||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE |||
Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter today to Jeff Zients, federal COVID-19 response coordinator, requesting federal staffing resources, including clinical and non-clinical staff, to support the Washington health care system in response to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The letter reads, in part:
“In Washington State, our hospitals are currently at or beyond capacity, and we need additional assistance at this time. Our hospitals were nearing capacity this summer – before the Delta variant hit our state. Much of this volume was due to delayed care during the early part of the pandemic.
“Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks. The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures, but are still over capacity across the state.
“For these reasons, I have directed state agencies to request assistance from the federal government to provide Washington State with medical staff resources to help meet staffing needs in hospitals and in long-term care facilities. To date, the Washington State Department of Health has requested 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff through the General Services Administration contracting process offered through FEMA.
“I am further requesting the deployment of Department of Defense medical personnel to assist with the current hospital crisis. In announcing the COVID-19 Action Plan, the President indicated that more clinical teams would be available. That assistance will be of significant value in Washington state.
“While there are hopeful signs that the current wave of infection is peaking, and some states are beginning to see declines, we have not yet seen that effect here. Washington State has historically lagged the country in previous COVID-19 waves, and the same pattern is playing out with the enormous impact we are seeing from the Delta variant.”
Read the full letter here.
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I am disturbed that Gov. Inslee is soliciting so many covid 19-related new jobs directly corresponding to the vaccine mandates and loss of millions of qualified, dedicated health care and other public sector jobs. (all job offers can be found on the website) This, while threatening people with firings and not getting unemployment – or even having pensions and social security cut or reduced. I’m wondering about the legality of it all, since many states and localities are challenging the federal mandates and even some state and local mandates, and beginning to win in the courts as more data comes in. I also wonder if these people’s jobs would be reinstated if it proves out that their concerns are correct and finally validated. What kind of reparations would be made to them?Their families? Their children – should the vaccines prove long-term harmful? Answers to these and so many more questions need to be transparent and forthcoming, and should have been all along.
It seems this is all premature and harmful to millions in the state.. The religious exemptions are also narrow and discriminatory – if one’s religion is Natural Law or an earth-centered religion or philosophy, it is not accepted. Health exemptions, the same – IF you can get a doctor to write one. There is so much wrong with this heavy handed authoritarian way of governing us, and I for one will be permanently affected in how I vote in the future – if I choose to vote again at all. The political grandstanding and divisiveness misses the entire point of what is really happening here. I am saddened to see this in my longterm community, but it does show me how people react in only the beginning of the hardships we are all going to have to endure, one way or another. It doesn’t bode well so far.
I don’t expect this comment to be printed. But for the record, I did not attack anyone, and I spoke to the topic – even though the article is just the tip of the iceberg of the actual topic. I hope that the editors of the Orcasonian will also not allow attacks on me or anyone questioning the mandate and its far-reaching economic and psycho-social harm – not to mention that our children stand to be harmed the most by these untested injections. They may appear to be life saving in the short term, but every new batch has different ingredients in them, some unpatented. Vaccine companies are protected from any kind of responsibility for the harms caused and to come. Since we have zero data on long term effects or vaccine injuries and deaths, I guess the taxpayers will pick up the price tag on that, too.
thank you for printing my concerns. Appreciate it.