Hospitals remain under strain as omicron surges in eastern Washington, Idaho

Several indicators point to the slowing spread of omicron across western Washington in recent weeks. The rate of increase for new Covid cases and hospitalizations is dropping in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

But the outlook is much different in eastern Washington, where omicron is still surging. Hospitalizations there have roughly doubled within two weeks.

Moreover, hospitals in eastern Washington face the prospect of caring for patients from southern Idaho, where crisis standards of care were declared on Monday.

“Any patient who comes to the emergency department must be screened and stabilized – it's a federal law requirement,” said Taya Briley, vice president and general counsel for the Washington State Hospital Association on Tuesday. “And as a result, if an individual from Idaho presents on their own to a Washington emergency department, they cannot be turned away. So we are certain that crisis standards will spread north.”