||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||

Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 391,188 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 17. There have been 5,653 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.

For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health’s dashboard and the state’s Roadmap to Recovery Metrics dashboard. 

All counties move into Phase 3 after reopening pause. DOH announced that all Washington counties have moved into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery phased reopening plan. This includes Cowlitz, Ferry, Pierce and Whitman counties, which were previously in Phase 2. As the governor announced last week, the state is also moving toward June 30 as the date Washington will fully reopen. The full reopening could happen earlier if 70 percent or more of Washingtonians over the age of 16 initiate vaccination. The decision to move all counties to Phase 3 and announce the tentative reopening plans comes amid declining COVID-19 case counts and a push to increase vaccination rates. Read the full news release here.

DOH will not update the Data Dashboard this weekend. Due to scheduled maintenance, we will not update the COVID-19 Data Dashboard on the weekend of May 22–May 23. We will include data from those days in total case and hospitalization counts for Monday, May 24.

DOH issued new guidance this week for:

Resources

Latest COVID-19 reopening guidance for businesses and workers. A full list of current reopening guidance from the Governor’s Office is available here.

Find a COVID-19 testing location near you. To make it easier to find a test near you, the DOH has created a webpage to help people find COVID-19 testing locations throughout the state.

Guidance and resources for employers and business owners. Sign up for the weekly Economic Resiliency Team business and worker newsletter here.

The state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline is a general information line related to COVID-19. If you need information or have a general question, call 1-800-525-0127, then press # or text 211-211 for help. New hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays. You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are. You will receive links to the latest information on COVID-19, including county-level updates, and resources for families, businesses, students, and more.

Washington Listens helps people manage stress and anxiety they may be experiencing because of COVID-19. If you or anyone you know is having difficulties managing stress, call the Washington Listens support line at 1-833-681-0211. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. TTY and language access services are available by using 7-1-1 or their preferred method. Resources and self-help tips are available on walistens.org.

 

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