Most recent recap of state COVID-19 news, updates

||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||

Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 327,672 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on March 10. There have been 5,107 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 Road to Recovery Metrics dashboard.

Thursday, March 11, 2021, data note: Negative test results data from Nov. 21–30, 2020, are incomplete. Thus, negative test results and percent positivity (Testing tab) for that period should be interpreted with caution. Otherwise, the incomplete time frames presented in the dashboard are correct and up to date. The Epidemiologic Curves tab is the most accurate representation of COVID activity and is updated daily as new cases are identified.

COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from the Washington State Department of Health. As of March 8, more than 2,140,418 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 78% of the 2,746,870 doses that have been delivered to our providers and long-term care programs. Washington is currently averaging 46,119 vaccine doses given each day. Read the full news release here [to be posted soon].

Inslee announces statewide move to Phase 3 of recovery plan, return to spectator events and Phase 1B, Tier 2 vaccine eligibility. Gov. Jay Inslee announced that Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery will transition from a regional to a county-by-county approach. Effective March 22, the entire state will enter Phase 3, and starting March 17, everyone in Phase 1B, Tier 2 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Read the full news release here.

Inslee statement on Biden signing the American Rescue Plan Act. Read Gov. Jay Inslee’s full statement here.

Gov. Inslee’s March 11 press conference. The governor discussed the 2021 legislative session and the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was joined by Lacy Fehrenbach, DOH deputy secretary for COVID response, and Nick Streuli, executive director of external affairs in the Governor’s Office. View the press conference here.

DOH COVID-19 long-term care report. As of March 8, a total of 18,824 COVID-19 cases and 2,512 deaths have been identified as associated or likely associated with a long-term care facility (i.e., nursing home, assisted living facility, or adult family home). These cases include residents as well as employees and visitors. Read the full March 10 report here.

DOH SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and variant report. This weekly report summarizes genome sequencing coverage of Washington SARS-CoV-2 specimens from multiple laboratories from across the U.S. and our state. It provides a statewide view of sequencing capacity and data, including breakouts by county and demographics. Read the full March 11 report here.

Case investigation and contact tracing metrics for DOH centralized investigations. This weekly report shows the timeliness of reaching COVID-19 confirmed and probable cases and their contacts for case investigations and contact tracing activities. Read the full March 10 report here.

Washington National Guard mobilizes vaccine team to the San Juan Islands. The Guard’s mobile vaccination team, which specializes in reaching Washington residents in high-risk communities and remote areas, began administering vaccines on the San Juan Islands in late February. Read the full article here.

Small Business Requirements and Resources (SBRR) virtual webinars support Washington’s business comeback efforts. The monthly SBRR COVID-19 Impact Webinar, a free one-hour webinar, supports Washington’s business comeback efforts. It provides an overview of resources, updates, emergency rule changes, and other impacts affecting small businesses to create a new successful path forward. Register for upcoming webinars in English or Spanish.

New masking tool available from L&I. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) released a new virtual tool to help workers and business owners understand specifically what kind of mask to use depending on activity and setting. Follow the prompts and choose the right mask for the right task to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at work in L&I’s Mask Selection Guide.