Inslee announces Phase 1b changes, expects to vaccinate 45,000 people a day
Seattle’s big corporations are joining the state to help distribute coronavirus vaccines.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Monday announced a plan to establish vaccination sites across the state with the help of the National Guard and others as part of an overall goal of vaccinating 45,000 people a day.
Inslee said that while the target is currently higher than the current quota for vaccines the state is receiving from the federal government – 100,000 doses per week – the state is working to put the infrastructure in place now for that amount as the doses increase. The state is currently vaccinating between 13,000 and 15,000 people a day, he said.
Starting next week, vaccination sites will be set up at Spokane Arena, Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick, Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee and Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield.
The state’s allocation for next week will be split between the new locations, pharmacies and local clinics, along with existing vaccination sites in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties.
The governor also announced a public-private partnership with business, health and labor entities – led by the State Department of Health – in areas ranging from coordinating volunteer vaccinators to supporting communication.
RELATED: Inslee wants to vaccinate 45,000 people a day, allowing those 65 and older to receive the vaccine
According to the plan, Kaiser Permanente will be involved in mass vaccination planning and delivery, Starbucks will be involved in operations and logistical support, Microsoft will be involved in technology knowledge and support, and Costco will assist in delivering the vaccine by pharmacies. The Washington State Nurses Association will be available for health and safety consultations, and two unions will also play a role. SEIU Healthcare 1199 NW will coordinate voluntary vaccinators and United Food and Commercial Workers 21 will coordinate staff and training.
“This is a huge effort,” said Inslee. “We are mobilizing thousands of workers and resources to save people from this virus.”
Inslee said the state is now ready to move to Phase 1B of the vaccination schedule and that the vaccination phase is changing immediately to include those 65 and older. Previously, 1B was supposed to include people aged 70 or older, but Inslee noted that the vast majority of COVID deaths in the state occurred among people aged 65 and older.
“Our prioritization of vaccines reflects the need to protect these most vulnerable Washington residents,” said Inslee.
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In December, the state began vaccinating health professionals, high-risk rescuers and people who live or work in nursing homes. And the later phases will include people aged 50 and over who work in congregational settings like agriculture or supermarkets, and those aged 16 and over with underlying medical conditions.
According to the CDC, the state received about 700,000 doses, but administered less than half. State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah said 294,000 vaccines had been administered, but said he knew it was necessary to increase vaccination rates.
“We want to get shot at the guns and we want to do that quickly,” he said. “We have to do everything we can to make sure that we are vaccinating as many people in Washington as possible.”
Check the eligibility of your COVID-19 vaccine
Washington state launched a new website on Monday, where users can check their eligibility to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at findyourphasewa.org.
The site received so much traffic at launch that some users were experiencing technical difficulties with the site.
Inslee said that, starting immediately, 95% of all future vaccine allocations must be administered within the first week after receipt, with updated data provided to the state daily. And each dose allocated before this week must be administered by January 24th.
“There are simply too many people who need access to COVID vaccines for this process to take longer,” said Inslee.
The United States has recorded more than 23 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 397,000 deaths. There were more than 277,000 cases in the state of Washington and 3,903 deaths.
For most, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, which disappear in two to three weeks, although the long-term effects are unknown. But for some, it can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia and death.
More COVID-19 on Washington’s roof
The Associated Press contributed to this report.