COVID-19 BULLETIN

Recap of Recent COVID-19 News and Updates

Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021

Contact: 

Public Information Desk
doh-pio@doh.wa.gov

Statewide Response Updates

Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 531,294 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 8. There have been 6,850 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 Washington Ready page.

Gov. Jay Inslee's Sept. 9 press conference. The governor discussed the state's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was joined by Umair A. Shah, secretary of health, DOH; Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy secretary, DOH; and Nick Streuli, executive director of external affairs, Office of the Governor. View the Sept. 9 press conference.

DOH welcomes new chief science officer. Tao Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, has been hired as the agency’s chief science officer (CSO). In his new role, Kwan-Gett will serve as DOH’s primary science expert and a key spokesperson on public health issues. Read the full news release.

DOH statement on hospital capacity and crisis standards of care. The surge in hospitalizations is a situation that DOH, with its health care partners, has been monitoring closely. Partners across Washington have undertaken numerous strategies to stretch resources and mitigate current challenges. Read the full news release.

Case investigation and contact tracing metrics for DOH centralized investigations. This weekly report shows the timeliness of reaching COVID-19 confirmed and probable cases and their contacts for case investigations and contact tracing activities. Read the full Sept. 8 report.

COVID-19 morbidity and mortality by race, ethnicity, and spoken language in Washington state. This bimonthly report provides an overview of confirmed or probable COVID-19 case, hospitalization, and death rates by race and ethnicity at state and regional levels. It also provides counts and percentages of confirmed or probable cases and hospitalizations by primary language spoken. Read the full Sept. 8 report. 

DOH SARS-CoV-2 sequencing and variants report. This weekly report summarizes genome sequencing coverage of Washington SARS-CoV-2 specimens from multiple laboratories from across the United States and our state. It provides a statewide view of sequencing capacity and data, including breakouts by county and demographics. Read the full Sept. 8 report.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine breakthrough surveillance and case information resource. This weekly report provides data and criteria on fully vaccinated people who test positive with SARS-CoV-2 and may or may not develop COVID-19 symptoms. Read the full Sept. 8 report.

Resources

Get a vaccine, exposure notifications, and testing. Use the DOH vaccine locator to help end the pandemic. Next, get WA Notify so you’ll know if you’ve been near another person who later tests positive for COVID-19. To get quickly and easily tested anywhere in Washington, visit the DOH COVID-19 testing locations page.

Latest COVID-19 reopening guidance for businesses and workers. See a full list of current reopening guidance from the Governor's Office.

Guidance and resources for employers and business owners. Sign up for the Economic Resiliency Team business and worker newsletter.

The state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline is a general information line related to COVID-19. If you need information or have a general question, call 1-800-525-0127, then press # or text 211-211 for help. New hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays. You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are. You will receive links to the latest information on COVID-19, including county-level updates, and resources for families, businesses, students, and more.

Washington Listens helps people manage stress and anxiety they may be experiencing because of COVID-19. If you or anyone you know is having difficulties managing stress, call the Washington Listens support line at 1-833-681-0211. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. TTY and language access services are available by using 7-1-1 or their preferred method. See resources and self-help tips from Washington Listens.

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