Washington health officials: ‘We’re moving into a new era of this pandemic’

Washington health officials delivered a briefing Thursday, declaring that the state is now entering into the next phase of its pandemic response efforts.

As COVID appears to wane, what will the new normal look like?

Cases of COVID-19 have decreased since a third wave of cases over the winter, but have also plateaued in recent weeks. And while the state says it has made “incredible progress” on distributing vaccines, officials couched that by citing concerns over the fact that the baseline for case totals after each wave over the last year has gradually increased.

“We had a first wave in March, then it came down to a baseline,” Washington epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist described on Thursday. “The second wave came to a baseline higher than the first. That seeded the third wave, which has now come down to a flattening, which is higher than the two previous baselines. This sets us up for a continued wave, so I’m very concerned for the possibility of a fourth wave.”

Washington also identified its first case of the P1 variant strain this week, first detected in Brazil, where infections and hospitalizations have continued to escalate. Early data appears to show that the P1 variant spreads twice as easily as the original iteration of COVID-19, and could prove more resistant to vaccines.

The P1 variant has yet to spread widely in the United States, but its presence in Washington is still a cause for apprehension, officials warn.

“There aren’t a lot of P1 variants in the U.S., and to find one in Washington is a concern,” Dr. Lindquist said. “I’m really concerned about where this sets us up for the future.”

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That future continues to evolve, with the CDC issuing new guidance stating that fully vaccinated people can gather together indoors, without masks. The Centers for Medicaid Services also relaxed guidance for nursing home visitations this week, allowing for physical contact — including hugs — between fully vaccinated residents and visitors.

However, just because people have been fully vaccinated does not mean they should start booking a spring vacation. Lindquist reminded Washingtonians that the CDC has not given the OK to travel to those who have gotten the vaccine.

“You still need to follow the CDC travel guidance,” he said. “Vaccination has not loosened our restrictions on travel guidance from the CDC.”

Health officials also pointed out that when large numbers of people travel, we tend to see upticks in cases.

This gradual evolution of restrictions — as well as subsequent tweaks and adjustments — is largely what we can expect in the months to come.

“We’re moving into a new era of this pandemic,” Lindquist said. “This is going to be our future — we’re going to have tons of updates every week as we go through this pandemic.”

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