IT
IT MEANS
IT MEANS LOTS OF GOOD FRESH WATER. WELL, THE COUNTDOWN IS ON TO
APRIL 15.
THAT IS THE BREAKING NEWS SO
MANY HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
JUST OVER AN HOUR AGO THE
GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED ANYONE OVER
THE AGE OF 16 WILL BE ABLE TO
GET THEIR VACCINE ON OR AFTER
APRIL 15TH.
SO AFTER THE 15TH WHEN YOU CAN
GET YOUR SHOT, WE'LL ALL DEPEND
ON FINDING THAT APPONTMENT.
WELCOME TO KING5 NEWS AT 5:00.
I'M MARK.
RIGHT.
GOOD EVENING.
I'M JOYCE TAYLOR.
THE NUMBER OF OPEN APPOINTMENTS
DEPENDS ON OUR STATE'S VACCINE
SUPPLY.
CHRIS DANIELS JOINS US LIVE
FROM THE WITH THE LATEST ON THE
GOVERNOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT AND
REACTION FROM LOCAL LEADERS AS
WELL.
GOOD EVENING, CHRIS.
JOYCE.
MARK, GOOD EVENING TO BOTH
OF YOU.
YES, APRIL 15TH IN WASHINGTON
STATE IS NORMALLY KNOWN AS TAX
DAY BUT IT WILL NOW BE CALLED
REAX DAY AS THERE WILL BE
UNIVERSAL ELIGIBILITY ANYONE
OVER THE AGE OF 16 WILL BE
ELIGIBLE TO GET THE COVID19
VACCINE THAT IS BASED ON DATA
ACCORDING TO WASHINGTON
GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE AS WELL AS
THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH THAT THERE ARE THREE
FIFTY TO FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOSES NOW COMING IN TO
WASHINGTON STATE ON A WEEKLY
BASIS AND WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY MILLION VACCINATIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT THERE
IS NOW SUPPLY TO MEET THE
DEMAND FOR EVERYBODY.
LET'S SHOW YOU A MAP WASHINGTON
STATE AND GOVERNOR INSLEE
REALLY FOLLOWING THE LEAD
OF OTHER WESTERN STATES THAT
HAVE ALREADY MADE A SIMILAR
ANNOUNCEMENT ALMOST EVERY STATE
THAT IS ON THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE OR WEST OF IT HAS
ALREADY ANNOUNCED UNIVERSAL
ELIGIBILITY INCLUDING THE STATE
OF IDAHO STARTING ON MONDAY AND
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS WELL
ON APRIL THE 15TH THERE IS A
QUESTION ON WHETHER THE STATE
IS READY FOR ALL OF THIS AND
REALLY THE MOVING UP OF THE
TIMELINE.
I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO KACI
SAUER WHO IS THE CEO OF THE
WASHINGTON HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
AND SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY DURKAN.
HERE'S WHAT THEY BOTH HAD TO
SAY.
FIRST WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
VACCINATIONS.
WHAT WE WERE TELLING PEOPLE WAS
WE HOPE THAT THE WHOLE
POPULATION MIGHT MIGHT BE
ELIGBLE TO GET A VACCINE BY
SEPTEMBER.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE SO FAR
AHEAD OF THAT SCHEDULE IS A
HUGE TESTAMENT TO THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND TO OUR OWN
STATES OUR OWN STATES WORK.
SO THAT'S THAT'S REALLY
EXCITING AND PEOPLE MAY IT MAY
TAKE A FEW WEEKS.
WE WILL GET APPONTMENT BUT
THAT'S WHERE AHEAD OF SEPTEMBER
WE HAVE ENOUGH SITES IN
YESTERDYA SO EXCITED WE'RE ABLE
TO OPEN UP A SITE NEAR SEATTLE
IN COLLABORATION NORTH SEATTLE
COLLEGE AND THE VISITING NURSES
AND THAT WILL GIVE A MUCH
NEEDED SITE IN THE NORTH AND
PARTICULARLY WE'VE SEEN IN THE
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT CASES GOING
UP FUELED MOSTLY BY YOUNG
PEOPLE.
SO WE WANT TO HAVE THE ABILITY
TO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED
QUICKLY SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO
TRAVEL TOO FAR.
AND WE ARE AS YOU CAN TELL
INSIDE THE LOOMING FIELD EVENTS
CENTER.
THIS IS THE MASS VACCINATION
SITE THAT HAS BEEN OPENED BY
SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY AND WE
ARE TOLD THEY'VE RAMPED UP THE
AMOUNT OF DOSAGES TO ABOUT FIVE
THOUSAND A DAY HERE.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING BEHIND
ME IS THE LARGEST AMOUNT
OF PEOPLE ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY
THUS FAR.
THEY'RE HOPING PERHAPS NEXT
WEEK TO GET UP TO ABOUT 7000
DOSES A DAY AND EVENTUALLY
TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOSES A DAY
AND THAT IS ALL CONTINGENT NOW
ON THIS ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT
APRIL 15TH AND THE SUPPLY
CONTINUING TO COME IN TO
WASHINGTON STATE REPORTING LIVE
AT ILLUMINED FIELD EVENT
CENTER, I'M CHRIS JANYCE KING5.
SO CHRIS, THE BIG QUESTION NOW
OF COURSE IS WHEN CAN PEOPLE
MAKE THEIR APPOINTMENTS?
THAT IS THE MILLION DOLLAR
QUESTION JOYCE AND DID COME UP
TODAY WITH WASHINGTON GOVERNOR
JAY INSLEE AND WITH DR. RUMER
SHAH WHO IS THE WASHINGTON
HEALTH SECRETARY AND THEY WERE
BOTH A LITTLE CAGEY ABOUT THAT
THOUGH THE STATE HAS SET UP A
VACCINE FINDER WEBSITE THAT YOU
CAN GO THROUGH AND TRY TO GO
THROUGH TO YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY
OR HOSPITAL OR AN EVENT CENTER
LIKE THIS ONE AND THEY'RE
SAYING RIGHT NOW YOU CAN NOT
MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT JUST YET
THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ELIGBLE
THROUGH THESE PHASES.
BUT IF YOU CAN CONTINUE TO GO
THROUGH THAT WEBSITE AND YOU
GET LUCKY AND YOU FIND AN
APPOINTMENT ON APRIL 15 16 17
GRAVETT BUT THEY'RE SAYING
RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T THINK THAT
THAT ELIGIBILITY AND THOSE
OPTIONS EXIST ONLINE.
ALL RIGHT, CHRIS, THANK YOU.
WELL, TODAY WAS ALREADY GOING
TO BE A BIG DAY FOR TWO MILLION
WASHINGTONIANS.
THEY BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR THE
VACCINE AS OF THIS MORNING
KING5 TRUE MICKELSON IS LIVE
WITH HOW CLINICS ARE GEARING UP
FOR MUCH BIGGER CROWDS.
DREW WILL MARK THEY JUST BROKE
DOWN THE CLINIC HERE AT THE
KOSLOF PIERECE COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY WERE
GIVING OUT VACCINES STARTING AT
8:00 THIS MORNING.
BUSY DAY HERE BUT BECAUSE THEY
RELY ON SCHEDULES THEY DIDN'T
HAVE ANY LONG LINES ALREADY
DROPPED BY VISITS NOW THAT A
LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE ELIGBLE
THOUGH DOES NOT MEAN IT'S
NECESSARILY GOING TO BE EASY TO
GET AN APPOINTMENT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHO IS NOW
ON THAT ELIGIBILITY LIST.
ANYONE 60 OR OVER OR WITH TWO
OR MORE MEDICAL CONDITIONS,
ANYONE LIVING OR WORKING IN
CONGREGATE SETTINGS LIKE
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ALONG
WITH RESTAURANT STAFFERS AND
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS TWO
MILLION MORE PEOPLE CAN NOW
SIGN UP FOR A SHOT WHICH I DO
WANT TO DO.
I WANT TO BE SCARED AND KANYUA
OVERCAME HER FEAR IT WASN'T AS
BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
MATEO CHEWELAH HAS BEEN WAITING
FOR WEEKS.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING TO
BE ABLE TO BE LIKE YOU'RE GOOD,
YOU'RE NOT A RISK ANYMORE.
THE MAJORITY WHO CAME THROUGH
THIS TACOMA PIERECE COUNTY
HEALTH DEPARTMENT CLINIC HAVE
BEEN QUALIFIED AND JUST
RANDOMLY SCHEDULED TO COME
TODAY BUT FOR 60 SOMETHING
NICOLE GAURENTEE SHE'S BEEN
COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS, KEPT
SEEING THE COMMERCIALS SAYING
GET VACCINATED, GET TRYING BUT
YEAH, IT'S NICE TO BE FINALLY
QUALIFIED.
I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE.
I'M REALLY GLAD TO GET THE
SHOT.
AND FOR TERESA TURBIN BOOKING
AN APPOINTMENT ON HER FIRST
POSSIBLE DAY TOOK SOME HELP
FROM OUR TECH SAVVY DAUGHTER.
THERE WAS ONE THAT OPENED ON
TEN THIRTY ON TUESDAY AND BY
TEN THIRTY TO ALL THE
APPOINTMENTS WERE GONE.
SUPPLY IS INCREASING IN SMALL
INCREMENTS.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE THAT
GRAPH GO UP.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY
SHOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE
GROWING LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE
ELIGIBLE BUT THE DRIVER IS
REALLY THE NUMBER OF DOSES
DISTRIBUTED IN NEARBY THURSTON
COUNTY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE
NEW TIER, THE COUNTY'S LARGEST
VACCINATION SITE WAS CLOSED.
SOME COUNTIES CAN'T OPERATE BIG
CLINICS EVERY DAY.
THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND IS STILL
YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL AN ISSUE.
SO WE ARE SEEING SUPPLY
INCREASED BUT IT'S NOT
NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, TEN FOLD
BUT WE ARE PREPARING FOR THAT
AND WE HAVE SEEN INCREASES
EVERY WEEK AND WE ARE USING
THAT VACCINE THANKFULLY VERY
THANKFUL THAT I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO NOW QUALIFY,
IT'S A DAY TO CELEBRATE.
I'M HAPPY.
YEAH, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT ONE
OF THESE DAYS WE WON'T HAVE TO
WEAR THESE MASKS.
YOU HEARD IT WAS TRICKY FOR
SOME FOLKS TO GET THE
APPOINTMENTS OBVIOUSLY WITH TWO
MILLION MORE PEOPLE NOW IN THE
LINE THAT MAY GET MORE
DIFFICULT.
THE ADVICE WE HEARD TODAY BE
PERSISTENT.
GO TO YOUR LOCAL COUNTY OR THE
STATE'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT
WEBSITE, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR
AND JUST JUST HAVE TO BE
FLEXIBLE BECAUSE AS WE HEARD
TODAY, THEY DON'T KNOW HOW MANY
DOSES THEY GET UNTIL JUST A
COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THEY'RE
ADMINISTERED.
SO BE PERSISTENT, STICK WITH
LIVE IN TACOMA DREW MICKELSON
KING5 MUZIA.
ALL RIGHT.
DREW, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE
THERE.
SO A LOT OF ACTAULLY NEWS RIGHT
HERE IN WASHINGTON
THERE
THERE ARE
THERE ARE ALSO SOME BIG HEADLINES NATIONALLY.
LET'S GET CAUGHT UP ON THOSE
RIGHT NOW TODAY THE CDC SAYS
COVID-19 WAS THE THIRD LEADING
CAUSE OF DEATH IN THIS COUNTRY
LAST YEAR RIGHT BEHIND HEART
DISEASE AND CANCER.
THAT ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AS
STATES BRACE FOR A FOURTH WAVE
OF COVID HEALTH EXPERTS ARE
URGING STATES TO KEEP THEIR
MASK MANDATES.
NOW SOMETIME THIS WEEK ANOTHER
VACCINE MILESTONE WILL BE HIT
WITH ONE HUNDRED MILLION
AMERICANS GETTING AT LEAST ONE
DOSE OF THE VACCINE.
A FEDERAL VACCINATION SITE IS
NOW OPEN IN YAKIMA.
IT'S THE FIRST SITE OF ITS KIND
HERE IN WASHINGTON.
THE GOAL IS TO GIVE TWELVE
HUNDRED DOSES A DAY AT THE
CENTRAL WASHINGTON STATE FAIR
PARK.
ALL OF THE DOSES COME FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT THIS NOT
THE STATE'S ONLY LOCATION.
LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN ALL
OF THE DOSES COME FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, NOT THE
STATES WEEKLY ALLOCATION.
TODAY THE WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCED
THREE SIMILAR SITES WILL SOON
OPEN IN TENNESSEE AND WISCONSIN
AND IN MARYLAND THE FOURTH
VACCINATION SITE IS NOW OPEN IN
THE NORTH PART OF SEATTLE JUST
DAYS AFTER KING5 REPORT ABOUT
THE COMMUNITY PUSHING FOR ONE
SKYKING OVERHEAD AS THE FIRST
PEOPLE GOT THEIR VACCINES.
AND HERE'S A LOOK AT ALL FOUR
SITES NOW THE NEWEST WILL BE AT
NORTH SEATTLE COLLEGE AND BE
PRIMARILY A DRIVE THRU.
THE OTHERS ARE THE LUMAN FIELD
CENTER, THE RAINIER BEACH AREA
AND WEST SEATTLE FROM THE START
THE NEW NORTH LOCATION WILL
GIVE JUST OVER 1100 VACCINES
PER WEEK OR ABOUT THREE HUNDRED
NINETY A DAY.
BUT AS SUPPLY INCREASES IT
SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE ABOUT
SIXTY FOUR HUNDRED VACCINES
EVERY WEEK.
WELL BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR'S
ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY AND NEW
VACCINE SITES OPENING UP A LOT
OF NEW NEWS TO CATCH UP ON.
SO IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT VACCINES, JUST TEXT THAT
WORD TO US VACCIANTED SIX FOUR