The newest numbers, announcements, proclamations from State Health Dept.

||| FROM STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |||

Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported a total of 219,584 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on December 21. There have been 3,131 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 COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard.

Washington State Department of Health welcomes new secretary of health, Dr. Umair A. Shah. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is pleased to welcome Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, as our new secretary of health.

Secretary Shah comes to Washington from Harris County Public Health (HCPH) in Texas, where he served as the executive director and local health authority. Harris County is the third largest county in the nation, with nearly five million people. His appointment to the position was announced last month by Governor Jay Inslee, and his tenure began Dec. 21.

Read the full announcement here.

COVID-19 quarantine guidance updated as new strain of coronavirus circulates in some countries. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is updating quarantine guidance for some travelers and planning to test flight crews arriving from some countries where a new variant of COVID-19 is circulating.

Yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation requiring all people who travel to Washington state from these countries, which include the United Kingdom and South Africa, to quarantine for 14 days after arriving. The proclamation follows a travel advisory the governor issued last month recommending a 14-day quarantine for all interstate and international travel.

Additionally, people who enter Washington after travel to the U.K. or South Africa should get tested if they develop symptoms. If no symptoms develop, they should get tested five to seven days after leaving the U.K. or South Africa.

Read the full release here.

Inslee issues proclamations on travel restrictions and updates to existing religious guidance. Monday Gov. Jay Inslee issued a 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone returning to Washington state after visiting the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries where a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 501Y.V, has been circulating.

Health experts believe this new variant may be more transmissible than other variants. The order applies to anyone who has been present in these countries within the prior 14 days. An individual is permitted to leave quarantine to perform certain essential activities (for example, seek medical treatment), provided that they avoid public transportation and ride-share services, wear a facial covering, separate themselves from other people to the greatest extent reasonably possible, and follow other appropriate social distancing measures. All individuals who are impacted by this order are strongly encouraged to be tested within seven days of returning to Washington.

The full proclamation is available here.

Gov. Inslee announces authorization of Moderna vaccine by Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. The announcement comes after the FDA and CDC granted their initial authorization of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine was authorized last week and is already being administered throughout Washington state.

The first of the Moderna vaccine doses are expected to start arriving from the federal government this week. The storage and handling of this vaccine is logistically easier and should help get the vaccine to all areas of the state.

Read the full news release here.

Inslee statement on federal coronavirus relief and omnibus package. Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement on Congress reaching agreement on an omnibus funding package that includes emergency relief to address the health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full statement here.