Washington state closes in on vaccination goal, but stays in Phase 3
Washington won’t reopen this week, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday.
There was confusion over the weekend after Dr. Umair Shah, the state health secretary, posted on social media that 70% of Washington residents 18 and up had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose. Last month, Inslee marked June 30 as the date for a full reopening but said it could happen earlier if the state hit a 70% vaccinated goal for residents 16 and up.
Shah referenced data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks its vaccine data differently from the state Department of Health. It uses 2019 census data, while Washington state uses 2020 population estimates.
DOH spokesperson Shelby Anderson said Monday that the state doesn’t expect to reach its vaccination goal until around Inslee’s announced reopening date.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/06/09/washington-reopening-vaccine-goal.html