||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||
Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 709,600 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 20. There have been 9,725 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.
For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health’s dashboard.
Dec. 21 COVID-19 response update media briefing. Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 response. He was joined by Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett, chief science officer, DOH; Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, DOH; and SheAnne Allen, COVID-19 vaccine director, DOH. View the briefing.
Pfizer, Moderna vaccines now recommended over Johnson & Johnson. DOH is recommending people 18 and older choose to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) instead of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. Read the full news release.
New COVID-19 safety guidance released after multi-county outbreak linked to high school wrestling tournaments. DOH updated the health and safety requirements for high-contact indoor sports in the wake of a multi-school, multi-county COVID-19 outbreak. Read the full news release.
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
