COVID-19 in Washington

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is set to hold a press conference Friday morning to discuss the newly developed COVID-19 vaccine, respiratory virus season and other health topics.

The newly approved COVID-19 vaccines could be available in the Puget Sound region as soon as this weekend. 

Amid a major shortage of public safety personnel, and the end of King County's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, some experienced ex-workers who skipped the shot said it was time for them to get back to work.

A former Seattle man who stole over $1 million in jobless benefits and small business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic was sentenced on Tuesday to more than eight years in prison, Seattle U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in a statement. 

As state and local agencies put COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced that starting Thursday, state employees will no longer need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The smartphone app that notified you if you may have been exposed to someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19 will be going away next month. 

Mask requirements in healthcare, long-term care and correctional facilities have been lifted in Washington state. However, local governments, facilities and providers may choose to continue requiring masks.

King County and the City of Seattle on Monday officially dropped their COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Pike Place Market hosted it’s first-ever "Local Appreciation Day" on Saturday; a celebration that will continue into February.

Washington State University announced on Thursday that it will no longer require most students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Supporters of taxes on the very rich contend that people are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic with a bigger appetite for what they’re calling “tax justice.”

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) delivered an update on respiratory virus season and other health topics on Tuesday. 

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Friday that 26 people across the state have died from the flu this year. Some local health officials in Western Washington are now recommending people wear masks inside. 

Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has sued the university and Gov. Jay Inslee after he was fired last year for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Washington state's COVID-19 state of emergency and remaining emergency proclamations will end Oct. 31.

On Thursday during a media briefing, state health officials said the public should still be mindful of COVID-19 and cautious of other respiratory viruses emerging throughout the state that could challenge hospitals in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

The Center for COVID Control—a coronavirus testing company lambasted by the Attorney General as a ‘scam’—is now permanently barred from doing business in Washington.

The top health officer in Washington state’s most populous county said Thursday that a fall and winter COVID surge is likely headed to the Pacific Northwest after months of relatively low case levels.