Omicron now dominant virus strain in King County, western Washington
A Seattle hospital leader said Thursday that omicron has become the dominant coronavirus strain in King County and much of Western Washington.
'We were in there like a can of sardines:' Woman shares experience of overwhelmed hospital system
Doctors and nurses across Washington are worried about a potential surge in hospitalizations because of Omicron.
Local school district plans for possibility of remote learning in January due to Omicron
Just as K-12 students and staff begin to settle into winter break, the largest school district in the state shared that remote learning could be on the horizon in January due to the Omicron variant.
Omicron variant less likely to require hospitalization, studies show
Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact omicron spreads much faster than delta and is more able to evade vaccines.
SPS to continue in-person learning, but are closely watching omicron variant
Despite growing concerns of the omicron variant, Seattle Public Schools will still continue with in-person learning—for now.
'Now is not the time'; Mayor Durkan vetoes bill ending frontline workers' pandemic hazard pay
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan vetoed a City Council bill that would have ended hazard pay for frontline workers in 2022.
Groups warn of counterfeit masks as higher quality masks are sought
Health experts are encouraging people to use better masks, but counterfeit masks are being sold online at an alarming rate.
UW to return to online learning for start of 2022 as Omicron cases rise
The University of Washington is going back to online learning for the start of winter quarter, due to rising cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Delta still dominant COVID strain in Washington, but officials worry
Washington health officials said Tuesday at least 400 cases of the new COVID-19 variant had been confirmed, but that omicron hasn’t yet overtaken delta cases in the state.
COVID-19 testing sites backed up as omicron variant circulates ahead of holidays
In the last two weeks, Washington state has averaged more than 1,500 new, likely cases of COVID-19 a day. And that's leading to a strain at testing sites in some areas.
COVID-19 surge: Here’s what’s canceled or closing across the US
As the omicron variant continues to spread across the country, many events are getting canceled and businesses are closing.
CDC data: Omicron now dominant COVID-19 variant in US
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. Federal health officials said Monday that omicron accounted for an estimated 73% of new infections last week.
Holiday travel buzzing, but some making last-minute cancellations due to Omicron
Health officials are predicting a COVID-19 surge this winter due to the new variant Omicron.
Health officials: King County should prepare for omicron COVID surge
Public Health – Seattle & King County officials urged people on Friday to prepare for a surge of omicron COVID-19 cases as the highly-infectious variant spreads through the region.
200 COVID-19 cases linked to high school wrestling tourneys; new safety guidance for indoor sports released
The Washington State Department of Health announced on Friday that it updated its health and safety guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreaks linked to the high school wrestling tournaments this month.
Omicron variant now makes up about 3% of US COVID-19 cases, CDC says
The CDC estimates that the new omicron variant of the coronavirus now makes up about 3% of COVID-19 cases reported nationwide.
Steep rise in cases of Omicron variant 'slightly worrying' in Washington state
"While the rise is concerning, this is not a cause for panic. We already know all the strategies that work against preventing the spread of COVID-19," said Pavitra Roychoudhury, acting instructor at UW Medicine.
Oregon confirms first 3 cases of omicron variant
Oregon on Monday became the latest state to confirm cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19, officials said.
Omicron variant appearing milder than delta, South African doctors say
In the two weeks since omicron first was reported in Southern Africa, other doctors have shared similar stories. All caution that it will take many more weeks to collect enough data to be sure, their observations and the early evidence offer some clues.
First Omicron case detected in Whatcom County
The Washington State Department of Health confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in Whatcom County.