MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Editor's note: After this story aired, Skagit County's application to move on to Phase 2 was approved June 5. Track phased reopenings by county here.
For the first time in the history of Skagit County's iconic Tulip Town, they're planting something other than tulips. Acres and acres are now dedicated to growing strawberries with the hope that someday soon the public can come to pick them.
"Given the phased approach, we didn't want to be in a position we were in with our tulips," said Tulip Town co-owner Rachel Ward-Sparwasser. "It's economically extremely difficult to lose 90% of your revenue in a month's time."
The coronavirus pandemic forced Tulip Town to close right before the annual tulip festival that brings millions of dollars to the Skagit Valley
While businesses have struggled mightily, the county's health has rebounded, meeting all of the state's guidelines to move to Phase 2 of the governor's Safe Start plan for reopening.
Businesses thought they'd be able to partially open this weekend, but Monday brought another last-minute setback.
Brand new rules now require counties to contact people in quarantine or isolation every day for at least seven days before moving to Phase 2.
Skagit County has now applied for Phase 2 a total of two times.
Ward-Sparwasser said the goalposts have been moved once again.
"Restaurants were planning to open this weekend. They have food in the fridge, they have employees lined up to come back. We're left to wonder, does the governor even care about our community?"
"Daily monitoring is as simple as a short phone call or text with a positive case or a close contact who has already agreed to participate, to help us monitor symptoms and disease progression," said Department of Health Communications Director Amy Reynolds. "The daily monitoring metric alone would not prevent any county from moving to the next phase."
As of last week, no counties had to adhere to these stricter guidelines. In fact, the governor was loosening restrictions on King County while businesses in much smaller counties remained closed.
"Well, when the king speaks the people listen," said Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt. "Certainly King County has a lot of clout down in Olympia. We're just country bumpkins."
Dahlstedt said if businesses want to reopen now, the local government won't stand in their way.
"The county will be telling the state that if they want to go arrest, fine, or do anything to our citizens, they're gonna have to do it."
Dahlstedt has been in contact with the secretary of health and expects he will review the situation Thursday and come back with a decision for Skagit County Friday.
"We have a lot of other health issues to deal with here. Suicides, child abuse, drug abuse," the commissioner said. "While we're putting the fire out on the porch, the house is burning down."
