COVID updates: Washington set to move into Phase 3 of reopening

Find a vaccine location near you.

Confirmed coronavirus cases across Washington state

Sunday, March 21

12:28pm – As more and more people get vaccinated against COVID-19, the concept of herd immunity keeps coming up in conversation. Some health officials have previously expressed that true herd immunity may be hard to reach, and Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer with Public Health — Seattle & King County, agrees. Read more.

8:03am – Washington will officially move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan on Monday.

Phase 3 allows up to 50% occupancy for indoor spaces, such as restaurants, retails, gyms and fitness centers, and movie theaters, and up to 400 people for indoor and outdoor activities, as long as physical distancing and masking are enforced.

On the professional sports side, this announcement means the Mariners will get to welcome back a limited number of fans in person on opening day.

Saturday, March 20

4:29pm – There have been 333,340 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,174 deaths statewide, as reported by the Washington State Department of Health. Over 20,000 people have been hospitalized.

12:02pm – The Northwest Grocery Association (NGA) and Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) have officially appealed their lawsuit to overturn Seattle’s grocery store hazard pay ordinance. Read more.

7:41am – The Washington Department of Health confirmed late this week that on May 1, all people ages 16 and up will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine statewide.

Gov. Inslee’s office tells the Seattle Times that this due to a “binding presidential directive” from Joe Biden, “so it was inevitable.”

“I would note that it does not stop DOH from adding other tiers prior to May 1 or moving eligibility up before then,” Inslee’s office added.

That breaks down in the following way: There are roughly 6.2 million Washington residents over the age of 16. As of this week, 3 million people in the state are eligible for the vaccine. On March 31, that number will tick up to 5 million. The 1.2 million Washingtonians over 16 that remain will be eligible “on or before May 1.”

Friday, March 19

6:52pm – There have been 332,549 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,174 deaths statewide, as reported by the Washington State Department of Health. Over 20,000 people have been hospitalized.

3:44pm – Workers at Sea-Tac Airport began to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

“Airport workers are essential workers. Most people haven’t thought of them because they haven’t been to the airport in the last year, but they’ve just as essential as our health care workers and our first responders,” said Stephanie Bowman, Port of Seattle Commissioner.

It’s hoped all airport workers receive a first dose of the vaccine by next week.

1:44pm – UW Medicine and the Seattle Mariners are partnering to help reach underserved communities in the region with the COVID-19 vaccine. In addition to going into communities with a mobile vaccination program, the partnership also includes a community awareness campaign titled: “This is our shot to strike out COVID-19.”

12:50pm – In his weekly briefing, Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer with Public Health — Seattle & King County, said that after a drop from the peak of the large third wave, cases in the county plateaued in mid-February and are now on a slight increasing trend.

“As much as we would like it to be — as much as I would like it to be — this pandemic is not over,” Duchin said. “This risk is not gone. The virus is still with us, and more harmful variants are increasing.”

“Optimism is great and it’s important, and we will be headed toward better, safer, healthier times over the coming months. But we can’t let optimism blind us to the reality and uncertainty of our situation,” Dr. Duchin added. “We’re still giving the virus too many opportunities to spread right now, and increasing activity with increasing variants is a dangerous combination.”

He underscored the importance of continuing to take precautions, even with increasing vaccinations, in order to prevent the spread of the virus in our personal lives, at work, and in the community.

11:28am – King County reports that as of March 15, over 500,000 people have been vaccinated in King County, while 76% of residents over the age of 65 have received at least one dose.

9:51am – The Washington State Department of Health reports that it dipped slightly below its goal of 45,000 vaccine doses distributed a day over the last week, as it waits for more supply to arrive from the federal government.

8:04am – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its social distancing guidelines for schools Friday, saying students can now sit three feet apart in classrooms.

The revised COVID-19 recommendations represent a turn away from the six-foot standard that has forced some schools to remove desks, stagger scheduling, and take other steps to keep children away from one another.

6:33am – Thousands of Washington hospitality workers previously signed a petition asking to be included with other essential workers in COVID-19 vaccine eligibility.

The petition, organized by the Seattle Restaurant Alliance and Washington Hospitality Association, asked Gov. Jay Inslee to include food and hospitality workers in the tier with those who work in grocery stores, food manufacturing, and food processing. That tier became eligible Wednesday, March 17.

While restaurant workers were not added to that tier, they are now included in the expanded eligibility that will open on March 31, announced by the governor on Thursday. Read more. 

5:07am – Washington might soon be rethinking its current travel restrictions for those who’ve been fully vaccinated.

Existing federal and local guidelines advise travelers get tested 1-3 days before flying, and then within three days of returning, in addition to a seven-day quarantine. With spring break on the horizon, KIRO 7 TV reports that “the state is considering adjusting that for vaccinated residents.”

Thursday, March 18

5:24pm – There have been 331,820 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 5,168 deaths statewide, as reported by the Washington State Department of Health. Nearly 20,000 people have been hospitalized.

5:08pm – President Biden has ordered governors to declare all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1. Some states are doing so weeks ahead of that date, but Washington is unlikely to be one of them.

“I doubt that we would advance that eligibility into early April because we do need to get these folks who are most at risk today,” Gov. Inslee said.

3:18pm – Gov. Inslee announced Thursday, among other pandemic related changes, that the state will open up COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for the next two tiers earlier than originally expected.

Due to increasing doses and vaccination rate increases, COVID vaccine eligibility will open to the next two tiers of eligible Washingtonians on March 31, 2021.

The expansion opens appointments for: anyone with two or more comorbidities; anyone between the ages of 60 and 64; anyone living in congregate settings, such as correctional facilities, group homes for those with disabilities, and those experiencing homelessness; and any additional workers in congregate settings, including restaurants and food service workers, manufacturing, and construction. Read more.

1:45pm – The state Department of Health expects to receive about 345,000 doses of COVID vaccine each week from now through early April. That number could nearly double in April as health officials say that 600,000 doses of COVID vaccine should then be coming to Washington each week. Read more.

11:44am – The American Rescue Plan is putting money in people’s bank accounts and in state treasuries. But it includes a provision that essentially says that if a state gets this bailout money, it can’t just turn around and give everybody a tax refund. Read more. 

9:52am – The Washington State Department of Health delivered its weekly briefing Thursday, with officials continuing to express concerns over a flattening of COVID-19 case numbers.

The DOH also noted that it’s made “great progress” on vaccinations, having now handed out over 2.5 million doses, and continuing to meet its goal of distributing 45,000 doses a day.

In total, 21% of Washington’s population has received at least one dose, while 12% have now been fully vaccinated.

8:17am – Canada’s Border Services agency announced Thursday that it is extending its restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the United States to April 21, 2021.

7:06am – Some teachers’ unions have claimed they can’t go back to the classroom because there’s not enough room for students to stay six feet apart. But virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen tells KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula that social distancing alone won’t prevent kids or teachers from catching COVID-19. Read more.

5:35am – UW affiliate professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Dr. Vin Gupta believes that we could begin seeing a return to normalcy by the end of June or early July. But that timeline could also be delayed by growing skepticism surrounding the vaccine.

That skepticism is especially prevalent among Republicans, 49% of whom said in a recent poll that they do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“All forecasts right now say that we’re going to be past the worst of this with normalcy by say end of June, early July,” Gupta said Wednesday. “That, however, is contingent on people actually getting the vaccine to the tune of 75% to 80% of eligible adults by that time period.”

“If that’s not the case —if there’s skepticism or hesitancy that high — we’re not going to get there,” he added.

Wednesday, March 17

5:18pm – There have been 331,109 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 5,156 deaths statewide, as reported by the Washington State Department of Health. There are an additional 20,903 probable cases, bringing the total case number to 352,012. More than 2.5 million vaccine doses have been given in Washington.

3:42pm – As predicted, coronavirus vaccine clinics are filling up faster today with more than half a million state residents newly eligible to receive their doses.

Pierce County’s latest registration filled in five minutes this morning, but more slots are now being offered. Yesterday, it took more than an hour to fill up.

1:51pm – One year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, bringing with it economic devastation across the state and more people in need of food assistance. Seattle personal chef Ariel Bangs started an all-volunteer program called the Plant Based Food Share to get boxes of fresh produce to families in need. Read more.

12:08pm – For the second year in the row, the IRS is pushing the tax filing deadline over ongoing concerns related to the pandemic. Last year’s deadline was delayed until the summer, but in 2021, it’ll only be moved forward a single month to May 15.

10:21am – Experts believe that a surge of COVID-19 cases in Europe could serve as a cautionary tale for the United States. Read more from the Associated Press.

8:58am – With more people eligible for COVID-19 vaccine shots today, one expert is urging people to get good sleep beforehand.

University of Washington sleep specialist Dr. Lourdes DelRosso says sleep-deprived people do not produce as many antibodies after getting flu shots, and the same may be true for coronavirus shots.

She say that is likely because your body does not function as well when you are tired. To combat that, Dr. DelRosso says to try to get a week of good sleep before you receive your dose.

7:29am – A Walmart in Covington has shut down after “several employees” were reportedly infected in a COVID-19 outbreak, according to KIRO 7 TV.

The store reported the cases on March 11; as of Tuesday, 24 of the store’s staff members have tested positive for the virus, although no customers have been linked.

5:11am – Washington state entered a new vaccine phase Wednesday, as it now sits in Phase 1B, Tier 2.

That means vaccinations are now available for high-risk critical workers in certain congregate settings, which includes: agriculture, fishing vessels, food processing, grocery stores, prisons and detention centers, public transit, and any remaining first responders. The new phase also includes those who are 16 years or older who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at a high risk for severe illness.

Tuesday, March 16

6:56pm – Health officials say there have been 330,367 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Washington state and 5,149 deaths since the outbreak began last year.

5:34pm – Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Education Association teachers’ union came to a tentative agreement Tuesday for a safe return to school buildings for preschool and elementary students and staff. Read more.

3:40pm – Washington’s unemployment rate dropped to 6% January, down from December’s 7.1% rate. February’s unemployment rate will be released on March 24.

1:52pm – Wenatchee’s Dr. Mark Johnson says statewide appointments for COVID-19 vaccine shots have been easier to schedule, which is a sign the state is ready to add the next group Wednesday as planned.

The next category that becomes eligible Wednesday includes transit and grocery store employees, as well as those who work in food processing or agriculture, among others. People 16 or older who are pregnant and anyone with a disability that puts them at high-risk are also eligible starting Wednesday. Anyone eligible in earlier phases will remain eligible.

Dr. Johnson does warn that with the increased eligibility, it may become harder to schedule a shot.

11:26am – Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan spoke to Bloomberg this week, reflecting on the last year of the city’s COVID-19 response efforts, and warning that the crisis was “far from over.”

“I would urge everyone to have some caution,” she said. “We have to get vaccination shots into arms — until we do that, we’re still at risk.”

10:01am – Snohomish County is reporting that case rates among students remain low, marking good news as schools begin to bring kids back into classrooms.

“It shows that the parents, the students, the staff and the faculty are engaging in those prevention measures that have been shown to interrupt and limit the spread of COVID in the school community,” County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters said Tuesday.

A proclamation from Gov. Inslee requires all school districts to at least begin hybrid in-person learning by April 19.

8:43am – Burien City Council has approved a one year pilot program, allowing food trucks to operate in the city, over the objections of restaurant owners.

The city’s restaurants told KIRO 7 TV that the trucks will hurt sales already damaged by the pandemic over the past year. Over 50 Burien restaurants signed a petition begging the council to delay the pilot program. Read more. 

7:07am –  Seattle councilmembers approved legislation Monday that loosens a series of land use rules imposed on businesses operating out of homes during the pandemic. Read more.

5:18am – Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Monday that she will be extending the city’s eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, drawing wide praise from city leaders.

“Seattle families worried about their housing stability at month’s end, can breathe a sigh of relief. I thank Mayor Durkan for her announcement that she will extend the City of Seattle’s eviction moratorium,” Council President Lorena Gonzalez said in a written release.

Monday, March 15

Read last week’s updates here.