Spokane County won t meet Phase 3 metrics for Monday evaluation, health officer says
The next reopening phase evaluation for counties in Washington will take place on Monday, May 3 and an announcement will be made on Tuesday. Author: Megan Carroll Updated: 4:26 PM PDT April 28, 2021
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. Spokane County will likely move back to Phase 2 in Washington state s reopening plan next week, limiting capacity at restaurants, gyms and other businesses.
The next evaluation for counties in Washington will take place on Monday, May 3 so coronavirus numbers from the weekend can be included, a spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee s office said on Wednesday. An announcement will be made via press conference on Tuesday, May 4.
Eleven more people have died from COVID-19 in Spokane County since health officials last reported, according to an update from the Spokane Regional Health District on Thursday.
The Spokane Regional Health District has received about $8 million in CARES funding distributed by the county. A
s COVID-19 made its first wave across the country, and schools and businesses shut down, Congress passed the CARES Act this spring in an effort to dampen the economic fallout of the pandemic. Spokane County received about $91 million from the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill, signed by President Donald Trump on March 27. That meant that three Spokane County commissioners Republicans Al French, Josh Kerns and Mary Kuney got to decide how to dole out money to affected businesses, government agencies and nonprofits. The money has to be spent by the end of this year.
Credit Doug Nadvornick/SPR
Spokane public health officials say they’re providing help to state and county agencies that are battling Covid outbreaks in Spokane area corrections facilities.
The Spokane Regional Health District on Tuesday reported 238 cases at the Airway Heights Corrections Facility. That was about a third of the record 692 new coronavirus cases reported.
Interim Health Officer Frank Velazquez says his office is doing what it can to help contain that.
“We have provided resources for testing, both for inmates as well as staff. We have provided them with guidance on frequency of testing because there are multiple scenarios. We have also provided guidance in terms of quarantine and isolation. I do know that the buildings have been separated between quarantine and isolation, he said.