KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo join up for the last time, after nearly a year of this reporting project. 

They'll discuss the impossible online waitlists for vaccines, and if we're ready to reopen schools. And, over the past year of this crisis, what story or moment has stuck with Dave and Aaron the most?

This will be the final formal episode of the COVID-19: Seattle podcast. To keep up with us elsewhere, you can:

Thank you to all of our loyal listeners over the past year!

Dr. George Diaz is an infectious disease specialist with Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, WA. He treated the very first confirmed coronavirus patient in the United States, isolating him with the hospital's strictest Ebola precautions and using a robot for examinations. 

Exactly a year later, he joins KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo on the COVID-19: Seattle podcast to reflect on those earliest days of the pandemic, and make predictions for the year ahead.

KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the vaccine rollout in Washington state, and whether teachers should be able to cut the line. You can check your current eligibility for the vaccine here.

And, Whatcom County is seeing a surge of cases. They expect January to triple what they saw in December, which was already the county's worst month ever. Dave and Aaron issue a timely reminder: don't forget about "stranger bias."

KIRO Radio's Dave Ross speaks with Dr. Keith Jerome, head of the University of Washington's Virology Lab, to answer common questions about the vaccine rollout and address the post-holiday surge in cases.

Plus, reporter Aaron Granillo joins with more information about your place in line for a vaccine, and the statewide app that should be online next week.

Social Distancing... lockdowns... PPE shortages... and distance learning. Those were just a handful of the major challenges we faced in 2020.

And KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo tracked it all right here, day by day.

What were people in Washington thinking and feeling during the very first statewide lockdown? Did the predictions of doctors and researchers in the early days come true? 

Aaron is joined by KIRO Radio's Mike Lewis as they listen back to the earliest episodes of this podcast and discuss the milestone moments in the pandemic from 2020.

Governor Inslee's recently revised guidelines mean we could see many school districts reopening for in-person classes before the end of January. Join KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo as they cover what this means for children, teachers and staff across Washington state.

And, the next federal relief bill has inched just a little bit closer to passing. This version includes a second stimulus check.

Finally, this was a big week for healthcare workers: Pfizer's vaccine was distributed to hospitals and clinics across the US. How concerned should we be about the allergic reactions some people have seen?

KIRO Radio's Dave Ross is joined by reporter Aaron Granillo to discuss the agonizing process of being so close to a vaccine while daily coronavirus cases numbers have reached a new peak nationwide.

How are our hospitals and healthcare providers holding up here in Washington state? Aaron explains our hospital capacity, and who will be at the front of the line for vaccination.

And, Governor Inslee's restrictions on restaurants, gyms and theaters - now extended through January - have put many business owners and their employees in an impossible position. Dave Ross walks us through the politics in the other Washington, as Republicans and Democrats argue over liability and bailing out local governments.

Reporter Aaron Granillo is joined this week by Mike Lewis, host of KIRO Nights and a familiar voice on the show.

They'll take a look at the latest coronavirus stats as a third surge in cases meets with the holiday season. How are we doing on hospital capacity, and what is the current survival rate from the virus?

Mike also owns a local bar, and discusses how the new statewide restrictions on indoor dining and alcohol service are impacting his business and employees. In an impossible situation, what kind of state and federal relief can we expect?

And finally, Washington state just launched an exposure notification app this week. Plenty of people have opted in so far, and we'll tell you how you can either download or turn on the feature on your own phone.

You can hear more from Mike Lewis on KIRO Nights, weekdays from 7-10 PM or on demand as a podcast.

KIRO Radio's Dave Ross talks with Governor Jay Inslee about Washington's response to the pandemic. What is hospital capacity like right now? How dire is this third wave? And what do the predictive models tell us about the rest of the holiday season?

Then, reporter Aaron Granillo joins Dave Ross to debrief the interview and look ahead at how we can possibly dig our way out of the dire financial straits this virus has left so many families and businesses in.

KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo cover the encouraging early results of the Pfizer vaccine trial, and chat with Dr. Julie McElrath. She's leading one of 3 major vaccine trials in Seattle and looking for volunteers. 

And Dr. Stephen Anderson from MultiCare Auburn Medical Center has been working on the frontlines in the emergency department throughout the pandemic. He joins us to explain just how serious the third wave of the virus is for Washington state, and the conversation convinces both Dave and Aaron to change their Thanksgiving plans.

If you'd like to get involved in a vaccine trial, you can find more information here.

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