Inslee on reopening numbers, staying the course

Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement last Tuesday (June 15) on numbers used to determine when Washington state will fully reopen.

"Many people, myself included, are eager for our state to fully reopen. I have said repeatedly we are going to do this on June 30 or when we hit 70 percent of people 16 and up initiating vaccinations - whichever happens first. We use age 16 and up as that population was eligible when we made the announcement.

"I am hopeful Washingtonians will get vaccinated for their own health and that of their loved ones, and to help move our state closer to a full reopening.

"For those who would advocate changing our strategy, we are on the two-yard line. We are not going to change the game plan now. We are going to see this through.

"I said this last week, but it bears repeating: We need to compare apples to apples. Many on social media have chosen to compare data that don't belong together, giving Washingtonians incomplete or misinformed data on our progress.

"Our state uses data for people age 16 and up; the federal government uses data for ages 18 and up. We use the most recent Census data from 2020; the federal government uses older data.

"Additionally, the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration federal vaccination programs do not share person-level data with the Department of Health, and the state can only rely on data it has access to and can verify.

"Washington state has been calculating data the same way throughout this process. This provides the most complete, accurate and transparent data on vaccination rates.

"I encourage all Washingtonians to get vaccinated. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the Shot of a Lifetime vaccine lottery is ongoing and those who initiate vaccination are automatically entered."

Detail on Washington State Department of Health and CDC data:

State calculation on WA progress to 70 percent vaccination (as of June 15):

Rate 16+: 67.2%

Numerator: 4,129,165 (3,975,976 IIS and 153,189 DoD and VA)

Denominator: 6,144,281 (16+ 2020 OFM estimates)

How the CDC is calculating statewide progress:

Rate 18+: 71.7%

Numerator: 4,267,169

Denominator: 5,951,832 (2019 census estimate)

Incentives for Vaccinated

Veterans, Military and

Staff, and Their Families

Gov. Jay Inslee announced "A Heroes Thanks" vaccine incentive program on Thursday for Washington's military and staff, veterans and their families who have been vaccinated through the Department of Defense, the VA or the National Guard. The governor was joined by Alfie Alvarado, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs for the announcement.

Starting July 20, through the Washington State Lottery, eligible Washingtonians can win cash prizes of $100,000 in the first two weeks, Amazon gift cards worth $250, state parks gift cards worth $100, and the final week will have a $250,000 cash prize.

"We are so grateful for these service members, veterans, their families and those who work for the military for their service to our country," Inslee said at a press conference Thursday. "And we are grateful that more and more people are taking care of others by getting vaccinated."

The announcement came two weeks after the rollout of the "Shot of a Lifetime" lottery sweepstakes. Before the incentives were announced, the Department of Health observed a fall off in vaccination rates that began to reverse after the announcement, prompting an expansion of available incentives.

However, when "Shot of a Lifetime" was first announced, data-sharing issues on the part of the federal government made it difficult to include names of veterans, military members and staff, and their families to be included in the drawings. But through innovative collaboration, Washington can now offer incentives to those who serve our state and country, through their work and by getting a life-saving vaccine.

The incentives will be funded with the same federal COVID relief dollars that fund the vaccine lottery. And the Department of Defense will circulate a webform for eligible residents to fill out with the information needed to be entered in the incentives.

The governor was also joined by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler Thursday to announce incentives and reimbursements for provider outreach to their unvaccinated patients. With medical providers being the most trusted source of information on vaccines for the public, their education on the safety and efficacy of vaccines is crucial to the state's fight to control the virus.