The governor warns of stepped-up 'stay home' enforcement

OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday unveiled a stepped-up effort to enforce his statewide “stay home” order amid signs of a slowing rate of infection in King County and a continued rise in Snohomish County and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, property owners in Snohomish County won’t have to pay their property tax bills until June 1. Originally due by April 30, the extension mirrors ones granted in King and Pierce counties.

At a news conference, Inslee said it’s “been very gratifying to see the vast majority of Washingtonians complying” with his March 23 order to shutter non-essential businesses and keep people home in an unprecedented attempt to blunt the spread of COVID-19.

But, he said, compliance isn’t good enough. And, he said, “thousands of calls” have come in from residents concerned about businesses and individuals not abiding restrictions set to expire next week. The governor is expected to extend them.

“These people are concerned about their health, the health of others, and how the actions of those who willfully violate this order may ultimately drag out the COVID-19 crisis even longer,” he said.

Inslee, joined by Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste, said the state will focus on getting businesses to follow the rules. A new online complaint form allows anyone to report a firm they think is violating an aspect of the executive order.

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