YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Health District is ordering county residents to stay home.
As of Sunday, Yakima County had 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 8 presumptive positive cases.
On Sunday evening, Dr. Teresa Everson issued the stay at home order for all Yakima County residents.
It means that all residents of Yakima County must remain at home, except for “essential” travel – such as for food, medications, medical care, or for essential jobs.
Some of the essential services that will remain open include:
- Gas stations
- Pharmacies
- Food (grocery stores, convenience stores, food banks, take-out and delivery restaurants)
- Banks
- Laundromats/laundry services
- Essential state and local government functions (law enforcement, utilities and other offices that provide government programs and services)
You can also still get exercise, while maintaining social distancing, by going for a walk. hike or bike ride.
Here is a list of jobs considered part of the “critical infrastructure sector”:
- Healthcare, public health
- Emergency services (law enforcement, fire department, public safety, public works)
- Agriculture/food
- Energy (electricity, natural gas)
- Water and Wastewater
- Transportation and shipping
- Communications/IT
- Government and community operations (includes childcare for children of critical function employees, other services that support availability of critical function employees
- Manufacturing that supports critical functions
- Financial services and legal services
- Hazardous material management, chemical manufacturing and management
Here is a list of what’s closed:
- Dine-in at restaurants
- Bars and nightclubs
- Entertainment venues
- Gyms, fitness studios, recreational facilities
- Public events and gatherings
- Convention Centers
- Hair and nail salons
For workplaces that must remain open, the health district says “every effort should be made to have employees work from home.”
If working from home is not an option, employers must ensure:
- Proper social distancing (at least 6 feet between individuals)
- Frequent sanitization of common areas
- Frequent hand washing opportunities for employees
- All sick employees, for any reason, stay at home to slow the spread of disease
To report business noncompliance, call the Yakima Health District at 509-249-6508.
The order goes into effect right away and remains in place until further notice.
