Latest News on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Last Updated November 20, 2020 at 5:30 PM
Inslee announces additional COVID-19 financial support
Gov. Jay Inslee today announced additional financial support funds for families and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor was joined by Lisa Brown, Department of Commerce director, for the announcement.
In addition to funds announced on Sunday, the total new economic supports amount to $135 million. Included in that total is:
- $70 million in business support grants.
- $30 million for the recovery loan program.
- $20 million for rental assistance.
- $15 million for energy bills for low-income households.
Find more information on available business assistance here.
City of Tacoma Launches ‘Celebrate Tacoma’
-- Searchable Database Encourages Support of Tacoma Businesses--
The City of Tacoma has launched
Celebrate Tacoma, a searchable database of businesses that sell directly to consumers and are licensed and located within Tacoma’s city limits. Celebrate Tacoma highlights restaurants, local retailers and service businesses that have been especially hard hit by COVID-19.
To be included in Celebrate Tacoma, local retail, restaurant, café and service businesses are invited to participate in a
brief survey.
Businesses involved in selling guns, sexual products/services, gambling products restricted by federal law including cannabis, or tobacco products/ electronic cigarettes as well as those located outside Tacoma city limits will be unable to be featured in Celebrate Tacoma. The database is informational only and does not represent a recommendation or endorsement by the City.
The Celebrate Tacoma database, as well as other resources supporting Tacoma’s businesses, are available at
MakeitTacoma.com.
Inslee Announces Statewide Restrictions for Four-Weeks
Restriction modifications for all counties effective midnight on Monday, November 16, unlessotherwise noted. If the activity is not listed, it should follow its current guidance. All K12/higher education, health care, and childcare are exempt from the new restrictions and will follow current guidance. These restrictions do not apply to courts and judicial branch-relatedproceedings.
- Indoor Social Gatherings with people from outside your household are prohibited unless they (a) quarantine for fourteen days (14) prior to the social gathering; or (b)quarantine for seven (7) days prior to the social gathering and receive a negative COVID19 test result no more than 48-hours prior to the gathering. A household is defined as individuals residing in the same domicile.
- Outdoor Social Gatherings shall be limited to five (5) people from outside your household.
- Restaurants and Bars are closed for indoor dine-in service. Outdoor dining and to-go service are permitted, provided that all outdoor dining must comply with therequirements of the Outdoor Dining Guidance. Table size for outdoor dining is limited to a maximum of five (5) people. These modified restaurant and bar restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2020.
- Fitness Facilities and Gyms are closed for indoor operations. Outdoor fitness classes are permitted but are subject to and limited by the outdoor social gathering restriction listed above.
- Bowling Centers are closed for indoor service.
- Miscellaneous Venues: All retail activities and business meetings are prohibited. Only professional training and testing that cannot be performed remotely, as well as all court and judicial branch-related proceedings, are allowed. Occupancy in each meeting room is limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
(Miscellaneous venues include: convention/conference centers, designated
meeting spaces in a hotel, events centers, fairgrounds, sporting arenas, nonprofit establishment, or a substantially similar venue.)
- Movie Theaters are closed for indoor service. Drive-in movie theaters are permitted and must continue to follow current drive-in movie theater guidance.
- Museums/Zoos/Aquariums are closed for indoor service.
- Real Estate: Open houses are prohibited.
- Wedding and Funerals: Ceremonies are limited to a total of no more than 30 people. Indoor receptions, wakes, or similar gatherings in conjunction with such ceremonies are prohibited.
- In-Store Retail shall be limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits, and common/congregate seating areas and indoor dining facilities such as food courts are closed.
- Religious Services are limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits, or no more than 200 people, whichever is fewer. Congregation members/attendees must wear facial coverings at all times and congregation singing is prohibited. No choir, band, or ensemble shall perform during the service. Vocal or instrumental soloists are permitted to perform, and vocal soloists may have a single accompanist. Outdoor services must
follow the Outdoor Dining Guidance, found here, applicable to the structure or facility.
- Professional Services are required to mandate that employees work from home when possible and close offices to the public if possible. Any office that must remain open must limit occupancy to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits.
- Personal Services are limited to 25 percent of indoor occupancy limits.
(Personal service providers include: cosmetologists, cosmetology testing,
hairstylists, barbers, estheticians, master estheticians, manicurists, nail salon
workers, electrologists, permanent makeup artists, tanning salons, and tattoo
artists.)
- Long-term Care Facilities: Outdoor visits are permitted. Indoor visits are prohibited, but individual exceptions for an essential support person or end-of-life care are permitted. These restrictions are also extended to the facilities in Proclamation 20-74, et seq. All other provisions of Proclamations 20-66, et seq., and 20-74, et seq., including all preliminary criteria to allow any visitors, remain in effect.
- Youth and Adult Sporting Activities: Indoor activities and all contests and games are prohibited. Outdoor activities shall be limited to intra-team practices only, with facial coverings required for all coaches, volunteers and athletes at all times.
Read the full press release from Governor Inslee's Office.
I am also taking action locally. We are continuing to be innovative in how we provide funding and support to businesses in Tacoma and Pierce County. We will soon launch Celebrate Tacoma, a searchable database of businesses that sell directly to consumers and are licensed and located within Tacoma’s city limits. Celebrate Tacoma highlights restaurants, local retailers and service businesses that have been especially hard hit by COVID-19.
The pandemic continues to be extremely hard on the restaurants that add vitality and character to Tacoma. This morning, I signed an emergency rule brought forward by Council Member Robert Thoms that would cap the delivery fees that third-party apps can charge to Tacoma restaurants. These fees – which sometimes exceed 30 percent while not allowing restaurants to adjust their menu prices – have been crippling as a larger percentage of food orders have shifted to online delivery services.
Inslee Issues Travel Advisory for Washington
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a travel advisory for Washington on November 13, 2020, recommending a 14-day quarantine for interstate and international travel and asks residents to stay close to home. Inslee joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in urging visitors entering their states or returning home from travel outside these states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus.
Eviction Moratorium Extended Through December 31, 2020
Governor Jay Inslee extended protections for renters as COVID-19 continues to impact the finances of Washingtonians statewide. The governor first proclaimed a moratorium on evictions in mid-March, then extended it in April, August and most recently in October 2020. For information about the State's housing and food resources, visit the State's Coronavirus web page.
Tacoma's Rental Assistance Program Available through December 31, 2020
To apply for the program, participants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Households located in the City of Tacoma
- Households who have experienced loss of employment or reduction in wages due to COVID-19
- Households at or below 60% Area Median Income for Pierce County
Qualifying households are eligible to receive the following:
- Two awards of up to $1,000 per household, which is paid directly to the landlord.
The majority of the funds will be awarded through a lottery. Please use the button below to apply. The lottery will be rolling with up to 100 applications selected each week for processing. Applications not selected will remain in the lottery for the next selection period.
Apply Now for the Rental Assistance Lottery
In keeping with the City’s Welcoming Cities Policy, we will not be tracking or providing information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement about immigration or citizenship status.
Some funds have also been set aside for direct referrals by community agencies that are helping to address inequities faced by people of color in our community. If you are a service provider that would like to make a direct referral, please contact LASA at communityengagement@lasawa.org.
Contact Information
Individuals experiencing problems submitting their online application, needing language assistance or requesting special accommodations, may call LASA's Homeless Prevention line (253) 582-5320 Monday through Thursday from 9 AM-3 PM.
City of Tacoma Coronavirus Relief Fund Allocations to Date (August 20, 2020)
The City Manager's Office prepared a summary of the COVID-19-related funding sources available and how the City has allocated the funding to date. Read the City Manager's Memorandum to the Mayor and City Council.
All Indoor/Outdoor Live Entertainment is Prohibited Statewide (July 16, 2020)
Governor Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health announced a prohibition on all live entertainment, indoor or outdoor, statewide. This includes drive-in concerts, comedy clubs and music in restaurants. The orders go into effect Monday, July 20. Read the Governor's press release.
Face Covering Requirements for Businesses Extends Statewide-Businesses Cannot Allow In or Serve Customers Not Wearing a Face Covering
Governor Jay Inslee announced that no business may operate, allow a customer to enter a business, or conduct in-person business with a customer in any public setting unless the customer is wearing a face covering or meets at least one of the exceptions outlined in Order of the Secretary of Health 20-03. The extension went into effect on July 7, 2020.
Statewide Face Covering Mandate In Effect on June 26, 2020 (June 23, 2020)
Governor Jay Inslee announced that every Washingtonian in an indoor public space, or in an outside public space when unable to physically distance from others, will be legally required to wear a face covering. As with previous orders, there will be specific exemptions for those who may be adversely impacted by wearing a facial covering. These exemptions include those with certain medical conditions and children under the age of two, who should not wear a face covering. Children aged 2-4 are encouraged, but not required, to wear a face covering in public with the assistance and supervision of an adult.
In addition, individuals may remove face coverings under certain circumstances, including while eating or drinking at a restaurant; while communicating with a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing; and while outdoors in public areas, provided that a distance of six feet is maintained from people who are not members of their household. Read the Governor's announcement.
Inslee Extends Proclamation Protecting High-Risk Workers (June 9, 2020)
Governor Jay Inslee announced the extension of a proclamation giving high-risk workers the right to protect themselves from COVID-19 without jeopardizing their employment status or loss of income. The proclamation provides older workers and those with underlying health conditions a series of rights and protections, including:
- The choice of an alternative work assignment, including telework, alternative or remote work locations if feasible, and social distancing measures.
- The ability to use any accrued leave or unemployment benefits if an alternative work assignment is not feasible and the employee is unable to safely work. Employers must maintain health insurance benefits while high risk employees are off the job.
- Employers are prohibited from permanently replacing high-risk employees.
Read the Governor's Proclamation for more information.
The City of Tacoma Establishes Rental Assistance Fund (May 13, 2020)
In response to a request from the community to establish a way for people to donate to the rental assistance program, we have opened the City of Tacoma Rental Assistance Fund with the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. Donations can now be made to the Rental Housing Fund to increase the amount of funding available for people who need rental housing assistance because of COVID-19 impacts. If you'd like to donate, visit our Compassionate Tacoma web page.
Greater Tacoma Community Foundation Disclosure: As a fund of Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the Community Foundation has the authority to redirect distributions from the City of Tacoma Rental Assistance Fund if it becomes necessary to protect donor intent. Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (Tax ID #91-1007459) is located in Tacoma, WA and is registered with Washington State’s Charities Program. Additional information about the Community Foundation’s status is available by calling 800-332-4483 or visiting www.sos.wa.gov/charities.