A retired ophthalmologist, who wrote opinion columns in the Lewiston Tribune regarding COVID-19, was denied a preliminary injunction on charges filed against him by the Washington Medical Commission at a hearing Wednesday. His hearing with the Washington Medical Commission is scheduled for 9 a.m. May 24-26. Read More
Washington State employees will no longer be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination in order to keep their jobs. Continue Reading Washington ends COVID-19 vaccine requirements for state employeesRead More
Idaho’s leading causes of death as reported in the 2021 Vital Statistics Summary Listen (Runtime 00:48) Read A report announced this week by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare… Continue Reading Read More
When COVID-19 reached the Inland Northwest, few people could have predicted how profoundly it would change their life. NWPB’s Rachel Sun interviewed local residents about how the pandemic affected them. This is the last of a four-part mini series. Continue Reading Read More
Trabajadores agrícolas del centro de Washington y sus familias necesitan más información para protegerse del humo, opciones asequibles para el cuidado de sus hijos y otros recursos que los ayuden a estar preparados ante futuros eventos de humo. Read More
Farmworkers’ families in Central Washington need more smoke safety information, accessible childcare, and other resources to be prepared for future smoke events. Those are the results of a recent study where researchers asked parents how they cope with wildfire seasons. Read More
Photo courtesy of Melyssa Andrews Listen (Runtime 1:23) Read When COVID-19 reached the Inland Northwest, few people could have predicted how profoundly it would change their lives. NWPB’s Rachel Sun… Continue Reading What we learned from COVID: Melyssa Read More
When COVID-19 reached the Inland Northwest, few people could have predicted the profound changes it would cause. NWPB’s Rachel Sun interviewed local residents about how the pandemic changed their mental health, lives, and perspective. This is the second in a four-part mini series. Read More
When COVID-19 reached the Inland Northwest, few people could have predicted its profound changes. NWPB’s Rachel Sun interviews local residents about how the pandemic changed their mental health, lives and perspective. This is the first in a four-part mini series. Read More
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached the Inland Northwest almost three years ago, Dr. Max Williams started seeing a change in some of his patients that shocked him: People he had treated successfully for years no longer trusted him. Continue Reading Read More
Idaho’s hospitals are feeling the strain from the “tripledemic” of RSV, flu and COVID-19, officials say. Dr. Jim Souza is the chief physician executive at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise. Continue Reading Some hospitals in Read More
Officials say children have lowest vaccination rate, urge regular masking in crowded, confined spaces Continue Reading Health department: ‘Now is the time to get vaccinated’Read More
Moscow Middle School will close Friday after a third of its 499 students called out sick Tuesday and Wednesday. Continue Reading Moscow Middle School closes after third of students call out sickRead More
Starting Dec. 1, users will be redirected to the coronavirus landing page on doh.wa.gov from the state coronavirus response website. Read The Washington State Department of Health announced in a… Continue Reading Washington to shut down COVID-19 Read More
Cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, have been steadily rising in Washington and Idaho along with pediatric hospitalizations. Influenza and COVID-19 also pose a risk, creating what experts are… Continue Read More
Listen (Runtime 0:59) Read Idaho residents getting COVID-19 booster shots will now receive an updated vaccine to target BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants. The boosters are available to anyone 12… Continue Reading Updated COVID-19 Boosters Read More
Richard Eggleston Listen (Runtime :59) Read When Richard Eggleston started writing Opinion page columns about COVID-19 for the Lewiston Tribune in early 2021, his writing garnered strong criticism from readers… Read More
Photo courtesy of Pixabay Listen (Runtime :50) Read The portal is also open to Idaho residents, but it is not currently one of the “collaborating states.” Washington residents previously had… Continue Reading Online Portal Allows Read More
Whitman County residents could be getting access to an updated COVID-19 booster to target the dominant omicron variants of the virus as early as Sept. 9. Continue Reading Washington Residents Could Get Updated Vaccine by Mid-SeptemberRead More
Washington and Oregon rank in the top ten states for the longest life expectancy, according to new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The high rankings come with the caveat that the pandemic has thrown lengthening human lifespans into reverse across the U.S. Read More
Image courtesy Pixabay Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read The Washington Department of Health released updated guidelines for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in K-12 schools and childcare on Friday, including updates… Continue Reading DOH Updates School, Read More
Photo courtesy of Pixabay Listen (Runtime 0:47) Read In the past month, the Northwest has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases — but just how many is unclear. The Washington… Continue Reading Experts Advise On Best Practices As At-Home Tests Go Read More
A Sumner, Washington seafood company that makes imitation crab and other products has been fined $56,000 in connection with a 2021 COVID outbreak that left one employee dead. Continue Reading Washington Seafood Company Fined Following COVID DeathRead More
The U.S. is facing the largest blood shortage in years due to the COVID-19 pandemic discouraging people to donate. Continue Reading Organizations Encourage Americans to Donate Blood Amid National ShortageRead More
When COVID-19 reached the inland Northwest two years ago, more people took to the great outdoors. The number of visitors to Elk River skyrocketed, and many residents became nervous about exposure to the virus. Continue Read More
Studies of COVID in wastewater can help predict outbreaks Listen Rachel Sun reports on how scientists at the University of Idaho are tracking COVID through wastewater / Runtime – 1:46… Continue Reading Tracking COVID Through Wastewater in IdahoRead More
Richland Washington public schools were in an emergency closure Wednesday, and will be closed again Thursday. Continue Reading Richland Public Schools Are In Emergency Closure AgainRead More
More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, WASH – As 2022 progresses, some people are calling for stringent COVID-19 mitigation efforts like mask-wearing to lessen. “If we’re gonna get it, there’s already different… Continue Reading The transition from pandemic to Read More
As states from Oregon to New York announce plans to end mask mandates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced that he’s lifting outdoor masking requirements and plans to announce next week a date when the face-covering rules for public indoor spaces and schools will be lifted. Read More
More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, Wash. – Something on all of our minds as the omicron variant takes over the U.S…COVID-19 testing in Pullman, or should I say, the lack… Continue Reading Inaccessibility of COVID-19 testing in PullmanRead More
Education District 123 covers Benton and Franklin county and has the highest Covid case rates in Washington state. Mitigation efforts at local schools from masking and distancing continue, but some school board members are pushing back against those measures Continue Read More
According to the Washington State Department of Health, covid case rates in Eastern Washington are top ten for the entire country. DOH is emphasizing the importance of masks and vaccines, and warn of hospitals becoming increasingly filled in the next two weeks with Covid cases. Read More
Idaho reached record levels of COVID-19 testing positivity at 38.8% last week, said Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist at a press briefing Tuesday. Continue Reading Idaho hits record for COVID-19 positivityRead More
More Murrow News Stories PULLMAN, Wash. – Courtney Crabtree is enjoying her senior year and final semester at Washington State University, finally in person after nearly two years. But she’s… Continue Read More
Washington’s COVID-19 state of emergency is approaching its two-year anniversary. Under current law, the governor has broad emergency powers. But the Legislature is considering new restrictions on that authority. Continue Read More
Kittitas Valley Healthcare-KVH will no longer offer free COVID testing to Kittitas County. According to the Public Hospital website, "sudden and extreme supply chain shortages" force the changes starting Jan. 28. Continue Reading Covid Test Shortage In Read More
COVID cases continue to rise at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Continue Reading Over 80 New COVID Cases Announced At Detention Center In Tacoma This MonthRead More
A Covid outbreak in the Benton County jail is affecting forty-five percent of inmates along with 24 staff members and is the first major outbreak in 18 months. Continue Reading COVID Outbreak in Benton County JailRead More
A proposal in the Washington Legislature would make it a crime to use or sell a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. The sponsor says he wants to deter people from even considering the ruse, but he also wants to send a signal to prosecutors to prioritize these cases as a matter of protecting public health. Read More
Following the lead of Oregon and other states, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that he will deploy 100 members of the National Guard to assist hospitals struggling to respond to a spike in COVID-19 patients due to the highly-contagious omicron variant. Read More
So much for the best laid plans for Washington’s 2022 legislative session. The highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 has upended what was supposed to be a mostly in-person start to the 60-day session, at least in the House of Representatives. Read More
The year 2021 isn’t even over, yet Oregon and Washington have already smashed their previous records for total annual deaths. Those records were just set last year. The coronavirus pandemic is only one piece of the explanation. Read More
Longtime Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen, a Whatcom County Republican, has died following a COVID-19 diagnosis while traveling in El Salvador last month. Continue Reading Washington State Senator Doug Ericksen Dead At 52; Follows Read More
It's a growing problem in Washington: kids with developmental disabilities and complex behaviors who are stuck in the hospital with no reason for being there. Usually, they end up in the hospital after a crisis or an incident. But once the child is medically cleared to leave, their parents or their group home won't come get them citing inadequate supports to manage the Read More
COVID fatigue is a real problem. As with any public health measure that continues for a long time people begin to tire of new information or staying vigilant. Continue Reading Acknowledging COVID Information Fatigue As Variant Omicron Read More
As one of the top agricultural industries in the state, the Washington wine industry had to weather a significant downturn because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some are now seeing a return to profits. Continue Reading Washington Wine Industry Weathers COVIDRead More
For months, minority Republicans in the Washington Legislature have called for limits on the governor’s emergency powers. But now even some Democrats are expressing concerns about the open-endedness of the COVID-19 state of emergency and the limited role of state lawmakers. Read More
Sixty thousand Washington kids ages five to eleven got their first COVID-19 shot as of November 15th according to the Washington State Department of Health. Nationwide about ten percent of kids age five to eleven were vaccinated as soon as approval went through for the Pfizer vaccine. Read More
As one of the top agricultural industries in the state, the Washington wine industry had to weather a significant downturn because of Covid-19 restrictions. Some are now seeing a return to profits now. NWPB’s. Continue Reading Washington Wine Industry Weathers Read More
Those detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma have yet to hear when they might receive their COVID-19 booster shots. Continue Reading GEO Group Says ICE To Decide On Booster Shots For DetaineesRead More