COVID-19 cases rise in last two weeks

OLYMPIA—Washington state is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, and experts predict increased transmission in the coming weeks. While it is still too early to tell how much of the increase is due to Omicron, epidemiologists with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) agree it is most likely the dominant strain.

While the state waits for complete data from county health departments, the highest single-day of new cases was reported on December 24, with 6,140 new COVID-19 cases. Despite the increase in testing for the holidays, officials said the growth in new cases significantly out...