Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that a hospital in the South-Central Region of the Healthy Washington Plan misreported data, which led to a determination that the region remain in Phase 1 of Governor Jay Inslee’s Roadmap to Recovery phased reopening plan. When the region was the only one not move to Phase 2, it was brought to the attention of DOH that a hospital in the region appeared to be incorrectly reporting its hospital admission data. After learning that the hospital, Providence St. Mary Medical Cen... Full story
Republican Mark Klicker was officially sworn into office as a member of the Washington State House of Representatives to serve the 16th Legislative District on Friday, January 8, 2021. "I am very humbled and honored to serve the people of the 16th District," said Klicker, in a release. "These are challenging and unique times in the state. We need to come together on both sides of the aisle to find solutions that help everyone, and get Washington moving forward again." As he begins his term in...
OLYMPIA—Governor Inslee announced Tuesday the “Healthy Washington- Roadmap to Recovery,” a new COVID-19 two-phased recovery plan. Starting January 11, 2021, Washington will follow a regional recovery approach with each region beginning in Phase 1. The state has been divided into eight regions. Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, along with Benton, Franklin, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties, are in the ‘Southcentral Region.’ For the region to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, the following metrics must be met: • Decreasing trend in two-week rate of COV... Full story
OLYMPIA—Washington State remains in a highly precarious situation, even as COVID-19 transmission begins to flatten. A report released on December 24, 2020, showed that there has been a substantial decrease in transmission, however, it is not enough to reverse the skyrocketed rates that followed the Thanksgiving holiday. The report indicates, based on the timing of this trend, the case count plateau may be due, in part, to the current restrictions on gatherings and certain businesses. The report finds include: • COVID-19 transmission is pla...
OLYMPIA—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 begins today, Dec. 21. “I want to begin by thanking Governor Inslee, Sec... Full story
OLYMPIA—The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) has announced a new campaign targeting a small group of drivers: Those who refuse to wear seatbelts. The campaign began on social media, on the radio, and at select locations on November 16, 2020. “Washington has a success story to tell when it comes to seat belts,” says Shelly Baldwin, WTSC legislative and media director. “More than 93 percent of Washingtonians buckle up. Most of us know that wearing a seat belt improves your chances...
OLYMPIA—Governor Jay Inslee announced a new wave of restrictions last weekend, amidst the third wave of COVID-19 in Washington. “Today, November 15, 2020, I have to report to Washingtonians, is the most dangerous public health day in over 100 years of our state’s great history,” Gov. Inslee began his Sunday-morning release. “It is troublesome that I have to report that there is a pandemic raging across our state.” COVID-19 cases have more than doubled over the past two weeks across the state,...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) continues progress on COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning efforts. DOH is encouraging healthcare providers to prepare to enroll as approved COVID-19 vaccine providers, sending an official letter with enrollment information. Provider enrollment is the first step in setting up approved COVID-19 vaccine provider locations. Long-term care facilities can also enroll in a program that will provide a COVID-19 vaccine for their residents and staff. On October 16, the White House announced a f...
Olympia—Washington State’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program opens Sunday, November 1, for a new enrollment period, providing families a fresh opportunity to start saving for future college costs while their children are young. The 2020-2021 enrollment period runs through May 31, 2021, with a unit purchase price of $133. As a 529 prepaid tuition program, the State of Washington guarantees that a family’s GET savings will keep pace with in-state college tuition and state-mandated fees. While Washington tuition rates are the basis for G...
OLYMPIA — With seven days to go until the Nov. 3 General Election, the Office of the Secretary of State is reminding voters to return their ballots as soon as possible. Voters are encouraged to return their ballots by placing them in any of the nearly 500 ballot drop boxes statewide. Drop-box locations can be found by logging in to VoteWA.gov, as well as on the Secretary of State’s Office website. Ballots may also be returned by U.S. mail—no postage required—but must be postmarked by Nov. 3...
OLYMPIA—Washington State Parks today announced its 2020-21 winter schedule, with more than 100 parks remaining open for camping or day-use activities. The winter schedule is available online at https://tinyurl.com/y2u6mkbd. More than 100 parks will remain open during the winter, while about 22 parks are closed until dates in March, April or May. State parks offer ample opportunities for those who enjoy camping in the winter months. Campgrounds that remain open are less crowded, and more campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basi...
OLYMPIA—Today, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report, which reflects an overall decline in COVID-19 activity as of late August. The report also highlights encouraging signs that keeping our distance, limiting gathering size, and wearing face coverings are working to slow the spread of the disease. Report findings include: The reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) was close to one in western Washington and above one in eastern Washington as of A...
OLYMPIA/YAKIMA—The first two cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in Washington this year have been reported by the Yakima County Health District and Benton-Franklin Health District. The Yakima County resident, a man in his 50’s, was hospitalized due to the infection. The Benton County resident, a man in his 60’s, was not hospitalized. WNV can be a serious, even fatal illness. It can affect people, horses, birds, and other animals. WNV is almost always spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected after feedi...
OLYMPIA—Gov. Jay Inslee today announced and updated guidance as part of Washington’s Safe Start phased reopening plan. “We have worked with stakeholders for weeks and sometimes months to arrive at these guidelines. We continue to balance the need for activities that contribute to physical, mental, and emotional well-being with the steps needed to control the virus. Our ability to reopen depends on every Washingtonian doing their part to ensure fewer, shorter, and safer interactions,” said Inslee. These guidelines allow museums in Phase 2 count...
Governor and Health Secretary announce changes OLYMPIA—To combat the rising number of COVID-19 cases around the state, Governor Jay Inslee and Secretary of Health John Wiesman announced changes Friday to guidance and regulations under the state’s “Safe Start” plan. The changes center around restaurants, bars, and fitness centers, as well as weddings and funerals. Inslee and Wiesman said the state must suppress the current rise in COVID-19 transmission to allow more activities later in the year. “These prohibitions are part of our approach,...
