With fourth COVID-19 wave imminent, Inslee urges Washingtonians to ‘take it outside’
Gov. Jay Inslee hosted reporters for an in-person news conference in sunny Olympia on Thursday, where he urged residents to take social activities outdoors as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise yet again.
“We have knocked down this virus, already, three times,” Inslee said. “But we have to knock it down a fourth time, because unfortunately we are now experiencing significant growth of this virus in our beautiful state. That’s hard to say on a sunny day, but it is the medical, scientific truth. And we have to face it.”
Unfortunately, Inslee said, there is strong evidence of a developing “fourth wave.”
Daily statewide case counts are up to over 1,000 per day, when seven-day average case counts were in the 700s not long ago. Daily hospitalizations have risen from weekly averages in the 30s last month to averages in the 40s now.
“We will not wait until that wave engulfs us, we have to prevent this from taking over the state of Washington,” Inslee said.
He urged residents to keep wearing masks, get vaccinated, and the message of the day: “Take it outside” — move any activity you have planned, be it on business or recreation, outdoors.
The governor made no major announcements at his weekly press conference, but touched on key moments in the state’s COVID-19 response that are happening this week.
Thursday, deemed “Vax Day,” marked the first day every adult in Washington state was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Many will need to be patient: Roughly 6 million people are now eligible for vaccination, Inslee said, and the state’s receiving less than 400,000 doses per week.
The state now has enough supply to make everyone eligible, the governor said, but is approaching a challenge related to vaccine hesitancy — he repeated a call for residents to talk to their family and friends about the importance of getting vaccinated. There’s concern that the pause on using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which followed a recommendation from federal health officials while they learn more about a rare side effect, could increase hesitancy.
As of April 12, the state was giving an average of more than 62,300 doses per day. Nearly 35 percent of people had gotten at least one dose, and just over 23 percent were fully vaccinated.
Another key moment this week: On Friday, three counties — Cowlitz, Pierce, and Whitman — will roll back to Phase 2 of reopening after failing metrics related to COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. In part, the move requires cutting capacity at businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, and gyms, in half.
“That’s frustrating to people,” Inslee acknowledged. “But these are extraordinary times, and we require extraordinary measures still. We are not out of the woods. We just are not out of the woods. But we are in a position where we know we can do this.”
Asked why he didn’t heed the request in a letter last week from more than 60 organizations requesting he postpone rolling back counties as vaccinations ramp up, he said the decision was “based on science.”
“The science had told us that the virus is not waiting for us,” he said. “I know we feel like we’re done with the virus, but the virus is not done with us. And when I see these numbers every morning going up, it’s extremely disconcerting. And they are going up quite rapidly.”
The governor recently altered the reopening plan to make it harder for counties to backslide. Previously counties would move back a phase if they missed one of two metrics, and now they have to miss both. To get back to Phase 3 of reopening, though, the counties that are backsliding will need to meet both metrics they’ve failed.
“I want to reiterate: We’re just so close to success,” Inslee said. “This has been the longest year, probably, in most of our lives. And we are just this close to success. It really is the fourth quarter, and we’ve done such great work already, together, now we’re asking people just to enjoy another great victory outside.”
To find a vaccine, residents can visit the state’s online Vaccine Locator tool (https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/) or call the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.
This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 5:10 PM.
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