ARTICLES BY CAMERON SHEPPARD
Five counties allowed to proceed to Inslee’s Phase Two
OLYMPIA — A handful of kinds of businesses and activities, including landscaping, elective surgeries, vehicle and vessel sales, car washes, pet walkers and curbside retail will be allowed to reopen, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday.
SUN TRIBUNE | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
COVID-19 testing capacity and PPE supplies increasing
OLYMPIA — As the state begins the first phase of Gov. Jay Inslee’s gradual transition to back normalcy, public health officials such as Charissa Fotinos, deputy chief medical officer for the state Health Care Authority, say they are confident in the “adequate” capacity of the health care system going forward.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Economists unsure of lasting impacts virus could have
OLYMPIA — Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians have filed for unemployment in the weeks since Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay home, stay healthy,” order, and now as the state prepares for its gradual reopening of public activity, economists are not quite sure how quickly the job market and parts of the …
SUN TRIBUNE | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Economists unsure of lasting impacts virus could have
OLYMPIA — Hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians have filed for unemployment in the weeks since Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay home, stay healthy,” order, and now as the state prepares for its gradual reopening of public activity, economists are not quite sure how quickly the job market and parts of the …
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
With more supplies, state to expand COVID-19 testing
OLYMPIA — Charissa Fotinos, deputy chief medical officer with Washington State Health Care Authority, and Reed Schuler, senior policy adviser to Gov. Jay Inslee, said Wednesday that they expect the federal government to begin delivering roughly 500,000 tests worth of supplies to fulfill a request made by the governor.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
Officials focus on contact tracing, testing capacity
OLYMPIA — Secretary John Wiesman of the Washington State Department of Health said Tuesday that over 1,500 people will be trained to conduct phone interviews and track down individuals who may have come into close contact with individuals infected with COVID-19, in a practice known as “case contact tracing.”
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 8 MONTHS AGO
State health official says contact tracing will be key
OLYMPIA — The ability to track whom newly symptomatic coronavirus patients may have infected will be a key part of allowing the state to reopen, according to Gov. Jay Inslee and top public health officials.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
State to ease processing of unemployment insurance claims
OLYMPIA — The state Employment Security Department, or ESD, will expedite the unemployment insurance claims application process and expand benefits and eligibility for unemployed workers who were previously deemed ineligible, according to Suzi LeVine, commissioner of the department.
SUN TRIBUNE | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Child care: Dent-sponsored bill made law
OLYMPIA — Regulations and training certifications for child care and early learning providers are being rolled back in an effort to increase access for parents with preschool-age children after the state legislature unanimously passed House Bill 2556.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
New state law prohibits discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status
OLYMPIA — Employers, landlords and service providers will be prohibited from discriminating against individuals based on their citizenship or immigration status under a bill passed in the Washington Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on March 18.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Inslee: Vetoes will save $445 million over next three years
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee said he vetoed 147 separate budget items last week as the COVID-19 virus and response to the outbreak put the state’s economy on hold.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Farm grant bill aims at sustainability innovations
OLYMPIA — Farmers could be awarded grants for adopting and testing new sustainable farming techniques and practices after the state legislature passed Senate Bill 5947.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
State and local officials warn of fraudulent charity scams
OLYMPIA — Washington residents are being warned not to donate to fraudulent charities as Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Secretary of State Kim Wyman issued a joint advisory regarding scammers.
SUN TRIBUNE | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
Unemployment claims rise rapidly
OLYMPIA — Last week, unemployment insurance claims in the state rose by over 2,346 percent since the end of February due to the closures mandated by public officials following the coronavirus outbreak.
COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD | UPDATED 4 YEARS, 9 MONTHS AGO
