Friday, March 29, 2024

Washington State Dept. of Health Recap for April 21 COVID-19 news and updates

Posted
 
OLYMPIA - Numbers: As of 11:59 p.m. on April 21, there are 12,494 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 212 cases in the last 24 hours. Visit the Department of Health’s website for cases by county, demographics, and more.
 
April 21 Telebriefing: The recording from yesterday’s phone briefing is now available on YouTube. Dr. Kathy Lofy (Department of Health), Dr. Charissa Fontinos (Health Care Authority), Linda Kent (Department of Enterprise Services) and David Postman (Office of the Governor) provided updates on the state response, including epidemiological data, testing efforts, PPE procurement and more.
 
Statewide news items
 
Inslee and Ferguson statement: Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson released a joint statement today in response to some Washington state officials disregard for the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.
 
Washington State Sheriffs’ Association (WSSA) statement: WSSA President John Snaza and the WSSA Board issued a statement today. “Washington’s 39 sheriffs are independently elected in their counties but we all share a common goal of protecting public safety and public health in response to the unique challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. We look forward to the Governor’s detailed plan on how we can work together to reopen our economy while protecting public health.” View the full statement.
 
Business and Workers weekly newsletter: This edition includes information on the governor’s COVID-19 recovery plan, new resources and information on unemployment benefits from the Employment Security Department, and an update on the Business Response Center which has answered more than 1,200 financial help or other business assistance since April 8.
 
Guidance on student learning and grading: OSPI published new guidance on student learning and grading throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 school facility closure. The gist of it: Do no harm, provide letter grades (though there is flexibility in what those are), and no one gets an F. OSPI’s guidance and resources on COVID-19 and schools are available at k12.wa.us/COVID-19.
 
Be careful with cleaning products: The Washington Poison Center (WAPC) urges people to be cautious with cleaning products during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to WAPC, the number of exposures to household cleaning products (bleach, soaps, detergents, and antiseptics) increased by 23% over the same time last year.
 
Walla Walla Veterans Home: Late last night, April 21, 2020, the Walla Walla Veterans Home confirmed that one of their employees was diagnosed with COVID-19. The employee is now self-isolated at home.
 
Translated resources
 
Coronavirus and health insurance: Information about coronavirus and health insurance for consumers, insurers and medical providers is now available in six languages.
 
New Spanish content: DOH’s shared information today about grief in their Spanish language blog.
 
Resources
 
TVW: Find links to past and future coverage regarding COVID-19 and resources from our partners at https://www.tvw.org/covid-19/
 
Washington 211 COVID-19 Call Center: Do you need information or answers to your questions and concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)? You can call 1-800-525-0127 or text 211-211 for help. You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are. You will receive links to the latest information on COVID

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