Inslee responds to virus surge

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee responded last week to the recent COVID-19 surge caused by the highly contagious omicron variant.

“We are seeing more COVID cases now than at any point during the entire pandemic and our hospitalizations are near the peak of Delta. Omicron is more contagious, and more people will likely get sick,” Inslee said during a Jan. 5 press conference.

Despite the surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations, Inslee said he was not advocating for more business or school shutdowns. Instead, state leaders are urging Washingtonians to use tools like COVID vaccinations, masking and testing to know if they should isolate to help stem the uptick in cases and hospitalizations.

“Because of the nature of this virus and our increasing understanding of the science and tools available to us, we believe this is the most reasonable approach to the status we are in,” Inslee said. “We have vaccines, which are a miracle of modern science and are extremely successful at keeping you from having serious illness. And we have those available universally, for free. We have a variety of common sense measures available – masking, testing, people making self-risk assessments. People who are not vaccinated have had months and months and months. If you have not availed yourself of that, you have made that risk.”

The governor said the state’s economy has rebounded from the initial, pre-vaccination stages of the pandemic.

“Our unemployment rate is about as low as it’s ever been and we want to continue that – and not have the repercussions we’ve had throughout this pandemic,” Inslee said.

The governor also insisted that he wants to see schools remain open as long as possible during a surge that has led to an increase in student absences and staffing shortages at schools throughout the state and caused some Vancouver-Portland area school districts to pause in-person classes and return to distance learning.

“Our paramount duty is the education of our children,” Inslee said. “We are starting with keeping our schools open.”

State to offer free COVID tests through online portal

The state’s Department of Health has ordered 5.5 million at-home COVID test kits for distribution to individuals, schools and community health organizations over the coming weeks.

To help with the distribution efforts, the state partnered with Amazon and CareEvolution, and will soon open an online portal for individuals to order free tests to be delivered directly to their homes. The portal is expected to open in mid-January, Inslee said last week.

The state also will send one million tests to schools to meet the increased testing needs for students and staff during the omicron surge, and will send an additional one million tests to local health organizations for people who are experiencing homelessness, living at long-term care facilities, at increased risk for COVID-19 or who lack access to the online portal.

Fehrenbach said the state is working with multiple manufacturers to procure the tests, and has authorized $50 million to pay for the 5.5 million test kits.

“The demand for (COVID tests) in the public market is really high. They are flying off the shelves,” she said. “The portal will be available to all Washingtonians.”

Fehrenbach urged Washingtonians to order COVID tests ahead of time and to think of the tests as something they want to have on hand when the need arises.

“Order now and plan ahead so you have the tests next week or later in the month when you need them,” Fehrenbach said.

State COVID leaders also are working to fulfill mask requests coming in from local emergency management departments and public health agencies, Inslee and Fehrenbach said, and will soon release about 10 million masks into local communities – to be distributed by K-12 schools, public health departments and other community health organizations – to help stop the spread of the omicron variant.

‘Next few weeks will be difficult’

Though the governor said evidence suggests the omicron variant, which has quickly replaced the delta variant as the most common cause of COVID-19 in the United States, leads to “less frequent fatalities,” Inslee said many people are still “getting very, very ill” when infected with the omicron variant and that hospitalizations are also ramping up in Washington state.

“Hospitalizations are going up – went up 45 percent this week – and will continue (to increase) for some period of time given the exponential rise in this,” Inslee said. “We want to tamp that down as much as possible. Just to slow this down so our hospitals do not become overwhelmed.”

The governor urged vaccinated Washingtonians to get their COVID “booster,” to help lower their own need for hospital support if they do get infected by the omicron variant. Researchers have found COVID booster shots provide around 85 percent protection from developing a severe illness from the extremely contagious omicron variant.

“You get the booster and you’re helping your community,” Inslee said. “You’re helping your neighbor who has a heart attack, gets into a car wreck or needs (an intensive care bed in a hospital). When you get your booster, you’re helping yourself, but you’re also helping everyone else.”

Lacy Fehrenbach, the state’s deputy secretary for COVID response, joined the governor at the press conference on Jan. 5, and said the state’s health care system is facing hard times.

“The health care system statewide is under strain and has been for months,” Fehrenbach said. “It’s going to be a really challenging few weeks ahead.”

Fehrenbach urged Washingtonians to avoid going to their local hospital emergency department for minor illnesses or to receive a COVID test.

“If you feel like your life is in jeopardy, of course go to the (emergency room),” Fehrenbach said. “But if you have a minor illness or injury you can manage at home (don’t go to the ER). And don’t go to the ER to get a COVID test. That’s really important. Use (the ER) if you need it for urgent care. Otherwise, get care through the primary system.”

Inslee said the state could experience staffing shortages as more people get infected with the omicron variant.

“We know the next few weeks will be difficult,” Inslee said. “We may see staffing shortages of essential (workers), and it may involve some frustrating days for us … but we know Washingtonians will be undeterred in continuing our efforts, and I have hope we will weather this storm. We have the tools available to increase our protection — booster shots, masks, using common sense … and there is some evidence from other countries that this (surge) can come down quite rapidly.”

Fehrenbach added that state public health staff are seeing COVID rates increasing across all age groups.

“(Omicron) is a highly transmissible variant and we have had a number of youth-related outbreaks, primarily related to indoor, high-contact sports,” she said. “We do have measures to protect ourselves. It requires layered health and safety measures – masks, distancing to the degree possible, good ventilation, good hand (washing) hygiene, more time outdoors, responding with contact tracing and testing. This helped keep our schools open during the (delta variant) surge. We are confident those things will help us through the omicron wave.”

Fehrenbach encouraged parents to make sure their children wear masks in public and keep their nose and mouths covered – and to have children who are eligible (those age 5 and older) vaccinated to prevent severe illness from COVID.

“This is another very strong protection parents can take,” Fehrenbach said, adding that her two children are vaccinated against COVID and attend public K-12 schools. “IF you have not gotten your child vaccinated, please talk to your pediatric provider.”

Inslee added that the majority of Washington’s younger children are not yet vaccinated against COVID.

“We only have 25 to 30 percent of our younger children vaccinated,” the governor said. “There is so much misinformation … but the risk of not getting the vaccine is real. This is a very safe vaccine and very helpful for children.”