Seattle & Northwest | April 16, 2020

Washington’s Economy Likely to Reopen in Phases, Says Governor

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday indicated the state’s economy is likely to be re-opened in phases. The exact timing of that transition is not yet known, though the Governor said it would occur once health officials deem the state ready to begin safely operating once again. The current stay-home order remains in effect through May 4.

In a news conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Inslee said two elements must exist together before the state can “push the go button on this transition.” The first is continued success with social distancing efforts to drive down the number of infected people, so the virus can’t rebound. The second is a shift to a more individualized effort, featuring rapid testing, isolation and treatment, which will involve the state building a “fire brigade” response approach to COVID-19.

Gov. Inslee indicated, “This transition will not be a light switch, on and off, it will be a dial. And we will dial it up and down, as the data suggest and as our community responds.”

Some of the first things shut down will likely to be the last to reopen, Gov. Inslee said. That process started with prohibiting large gatherings, followed by on-site education, a stay-at-home order for people, and lastly, closing of non-essential businesses. The reopening process will likely occur in reverse order.

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About Dennis Kaiser

Dennis Kaiser is Vice President of Content and Public Relations for Connect Commercial Real Estate. Dennis is a communications leader with more than 30 years of experience including as a journalist and in corporate and agency marketing communications roles. He is responsible for Connect’s client content operations and is involved in a range of initiatives ranging from content strategy, message development, copywriting, media relations, social media and content marketing services. In his most recent corporate communications roles, he led a regional public relations effort across Southern California for CBRE, played a key marketing role on JLL’s national retail team, and was responsible for directing the global public relations effort at ValleyCrest, the nation’s largest commercial landscape services company. In addition to his vast commercial real estate experience, Dennis has worked on communications and launch strategies for a number of residential projects such as Disney’s Celebration in Florida, Ritter Ranch in Palmdale California (7,200 homes, 22,000 acres), WaterColor in Florida and PremierGarage in Phoenix. Dennis’s agency background included firms such as Idea Hall and Macy + Associates. He has earned an outstanding reputation with organization leaders as a trusted advisor, strategic program implementer, consensus builder and exceptional collaborator. Dennis has developed and managed national communications programs for Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, both public and private. He’s successfully worked with journalists across the globe representing clients involved in major-breaking news stories, product launches, media tours, and company news announcements. Dennis has been involved in a host of charitable and community organizations including the American Cancer Society, Easter Seals, BoyScouts, Chrysalis Foundation, Freedom For Life, HOLA, L.A.’s BEST, Reach Out and Read, Super Bowl Host Committee, and Thunderbirds Charities.

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