||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||
Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 386,903 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 12. There have been 5,626 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.
Gov. Jay Inslee’s May 13 press conference. The governor gave an update on the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was joined by Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy director of COVID-19 response, Department of Health, and Nick Streuli, executive director of external affairs, Office of the Governor. View the press conference here.
Homebound and need a COVID-19 vaccine? Are you or someone you know homebound and need a COVID-19 vaccine? DOH and partners are offering homebound vaccination services for those who are unable to leave their home. Go to covidvaccinewa.org for more information.
Everyone 12 and older now eligible for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. DOH expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone 12 and older following recommendations that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and extremely effective for 12- to 15-year-olds. Read the full news release here.
Department of Health releases updated K-12 school guidance. DOH released guidance for the 2021 summer school session and 2021–2022 school year. Under the updated guidance, schools must plan to provide full-time in-person education for all interested students for the 2021-2022 school year. Read the full news release with a list of mitigation efforts here. Updated guidance documents are:
DOH released requirements for summer 2021 and the 2021–2022 school year to serve as a planning document, which will likely see updates over the summer prior to the start of the regular school year in the fall.
Updated testing strategies for schools, and links to testing protocols for sports and extra-curricular activities.
COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from DOH. Our state achieved another incredible vaccine milestone this week. As of May 10, more than 6,046,656 doses of vaccine have been given in Washington. Most people are choosing to get vaccinated. More than 57% of people in Washington eligible for vaccine have received at least one dose and nearly 44% of people 16 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Read the full news release here.
May 12 COVID-19 media briefing. Washington State Secretary of Health Umair Shah provided an update on the state’s COVID-19 response. He was joined by Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy secretary of health; Michele Roberts, acting assistant secretary; Scott Lindquist, acting state health officer; Dan Laster, Vaccine Command and Coordination System (VACCS) director; and Michael Byun, executive director, Asian Counseling and Referral Service. View the briefing here.
Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup finds Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective for 12- to 15-year-olds. The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup last night completed its review of the federal process and has unanimously concluded that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is safe and effective for youth aged 12 to 15. The Workgroup provided its confirmation to the governors of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
Inslee signs worker protection legislative package in Yakima. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a package of bills that will increase worker safety protections, expand support for frontline workers during a public health emergency, and grant overtime protections for farmworkers. Read the full news release 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 United States and our state. It provides a statewide view of sequencing capacity and data, including breakouts by county and demographics. Read the full report here.
Here is updated guidance for health care providers:
- Removed three-month timeframe post-vaccination, updated masking information.
- Removed three-month timeframe post-vaccination.
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