Dear Food Establishment Operator,

Good news! The Snohomish County and the Snohomish Health District received notification today that we were approved to enter Phase 2, effective immediately. Thank you again for your continued support of our community.

Food establishments may reopen onsite dining once they have met 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 enclosed documents to ensure that you have met the requirements prior to reopening 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 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.

We appreciate your effort to help control the spread of the virus in our area and help protect the health and safety of your workers, your business, and our community. We will continue to share resources and the most current direction and advice to help you keep your customers and teams safe. Additional updates can also be obtained by accessing the Governor’s website. Click here to view the Governor’s website. Or, you can sign up for ‘Notify Me’ on our Snohomish Health District website, where you can be emailed and/or texted all of our latest news and blogs.

Please do not hesitate to contact our office at ehquestions@snohd.org if you have any questions or if any clarification is needed.

Best Regards,

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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