Washington Edges Closer To 70 Percent Vaccination

SEATTLE — Washington has not yet hit the threshold to lift the remaining COVID-19 restrictions.

But it could soon.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Tuesday that, as of their latest update, 67.2 percent of Washingtonians over 16 have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Gov. Jay Inslee previously announced that, if 70 percent of Washingtonians 16 and older initiate vaccination, the state will lift most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions. Last Saturday, the state's vaccination rate was around 64 percent, so if the rate of new people seeking vaccination holds steady, Washington could see those restrictions lifted within a week or so.

Right now, the Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery plan limits capacity at worship services, retailers, and restaurants, among others. The bulk of those restrictions will go away when Washington reopens, and the governor says all industries will be allowed to return to "usual operations" with the caveat that the current mask requirements will remain in place, and capacity will be capped at some larger indoor entertainment venues.

If for some reason the state does not reach that 70 percent threshold in the next two weeks, the state will reopen on June 30 regardless.

Related: When Washington Reopens, Some Restrictions Will Remain

The DOH is also hoping to clarify confusion caused by discrepancies between federal and local vaccination reports, which have some residents confused as to why the state hasn't reopened already.

The White House's state profile report for Washington, released Tuesday, shows that 71 percent of the Evergreen State's adult population has received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The DOH says there's a few reasons that rate and its rate differ. First and foremost is that those metrics are different. The White House data shows 71 percent of adults — as in residents who are 18 and older — have had a dose, while Washington is basing the rate on patients 16 and older. In other words, the federal rate doesn't account for patients 16 and 17 years old.

The Washington State Department of Health and the federal government use different population estimates, and the DOH count does not include Washingtonians vaccinated at military facilities.

Finally, some Washingtonians may have been vaccinated out of state, meaning their data goes to the state's Immunization Information System, but wouldn't make its way to the CDC's data banks.

But basically: the DOH's rate is the one to watch, and we'll be keeping a close eye on it as it approaches that 70 percent mark.

Related: DOH Discusses Discrepancy Between State And Federal Vaccine Data