Coronavirus updates: State DOH’s phase finder helps determine vaccine eligibility; TPS preparing for return to in-person learning
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, Jan. 18.
Pierce County announces plan to create COVID-19 vaccination sites
Updated 11 a.m.
Pierce County is planning to create three mass COVID-19 vaccination sites and several mobile locations in an effort to swiftly roll out the vaccine when doses become available, according to a news release.
The county’s Department of Emergency Management plans to have the sites “up and running by the end of January, or as soon as the vaccine is available,” the release says.
County officials estimate this plan will deliver 700,000 doses to 350,000 people (two doses per person) over the course of seven months, depending on availability, the release says.
At full capacity, the county hopes to administer 4,600 vaccines per day.
“This will augment the vaccination effort currently underway by pharmacies and healthcare providers,” the release says.
Jody Ferguson, the county’s director of Emergency Management, told The News Tribune on Friday the department does not currently have any vaccines, but plans to partner with local pharmacies, health care companies and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to help with distribution, pending availability.
Several criteria are being considered to determine the distribution sites, the release says, including “proximity to public transportation, equitable access and geographic diversity.”
The mobile sites and “drop teams” will also be able to bring vaccines to those unable to travel to the three mass sites.
Ferguson said the county needs areas with a lot of space, like parking lots with room for at least eight drive-thru lanes, as well as walk-up access.
For remote parts of the county, the county is looking at RVs and trailers for smaller locations.
“The best way to serve our community, I think, is to go to them,” Ferguson said. “How can we go to every corner of the county to the most rural areas to ensure groups are being vaccinated?”
The Department of Emergency Management has also purchased freezers that will ensure the vaccines are preserved at the correct temperature.
“The initial weeks of the vaccination effort are estimated to cost $4 million, which is expected to be reimbursed by state or federal funding sources,” the release says.
The county council will consider an emergency budget request at its 3 p.m. meeting Tuesday.
As of Friday, 696,175 doses had been sent to the state, 242,606 of which have been administered during Phase 1A, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total includes both the first and second doses.
About 58,000 people are eligible for the vaccine in Phase 1A in Pierce County, Karen Irwin, the COVID-19 communications lead for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, told The News Tribune last week.
“It’s taken too long for our residents to get COVID vaccinations, so we are implementing a local plan to get this done,” Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier said in the release. “As we proved with the more than 92,455 mobile COVID tests we have administered, we can move quickly and smartly to make this happen for Pierce County residents.”
Tacoma Public Schools set to resume some in-person learning
Updated 9 a.m.
Tacoma Public Schools is set to welcome back kindergarten students in groups of up to 15 students for in-person learning beginning Tuesday.
The kindergartners will join the more than 700 students needing special education services who have been back in school settings since October.
TPS announced in December its plan for resuming to in-person instruction, with kindergarten students returning first. Preschool students are expected to return Jan. 25 and first and second graders Feb. 8.
The district expects to announce plans for grades 3-5 early this year, and is in the process of making recommendations for middle and high school students.
Changes to state guidance for returning to school were eased in December.
High COVID-19 activity counties can now phase in in-person learning in groups of 15 students or fewer for preschool through fifth grade and students with special needs.
High activity is defined as a county having more than 350 cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, instead of 75 cases, as previously defined.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 406.5 as of Sunday’s report. With a six-day data lag required in the state, the county’s case rate per 100,000 is 450.9.
TPS has used several factors when developing its return to in-person learning, including the revised guidance from the state and OSPI.
“That guidance is based on experience nationally over the last few months that shows when students and staff follow safety protocols, such as wearing a face covering, washing hands regularly and staying six feet apart, transmission of COVID-19 in schools is limited,” TPS facilities communications coordinator Nora Doyle told The News Tribune in an email.
The News Tribune has a comprehensive breakdown of the steps and precautions the district is taking to keep students and staff safe as it resumes in-person learning.
With return to in-person learning in Tacoma, school zone beacons will be on
Updated 9 a.m.
With Tacoma Public Schools resuming some in-person learning beginning Tuesday, the school zone beacons in some locations around Tacoma will be flashing before and after school, according to the city.
The speed limit in school zones is 20 mph.
“Keep children and their families safe as they walk and roll to school by slowing down and paying special attention when driving in or near a school zone,” the City of Tacoma website says.
More information on school zones and the city’s Safe Routes to School program is available on its website.
How does the COVID-19 vaccine work? State DOH video details science behind it
Updated 9 a.m.
State DOH phase finder can help determine COVID-19 vaccine eligibility
Updated 9 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health has launched a phase finder to help residents determine if they are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Everyone will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine over the coming months,” the online form says.
“Due to limited vaccine supply, we need to provide the vaccine in phases. We are starting with people who are most at risk such as healthcare workers, elders, vulnerable individuals, and high-risk critical workers. Our goal is for this process to be as fair and transparent as possible.
“We all will benefit if those who face the highest risk get vaccinated first. This will reduce the burden on hospitals, slow the spread of COVID, and help us reopen our communities faster. We are committed to ensuring that every eligible person in Washington will get vaccinated.”
The phase finder asks a series of questions to determine eligibility. If a person is eligible, they can receive a confirmation message to show a vaccine provider. If a person is not yet eligible, they can sign up to receive a notification when they become eligible.
Questions asked on the form include:
▪ Home zip code
▪ Whether the person works in a health care setting and is at risk “for acquiring or transmitting COVID due to exposure to patients, co-workers or specimens”
▪ Whether the person lives in a group setting such as a long term care or assisted living facility where people older than 65 receive care, supervision or medical assistance
▪ Age
▪ Whether the person is being cared for by a relative or in-home care giver
▪ Whether the person is older than 50 and living with and caring for kinship. (Parents living with a child are not included)
▪ A series of questions about health conditions
▪ Whether the person works outside of the home, or lives with someone who works outside of the home
▪ Whether the person is considered a critical worker by the state’s standards
▪ A series of questions about employment
▪ A series of questions about living conditions
▪ Whether the person plans to get the vaccine when eligible. (This answer does not impact eligibility)
The state DOH also has a graphic available on its website showing when vaccine distribution phases are estimated to begin, and who will be eligible in each.
State nearing 290K cases, will not report Monday
Updated 9 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 3,969 new cases of COVID-19 and one death Sunday, in its latest count since Friday.
Deaths are no longer reported on weekends.
The state did not update its dashboard Saturday citing “technical challenges” processing COVID-19 data.
Statewide totals have reached 289,939 cases and 3,903 deaths, up from 285,970 cases Friday. The new case total includes 12,535 cases that are listed as probable.
The state’s dashboard cautions that total case counts “may include up to 950 duplicates” due to incomplete negative test results data From Nov. 21-30 and Dec. 30-Jan. 17.
“Therefore, percent positivity and case counts should be interpreted with caution,” the dashboard says.
“Due to data system issues this weekend, local health jurisdictions were not able to reconcile hospitalization numbers this weekend. Therefore, hospitalization numbers should be interpreted with caution.”
Previous case and death counts are revised daily by the DOH.
King County continues to report the state’s highest counts for cases (73,015), hospitalizations (4,603) and deaths (1,152).
Pierce County reported 158 new cases Sunday, bringing its totals to 29,958 cases and 359 deaths since the first confirmed case was reported in March.
Spokane County (30,756 cases, 415 deaths) and Snohomish County (26,267 cases, 442 deaths) have each reported more than 400 deaths, while Yakima County has reported 22,988 cases and 345 deaths.
Each of the state’s 39 counties have reported positive cases and all but three have reported more than 100. Only two counties have not reported a virus-related death.
More than 4.2 million tests have been administered in the state since the pandemic began.
The state will not update its counts Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Regular daily reports will resume Tuesday.
Debbie Cockrell, Allison Needles and Josephine Peterson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 18, 2021 at 9:01 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: State DOH’s phase finder helps determine vaccine eligibility; TPS preparing for return to in-person learning."
