By Pepper Fisher
OLYMPIA – Governor Inslee held a news conference Thursday morning to talk about next week’s re-opening of the state from most Covid restrictions and to announce an updated extension of his tenant eviction moratorium.
Inslee also introduced the third and latest winner of the $250,000 vaccine lottery prize.
“This is a young leader from Spokane who is a pre-nursing student. She intends to help save many lives during her career. It’s Marissa P from Spokane.” “I’m so honored to be here and I feel so blessed to be here. I just want to say stay healthy and stay safe and go get vaccinated.”
With the state re-opening next Wednesday, schools, businesses and agencies can move on from Covid restrictions that have been in place for over a year. Businesses will however have the right to require masks if they choose.
Inslee said the focus will now be on getting more people vaccinated.
“It is an important point that we’re not done on June 30th. This is going to be a continuing, ongoing effort every single day to give Washingtonians a life-saving opportunity at this vaccine. This is not a time to wait. If you’re thinking, ‘Well, maybe one of these days I’ll get the vaccine’, don’t wait. We’re going to continue to have threats. This Delta variant is coming on strong. You look at the experience of Missouri where they’re not getting vaccinated like we are. This thing is taking off again.”
As for the eviction moratorium, put in place to keep people from homelessness due to economic difficulties from the pandemic, and set to expire on June 30, Inslee said the new version is a bridge designed to serve tenants and landlords until the $650 million in housing stability programs, approved by the state legislature, are implemented.
To read some of the details of the new moratorium bridge, click here.
(Photo: Gov. Inslee introduces latest vaccine lottery winner)