COVID-19 emergency order expired Monday

Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 emergency declaration expired Monday. A statement from his office notes that while the virus persists, vaccines and medical treatments are broadly available and offer strong protection.

The state's decisive pandemic response saved lives, the news release states, and points out that if the entire country achieved Washington’s low COVID-19 death rate, 433,000 lives might have been saved.

Washington ranked 45th in the United States at 191 deaths per 100,000 population. Mississippi had the highest death rate from COVID-19 at 436 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by...