Doctors, hospitals urge Inslee to restart elective procedures as COVID-19 patient numbers decline

Shortages of protective equipment remain a concern for the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA).

“We’re still hearing stories from our members. They’re having to use masks for extended periods of time, some having to put masks in paper bags to reuse them,” said Sally Watkins, the executive director of the WSNA.

Watkins said nurses have been reusing disposable gear in these extraordinary times, but that the union remained worried about the practice and did not want to allow it to become normalized. Watkins added that testing capacity also needed to increase, so health care workers could be assured that patients receiving procedures were not positive for coronavirus.