OLYMPIA, WA – Washington State’s Department of Health will decommission its Coronavirus Response website coronavirus.wa.gov on Thursday. As of that date, site visitors will be redirected to the DOH COVID-19 landing page.
“This streamlining of online resources reflects the end of the COVID-19 emergency order and a decrease in web traffic on the coronavirus.wa.gov website. As part of the decommissioning, the public health content on the site will move to the DOH website. DOH is also working with partners to transfer pandemic information to other state agency websites where appropriate,” according to a press release.
The agency says it remains committed to supporting all Washington State communities in the fight against COVID-19 and urges everyone to stay up to date on their vaccinations to prevent severe illness.
“Hospitals are operating at higher-than-usual capacity this winter and it has become even more important to utilize preventive measures to ensure there is space for those with critical health needs,” officials say.
Meanwhile, free COVID-19 home test kits will continue to be provided to residents at least through the end of 2022, despite the end of federal financial support for testing programs.
Officials say with upper respiratory season at a high peak, at-home tests offer a way for individuals to check their COVID status without needing to access the healthcare system.
Washingtonians can order up to 10 free at-home test kits per month through the “Say Yes! COVID Test” program. To order, visit sayyescovidhometest.org. The kits are delivered to the requester’s home or work address, free of charge.
The antigen tests take 15 minutes to complete, offering users a convenient way to check whether they are infected with COVID-19. Users can follow up with a test from a medical provider or test site to verify results. Those testing positive can report their test result to Washington’s COVID-19 hotline at 1–800–525–0127. More information and resources available here.
