Ground Zero of U.S. Outbreak to Extend Stay-Home Order to May 31

(Bloomberg) -- Washington Governor Jay Inslee extended on Friday the state's stay-at-home order through May 31, even as many others pushed to reopen.

The coronavirus first hit the U.S. in Washington on Jan. 21, and the state has been praised for keeping the outbreak under relative control.

“What we are doing is working,” Inslee said at a briefing. But “we have not won the fight against this virus.”

Inslee said he would issue an order to keep most businesses closed and to ban large gatherings until the end of the month. The stay-home order was initially set to end Monday.

Business Is Far From Usual as Large Swaths of the U.S. Reopen

Inslee outlined a four-phase plan for the state's eventual reopening, adding that some businesses in areas with few cases could apply for exceptions earlier.

As of Thursday, the state reported 14,327 Covid-19 cases and 814 deaths.

“I would like to tell you that we would all be able to make reservations on June 1, but I cannot,” adding that he would have to monitor the data on a daily basis. “The new normal is not here.”

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

With assistance from Bloomberg