Report: Coronavirus Transmission Rates Persist In Washington

OLYMPIA, WA — Coronavirus transmission rates have remained stubbornly persistent in western Washington, while slowly increasing in the eastern part of the state, according to new statewide report.

The Institute for Disease Modeling's latest research found rates of transmission in both regions failed to show a significant change in early May. The virus's effective reproduction number — a measure of how many people contract the illness from an infected person — remains at or above the critical threshold of one.

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"Washington State remains on a knife's edge," researchers wrote. "The vast majority of people on both sides of the Cascades remain fully susceptible to COVID, and as a result, [the] exponential growth of disease burden is still a possibility across Washington."

State health officials said Friday that the latest numbers underline the importance of following public health guidance to fully suppress the virus's spread.

Related: Coronavirus Deaths Reach 1,000 In Washington

"The new report is one more data point emphasizing how critical physical distancing and other disease control measures continue to be," said John Wiesman, Secretary of Health. "We've seen some success in our state because of the work each and every one of us is doing to stop the spread of the virus, and an exponential increase is still a possibility. I'm asking everyone to keep up the good work to protect their families and communities."

Measuring COVID-19 activity in Washington, along with the latest modeling and mobility data, makes up one of five metrics state officials use to determine when to move forward with each reopening phase. So far, nine Washington counties have reached phase 2, while the rest of the state is tentatively expected to move forward by June 1. Last week, Inslee said that timeline could be extended, if the state's data showed it to be necessary.