Arielle Dreher

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News >  Washington

Washington indoor mask mandate now set to end March 12

UPDATED: Tue., March 1, 2022

Washington's indoor mask mandate will lift on March 12 — sooner than previously announced by Gov. Jay Inslee, but not as soon as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.

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New WSU research could hold key to treating viruses like RSV and even COVID-19

Mon., Feb. 28, 2022

A new study by Washington State University researchers could hold the key to treating respiratory viruses, including RSV and coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19. 

News >  Education

Legislature looks to fix Washington’s nursing shortage with funding for education, training

Sun., Feb. 27, 2022

Those proposals include loan repayment for nurse educators, creating nursing programs at Eastern and Western Washington Universities, shortening some time for nursing applications and increasing the number of nursing slots and graduates in the state. 

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CDC releases new masking recommendations, but Washington’s mask mandate stays in place

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 25, 2022

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance on community transmission of COVID-19 on Friday, which recommends masks indoors in only counties with “high” levels of transmission.

News >  Health

MultiCare names new chief executive of Inland Northwest region

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 25, 2022

MultiCare has selected a new chief executive for the Inland Northwest region.

News >  Health

SRHD opioid treatment program will move to new location later this year

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 24, 2022

The Spokane Regional Health District Board of Health approved a 10-year, $4.9 million lease to move the opioid treatment services program from the health district building to a new location on West Eighth Avenue, just west of Sacred Heart Medical Center.

News >  Health

Attorney general sues Providence hospitals for allegedly violating state charity care law

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 24, 2022

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson has filed a lawsuit against the 14 Providence-affiliated hospitals in the state, including Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital, for allegedly failing to offer charity care to patients who qualify according to state law and sending them to debt collections.

News >  Health

System slowdown may delay Washington state COVID-19 data

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 25, 2022

From staff reports

News >  Health

Hospitalizations among local children and teens declining after omicron peak

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 23, 2022

There are still some children hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spokane County, but the number appears to be going down.

News >  Health

Airlift Northwest will expand emergency medical transport with new base in Davenport this summer

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 22, 2022

Airlift Northwest, the University of Washington-affiliated emergency medical air transport service, will open a new base in Davenport this June.

News >  Health

COVID-19 cases show a marked decrease in Spokane County

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 23, 2022

COVID cases continue to decline in Spokane County, while hospitalizations have decreased but lag behind the falling case rates.

News

Delayed procedures resume in Spokane hospitals as COVID-19 cases continue to decline

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 21, 2022

Hospitals have begun calling patients back for operations and procedures that were delayed as a result of the spike in COVID-19 cases, sometimes more than once.

News >  Features

‘I’ve gotten more from this than I’ve given’: Local nonprofit chapter that made 15,000 pillowcases for hospitalized kids makes last donation

Sat., Feb. 19, 2022

After a dozen years and more than 15,000 pillowcase donations, a local nonprofit is closing a chapter of bringing joy to children and teens at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in some of their toughest moments.

News >  Education

‘We’re not done with omicron’: Northeast Washington school districts continue to shirk mask requirements

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 18, 2022

Despite some local school districts shirking the statewide mask mandate in northeastern Washington, health officials there warn that omicron still presents a significant risk to residents and puts pressure on local hospitals.

News >  Health

New health board composition hits snag over different understandings of tribal component of the law

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 17, 2022

Legislation passed last session requiring local health boards in Washington to add new members or at least mix up membership by July. One part of the legislation that calls for tribal representation on health boards has led to differing interpretations of the new state law.

News >  Health

Technical advisory group approves of some criteria for requiring COVID-19 vaccine for kids

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 18, 2022

A state advisory group of educators, community members and health care and public health experts discussed more criteria that the COVID-19 vaccine would need to meet in order to be required in Washington schools next school year.

News >  Health

Spokane County Health Officer warns against removing virus precautions prematurely

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 16, 2022

Spokane County is making good progress on the downward slope of the omicron wave. Case counts are declining and hospitalizations have come down from their peak, too.

News

Spokane County COVID-19 activity decreasing

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 16, 2022

Local COVID case counts and hospitalizations are both declining, according to recent data from the Spokane Regional Health District.

News >  Health

After appointment of naturopath, Spokane County Medical Society says it wanted a physician on local Board of Health

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 15, 2022

The Spokane County Medical Society wanted a physician to sit on the Spokane County Board of Health and not a naturopath as the board chose.

News >  K-12 education

School COVID-19 numbers plummeting as cases numbers among youth decline

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 15, 2022

COVID-19 numbers are plummeting in almost every school district, which leaves families wondering when their children will no longer be required to wear a mask inside the classroom.

News

Surviving COVID-19: For some, getting the virus was just the beginning

UPDATED: Sun., Feb. 13, 2022

Paul Naldrett is lucky to be alive.

News >  Health

Boosted? Here’s how to update your WA Verify QR code to prove your COVID-19 vaccine status

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 11, 2022

More than 1 million Washington residents have used the WA Verify vaccine system, which enables smartphone users to receive a unique QR code they can scan at events or certain businesses to prove they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

News >  Health

State advisory group meets for the first time on requiring COVID-19 vaccine for kids and teens

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 11, 2022

A state advisory group of doctors, community leaders, parents and educators met for the first time Thursday to begin talks on whether COVID-19 vaccines should be required for Washington students next school year.

News >  Health

Thousands of people have been reinfected with COVID-19 in Washington state, new report shows

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 10, 2022

Thousands of Washington residents have tested positive for COVID-19 after recovering from the virus, a new report from the Department of Health shows.

News >  Health

Inslee plans to announce next week when Washington’s indoor mask mandate will end

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 9, 2022

As other Democratic-led states, such as California and Illinois, set end dates for their mandates, Inslee said Washington is not quite ready, but the conversations to end it are happening. A date for the end of the indoor mask mandate will likely come next week, he said.