News
Regular updates can be found on the Department of Health’s Public Health Connection blog or the Governor's blog, or you can subscribe to daily bulletins from the state’s Joint Information Center.
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Latest News Conference
Governor Jay Inslee holds a news conference at the State Capitol to provide an update on the state's COVID-19 response.
| Governor's OfficeGov. Jay Inslee announced today a partial re-opening of some outdoor recreation activities.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak are joining Washington, Oregon and California in the Western States Pact -- a working group of Western state governors with a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and fighting COVID-19.
Gov. Jay Inslee today announced nearly $300 million will be awarded from the state’s federal stimulus funding to local governments that did not receive direct distributions under the CARES Act.
In an effort to support the emotional and physical well-being of Washingtonians during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s Health Care Authority has worked with
Visits to the emergency room have declined in Washington and across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic began. So far in April, visits to emergency departments in Washington are down nearly 40 percent compared to last year. It’s not entirely clear why, but it may be a combination of a number of factors.
Gov. Jay Inslee, in consultation with the state’s construction industry, announced a plan today to allow current construction projects to be completed.
Late on Saturday, April 18, the Employment Security Department updated their unemployment system to enable several provisions of the federal CARES act: expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits to those previously ineligible such as independent contractors, self-employed workers, and those with fewer than 680 hours; increasing weekly unemployment benefits by $600; and extending benefits by 13 weeks.
Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Exchange) announced on April 23 that over 16,000 customers have selected a plan for coverage since the Exchange announced a special enrollment period in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the extension of 20 proclamations today in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The extensions were approved by the state Legislature.
During the week of April 12-18, there were 82,435 initial and 605,514 total claims for unemployment benefits, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD). While initial claims declined 42 percent from the previous week, the total claims continued to grow.
The Business & Workers update is a weekly newsletter providing news and information to help businesses and workers navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. The information is compiled by the state Economic Resiliency Team (ERT), part of the Joint Information Center at Camp Murray.
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.
Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence today requesting federal assistance to develop a robust national testing system to enable a safe return to public life amid COVID-19. "We share your goal of a safe return to normal social and economic activity over time.
Gov. Jay Inslee spoke directly to Washingtonians Tuesday evening to lay out his vision for the eventual safe return to public life amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, Medicare enrollees need to stay vigilant against possible scams, including perpetrators emailing or calling seniors and offering coronavirus vaccines.