More protection and quicker test results are what Pierce County needs, Inslee is told
Plenty of protection gear, faster testing results and more help for small businesses are some of the needs Pierce County has to continue the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Jay Inslee was told Wednesday in Puyallup.
Inslee was at Pierce College to meet with public health officials, medical officers, health care workers and small business owners on issues over COVID-19.
“These nurses are some of the hardest working people,” Inslee said. “They walk right into danger. They deserve to have PPE. And we’re bound and determined to make sure that they have it.”
Nurses and the public need quicker COVID-19 test results, he said.
Last week, Inslee met with representatives from nine COVID testing laboratories.
“They told me that they have huge (testing) capacity for their labs,” Inslee said. “They could do 10,000 more tests a day than they’re actually doing. Yet, we talked to a hospital administrator today who said, we still sometimes take three and four days to get the test done.”
The reason, Inslee said, is that too many different communication modes and technology systems slow down results.
“So, we still have some things to try to improve on the logistical side to continue to accelerate the the test,” he said.
The governor was bullish on vaccine development. Developers are sharing their safety and efficacy information to reassure the public, he said. Washington state officials will study the data.
“That’s important because we have to be able to trust the vaccine when it comes out,” he said. “And unfortunately, we’ve had some misinformation from the president that has increased suspicion about their process.”
Recent policy reversals at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not shaken his support in the institution, he said.
“We are hopeful that the scientists are listened to in the federal government, not the president,” he said. “The scientists can save our lives.”
Inslee called Washington a tough and scientifically literate state.
“We’re well advised by the Department of Health, by our other medical practitioners that are at universities,” he said.
Small business help
In Puyallup, Inslee met with leaders and owners of a manufacturing company, an education company and a salon. All had received $10,000 state grants.
An additional $15 million in grants will be distributed in the Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant program, Inslee said.
“These small businesses we want to keep, so that they can come back when we get a better position on COVID,” he said.
In the first round of grants, businesses with 10 employees or less were targeted, said Chris Green with the state Department of Commerce.
“The intention was to get those those micro enterprises that we knew had few other options to go access (cash),” Green said.
In the next round, companies with up to 20 employees will be targeted for grants, Green said. Companies can apply now.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 6:10 PM.
