23 February 2023
Vol 5, Issue 4
Federal emergency funding for COVID-19 is ending. What that means for testing in Washington.
Trends
COVID-19 in Washington. Recent trends in disease activity.
Testing supplies
Is it Flu or COVID? Find out in 15 minutes with BD Triplex.
The More you Know
COVID-19 News.
FUN!
Swab and Jab. Coloring activity!
First time seeing this newsletter? You can subscribe here.
Three webpages, six languages. Check out our more accessible website.
Federal emergency funding for COVID-19 is ending. What that means for testing in Washington state.
The Federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency will expire on May 11, 2023. Since the pandemic began, millions of Americans have received free COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines due to the emergency declarations. The end of the emergency will result in changes to the cost and accessibility of COVID care across the US.
Continuing access to COVID-19 tests for schools in WA
The Washington State Department of Health will continue to provide free testing supplies and related services to K-12 schools through the Learn to Return program after the federal public health emergency ends in May and through the end of the school year.
Right now, we don’t have all the details about what the program will look like next school year, but we will provide updates via the L2R newsletter in the coming months to help you and your team prepare for these transitions.
Check out our COVID-19 News section this week for further reading on how the end of the public health emergency might affect access to vaccines, treatments, and tests for the individual consumer.
Chief Leschi Schools. Preparing students to walk successfully in “two worlds”
The team at Chief Leschi Schools (CLS), a state/tribal compact school located between Tacoma and Puyallup, prides itself on preparing students to walk successfully in “two worlds.” They teach their students – nearly all indigenous learners – to embrace native culture and aim for their highest good. Maybe it was this mentality of embracing two realities that allowed staff, students, and families at CLS to work together to keep kids safe and engaged even during the toughest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marc Brouillet, Superintendent, and Jeannine Medvedich, Chief Academic Officer, led a multifaceted pandemic response that incorporated a marketing campaign for testing, specialized communications to different members of the school community, and athletics testing even after the mandate ended.
Visit our NEW Spotlight landing page for a more detailed look at the characteristics of a successful COVID-19 school testing program. Watch the space for upcoming Spotlights and contact your Program Manager if you’d like your school testing program featured!
Lumen High School
Waterville & Palisades School District
Edmonds School District
Contact your Program Manager if you’d like your school testing program featured!
Upcoming Spotlight: Mead School District
COVID-19 in Washington. Recent trends in disease activity.
Trends
Hospitalizations and cases have ticked up slightly over the past two week reporting period.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for Washington state.
As of February 11, 2023
| Daily avg. | Per 100,000* | 14-day change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalized | 46 | 4.2 | -6% |
| Cases | 401 | 36.7 | -22% |
| Test positivity** | 7.2% | - | -16% |
Compared to last winter (February 11, 2022)
| Daily avg. | Per 100,000* | 14-day change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitalized | 24 | 2.2 | -14% |
| Cases | 653 | 59.7 | +46% |
| Test positivity** | 3.5% | - | +52% |
*Shows 7-day rate
** Due to an increase in at-home testing, many positive cases may not be reported, distorting the data. Test positivity in Washington has been increasing steadily through the winter, from 6% in mid-November to 11.6% by the end of December.
Know your COVID-19 community levels.
County levels for Washington state as of Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
As of Wednesday, February 16, 2023, all Washington counties have a low COVID-19 community level.
- Masking and screening testing are recommended best practices when your community level is high.
- Masking is recommended for high-risk individuals when your community level is medium or high.
Three webpages, six languages. Check out our more accessible website.
We’ve added translations to our community-facing webpages in the six most prevalent languages for Washington schools. Now community members can access these resources in the following languages:
- Chinese
- English
- Russian
- Spanish
- Ukrainian
- Vietnamese
Check out our updated Home, Community, and Testing FAQs pages.
Swab and Jab. Coloring activity!
Last time, the Learning Club explored how COVID-19 spreads…and now you can color your way through that lesson!
Download the coloring books below or on the Swab & Jab page!
Explorers (Grades 1-3)
Click to access the PDF outlining how COVID-19 spreads for grades 1-3!
Seekers (Grades 4-6)
Click to access the PDF outlining how COVID-19 spreads for grades 4-6!
Adventurers (Grades 7+)
Click to access the PDF outlining how COVID-19 spreads for grades 7+!
COVID-19 NEWS
COVID test kits, treatments and vaccines won’t be free to many consumers much longer
NPR, 8 Feb 2023. Medicare beneficiaries, those enrolled in Medicaid — the state-federal health insurance program for people with low incomes — and people who have health plans via the Affordable Care Act exchanges will continue to get COVID-19 vaccines without charge, even when the public health emergency ends and the government-purchased vaccines run out. Many people with job-based insurance will also likely not face copayments for vaccines, unless they go out-of-network for their vaccinations.
Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap
HHS Press Office, 9 February 2023. FDA’s EUAs for COVID-19 products (including tests, vaccines, and treatments) will not be affected. The ending of the COVID-19 PHE (public health emergency) will not affect the FDA’s ability to authorize various products, including tests, treatments, or vaccines for emergency use. Existing EUAs for COVID-19 products will remain in effect under Section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the agency may continue to issue new EUAs going forward when criteria for issuance are met.
As the Pandemic Swept America, Deaths in Prisons Rose Nearly 50 Percent
The New York Times, 19 February 2023. The aging, and often ailing, prison population was especially at risk when the pandemic hit, the data review showed, not only because the virus raged unchecked but because medical care for other illnesses could be slow or inadequate. Of the 46 inmates who died in West Virginia in 2020, 42 were older than 50; six were in their 80s.
West Seattle High School students asked to mask up amid COVID surge
KOMO News, 14 February 2023. According to the SPS COVID-19 dashboard, 120 cases have been reported at West Seattle High School for the 2022-2023 school year. Roosevelt, Lincoln, and Ballard high schools have also reported more than 100 cases. In all, 3,440 cases have been reported across the district for the 2022-2023 school year.
King County employees fired over vaccine mandate should be priority for re-hire, proposal says
King5 News, 14 February 2023. “Especially as the County continues to struggle to hire enough deputies to fully staff our Sheriff’s Office, we should focus on bringing back and retaining the high-quality, experienced employees that we very much need to fully staff our work,” King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn said in a release.