Media Contact: Kelli Hawkins | khawkins@srhd.org | (509) 324-1539, c (509) 994-8968

Spokane, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released updated “Roadmap to Recovery” metrics for the state’s regions, which indicated the East Region, nine counties including Spokane, is now meeting three of the four goals necessary to move into Phase 2 of the plan.

Last week’s report revealed the East Region was “increasing or high” in two metrics: Trend in 14-day rate of new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100K population and 7-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests. This week, DOH reported the following metrics for the East Region:

Metric goals in order for a region to advance into Phase 2:

• Trend in 14-day rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100K population
  Decrease: -10% or more
  
• Trend in 14-day rate of new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100K population
  Decrease: -10% or more
  
• Average 7-day percent occupancy of ICU staffed beds
  Low: Less than 90%
  
• 7-day percent positive of COVID-19 tests
  Low: Less than 10%

In a Facebook Live presentation on Jan. 13, Spokane County’s Interim Health Officer Dr. Francisco Velazquez discussed the new “Roadmap to Recovery” plan and metrics, explaining how the new system would affect Spokane County and efforts that need to be made to help push metrics in the right direction.

“We’re meeting three out of four of the metrics, and that’s encouraging,” said Velazquez. “It’s our collective efforts to continue following the health measures, avoid gatherings outside our household, and to receive the vaccine when we’re eligible that will keep us moving ahead.”

Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) is working with community partners to increase testing throughout the community. He explained that testing helps determine risk in the community. Through the use of rapid antigen testing, SRHD, along with community organizations, businesses and centers, are able to address and assess the need, then implement the appropriate testing.

Antigen testing has already been deployed in congregate settings where the risk of spread is greater and where there are individuals who are at a greater risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms that could lead to hospitalizations.

The “Roadmap to Recovery” weekly data reports are published every Friday on DOH’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard web page under “Reports.” The data reports must show a region meeting all four of the metric goals in order for the region to move into Phase 2 of the recovery plan on the following Monday.