THE
THE EVENING COMMUTE. WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE GET MORE DETAILS.
ALSO BREAKING NEWS ABOUT THE
PANDEMIC WITHIN THE PAST HOUR,
GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE ANNOUNCED
THAT EVERYONE 16 YEARS AND
OLDER WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A
COVID VACCINE STARTING ON APRIL
15TH.
WE JUST HEARD THAT ANNOUNCEMENT
BIG BREAKING NEWS THIS
AFTERNOON AND THAT DATE BEATS
PRESIDENT BIDEN'S GOAL
OF HAVING ALL ADULTS ELIGIBLE
STARTING MAY 1ST.
WELCOME TO THE KING5 IS IT FOR
I'M JESSICA JANYCE.
PASTOR GREG COPELAND OF THE
VACCINE ROLLOUT STARTED AS A
TRICKLE A FEW MONTHS AGO AND
MAY SOON LOOK MORE LIKE A FLOOD
AS MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE BECOME
ELIGIBLE.
BASICALLY WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY
IS OUR EFFORTS ARE WORKING IN
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING BECAUSE WE
HAVE MADE DECISIONS BASED ON
SCIENCE.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING BECAUSE WE
HAVE MADE A PRIORITY DECISIONS
THAT HAVE RESPECTED PEOPLE'S
LIVES AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL GOAL
WHICH IS TO SAVE LIVES IN THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON AND WE ARE
SAVING LIVES IN THE STATE
OF WASHINGTON.
BIG TIME.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU.
WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH CHRIS
DANIELS LIVE AT LUMIN FIELD
MASS VACCINE CLINIC WHERE THEY
COULD SEE A SURGE HERE SHORTLY
.
CHRIS?
. CHRIS?
. CHRIS? YEAH, GREG, APRIL 15TH IS
NORMALLY TAX DAY IN THIS
COUNTRY BUT IN WASHINGTON STATE
IT WILL BE REAX DAY WITH THIS
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FROM
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE
SPECIFICALLY CITING THE INFLUX
OF SUPPLY INTO WASHINGTON STATE
NOW AT FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOSES A WEEK THERE HAS BEEN
MORE THAN THREE MILLION SHOTS
ALREADY AND HE SAYS BASED ON A
MATH, BASED ON THE DATA, BASED
ON WHO HAS ALREADY RECEIVED AN
INOCULATION, IT IS TIME TO OPEN
IT UP FOR EVERY ADULT ANYONE
OVER THE AGE OF 16 IN JUST A
COUPLE OF WEEKS ON APRIL THE
15TH.
THAT MEANS YES THAT THERE WILL
BE MORE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO COME
WHERE I'M STANDING RIGHT NOW TO
THE LOOMING FIELD EVENT CENTER
TO GET A SHOT.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU A MAP OF THE
WESTERN STATES NOW THE STATES
ON OR WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL
DIVIDE THAT HAVE MADE SIMILAR
DECISIONS BASED ON THE AMOUNT
OF MATERIAL VOLUME VACCINATIONS
IN THE COUNTRY.
THE CDC SAYS OVER ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY MILLION SHOTS NOW
HAVE BEEN USED ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND YOU CAN SEE STATES
LIKE IDAHO OPENING THIS UP FOR
EVERYBODY STARTING ON MONDAY.
CALIFORNIA HAD ALREADY MADE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT TO SPEED UP THE
UNIVERSAL VACCINATION AS WELL
FOR APRIL THE 15TH.
SO INSLEE IS FOLLOWING ALONG
THE LINES OF THE GOLDEN STATE.
EARLIER TODAY I HAD A CHANCE TO
TALK WITH KACI BOWERS.
SHE IS THE CEO OF THE
WASHINGTON HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
AND I ASKED HER IF THE STATE IS
READY FOR ALL OF THIS.
IS OUR SYSTEM IN YOUR MIND SET
UP TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AT THIS
POINT I THINK.
YES, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE TO BE
PATIENT AND LOOKING FOR A
VACCINE BUT WE HAVE A LOT
OF VACCINE PROVIDERS AND
THEY'RE READY TO GO.
BUT WHAT WE NEED IS A SUPPLY SO
IT MAY TAKE A FEW WEEKS FOR
PEOPLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT
BUT THEY'LL GET ONE.
SO I THINK
THERE'S
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PATIENCE REQUIRED AND BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN
THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S PHASING
HAS GOTTEN US THROUGH THOSE WHO
ARE MOST VULNERABLE AND IT'S
SHOWING IN THE DATA THAT
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
SO I THINK WE'RE WE'RE EXCITED
AND WE'RE READY TO GET VACCINES
OUT TO MANY MORE PEOPLE.
AND WHAT I AM BEING TOLD TO
HEAR THE ILLUMINED FIELD EVENT
CENTER, THE LARGEST MASS
VACCINATION SITE IN THE REGION
IS THAT THERE HAVE IN FIVE
THOUSAND DOSES HANDED OUT ON A
DAILY BASIS.
THAT'S HOW THEY'VE RAMPED UP
HERE OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS IN
TERMS OF WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO
GIVE TO THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE HOPING EVENTUALLY TO
GET UP TO A 22000 PERSON A DAY
LIMIT HERE FOR VACCINATIONS ON
SITE HERE AT THE ILLUMINE FIELD
EVENT CENTER.
LET'S SEND IT BACK TO YOU.
CHRIS, I KNOW YOU SPOKE WITH
SEATTLE MAYOR JENNY DURKAN.
WHAT DID SHE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
THE DEVELOPMENTS?
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, GREG
SEATTLEPI OR JENNY DURKAN HAS
BEEN PUSHING FOR PUSHING UP THE
TIMELINE FOR THIS UNIVERSAL
VACCINATION TIMELINE SAYING
THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT
OF CONFUSION HERE IN THE LAST
SEVERAL WEEKS ABOUT WHO EXACTLY
IS ELIGBLE.
I ASKED HER TODAY IF SHE
THOUGHT THE CITY OF SEATTLE WAS
READY AND SHE SAID YES, THAT
SHE POINTED TO THE NORTH
SEATTLE VACCINATION SITE THAT
WAS JUST OPENED TODAY.
THAT IS ONE OF FOUR SHE
BELIEVES AT THE INFRUSTRUCTURE
IS NOW IN PLACE WITH SITES LIKE
THIS ONE TO BE ABLE TO WELCOME
IN MORE PEOPLE AND SPEED UP
THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE NOW
HEARING ABOUT TODAY FROM
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE
GOING TO BE A LOT BUSIER IN THE
WEEKS TO COME BEHIND YOU,
THAT'S FOR SURE.
CHRIS DANIELS REPORTING IN
SEATTLE.
THANKS, CHRIS.
WELL, IT'S ALREADY A BIG DAY AS
FAR AS THE VACCINES ARE
CONCERNED HERE IN WASHINGTON
STATE AND EFECTIVE THIS MORNING
TWO MILLION MORE WASHINGTONIANS
BECAME ELIGIBLE FOR THE COVID19
VACCINE INCLUDING ANYONE OVER
THE AGE OF 60 KING5 SEDRO
MICKELSON IS JOINING US LIVE
FROM THE VACCINE CLINIC IN
TACOMA.
SO DREW, UPDATE ON THIS UPDATE
US ON THIS PART OF THE STORY
AND HOW THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
HANDLE THAT INFLUX OF NEW
PATIENTS.
SO FAR SO GOOD REALLY.
WE'RE LIVE THIS AFTERNOON AT A
CLINIC HERE AT THE TACOMA
PIERECE COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT.
EVERYONE WE SPOKE WITH SAID IT
WENT SMOOTHER THAN EXPECTED.
THE HARDEST PART FOR MANY WAS
ACTUALLY GETTING APPOINTMENT ON
THE FIRST DAY THAT THEY WERE
ELIGBLE TODAY.
SO WHO NOW IS ELIGBLE ANYONE 60
OR OVER ANYONE TWO OR MORE
MEDICAL CONDITIONS, ANYONE
LIVING OR WORKING IN KONGREGATE
SETTINGS LIKE CORRECTIONAL
FACILITIES, GROUP HOMES,
SHELTERS ALONG WITH RESTAURANT
STAFFERS AND CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS.
THE CLINIC TODAY HERE AT THE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT MOVE PEOPLE
THROUGH ALL DAY.
MANY HAD BEEN QUALIFIED JUST
HAPPENED TO GET THEIR VACCINE
TODAY BUT SOME EXPECIALLY 60
PLUS WITHOUT MEDICAL CONDITIONS
DID WHATEVER THEY HAD TO TO BE
HERE TODAY IN SOME CASES
RELYING ON RELATIVES FOR HELP
GETTING APPOINTMENTS.
THERE WAS ONE THAT OPENED ON 10
30 ON TUESDAY AND BY 10 30 TO
ALL THE APPOINTMENTS ARE GONE.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING TO
BE ABLE TO BE LIKE YOU'RE GOOD,
YOU'RE NOT A RISK ANYMORE.
IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING.
YES, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE BOTH
SAY WE KEPT SEEING THE
COMMERCIALS AND CIARRA GET
VACCINATED FOR TRYING BUT YEAH,
IT'S NICE TO BE FINALLY
QUALIFIED NOT JUST BECAUSE TWO
MILLION MORE WASHINGTONIANS ARE
SUDDENLY ELIGIBLE.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY'RE ALL
OF A SUDDEN TWO MILLION MORE
DOSES HERE IN THE STATE COMING
UP AT FIVE O'CLOCK WE'LL LOOK
AT HOW THAT SUPPLY CHAIN IS
REALLY DRIVING THE DECISIONS
THAT THE GOVERNOR JUST MADE AND
HOW MANY CLINICS THEY HAVE LIKE
THIS LIVE IN TACOMA DREW
MICKELSON K5NEWS DREW, THANK
YOU.
PFIZER SAYS IT'S COVID19
VACCINE IS SAFE AND ONE HUNDRED
PERCENT EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING
KIDS AGES 12 TO 15 FROM GETTING
CORONAVIRUS.
THESE FINDINGS ARE PRELIMINARY.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PEER
REVIEWED BUT IF THEY STAND IT'S
GOOD NEWS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOLERS.
PFIZER PLANS TO REQUEST
EMERGENCY USE OF THE TWO DOSE
VACCINE FOR THIS AGE GROUP IN
THE COMING WEEKS AND THAT MEANS
THEY MAY BE AVAILABLE BY THE
SUMMER BEFORE KIDS HEAD BACK TO
SCHOOL TIME COVID CASES NURSING
HOMES ARE WAY DOWN SINCE LATE
LAST YEAR, A NEW REPORT SHOWS.
NINETY SIX PERCENT OF NINETY
SIX PERCENT DECLINE IN COVID
CASES AMONG SENIOR LIVING
FACILITIES SINCE CASES PEAKED
IN