COVID-19 NEWS
Keep up with all the fast-moving novel coronavirus news, particularly as it impacts the Columbia Basin.
Inslee activates Washington National Guard due to omicron
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced during a Thursday afternoon press conference he is activating 100 Washingto...
Big Bend to require vaccination for all on-campus students
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College announced Friday all students who want to attend classes on campus or instructional sites during the winter quarter will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Schools adjust after cases of COVID-19
EPHRATA — A surge in COVID-19 cases in Grant and Adams counties required local school officials to make some adjustments, returning to a distance-learning format for quarantined classrooms or an entire building.
Samaritan sees drop in COVID-19 patients, handles staffing
The number of COVID-19 patients at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake has dropped about a couple of handfuls — 21 to 12 — since last week, but officials cautio...
ML girl hospitalized with rare condition linked to COVID-19
The Rowe family, of Moses Lake, has been through a lot in the last couple of months, especially when their daughter developed a rare complication from COVID-...
Samaritan faces staffing hurdles
Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake continues to have staffing challenges and has not received help from the Department of Defense, as Gov. Jay Inslee said he a...
State officials hopeful health care workers won’t quit, get fired
SPOKANE — Citing rising vaccination rates, state public health officials are hopeful large numbers of health care workers will not quit or be fired once Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandatory vaccination deadline is reached...
Newhouse calls on Inslee to support a type of COVID-19 therapy, hospitals
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., on Wednesday sent a letter to Gov. Inslee calling on him to prioritize and publicly acknowledge the success and the availability of monoclonal antibody therapy as a tool that has the a...
Samaritan Hospital postpones elective procedures
MOSES LAKE — All elective surgical procedures at Samaritan Hospital will be postponed until at least Oct. 1, hospital officials announced Wednesday, due to “...
Governor asks feds for medical staffing help; Samaritan sees severe challenges
Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake hadn’t heard of any help on Monday.
COVID-19 still looms large for Samaritan
Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, like those throughout the country, continues to provide care for patients with COVID-19.
Hospitals, health district deal with COVID-19 surge
MOSES LAKE — Regional hospitals are dealing with an influx of patients with COVID-19, according to information from Samaritan Healthcare of Moses Lake and Co...
Hospital deals with COVID-19 surge
Samaritan’s chief medical officer, Dr. Andrea Carter, will have a free Zoom discussion at 10 a.m. Friday for anyone.
Counts for COVID-19 continue
MOSES LAKE — The count of COVID-19 cases in the area continues, although the figures can differ depending where and when one looks.
State mandate extends to 4-H volunteers, drawing objections
OLYMPIA — The requirement that all 4-H volunteers be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 has some legislators concerned about the future of the program.
DOH watches capacity as hospitalizations rise
The Washington State Department of Health said Wednesday it is watching hospital capacity across the state and addressing the need to stretch health care resources