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Kate Walters

Reporter

About

Kate Walters is a reporter covering Covid-19 and the many ways the pandemic has impacted our lives. She's covered personal experiences of community members, state and local policies, affects on the healthcare system, and more. In the past, Kate has reported on homelessness for KUOW, as well as general assignment stories ranging from city hall politics to sea stars. Originally from Australia, Kate studied journalism at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). She started her career in public radio at WXXI in Rochester, NY.

Location: Seattle

Languages: English

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Stories

  • caption: A drug user displays two blue fentanyl pills she is smoking in downtown Seattle, October 22, 2021.
    KUOW Blog

    Increasing overdose deaths stress King County morgue

    King County is experiencing a grim indicator of how bad the opioid crisis has become — a lack of space to store bodies. Public Health Director Faisal Khan said the Medical Examiner's office has finite space in the coolers they use, and that space is being exceeded on a regular basis.
  • caption: Carter Renee wears a face mask and shield while coloring a client's hair in their backyard on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. After the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Renee created an outdoor patio hair salon at their home and also travels to cut and color clients' hair in their backyards and outdoor spaces.
    KUOW Newsroom

    Where are you when it comes to masking?

    The conversation around masking is once again bubbling to the surface as Washington state deals with the triple threat of Covid-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This comes at a time when the healthcare system is already under immense strain. Hospitals are often running at, or over, capacity and hospital leaders said Tuesday that they continue to see large financial losses that are starting to lead to reductions and cuts to services in some areas.

  • caption: Carter Renee wears a face mask and shield while coloring a client's hair in their backyard on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. After the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Renee created an outdoor patio hair salon at their home and also travels to cut and color clients' hair in their backyards and outdoor spaces.
    KUOW Blog

    Health officials say it is time to mask up

    If you’ve been a little lax with masking over the past few months, health officials in Washington state are urging a change in behavior. Dozens of hospital leaders and county health officers from around the state are urging people to once again become diligent about masking in public indoor spaces.

  • caption: A discarded mask is shown on Friday, November 20, 2020, along 7th Avenue South in Seattle's International District.
    KUOW Newsroom

    Health officials urge caution as holidays near

    Holiday season is right around the corner, the third since the Covid-19 pandemic began. And, once again, health officials are nervous about how the health care system will fare as people gather and viruses spread.

  • caption: Seattle Children's Hospital is shown on Thursday, November 14, 2019, in Seattle.
    KUOW Newsroom

    Washington's children's hospitals 'in crisis mode' amid surge of respiratory viruses

    A surge in RSV, a contagious respiratory virus, is straining pediatric hospitals across Washington state. As flu cases also begin to rise, and hospital officials look towards another potential Covid-19 wave, they’re sounding the alarm about hospital capacity for the state’s youngest patients. “We are in crisis mode,” said Dr. Tony Woodward, medical director of emergency medicine at Seattle Children’s hospital during a media briefing Monday. “And bordering, if not already in, disaster mode in our emergency departments across the state.”