An estimated 2 million more people in Washington will become eligible for vaccinations against COVID-19 starting March 31, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday.
The change clears the way for numerous people who likely would have had to wait weeks – if not months -- for eligibility.
About 3 million people in Washington already have been cleared for access to the vaccines. At the end of the month they will be joined by:
- Anyone with two or more comorbidities.
- Anyone aged 60-64.
- People who work in restaurants, food manufacturing and construction jobs.
- Anyone in who lives in congregate settings, including group homes, jails and prisons.
- Anyone experiencing homelessness who seeks services in group settings.
Even though demand for vaccine continues to far outpace supply, Inslee said adding eligible people is possible now because a greater supply of vaccine is expected soon.
“This timeline is much faster than we would have predicted a couple of months ago,” he said.
The governor announced the changes in the vaccine access rules at the same time he said he is extending the moratoria on eviction and utility service shutoffs. He also said visitation is again allowed, with conditions, at nursing homes in the state.
For more information, see the governor’s office full post to medium.
The state Department of Health late last week released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19. A key concern: a possible fourth wave infection.
"When you look at our data, there is a pattern of several waves of COVID-19 activity followed by a return to baseline level. The baseline we reached after our second wave in summer 2020 was higher than the level after our first wave. Now, following the third wave that began last fall, cases have flattened out at higher baseline level than ever before," said Acting State Health Officer Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH. "I'm concerned about what this means for the future and a possibility of a fourth wave of activity, along with the increases we are seeing in variants of the virus. As we continue working to accelerate vaccination so we can protect more people, it's critical that we all maintain the precautions we’ve been taking to stop the spread of the virus."
Report findings include:
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Case counts have increased slightly in western Washington and plateaued in eastern Washington as of late February.Case counts are still relatively high across the state—around the same level we were seeing last October when the third wave of disease activity was ramping up. Plateauing or increasing at these high levels is concerning.
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Most counties have seen declines in case counts since the first week of January, but cases have flattened in several counties and are starting to increase again in others.Six of 39 counties had rates above 200 new cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period ending on Feb. 25. No counties had rates above 500 new cases per 100,000 people.
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Cases are increasing among younger adults aged 20-29 and 30-39.This has previously been an early warning sign of larger surges in the general population. Case counts in other age groups were declining, but have now flattened. As more people who are 60 and older get vaccinated, we expect to see a more rapid decline in cases in this population.
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We are seeing sharp declines in hospital admission rates among people 70 and older, possibly because those groups are among the first to get vaccinated.Admissions have declined at different rates depending on the age group. Overall, hospital admissions have flattened in eastern Washington and continue to decline in western Washington.
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COVID-19 transmission is continuing at about the same level after declines through January and February.The best estimate of the reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) in the state on Feb. 19 was 0.96. The goal is to maintain a reproductive number well below one — meaning COVID-19 transmission is declining — for a substantial amount of time.
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The estimated prevalence (percentage of people with active COVID-19 infections) began to plateau in early February after declines in January.High prevalence means there are a lot of people with infections who may need health care and could be spreading the virus to others. The best model-based prevalence estimate as of Feb. 19 was 0.11%.
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The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days.
"This continues to be a tough time for many people, and the IRS wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic, while also working on important tax administration responsibilities," said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. "Even with the new deadline, we urge taxpayers to consider filing as soon as possible, especially those who are owed refunds. Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds, and it can help some taxpayers more quickly receive any remaining stimulus payments they may be entitled to."
Individual taxpayers do not need to file any forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief. Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the May 17 deadline can request a filing extension until Oct. 15
Read the full release.

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