Each day, information evolves COVID-19. At the City, we want our citizens and visitors to know that we are working to reduce the spread of this disease in our community, continue to provide critical City services, and address impacts of closures of schools, business and events. For the most recent and local data on cases and outcomes, visit SRHD.org.

Track information with these interactive dashboards for risk assessment, health data, economic impact and recovery, schools and PPE information.

Tuesday, May 4, Governor Jay Inslee announced a two-week pause on movement in the Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan. Under the pause, Spokane County will remain in Phase 3. On Tuesday, May 18, each county will be re-evaluated.

All Washingtonians age 16 and up are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The governor and the state Department of Health (DOH) have also prioritized equity issues in each phase to ensure vaccine access to populations disproportionately affected by the virus, including communities of color and low-income communities.

Three COVID-19 vaccines have been approved, and have begun to be distributed within the state. Information on the vaccine and its distribution in Washington is found on the DOH web site. More people will become eligible for vaccines over time. Learn more details on the SRHD website.

1-800-525-0127 (press #)

Currently authorized vaccines in the United States are highly effective at protecting vaccinated people against symptomatic and severe COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published updated interim recommendations for people who have been fully vaccinated. Until more is known and vaccination coverage increases, some prevention measures will continue to be necessary for all people, regardless of vaccination status.

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Monday, May 10, 2021

Last week, residential customers started to see a change in curbside pickup of recyclables. The City of Spokane’s Solid Waste Collections Department has switched to every other week collection of recycling. Use our residential address lookup tool to determine your pickup week.

The Spokane Police Department is looking to hire 12 police officers. If you are interested, SPD is providing two opportunities to take the Public Safety Test for free, Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. Sign-up for a free PST test.

The Sprague Avenue work at Division Street has wrapped up. Division is open with no lane restrictions!

Construction for Spokane Transit's City Line is underway at the intersection of Mission Avenue and Cincinnati Street. Mission traffic is detoured to Indiana Avenue. The intersection will reopen Friday.

The Downtown Spokane Partnership is holding two pop-up vaccine clinics downtown, Thursday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 18, that will feature live music, games, giveaways, prize drawings, and free Lime rides. Learn more on the DSP website.

Spokane Arts is seeking designs created by area artists to cover traffic signal and utility boxes throughout the City. Monday, May 17, is the submission deadline. 

Here is the new Spokane flag! Our new flag was designed by lifelong Spokane resident Derek Landers. The flag features green for our natural surroundings, the river which runs through our city, and the sun, the Salish word (sp̓q̓n̓iʔ) which gives our city its name. Learn more about the artist, flag selection process, and results on our website.

It's Navy Week in Spokane! We are excited to be partnering with the U.S. Navy on their virtual engagements this week. Follow the Navy Office of Community Outreach on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the great events.

The Spokane Police Department's Police Activities League is offering teens free boxing lessons to help them develop more discipline and confidence so they can make the right choices in life. If you think your teen could benefit from the PAL Boxing Program, visit our website.

Apply now for $2,500-$25,000 NCR grants to cover COVID-19 pandemic hardship expenses. Recipients must be arts, culture, science, heritage, neighborhood, veterans, or sports & rec orgs in Washington state. Apply before the Monday, May 24 deadline.

The draft Housing Action Plan is now available! The public is invited to review and provide feedback; upcoming opportunities as soon as Tuesday, May 18, include online Open Houses, Plan Commission Workshops and a Hearing. To learn more and submit feedback, visit the City’s website. 

Contact SNAP at (509) 319-3050 or SRTC@snapwa.org

Contact 24/7: Frontier Crisis Line (509) 838-4428

Contact or Walk-In: Inland Northwest Behavioral Health (509) 992-1888

CHAS Health: (509) 444-8200

Excelsior Wellness Center: (509) 559-3100

Help for children, adults and families is available via telehealth.

Veterans Crisis Line: (800) 273-8255

Lutheran Community Services: (509) 747-8224

Intensive Behavioral Health, Victim Advocacy and Foster Care, are available.

We know that the pandemic has created economic hardship for many of the City’s utility customers. Assistance with monthly City utility bills for water, sewer, and solid waste is available during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Residential property owners as well as tenants can seek direct financial assistance through the City's U-Help program by calling 456-SNAP. Utility Billing can also provide interest-free payment plans for residential customers. More information.

Business owners with an active City of Spokane utility account, may qualify for a small business assistance utility bill deferral. More information.

Late fees and water shutoffs for non-payment have been suspended to assist customers during the pandemic. Donations for this effort are always appreciated.

Join us Friday, May 21, for the grand opening of Riverfront Spokane's North Bank! The North Bank features an Ice Age Floods-themed Playground, Skate and Wheels Park, Hooptown USA Basketball Courts, and Roskelley Performance Climbing Boulder.

We've been goated! The City of Spokane was ecstatic to participate in the Wishing Star Foundation's annual Send A Friend A Goat fundraiser. The Wishing Star Foundation helps terminally ill and medically complex children right here in Spokane and the surrounding area! To learn more, visit wishingstar.org.