State health officials on Thursday devoted most of their COVID-19 response update to reassuring parents that schools could start safely amid the state's fifth wave of cases.
There were warning signs about the road ahead for everyone as hospitals statewide continue to be "stressed, strained and stretched," along with facing staff shortages, as state Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah described it.
"We are absolutely at a critical time in our health care system," Shah said at the news briefing. "Eventually when you have a rubber band and it stretches, it does break. I mean there is a point where our system cannot continue to go in the mode of stretching, stretching, stretching, especially at a time of staff shortages."
All of which, the officials noted, made it more critical that families model COVID risk mitigation behavior as kids head back to school, avoiding crowds and masking when around others from outside the home — a tall task as the state heads into Labor Day weekend.
State Department of Health along with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction are set to release updated guidance and best practices information for schools next week, including the latest protocols and vaccine requirements for school staff, with limited exemptions, by Oct. 18.
Michaela Miller, deputy superintendent with OSPI, told reporters Thursday, "We learned a lot over the last year. Schools have implemented the measures that were already outlined by Dr. Shah ... face coverings, ventilation. physical distancing, hand washing. All of the mitigations layers, mitigation strategies, our educators are experts at now. They know what to do; our students know what to do.
She added: "Families can help with these safety measures by modeling those practices, outside of the school setting."
That modeling will be critical to help keep the current wave of COVID-19 cases from overtaking schools, something the DOH officials and Miller said they were committed to preventing.
"We're starting with not a completely normal school year by any stretch, but it is looking more normal than we have ever had it before," Miller said.
A statewide coronavirus rapid testing program, Learn to Return, is being implemented. "We have over 300 school districts, tribal compact schools, private schools participating in the Learn to Return," Miller said.
"The good news is that most districts in Washington are currently enrolled statewide, and that's really very, very good news for all parents," Shah said.
Vaccination numbers remain low statewide among the youngest who qualify. For now the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine is the only one authorized by the FDA for ages 12 and up.
State DOH on Thursday showed that as of Aug. 30, 41 percent of those ages 12-15 statewide are fully vaccinated, while 48 percent of those ages 16-17 are fully vaccinated.
"We would strongly, strongly recommend and encourage that you not hesitate; vaccinate today. Get your child vaccinated," Shah said.
