OLYMPIA - Certain outdoor activities will be reopened May 5 as some data suggests Washington is begginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Jay Inslee said at a Monday press conference.

This includes day-time use of most state parks and state lands, including fishing, hunting and golfing, Inslee said. However, camping and picnicking is still prohibited, and certain activities and areas operated by state agencies will take additional time to reopen, added Kelly Susewind, director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Fishing and other outdoor recreation activities, though relatively solitary activities, were banned March 25 due to concerns by public health officials that people traveling across the state to engage in those activities could be potentially spreading the novel coronavirus, Inslee has previously said. Public state lands were also closed.

Inslee reiterated that traveling long distances to access state lands could add to the spread of the novel coronavirus, urging residents to only travel locally and only with members of their immediate household.

Those like turkey and bear hunters who cannot engage in their activities without traveling a long-distance from home should contact the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Susewind said Monday.

Monday’s press conference follows protests across the state over the weekend, including a Saturday morning protest in Moses Lake, demanding that state officials lift restrictions on fishing.

However, Inslee cautioned Monday, the decision to reopen these activities could be reversed if the spread of the virus were to surge in the state again, and he urged Washingtonians to continue practicing social distancing and consistant hygeine habits.