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 Read Wastewater testing at the University of Idaho is helping to pave the way for a new method of tracking and predicting spikes in COVID-19… Read 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 ways we’re gonna get it other than wearing masks,” WSU student Dani Reeves said. Lessening these restrictions means society is shifting from a 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 thereof? “The tests are getting a little more hard to come by,” said Dale Pickard, a pharmacist at Sid’s Pharmacy. Sid’s Pharmacy is one of… Read 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 worried that might change. Washington State University remains committed to in-person learning despite a dramatic increase in Covid cases on campus, according to a WSU… 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
At the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, those detained received the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Some are now two months or more from their inoculation, meaning that under CDC recommendations, they would be eligible for their booster. Continue Read More
Washington has nine independently elected statewide officeholders. All but one of those elected officials has required their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The holdout was the lone Republican. Continue Reading A Read More
Most people who come down with sickness from a virus like covid-19 are presented with few treatment options, as they usually must allow their immune system to fight it off. But what if you could be relieved of that virus after getting it? Washington State University researcher Michael Phelps is trying to make that a… Read More
Washington’s prison population has dropped to levels not seen in nearly a generation. COVID is a major factor, but what’s not clear is whether the downward trend is here to stay. Continue Reading Washington’s Prison Population Plummets During COVID Read More
Roughly nine in 10 employees of the state of Washington are now vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Jay Inslee considers that a huge success and a win for public health. But his vaccine mandate has also led to the departure of hundreds of state employees. Now there are questions about the implications for some state services. Read More
Good news for parents of kids that are between five and eleven. Dr. Person, the Health Officer for Benton Franklin Health Department believes by the middle of November kids should be able to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Continue Reading Read More
Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate has survived an 11th hour court challenge. On Monday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy denied a motion for an injunction to block the mandate from taking effect. Continue Reading Read More
Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate is now in effect. But it may be several days before we know how many people in state government, health care and education lost their jobs because they didn’t get vaccinated. Continue Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced a statewide requirement that attendees at large events show proof of being vaccinated against COVID-19 or proof of a negative test taken in the 72 hours before the event. Continue Reading Read More
It's time to get those costumes and bowls of candy ready — Halloween is just around the corner.
And unlike last year, trick-or-treating can go ahead this season — that's according to the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Read More
The days are quickly ticking down to next Monday's deadline when most Oregon and Washington teachers, health care workers and public employees need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Continue Reading Pacific NW Read More
It was a challenging summer at Washington’s state-run homes for veterans. Two of the four homes experienced widespread COVID-19 outbreaks. Four veterans died. Now the homes are bracing for another challenge: the potential for a staffing shortage as the governor’s vaccine mandate kicks in. Read More
Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate covers more than 800-thousand workers in education, state government and healthcare. But there’s one group of hands-on caregivers it doesn’t apply to. Continue Reading Read More
COVID-19 related deaths are trending much higher in Republican counties than in Democratic ones in Washington. That’s according to a new legislative analysis. Continue Reading COVID-19 Deaths Much Higher In Washington’s Republican Read More
Respiratory therapist Gina McCarthy cares for COVID-19 patients in overflowing MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. Never in her 28 years in the profession has she worked hours like she does now. Continue Reading Read More
The overcrowded hospitals we've been telling you about for weeks are having ripple effects out into the community -- some you could predict and some which are a little more startling. Take for example a fire that gutted a house in Ocean Shores, expensive airlifts from Leavenworth, Washington, and slow response times for ambulance transports in Portland. Read More
Dozens of Washington state troopers, prison correctional officers, ferry workers and other public sector employees have filed a lawsuit in Walla Walla County to try to overturn Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit alleges the mandate is unlawful and unconstitutional. Read More
President Biden and the Transportation Security Administration are cracking down on those who defy mask mandates on airplanes with one simple message: "If you break the rules, be prepared to pay." Continue Reading TSA Is Doubling Fines Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has expanded his statewide mask order to include larger outdoor events with 500 or more attendees. Continue Reading Inslee Orders Mask Usage At Larger Outdoor EventsRead More
It’s a problem nationally and in the Northwest. Pet owners are having trouble getting access to veterinary services. It’s another example of the fallout from the ongoing pandemic. Continue Reading Desperate Times For Pet Owners And Read More
All school employees in Washington state must get a Covid-19 vaccine, or risk losing their job. Also, masks will once again be required in most indoor settings starting Monday, August 23, according to the latest mandates from Gov. Jay Inslee. Read More
How bad is the fifth wave of COVID-19? One hospital in Thurston County, Washington is limiting visitors, the intensive care unit is at capacity and elective surgeries and procedures are being delayed. Continue Reading Read More