Washington Looks Back On 2 Years Of COVID
OLYMPIA — It has now been two years since the coronavirus arrived in the United States. Thursday marked the second anniversary of Washington's first confirmed COVID-19 case— which was also the first COVID-19 case found in the country.
Since then, the Evergreen State has seen over 1 million COVID-19 infections, 50,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths.
To mark the occasion, the Washington State Department of Health issued a statement Thursday looking back on all the ways the pandemic has affected daily living.
"Over the past two years, our lives have changed dramatically at school, at work, and at home," the agency said. "Many holidays and special events had to be put on hold until ‘safer options’ were available. In early 2021, as we reflected on one year of the pandemic, we watched as COVID-19 vaccines became available in our communities, which brought a sense of safety. As more and more people were vaccinated, we saw businesses re-open, children head back to the classroom, and people return to their everyday lives. Boosters came into play just a few months later as new variants threatened to set us back."
The DOH goes on to say it is proud of its pandemic response, which it says saved "countless" lives from COVID-19.
"We want to thank everyone who has done something to make their neighbor a little bit safer during this unprecedented time," the statement ends.
Over the past two years, Washington has weathered six waves of COVID-19 infections. The current wave, driven by the more-transmissible omicron coronavirus variant, may be cresting, according to the latest DOH predictions.
"There is some hope that we may be at or close to the peak in Western Washington," said Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, Chief Science Officer for the Washington State Department of Health said at a DOH briefing Wednesday.
To keep those totals from climbing higher and to accelerate the downward trend DOH officials urge Washingtonians to continue practicing COVID-safe behaviors by avoiding crowds, wearing masks in public, and seeking vaccination or booster shots if they are eligible for either.
As of Jan. 18, the DOH says that 78.9 percent of Washington's population 5 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 71.6 percent are fully vaccinated. In addition, half of eligible Washingtonians have received their booster shots.
Related: Omicron Cases May Be Nearing Peak In Western Washington
This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch
