DOH Stresses Importance Of COVID Testing As Holidays Approach

OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Health says it hopes the 2021 holiday season won't lead to a spike in new COVID-19 cases, and is urging Washingtonians to take precautions before travelling to see their families this winter.

The 2020 holiday season was one of the driving forces behind the third wave of COVID-19 infections, when statewide case counts jumped from less than 700 cases per day to nearly 3,000. At the time, it was by far the largest wave of COVID-19 infections (only surpassed by the fifth wave in August of this year) and a problem the DOH doesn't want to see rear its head again.

The DOH says another wave COVID-19 transmissions could largely be prevented with just a little extra caution, like getting tested before hitting the road. At the state's weekly COVID briefing Wednesday, Washington health leaders urged testing for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, and everyone who is feeling sick or who has been exposed to COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status.

If you are feeling sick, regardless of whether or not it is COVID-19, the DOH is urging you to stay home for the holidays. If you're already away from home when symptoms present themselves, doctors say to isolate away from others and get tested ASAP. Same if you come home and start to feel sick or develop COVID symptoms. In some cases, negative COVID-19 tests may even be a requirement for travel.

As well as calling for increased testing, the DOH is also urging the remaining unvaccinated Washingtonians to consider getting a shot before travelling. Younger Washingtonians ages 5-11 just recently became eligible for pediatric-sized doses of the Pfizer vaccine. As of Nov. 15, more than 60,000 patients in that age range have already received their first dose, and the DOH says it hopes to see that number rise even further as the holidays march on.

As for patients who are already vaccinated, it may be time to get a booster. Boosters have been approved for Moderna and Pfizer vaccine recipients who were vaccinated over six months ago, if they are:

• Ages 18-64 and have underlying medical conditions or suffer increased risk of social inequities.
• Ages 18-64 and live or work in high-risk settings.

Fortunately, Washington is in a good spot heading into this holiday season. According to the Washington State Hospital Association's (WSHA) bi-monthly briefing Monday, Washington's COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations this week are "pretty significantly better" than they were the weeks before— good news after several weeks of little-to-no improvement. As of Monday, 865 Washington residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, down 12 percent from 968 the week before.

Now, Washingtonians just have to make sure those numbers don't spike back up again.

"Our colleagues in the Northeast and the Midwest [are] seeing a pretty significant growth of COVID cases. I've heard from my counterparts in Missouri, Connecticut, New Jersey over the past week, especially over the weekend, feeling like 'oh my goodness this is getting bad again.'" said WSHA President and CEO Cassie Sauer. "We don't want to be in that position."