The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (Courtesy: Creative Commons) Read By Jeanie Lindsay / Northwest News Network As federal lawmakers race against the clock to keep the government running, […]Read More
Photo courtesy of Pixabay Listen (Runtime :50) Read The portal is also open to Idaho residents, but it is not currently one of the “collaborating states.” Washington residents previously had […]Read More
COVID-19 related deaths are trending much higher in Republican counties than in Democratic ones in Washington. That’s according to a new legislative analysis.Read More
Hesitancy to get vaccinated against the coronavirus has justifiably drawn considerable attention because some counties and neighborhoods are lagging far behind in the campaign to stamp out COVID-19. Less often do you hear about the COVID-19 vaccination overachievers. In recent weeks, pockets of the Pacific Northwest have exceeded the threshold for community immunity. Read More
As Washington braces for a fourth wave of coronavirus and spread from a more infectious variant, Gov. Jay Inslee is urging residents to continue to follow health rules, and take the vaccine.Read More
Washington state is opening up COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all residents age 16 and older starting on April 15, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday. The federal government had directed states to make all adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccination by May 1, but most states had earlier plans, with more than a dozen opening eligibility to all adults this week.Read More
Washington state is expected this week to surpass 5,000 deaths from the coronavirus this week, almost exactly a year after the first known virus death was recorded in the U.S. The state reported 475 new confirmed cases and 13 more deaths Monday, which brought Washington’s totals to 339,773 total known infections and 4,969 deaths from the virus.Read More
The Washington state Department of Health told us they aren't keeping track of who's eligible and who's not among those vaccinated, but anecdotal evidence suggests ineligible people are getting vaccines at many clinics across the state. This happens because each provider must come up with its own process for checking eligibility, and most rely on the honor system.Read More
“Inconsistent.” “Disastrous.” “Senseless.” Those are just some of the words being used to describe Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan for reopening the state – and they’re the words of his fellow Democrats. It’s a sign of rising frustration over the slow pace of getting restaurants, gyms and other businesses open again.Read More
Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced adjustments to his phased reopening plan that will allow two western Washington regions, comprising seven counties and nearly 60 percent of the state’s population, to move to Phase 2 beginning on Monday.Read More
About 500 people made it into line at the COVID-19 mass vaccination event in the Tri-Cities. This is part of a larger set of mass events across the state kicking off this week — including clinics in Spokane, Wenatchee and Ridgefield, in Clark County. Read More
Washington state plans to roll out mass doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at regional hubs starting Monday, Jan. 25. But some local officials say they received little notice and that they’re far from ready. Read More
People age 70 and older as well as some people living with an elder will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine in Washington. The state Department of Health on Wednesday provided awaited details for whose turn comes when to get the precious and scarce shots.Read More
The smartphone app sends you an alert if you've had close contact with another user who later tests positive for the coronavirus. The Washington State Department of Health and governor are hoping that at least 15 percent of Washingtonians voluntarily activate the COVID-19 exposure notification tool. Gov. Jay Inslee said even a low level of participation could reduce Read More
Disease transmission is skyrocketing, Washington State Health Officer Kathy Lofy said in a news release Monday. Meanwhile, a four-week shutdown on indoor service at restaurants and bars prompted by an alarming statewide spike in COVID-19 cases is expected to cost the industry some $800 million.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
"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
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
Washington state libraries, theaters and some youth sports will now have fewer restrictions during certain stages of re-opening. It’s part of Gov. Jay Inslee’s revised plan announced Tuesday afternoon.Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says the coronavirus pandemic continues to greatly affect the state in serious and dangerous ways. In a news conference Thursday, Inslee announced updates to the state’s ongoing response and four-phase reopening plan.Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says there is a concerning rise in the rate of coronavirus infections in the state. On Thursday he announced one measure to address it as counties wait in limbo for further reopening. Beginning Monday, July 20, social gatherings in current Phase 3 counties will be limited to 10 or fewer people.Read More
Washington Governor Jay Inslee and the state Health Secretary are hitting the pause button on the county-by-county reopening process in response to the worsening coronavirus pandemic. Inslee announced that for at least the next two weeks all counties in Washington state will stay in whatever reopening phase they are currently in -- with a couple of exceptions.Read More
Washington state leaders are expressing hesitancy about opening the door to the final phase of the governor's four-phase reopening plan. By the end of this week, eight rural counties will have spent the minimum three weeks in Phase 3 and can then theoretically apply to lift most remaining coronavirus restrictions.Read More
The state of Washington has opened a new statewide toll-free telephone hotline for people who are struggling during the Covid pandemic.Read More
Many Washington counties have qualified to move on to Phase 2 and reopen certain businesses ahead of others. More than 20 already have. But Kittitas just got approved – after being one of the first counties to qualify. Read More
“I couldn’t be happier with the timing of all of this," Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward said Friday morning during a news conference. "Spokane County is the biggest community in the state to now move forward. So thank you for being Inland Strong."Read More
Public health experts say finding and isolating coronavirus patients will be key to re-opening public life. That's going to take a lot of work.Read More
Washington state's top public health official said it will take "many, many months," and probably the development of a vaccine, before life can return to pre-COVID-19 normalcy. Read More
These days Dr. Scott Lindquist is operating more like a military logistics officer. His phone is blowing up with calls from local public health officials on the frontlines of the battle against coronavirus. They’re asking for help in procuring the personal protective equipment that healthcare workers need to test and treat patients.Read More
"We are contemplating some next steps, particularly to protect our vulnerable populations and our nursing homes and [the] like and we are looking to determine whether mandatory measures are required," Inslee said in an interview Sunday morning with CBS's "Face the Nation."Read More
As the death toll from the novel coronavirus continues to rise, many people who feel sick are naturally concerned they might have the infection. Until now, a coronavirus test has been difficult to get locally because of limited capacity and strict rules for who qualifies. However, both of those restrictions may relax soon.Read More
“We know we’ve got the coronavirus in our community, we know that we’re having some community spread, we know that the risk is increasing,” Sec. of Health John Wiesman told the Senate Ways and Means Committee Monday morning.Read More
When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019.Read More
An outbreak of Hepatitis A that’s been spreading throughout Washington state has reached Yakima County. It’s expected to grow over the winter, according to the county health district. The district has confirmed 18 cases of Hepatitis A since declaring an outbreak Nov. 7. The state Department of Health has confirmed 124 cases this year, mostly in King and Spokane counties.Read More
Health officials have not been able to determine what it is about vaping products that has caused hundreds of cases of severe lung disease in the nation. But this month, the Centers for Disease Control found that vitamin E acetate was present in all of the 29 patients they reviewed.Read More
Health officials have confirmed two more cases of vaping-related lung disease in Washington state. It is now considered a state-wide outbreak, since the amount of cases is above historic levels.Read More
One of the country’s most widely-used herbicides could be linked to an increase in early deaths from Parkinson’s disease for people who live near farmlands, according to new research in Washington.Read More
The Environmental Health Disparities Map ranks neighborhoods from 1 to 10. Ten is coded in red, meaning a higher environmental risk while 1, being the lowest, is coded in blue. On that map, Yakima County is a big, red blemish. Read More
The Washington State Department of Health released its annual report on HIV and AIDS this week, pegged to the Dec. 1 World AIDS Day. According to the report, 14,000 people are HIV positive in Washington, on par with past years.Read More
As tick season reaches its peak in the Northwest, a new report from the Centers for Disease Control says diseases spread by tiny creatures like mosquitoes and ticks have tripled in the U.S. over the last 14 years.Read More
