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5 things you need to know this weekend

Double-mask debate; List of vaccine sites; Phase 2 starts Monday for many; Lynnwood real estate boom; Midnight run for COVID-19 vaccine.
Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
A woman's hands in medical gloves hold a mask, the theme of protection against viral diseases.

Double-mask debate

Health experts say new variants of COVID-19 are more contagious than earlier versions of the virus. Would wearing two masks at once help stop the spread?  

Dr. Paul Pottinger, a professor of infectious diseases for UW Medicine, says extra layers may help if you think you'll come in contact with someone who is sick. Otherwise, he says one well-fitted, multi-layered cloth mask is effective. Read more

List of vaccine sites

KING 5 has compiled a growing list of mass vaccine sites and upcoming vaccine events in western Washington. Many individual hospitals and health agencies also offer COVID-19 vaccines. Check the Washington State Department of Health's website for a full list of vaccine providers.

A second pop-up clinic at Amazon Headquarters in downtown Seattle aims to vaccinate 2,000 people this Sunday. Read more

Phase 2 starts Monday for many

Counties in the West and Puget Sound regions will move to Phase 2 of the state's reopening plan on Monday. That includes King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Puget Sound and Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific and Thurston counties in the West region.

These counties represent about half of the state's population, according to Gov. Jay Inslee.

In Phase 2, a maximum of five people from outside of a person's household can gather indoors and indoor dining is available at 25% capacity until 11 p.m., among other changes. Indoor fitness centers can also open at 25% capacity. Read more

Lynnwood real estate boom

Numbers compiled by apartment locater Rent Café show Lynnwood as the suburb with the most new apartments in Washington state with 1,000 new units listed since 2016 and more under construction.

A Seattle realtor says the working-from-home culture has people leaving the downtown core and looking for more space. Read more

Midnight run for COVID-19 vaccine

Hundreds of people made a midnight run for the COVID-19 vaccine in Seattle after a freezer failure. 

A total of 1,650 doses at risk of expiring Thursday night were quickly administered to more than a thousand people at UW and Swedish clinics.

Some eager residents arrived in their bathrobes overnight to receive their first dose of the vaccine on short-notice. None of the doses went to waste. Read more

Also see: Seattle local forecast

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