As Washington’s vaccine requirement for large events looms, COVID-19 cases continue to decline in Inland Northwest
![The Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena is photographed before a regional final at the NCAA women's college basketball tournament between Notre Dame and Oregon in 2018. (Associated Press)](https://thumb.spokesman.com/uO6q6eDqVn9RLDznlEJuDvMVKgE=/600x0/media.spokesman.com/graphics/2018/07/sr-loader.png)
Starting Monday, attending an indoor event with more than 1,000 attendees or an outdoor event with more than 10,000 attendees will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test in Washington.
To prove you have been vaccinated, you must present the original or a photo of your CDC vaccination card, your immunization health record or a certificate from MyIRMobile or QR code downloaded from the Department of Health.
To prove a negative COVID test, you must present a photo or document that shows the first and last name of the person tested, the type of test performed, the date the test was performed and a negative result. Tests must be performed within 72 hours of the event.
As the state’s latest mandate takes effect, COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to slowly stabilize in the Inland Northwest.
Case counts reported by the Spokane Regional Health District tend to fluctuate, but hospitalizations appear stable, with about 100 patients hospitalized for the virus in recent weeks.
Kootenai Health has 71 COVID patients, including 30 in the critical care unit. The count is lower than the hospitalization levels seen during the peak of the delta surge in late summer and early fall.
Here’s a look at local numbers
The Spokane Regional Health District reported 195 new COVID-19 cases Friday in addition to 264 reported cases on Veterans Day.
There have been 1,034 deaths due to COVID-19 in Spokane County.
There are 103 patients hospitalized with the virus in Spokane.
The Panhandle Health District reported 75 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The district has more than 1,350 backlogged cases.
There have been 693 deaths due to COVID-19 in the Panhandle.
There are 93 Panhandle residents hospitalized with the virus.