Coronavirus In Bellevue: The Week In Review

BELLEVUE, WA — Washington logged more progress in the fight against COVID-19 this week, yet profound concerns remain over a more infectious variant strain and the potential effects of Super Bowl parties if proper precautions are not taken.

According to the latest federal report, Washington kept a downward trajectory in new cases and hospitalizations through the end of January. State officials have welcomed promising signs of progress in the first week of February, reporting fewer new cases and deaths over the last seven days. However, public health experts urge vigilance to bring transmission rates down even further, before a more contagious strain of the virus takes hold.

That will prove vital over the weekend, as residents are asked to keep Super Bowl gatherings to the immediate household, or a very small group, and limit time spent indoors with visitors.

Related: Avoid Traditional Super Bowl Parties, Washington Officials Urge

"For Sunday's Super Bowl, it's the fans that are at more risk than the players on the field," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County's health officer. "If you do watch with others indoors, make sure to open windows to increase ventilation and wear masks. If ventilation is not good, the virus can build up in the room just like cigarette smoke would."

Relying on symptoms is also unwise, Duchin said, since a large percentage of coronavirus infections occur before a person looks or feels ill.

Vaccinations are another area of progress in Washington this week, with more than thousands vaccinated at the state's four vaccination sites, and new clinics operating in King and Pierce Counties. Supply bottlenecks continue to be the chief adversary, limiting opportunities even for those who are eligible and lending to delays in scheduling appointments.

In King County, two community vaccination sites now operate six days a week in Kent and Auburn, limited for now to the most vulnerable adults, including those 75 and older. In the near term, county officials aim to administer at least 500 doses each day at both sites, with a goal to expand as supply increases. On Friday, Duchin said close to 300,000 doses have been administered in King County, including 60,000 people who have now received both rounds.

The county remains on-track in phase 2, meeting three of the four metrics, but preventing moving backward requires all three counties in the region to meet the same standard when the state evaluates next week.

In Bellevue, Public Health - Seattle & King County recorded 16 cases Friday, with 231 positive tests, nine hospitalizations and one death resulting from the coronavirus over the past two weeks. The city's 14-day testing positivity rate sits at 21.2 percent. The rate of cases across King County has dropped to 187 per 100,000 residents over two weeks but remains more than seven times higher than the goal range.

Catch up on this week's coronavirus headlines:

Washington nears 800K vaccines doses administered

Washington reached new vaccination milestones this week, despite ongoing challenges and a chasm between supply and demand. According to Gov. Jay Inslee, the state progressed from being ranked 39th in the nation for vaccine administration in mid-January to ranked 16th as of Feb. 2.

According to the Department of Health's vaccination dashboard, which updates on Mondays, close to 775,000 doses were administered across the state by Tuesday, representing more than 66 percent of the total doses delivered. The state's average is nearing 28,000 each day, out of a goal of 45,000.

The state's four mass vaccination sites, operating in Spokane, Ridgefield, Wenatchee and Kennewick have reached at least 20,000 residents.

Despite the progress, there is a long road ahead to meet even the existing demand, with approximately 1.7 million Washington's eligible in the current phase.

"We are still in a place right now where demand for vaccine greatly outpaces the amount of vaccine we have available," state officials wrote Thursday. "This week, more than 600 facilities requested more than 358,000 doses of vaccine. Our first-dost allocation from the federal government was only 107,125 doses, which is less than one-third of what providers asked for."

Shipments for second doses have also lagged, DOH said, with the state receiving about 14,000 fewer than requested.

Related: Washington Passes 700K Vaccine Doses Given, Boosts Daily Average

FEMA awards Washington $275 million for vaccine distribution

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday announced an initial $275 million grant to aid Washington's vaccine distribution infrastructure, including efforts to store, transport and administer doses.

The federal money can be used to pay for staffing needs, personal protective equipment, and storage needs, including freezers, coolers and portable transportation units.

"These funds will support our Washington partners' extraordinary efforts to accelerate and expand access to COVID-19 vaccinations across the state," said Vincent Maykovich, FEMA's acting regional administrator.

The reimbursements will help the state's ongoing efforts over the next three months.

Learn more on the FEMA website.

Third coronavirus vaccine manufacturer applies for emergency authorization

Johnson & Johnson has applied for an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. If approved, the vaccine would add a third immunization option and potentially boost shipment options for states in need across the nation. The FDA plans to meet later in February to discuss the application, with a decision expected as soon as the end of the month, or in early March.

According to Johnson & Johnson, its vaccine is 66 percent effective overall in protecting against infection, lower than Pfizer and Moderna's products, but requires only a single shot and has simple storage requirements. In the U.S., its effectiveness was estimated a bit higher, at 72 percent. Some concerns have arisen that the vaccine may be weaker against certain variants of the virus, and its effectiveness is rated under 60 percent in South Africa.

Johnson & Johnson said the vaccine had its highest effectiveness rating, at 85 percent, in preventing severe illness.

Seven Washington counties begin Phase 2 reopening

Seven Washington counties entered the state's second reopening phase this week after officials adjusted metrics to require only three of four categories be met to move forward.

The state now evaluates the eight regions every two weeks, meaning the next chance to move forward or backward will arrive next Friday and take effect the following Monday.

Under the relaxed rules, more indoor activities are allowed at 25 percent capacity, including dining, movie theaters and some sports. However, since indoor spaces bring a much higher risk of infection, health officials have urged residents to continue limiting their activities as much as possible, especially with a more infectious variant now in Puget Sound.

Read more: Phase 2 Begins In King, Pierce And 5 Other WA Counties

Total coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths by county:

Editors note: Patch is now updating these totals on a weekly, rather than daily, basis. Readers should keep in mind that the increases below represent infections, hospitalizations and deaths over a seven-day period.

Also, note that the totals below include 15,410 probable cases.

The above numbers are provided by the state Department of Health, and some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.