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COVID-19

Inslee: Time to ‘double down’ as COVID-19 activity rising

Gov. Jay Inslee is pictured wearing a mask.  (SR)
By Jim Camden and Arielle Dreher The Spokesman-Review

After a two-month decline and plateau, Gov. Jay Inslee said COVID-19 is on the rise again in the state and residents need to take steps to make sure it does not “take off.”

Several data indicators, from daily hospitalizations to the number of Washington residents testing positive, are on the uptick statewide.

The rolling average number of daily confirmed cases in Washington has hovered around 400 in recent days. The number of state residents testing positive is also on an upward trend at 3.3%. That percentage is much higher in some regions.

In Spokane County, 11% of people tested are positive in the most recent time frame for which data is available.

Because people will be spending more time indoors in colder weather, Inslee urged residents to wear masks and socially distance when they are visiting friends or family.

The state will mount a new public relations effort to remind people to take precautions in the fall and winter.

 (Molly Quinn / The Spokesman-Review)
(Molly Quinn / The Spokesman-Review)

Inslee repeated that, while counties remain in the phases most have been in for months, the state is taking steps to allow certain businesses and industries to open anyway by adhering to standards tailored for them.

Most recently, the state released standards for opening bowling alleys and small convention spaces, and is expected to announce protocols for other businesses next week.

Here’s a look at local numbers:

COVID-19 appears to continue to be on the rise in Spokane County and the Inland Northwest.

The Spokane Regional Health District confirmed 111 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the second time in the past week that case counts have crested 100 in a day.

There are 38 Spokane County residents in local hospitals receiving treatment for the virus.

The Panhandle Health District confirmed 35 new cases on Thursday. There are 25 residents in the five-county region hospitalized with the virus.

Arielle Dreher's reporting for The Spokesman-Review is primarily funded by the Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund, with additional support from Report for America and members of the Spokane community. These stories can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper’s managing editor.