Vaccination Eligibility
Washington announced that on March 17, everyone in Phase 1B Tier 2 will be eligible for their COVID vaccine. This includes workers in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters and law enforcement, among others. This phase also adds people over the age of 16 who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high-risk.
Oregon continues to vaccinate eligible persons in phase 1B, including health care workers, high-risk groups, childcare providers, K-12 educators, and people 65 and older.
Please consult your state’s vaccination eligibility documents and take their questionnaires to determine if you currently qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you qualify, your county health department will have information on where you can get your vaccine.
President Biden Announces May 1st Eligibility For All Adults
With vaccine production projected to cover all 255 million US adults by the end of May, President Joe Biden is directing states to move up their eligibility dates for adults 18 and older to May 1st. He cautioned that the process of actually administering those doses would take time; “Let me be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone’s going to have that shot immediately, but it means you’ll be able to get in line beginning May 1”. Washington and Oregon are expected to adopt the eligibility guidelines if the projections hold true.
Washington State Moving to Phase 3 Reopening
Governor Jay Inslee announced that all regions will be moving to Phase 3 starting March 22nd. The new phase allows for increased attendance numbers at outdoor and indoor events, such as restaurants, gyms, fitness centers, movie theaters, and sporting events. Physical distancing and masking protocols will continue to be enforced. Going forward, each county will be evaluated for phase changes, rather than the regions previously established in the Road to Recovery plan. A full list of industry-level changes for the new phase is expected to be released this week.
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