Medical advances have reduced the infection fatality rate in the U.S. But experts warn that indoor gatherings, cold temperatures and pandemic fatigue augur dark months ahead.Read More
The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is expected to provide results in 30 minutes or less. Its approval could help alleviate the strain on the nation's precarious coronavirus testing system.Read More
Since 2013, Shah has been executive director of Harris County Public Health in Houston, Texas. He will replace outgoing Secretary John Wiesman who has served in the position since 2013. Previously, Wiesman announced his plan to leave the post at the end of the year to take a teaching job in North Carolina. Read More
People who attended a wedding on Nov. 7 near Ritzville, Washington, have tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials are asking more than 300 people who were in attendance to get tested and quarantine through Nov. 21, the Grant County Health District said Monday in a statement.Read More
Washington Republicans say the Legislature should immediately meet in special session to address the economic fallout from Gov. Jay Inslee’s latest Covid-19 orders – and even consider tapping the state’s “rainy day” fund.Read More
The vaccine is nearly 95% effective in preventing illness, according to an interim analysis of a clinical test involving 30,000 people.Read More
More than 11 million confirmed coronavirus cases have been recorded in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. The country recorded 166,555 new cases in the last day and 1,266 new deaths.Read More
"We are today in a more dangerous position than we were in March when our first stay-home order was issued," Gov. Jay Inslee said during a Sunday press conference. "In March, we were heading into the summer months. And we were largely successful relative to other states because of the combination that we acted early we did not wait," he added.Read More
More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, Wash. (Murrow News 8) – Kevin Bacon comes a from a rich line of Husky fandom. But he won’t tell you that. Once his son […]Read More
While Inslee's office did not release details in advance of the 11 a.m. Sunday event, industry group emails sent to grocery store and restaurant owners, and obtained by the public radio Northwest News Network, outlined what Inslee is expected to order.Read More
Areas across the country are implementing preventive measures such as curfews. Some experts are questioning whether these minor changes will be enough to control the virus. Read More
It used to be a busy day at the Providence COVID drive-up test site near Olympia was 100 cars. Recently, the site broke a one-day record with 352 drive ups. It's another sign of the “third wave” now underway.Read More
The governor's executive order activated 100 National Guard troopers to assist with mobile testing support, medical facility decontamination, COVID-19 screenings, logistical support and more. He also signed a public health order moving Idaho back to a modified version of Stage 2 of the state’s four-stage reopening plan, effective Saturday.Read More
The latest COVID situation report shows the transmission rate of the virus is now well above one meaning one sick person is likely to spread it to more than one other person. In addition, hospitalizations are on the rise on both sides of the Cascades. Health experts are especially concerned about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.Read More
Lydia Mobley is a traveling ICU nurse. She describes how hard it's been treating patients during the current surge in coronavirus cases.Read More
Washington is heading into the most severe surge of coronavirus yet. And time is running out to turn things around. That was the message Tuesday during a virtual briefing from a raft of high-ranking public health officials. Read More
Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody will be available to people 65 or older or those with underlying health conditions. Supplies will be short, and allocating the medicine will be a challenge.Read More
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is the first to have data showing that it exceeded the minimum effectiveness threshold set by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. Read More
An unreleased CDC review obtained by NPR shows that lab officials knew an early coronavirus test kit had a high failure rate. They decided not to recall it and sent it to the nation's labs anyway.Read More
A team of independent advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a science-based outline for deploying a vaccine when it's ready. The goal is to stop deaths and viral spread fast.Read More
Public health experts and officials don’t agree that giving up control is a foregone conclusion, instead warning that steps can and must be taken now to avoid the unnecessary loss of life. And no credible experts have suggested the pandemic will end the day after voting stops, despite suggestions from Trump, who himself has tested positive for the virus, that the media is Read More
The Spokane Regional Health District's administrative officer has reportedly asked Health Officer Bob Lutz to resign. Amelia Clark addressed reporters during a press conference Friday morning.Read More
Ahmad Ghabboun, 31, and his wife, who was laid off from the beauty department of Nordstrom’s, relied on their combined unemployment benefits to cover their $1,800 rent, the $200 monthly payment on Ghabboun’s car, and various bills, not to mention the costs of preparing for their first child: Ghabboun’s wife was six months pregnant when he received the alert claiming he Read More
Where are hospitals reaching capacity? Which metro areas are running out of beds? NPR has learned federal agencies collect and analyze this information in detail but don't share it with the public. Read More
The federal government plans to distribute 300,000 doses of the drug at no cost, but that doesn't mean treatment will be free. Intravenous infusion charges can run more than $1,000.Read More
The Small Business Administration had to quickly disburse coronavirus relief loans. But some of that may have been handed out to fraudsters, an agency report says.Read More
Washington is among a handful of Western states that have joined California in a pact to independently review the safety and efficacy of any coronavirus vaccine that is ultimately approved by the FDA before any distribution occurs in those states, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday.Read More
Idaho is moving backward. That was the announcement Monday from Gov. Brad Little. He said the entire state will move back to its previous stage of reopening: Phase 3. Read More
Budget cuts + rising pandemic costs + zero federal relief = a school funding crisis. Back in May, school funding experts predicted a looming financial disaster for the nation's K-12 schools.Read More
How the world’s greatest public health organization was brought to its knees by a virus, the president and the capitulation of its own leaders, causing damage that could last much longer than the coronavirus.Read More
The governor issued more restrictions on Tuesday, Oct. 20, for higher education campuses. It comes as the University of Washington struggles to contain an outbreak among its fraternities and sororities. There have been outbreaks in Whitman County, home of Washington State University, as well. Whitman County announced three more COVID-19 deaths Tuesday. The county had not Read More
Two new peer-reviewed studies are showing a sharp drop in mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The drop is seen in all groups, including older patients and those with underlying conditions, suggesting that physicians are getting better at helping patients survive their illness.Read More
Many unemployed Americans have been tapping into their savings to pay bills. But those savings are going fast, and hopes for a new round of pandemic relief before the election are fading.Read More
The employees' alleged actions were outside of their work responsibilities and do not involve Wells Fargo's customers, the company said. The bank says it's cooperating with law enforcement. Read More
No more Washington counties will be in Phase 1 of the state’s four-phase reopening plan. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday that Chelan, Douglas, Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties could advance to Phase 2.Read More
The Chinese foreign ministry said it took this step "to uphold the concept of a shared community of health for all and to honor its commitment to turn COVID-19 vaccines into a global public good."Read More
Coronavirus cases are rising at the University of Idaho, but face-to-face classes will continue. The University of Idaho reported another 116 new coronavirus cases on campus last week. The outbreak still seems to be centered on fraternity and sorority houses.Read More
President Trump walked out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening, planning on receiving the remainder of his treatment for COVID-19 at the White House.Read More
President Trump has tweeted that he will leave Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he has been receiving treatment for COVID-19, on Monday evening. His doctors later reiterated that it was safe for him to return to the White House but that his treatment regimen is ongoing.Read More
President Trump has experienced two drops in his oxygen levels over the course of his COVID-19 diagnosis, and is now also being treated with a steroid, but could be discharged from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as early as Monday, his physicians told reporters during a briefing Sunday.Read More
The state's Supreme Court said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lacked the authority to extend a state of emergency past April 30. Whitmer had cited two state laws in extending her emergency declarations. Read More
President Trump is "doing very well," his physician told reporters on Saturday morning, but a source familiar with the president's health later told White House pool reporters, that "the president's vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning."Read More
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in July, "Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting."Read More
President Trump and the first lady have contracted the coronavirus. At 74, Trump could be at risk of developing serious complications from the virus.Read More
The positive test result followed Trump's announcement on Fox News Thursday night that White House aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for the coronavirus. Hicks is a close associate of the Trumps.Read More
Some Washington counties hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic are now looking toward the possibility of reopening schools for in-person classes. It’s thanks to metrics like hospital bed capacity and the virus incidence rate that continue to improve in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties.Read More
The U.S. reported more than 55,000 infections Friday, pushing the total number of cases to more than 7 million. Some two dozen states saw new cases continue to rise this past week.Read More
A pilot program on flights from San Francisco to Hawaii would give on-the-spot tests for the virus that causes COVID-19. Travelers who test negative would not be required to quarantine upon arrival.Read More
Online classes and no fall college sports spell trouble for Washington college towns like Pullman, Ellensburg and Bellingham that lean on a higher education-fueled economy.Read More
Opera fans will have to wait another whole year for live performances at the famed New York house. In a press release Wednesday, the Metropolitan Opera says it plans to reopen on Sept. 27, 2021.Read More
