The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) published a news release on March 17 sharing Washington’s long-term COVID-19 response plan: ForWArd. In the release, DOH acknowledges the significant successes in the state’s fight against COVID-19 while emphasizing the reality of living with the virus for the foreseeable future. According to DOH, “More than 13 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Washington, leading to one of the highest state vaccination rates in the country and helping the state maintain one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates among states.”
In the release Washington State Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, recognizes the tenacious response and resilience of Washingtonians throughout the pandemic. Shah shares, “Together, we have saved tens of thousands of lives, but our work will continue. We aim to build on that success by empowering people to protect themselves, their families, and their communities, while ensuring our state remains ready for additional COVID-19 variants that may come our way.”
The release goes on to define three key areas of the ForWArd plan: engagement and empowerment; prevention through vaccines, tests, and masks; and system readiness. Within these priorities, DOH’s ForWArd plan identifies seven commitments related to general health and wellness, ongoing monitoring of COVID-19 science, access to essential COVID-19 supplies, and advocacy and support for the health care system. For further insight into the ForWArd plan, consult the DOH news release or the ForWArd plan.