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OLYMPIA, Washington – Governor Jay Inslee has written a letter to Jeff Zients, the federal COVID-19 response coordinator, asking for help caring for COVID patients in Washington state.
In the letter, he bolsters a request from the Washington State Department of Health earlier this month and then asks Defense Department medical staff to help him deal with the COVID crisis.
COVID-related hospitalizations in Washington state appear to be leveling off as of Monday, with around 1,504 patients being treated in the state. The peak occurred on September 9, when there were closer to 1,700.
While hospitalizations appear to be leveling off, health officials say that does not mean patients have returned home.
“One of the reasons hospitalization rates are going down is that death rates are going up,” said Cassie Sauer, CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association.
Spokane hospitals register their highest number of COVID hospitalizations to date. An influx of COVID patients from Idaho adds to the already overwhelmed system.
“We are still at our highest level since the start of this pandemic. While we don’t practice the standards of crisis care on this side of the state, we still feel like we are in crisis, ”said Dr. Dan Getz, chief medical officer of Providence Health Care in Spokane.
The Washington State Department of Health says it has already identified ten health facilities in the state where additional staff would have the greatest impact on improving access to care.
© 2021 Cox Media Group
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