essential activities, essential government functions, or to operate and maintain essential businesses. However, people at high risk of severe illness form COVID-19 and people who are sick are urged to stay in their residence to the extent possible except as necessary to seek medical care.
For the purposes of this order, individuals may leave their residence to perform essential activities, including tasks essential to their health and safety, or to the health and safety of their family or household members (including, but not limited to, pets), such as, by way of example only and without limitation, obtaining medical supplies or medication, visiting a healthcare professional, or obtaining supplies they need to work from home.
Essential activities include those necessary to obtain vital services or supplies for themselves and their family or household members, or to deliver those services or supplies to others, such as, by way of example only with without limitation, canned food, dry goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, pet supply, fresh meats, fish, and poultry, and any other household consumer products, and products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences.
ln addition, essential activities can include outdoor activity, such as, by way of example and without limitation, walking, hiking, running, bicycling, swimming, and camping (household members only), provided the individuals comply with social distancing requirements.
Other essential activities may include caring for a family member or pet in another household and perform work providing essential products and services.
For the purposes of this order, individuals may leave their residence to work for or obtain services at any healthcare operation, including but not limited to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, healthcare suppliers, home healthcare services, behavioral health providers, and veterinary care, Fitness and exercise gyms and similar facilities are NOT healthcare operations.
For the purposes of this order, individuals may leave their residence to provide any services or perform any work necessary to the operations and maintenance of essential infrastructure, including but not limited to water, sewer, gas, electrical, roads and highways, solid waste collection and removal, public transportation, internet and critical network access, and telecommunications systems.
For the purpose of this order, all first responders, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, court personnel, law enforcement personnel, and certain public health personnel, and others who need to perform essential services are categorically exempt from this order.
Essential businesses may also include grocery stores, farmers markets, farm and produce stands, supermarkets, food banks, convenience stores, other establishments engaged in the retail sale of food stuffs, food cultivation such as farming and livestock, laundry service providers, restaurants and other facilities that prepare and serye food for delivery or carry out, businesses that provide social services such as shelter or other necessities of life for economically disadvantaged or otherwise needy individuals, media and news services, gas stations, auto-supply or repair and related services, banks and related financial institutions, hardware stores, plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other services necessary for the maintenance of sanitation or safety or operation of residences.
Other essential businesses may also include the following: those providing mailing and shipping services, including post office boxes; home based care for seniors, adults, or children; residential facilities and shelters for seniors, adults, or children; professional services such as legal or accounting services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally-mandated activities; childcare facilities providing services that enable employees exempted in this order to work as permitted; on-going commercial construction (meaning construction that actually commenced, and was not just permitted, prior to the effective date of this order) provided that such activity implements social distancing requirements to the extent feasible and otherwise provides for the health and safety of their employees.
For businesses subject to environmental health regulations, inspections of such business establishments will continue to ensure compliance with this order and other applicable regulations.
All travel, including but not limited to travel by foot, bicycle, scooter, motorcycle, automobile, or public transit is prohibited, except as means to travel to and from work to operate essential businesses or maintain essential government services.
All public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited, except for the limited purposes, as previously described in this order, of performing essential tasks or do essential work.
All residents of Kittitas County shall assist and comply with directives until further notice. Kittitas County residents will be notified of this order via press release, public notice, social media, and the emergency alert system utilized by Kittitas county Emergency Management Department.
Any aggrieved person can petition the Kittitas County Superior Court for release from this Health Order.
This Health Order shall become final unless, no later than ten (10) days after the Health Order is served, any person aggrieved by the order requests in writing an appeal before the Board of Health according to Kittitas County Code Chapter 13.75.070.
