COVID-19 NEWS
Keep up with all the fast-moving novel coronavirus news, particularly as it impacts the Columbia Basin.
COVID-19 update
RITZVILLE — Adams County Health Department administrators have reported another death related to COVID-19, raising…
Grant County Fair planning advances, hinges on phase
It looks likely if the 2021 Grant County Fair happens, it will have a carnival and the exhibit buildings will be open. But numbers of COVID-19 cases will be a …
Royal schools to drop hybrid option after spring break
Royal School District officials are planning to drop the hybrid schedule — part-time on campus and part-time online — April 12, in favor of full-time, in-perso…
State accepting applications for fourth round of small business grants
The Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting applications from small businesses for grants of up to $25,000.
Othello schools to remain in hybrid model
Othello School District students will attend classes in the hybrid model, which includes classes on campus part-time and online part-time, through the end of the current school year.
Vaccination clinic tentatively scheduled for Saturday
The Grant County Vaccine Task Force tentatively scheduled a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic Saturday at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake.
Pandemic means far fewer eyes on kids' welfare
LANSFORD, Penn. (AP) — Ava Lerario lived in a home marked by both love and chaos, even before the walls of the pandemic started closing in on her fractured fam…
Paris doctors warn of catastrophic overload of virus cases
PARIS (AP) — Critical care doctors in Paris say surging coronavirus infections could soon overwhelm their ability to care for the sick in the French capital's hospitals, possibly forcing them to choose which patien…
Virus fight stalls in early hot spots New York, New Jersey
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A year after becoming a global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, New York and New Jersey are back atop the list of U.S. states with the highest rates of infection.
Church in NY virus epicenter leads congregants out of sorrow
NEW YORK (AP) — For nearly two decades, Juan Tapia, head of maintenance at Our Lady of Sorrows, has taken pride in the upkeep of the Roman Catholic church he c…
Mexico tops 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, but real toll is higher
MEXICO CITY (AP) — As Mexico surpassed 200,000 test-confirmed deaths from COVID-19 Thursday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador framed ramped-up vaccination efforts as a race against time.
Call of the wild: Great outdoors is great escape in pandemic
For those venturing off the beaten path, be advised — it's a little crowded out there.
More vaccines, options available
There are still qualification requirements and appointments required, but people who qualify have more options to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ephrata vaccination event broadens eligibility
Ephrata’s mass vaccination event on Friday at the Ephrata Municipal Airport, 1990 E. Division Ave., will movie into Tier 3 1B and Tier 4 1B eligibility phases five days ahead of schedule.
Two Samaritan employees test positive for COVID-19 after receiving vaccine
Two employees at Samaritan Healthcare have tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving both shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
County COVID-19 numbers slightly up
While the past six months have generally shown a slow decline in the COVID-19 incidence rate, according to Grant County Health District data, the past week has shown another rise, from 168 infected people on March …