Dear Food Establishment Operator,

Thank you for your continued support of our community. We understand operating a food establishment is a challenge that is made even more difficult due to COVID-19 and we appreciate your work to help control the spread of the virus in our area.

Washington is using a phased approach to reopen onsite dining for food establishments, which is allowable under phase 2, provided that certain requirements are met. It is unclear when Snohomish County will be approved to enter phase 2, but could happen quickly as Snohomish County submitted a variance application to the Governor’s office on Monday, June 1. Once we are approved to enter Phase 2, food establishments may reopen onsite dining if they meet Governor Inslee’s Phase 2 Restaurant/Tavern Reopening COVID-19 Requirements on the website for Safe Start Plans and Guidance for Reopening. Please read through this email and attached documents to ensure that you are prepared to reopen your onsite dining.

What do I need to do to reopen my onsite dining?

1. You must create and follow a written plan that meets or exceeds all of the requirements listed by Governor Inslee. You can view these requirements by clicking the link above called “Phase 2 Restaurant/Tavern Reopening COVID-19 Requirements. Read this information carefully, as many requirements are unique to COVID-19 that go beyond routine food safety practices. These written plans should be available upon request by your inspector.

2. If your food establishment was closed entirely, or even just part of your kitchen, follow the guidelines detailed by the Washington State Department of Health to ensure your kitchen is fully functional and ensure food safety. You can view these guidelines by clicking here.

Do I need to submit my plan or be inspected before I can reopen?

No. Once Snohomish County enters phase 2, and you have created your written plan, you may reopen your onsite dining. However, while not required, we highly encourage you to use the Washington State Department of Health checklist to make sure your written plan is complete and addresses all the key points to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We recommend you keep the checklist as a record to show you took the necessary steps to safely reopen. You can view the checklist by clicking here.

How will I know when Snohomish County has entered phase 2?

Click here to view the Governor’s website, which shows what phase each county in Washington State is currently in. Or, you can sign up for ‘Notify Me’, where you can be emailed and/or texted all of our latest news and blogs, including when Snohomish County has entered phase 2. In conjunction, our office will send out another email notifying when we have been approved to move to Phase 2.

We appreciate your continued effort to protect the health and safety of your workers, your business, and our community. As we learn more, we will continue to share resources and the most current direction and advice to help you keep your customers and teams safe.

As always, please reach out to ehquestions@snohd.org if you have any questions. We are eager to work with you and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Sincerely,

Snohomish Health District Food Safety Program

Resources

The City of Everett, in partnership with the Snohomish Health District, has developed a toolkit to help small businesses begin to navigate Phase 2. This valuable resource can help guide business owners as they create a safe reopening plan and welcome back customers in the coming days and weeks. Visit www.everettforeverett.com/safeopening for more info, or click here to download the “Getting to Safe” guide.
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