Recap of Recent COVID-19 News and Updates

COVID-19 BULLETIN

Thursday, May 5, 2022

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 1,508,065 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 3. There have been 12,679 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.

Data note: DOH is still experiencing delays in reporting cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as a result of prior slowdowns in our data systems during the omicron surge. We are clearing these backlogged cases, hospitalizations, and deaths as resources permit. The COVID-19 Epidemiological Curves tab is the most accurate representation of COVID-19 activity and is updated daily as new cases are identified and duplicates are resolved.

For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard.

Note: As of March 31, 2022, DOH will publish this bulletin on Thursdays only, and only if there is significant new information to share.

Reported COVID-19 reinfections in Washington state. This weekly report includes information on hospitalizations and deaths, demographics, trends over time, and vaccination status of people with a reinfection for which DOH has information about both infection events. Read the full May 4 report.

COVID-19 cases among children and youth in Washington. This weekly report provides information on COVID-19 in all children and youth, ages 0 to 19 years. Cases are broken down by educational service district (ESD) regions and age. Read the full May 4 report in English and in Spanish.

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths by vaccination status. This weekly report provides a brief overview of confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among those who are not fully vaccinated in Washington state. Read the full May 4 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 May 3 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 May 4 report.

COVID-19 outbreaks in Washington state K-12 schools. Between Aug. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, 1,296 COVID-19 outbreaks and 10,165 COVID-19 cases in K-12 schools were reported to DOH. Read the full April 29 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 May 5 report.

Resources

Get a vaccine, exposure notifications, COVID-19 testing, and proof of vaccination. Use the DOH vaccine locator to help end the pandemic. Next, get WA Notify so you’ll know if you’ve been near another WA Notify user who later tests positive for COVID-19. To get quickly and easily tested anywhere in Washington, visit the DOH COVID-19 testing locations page. For K-12 students, staff, and parents/guardians, learn more about our partnership that helps schools provide easy COVID-19 testing on site. Once vaccinated, you can provide your vaccination status using WA Verify.

Care Connect Washington assistance. Care Connect provides food and other support to people who test positive for COVID-19 so they can isolate at home. People who have been exposed to the virus and are actively quarantining are also eligible. Making it easier for people to stay home helps slow the spread of the illness. Call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available. The hotline hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and observed state holidays.

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 and Business Resilience 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 on 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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