2020
JAN. 21
A Washington man becomes the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States. He returned to Western Washington from a trip to Wuhan, China.
FEB. 20
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center’s special pathogens unit, which is designed to isolate and treat patients with highly infectious diseases such as Ebola, accepts four American COVID patients who were infected on a cruise ship.
FEB. 29
Washington reports its first COVID-19 death — the country’s first official COVID death (though we later learned Americans had died from the virus a month or more earlier)
MARCH 11
The World Health Organization declares a global pandemic. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee limits gatherings of more than 250 in three Puget Sound counties.
MARCH 12
The NCAA cancels the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the latter of which would’ve been hosted in Spokane.
MARCH 13
Washington announces a six-week statewide school closure. Idaho announces its first COVID case. President Donald Trump declares a national emergency.
MARCH 14
Spokane Regional Health District confirms the first three cases locally.
MARCH 16
Panhandle Health District confirms the first case in North Idaho.
SHUTDOWN: MARCH 17
Following his shutdown announcement on March 15, Inslee temporarily shuts down bars, restaurants, entertainment and recreational facilities. All gatherings with 50+ people are prohibited. Anything smaller needs to follow social distancing of at least 6 feet apart. The shutdown is expected to last for two weeks.
MARCH 18
Inslee announces a 30-day moratorium on evictions due to the impacts of immediate job/wage losses. Federally, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announce foreclosures are suspended for at least 60 days due to the pandemic.
STAY HOME: MARCH 23
Inslee issues the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, mandating everyone stay home for two weeks. All nonessential businesses close or shift to remote work, in-person gatherings of any size are banned, churches close, and weddings and funerals are not allowed. It was originally expected to last through April 8; A year later, things still hadn’t fully reopened.
MARCH 25
Idaho Gov. Brad Little announces a 21-day stay home order.
MARCH 26
Idaho announces its first three COVID deaths. Congress passes the CARES Act with $2 trillion in economic relief.
MARCH 27
Spokane County reports its first COVID death.
APRIL 2
Inslee extends “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” through May 4.
APRIL 15
Little extends Idaho’s stay home order through April 30.
APRIL 23
Little announces a four-stage reopening plan.
MAY 1
Inslee extends “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” through May 31 and releases a four-phase plan with specific metrics to meet in order for things to reopen. At least three weeks were expected between each phase.
LOCAL MASK MANDATE: MAY 20
Spokane Regional Health District directs everyone to wear masks in public.
MAY 27
The U.S. surpasses 100,000 COVID deaths.
JUNE 13
Idaho moves to Phase 4 of its plan and fully reopens.
JUNE 15
Panhandle Health reports North Idaho’s first COVID death.
WA STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE: JUNE 23
Inslee announces a statewide mask mandate to take effect on June 26. The order requires people to wear masks when out in public.
Also, since May 22, Spokane is in “Phase 2,” meaning restaurants and bars are allowed to be open at 50% capacity with seating for groups of five or less, retail stores and hair salons are open.
JULY 23
Panhandle Health District mandates masks in public in North Idaho counties.
SEPT. 28
The world hits more than 1 million COVID deaths.
OCT. 29
Spokane Regional Health District Administrative Officer Amelia Clark fires Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz, as confirmed by an email from the Board of Health’s attorney to board members that evening.
Under state law, the district’s Board of Health is required to sign off on the firing, which they later do on Nov. 5. Public outcry ensues, with people claiming the firing was political in nature, due to Lutz’s push to maintain closures to prevent the spread of the virus. Clark and the district point to internal disciplinary actions against Lutz related to his interactions with coworkers. As of March 2025, Lutz is still pursuing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the district, while Clark resigned from the district in September 2022, amid a state investigation into her role.
NOV. 15
Inslee again closes bars and restaurants to in-person dining. Gyms/indoor recreation also closes again; churches are limited to the smaller of 25% capacity or 200 people.
FIRST VACCINE: DEC. 11
The U.S. approves the first COVID vaccine with emergency use authorization.
2021
FEB. 22
The U.S. hits 500,000 COVID deaths.
MARCH 3
Washington hits 5,000 COVID deaths. Some schoolchildren return to in-person instruction. Mead schools have had in-person instruction all school year.
MARCH 11
Inslee announces Washington will move to Phase 3 of the reopening plan on March 22, with some outdoor events allowed again for the first time in a year, with caps on capacity. Businesses including restaurants and gyms are allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
President Joe Biden signs the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA.
MARCH 16
The reported global death toll stands at more than 2.6 million.
APRIL 15
All people 16 and older become eligible for the vaccine.
JUNE 30
All businesses in Washington are allowed to reopen at 100% capacity, but masks are still required in all public places, inside and outside. Large events of 10,000-plus are capped at 75% capacity unless they verify vaccination status. Most major summer events have already been canceled or postponed.
JULY 30
The first event returns to the Gorge Amphitheatre: Watershed Music Festival.
AUG. 9
Inslee mandates that all state employees get fully vaccinated against COVID. On Aug. 18 the order expands to include public K-12 and higher education staff. (The order was ultimately rescinded on May 11, 2023.)
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2021
Public schools return to full, in-person instruction.
DELTA VARIANT: SEPTEMBER 2021
Inland Northwest hospitals are flooded with COVID patients in the ICU with the delta variant. The wave affects many younger patients in their 20s, 30s and 40s who were put on ventilators and later died.
We reported at the time:
Idaho hospitals have entered crisis standards of care, with some patients getting beds in conference rooms, while others are experiencing staffing and supplies at a level usually considered unacceptable. Washington hospitals are also nearing a breaking point, with Spokane's hospitals halting all nonemergency surgeries to free up capacity for the sickest patients.
While the COVID surge continues, cancer patients aren’t able to get tumors removed, people suffering heart attacks are sometimes waiting hours in the emergency room before they’re able to be seen, and people who’ve long been waiting for things like knee and back surgeries are being told it could be months before that can be scheduled.
Hospital staff who normally work in administrative jobs are being asked to scrub toilets, clean rooms and work cafeteria shifts to ease the burden on overworked nurses and support services staff.
Meanwhile, health care workers, already exhausted from working through a pandemic for 18-plus months, are now dealing with the worst rate of admissions and deaths yet. Nurses are being asked to work extra days. Some aren’t taking more than a 10-minute lunch break in a 16-hour shift, while others make sure to drink most of their water for the day before they start work so they don’t have to run to the bathroom later on.
“Imagine caring for 750 people dying over the last 18 months,” says Peg Currie, chief operating officer for Providence in Eastern Washington, in an update to reporters. “That’s equivalent to [more than] five 737 plane crashes in Spokane alone.”
…
“I don’t think they’ve had a success story in three or four weeks,” Dr. Ben Arthurs, MultiCare Deaconess’ ICU medical director told the Inlander at the time. In other words, people were arriving at the hospital so sick, they weren’t making it.
SEPT. 20
Spokane County has had 814 COVID deaths since the start of the pandemic, North Idaho has had 444 deaths.
OCT. 14
Inslee requires people attending large events (1,000+ indoors, 10,000+ for outdoors) to prove they’re vaccinated for COVID or tested negative for the virus within the previous 72 hours.
NOV. 26
WHO announces the omicron variant.
2022
FEB. 28
Washington, California and Oregon announce mask mandates will be lifted by March 11 except in health care, long-term care and correctional settings.
Inslee announces all COVID emergency orders are lifted.
