OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Seven counties have been approved to move to the third phase of the state’s four-stage reopening plan that eases COVID-19 restrictions and allows businesses to start to reopen, and that six more counties have been approved to move to the second phase.

King County – the state’s largest and home to Seattle – was approved to move to a modified Phase 1.

Counties have been able to apply to move to the next phase or to add new business activity, with the applications assessed on several targets, including whether the counties have had fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period.

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