Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
Washington state has entered its fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) announced during a press conference on Thursday.
Why it matters: Washington — like other states such as Michigan — is experiencing a surge in COVID cases driven largely by variants of the virus, predominantly the one first discovered in the U.K.
What they're saying: "The virus is not done with us," warned Inslee.
- “Unfortunately, we now are seeing the beginnings of a fourth surge in the state of Washington."
- "And we are starting unfortunately at a higher level than where the other waves started from," Inslee said about the number of current cases.
What's more: Inslee noted that hospitalizations are also rising at a "significant pace" and more young people are getting inflected.
- He added that by the end of the week the state will have administered its 5 millionth dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
- Inslee urged citizens to get vaccinated, noting that Washington has the capacity to increase the number of vaccines it administers daily if it receives more doses from the federal government.
Flashback: Washington was an early coronavirus hotspot in the spring of 2020.