• Editor’s note: I concur with The Seattle Times Editorial Board – the time has arrived to end the state of emergency in response to COVID-19!

UPDATE: The Atlantic: The Pandemic’s Soft Closing – The CDC’s latest COVID guidelines are the closest the nation’s leaders have come to saying the #coronavirus crisis is done.

Inslee Should End Emergency Orders — COVID-19 Is Part of Life Now

From The Seattle Times Editorial Board:

When Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency on Feb. 29, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the future was uncertain. Two-and-a-half years later, the path forward is clearer.

The virus and its variants demand continued caution, but Washingtonians, employers and institutions are well-versed in control measures like social distancing, vaccination and masking when advisable. Protecting against contagion has become routine.

Still, Inslee has shared no timeline for relinquishing his emergency powers. State lawmakers punted last session rather than reform the law to set reasonable limits on that extraordinary authority. Inslee should end the state of emergency as soon as is practicable. Lawmakers should fine-tune the law when they reconvene.

If continued measures are warranted, they should be vetted through the legislative process. Washington’s prolonged state of emergency is unusual. Only 13 states still are operating under a state of emergency or other heightened preparedness. Eight of those state’s orders — New York, Delaware, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina and Georgia — are set to expire this month.