Coronavirus Updates: First Tacoma-area long-term care deaths; latest on Washington schools
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, April 6.
Updated at 2:55 p.m.
Pierce County on Monday reported 31 new COVID-19 cases and two additional deaths, bringing its total to 717 cases and 12 deaths.
The new deaths involved a man in his 90s from Tacoma and a woman in her 80s from Bonney Lake. Both had underlying health conditions.
While the previous day’s total was reported at 688, the county has said its “daily case totals can change as we get new information about our cases or find duplicate data that may have been reported.”
Tests have been run on 8,870 Pierce County residents by private and public labs, according to the State Department of Heath. The state health department is still facing a delay in reporting coronavirus test numbers.
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day. Sunday’s geographical totals are listed below with Saturday’s numbers in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 20 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 42 (39)
▪ East Pierce County: 21 (20)
▪ Edgwood/Fife/Milton: 33 (30)
▪ Frederickson: 18 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 41 (no change)
▪ Graham: 23 (20)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 5 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 17 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 59 (58)
▪ Parkland: 32 (no change)
▪ Puyallup: 35 (33)
▪ South Hill: 41 (39)
▪ South Pierce County: 11 (9)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 7 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 23 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 266 (254)
▪ University Place: 23 (22)
K-12 classrooms to remain closed through end of school year
Updated at 2:55 p.m.
All public and private K–12 schools will remain closed through the end of the school year to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are expected to reopen this fall, Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Monday.
Instruction will continue with distance learning through online instruction, paper packets or other means.
Districts will be out of school by the end of June, according to the state. Some public schools typically begin their school year within the last two weeks of August, but the majority begin in the first two weeks of September.
Monday’s announcement comes three weeks after Inslee ordered the statewide closures of public and private schools through April 24.
Extending the shutdown of buildings through the end of the school year was foreshadowed in a video posted last Friday from Chris Reykdal, the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
“I think you should expect to be in this distance learning model for quite a long time,” Reykdal said in his first weekly update to parents, educators and students. He joined Inslee at Monday’s press conference.
Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank offering home delivery food services
Updated at 1:10 p.m.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Making A Difference Foundation (MADF) announced that Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank in Tacoma is now offering home delivery food services to essential healthcare workers in Pierce County.
Healthcare workers who sign up for home delivery through The MADF website will be added to routes to receive weekly delivery of fresh groceries to their homes from Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank for the duration of this crisis. The sign-up form can be accessed at https://themadf.org/healthcare-provider-home-delivery/.
The MADF and its President and Founder, Ahndrea Blue, continue to focus on the mission to make a difference in the lives of others, one person at a time, by helping them acquire the most basic human needs: food, housing, encouragement, and opportunity.
“There are few people who are placing personal risk aside and doing more to protect us than healthcare workers at the forefront during this time,” MADF and its President and Founder Ahndrea Blue said in a statement.
“The MADF believes we should all do more to help these workers during this trying situation. They are working long hours in stressful conditions and we want to make it as safe and easy for these workers to access the food they and their families need. We, as a community, are in this together and it is important to support and care for one another.”
QFC to limit capacity, start one-way aisles
Updated at 1:10 p.m.
Beginning Tuesday, QFC will limit the number of customers to 50% of building code capacity to further support physical distancing in our stores.
QFC chose the threshold because it allows for proper physical distancing in all of the store’s different formats. QFC will also begin a test pilot program of one-way aisles in stores.
L&I offering struggling employers grace period to pay workers’ comp premiums
Updated at 1:10 p.m.
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is providing emergency relief to help employers struggling to pay their workers’ compensation premiums during the coronavirus outbreak.
L&I is now offering a grace period for premium payments, along with payment plans for employers facing financial difficulties during the pandemic. Under this new offer, employers can request for their payment to be deferred for up to 90 days, or can ask for a 90-day payment plan. Either way, the delayed payments will be penalty- and interest-free.
Payments for the first quarter of 2020 are due no later than April 30. To be eligible for this coronavirus-related assistance, employers must contact their L&I account manager if they know they won’t be able to make their quarterly premium payment. Account managers are available by phone at 360-902-4817.
Once employers are approved for the assistance program, L&I will waive late penalties and interest charges as long as qualifying businesses pay their premiums within 90 days. In some cases, the payment plan can be renegotiated if a business goes deeper into financial distress.
As part of the agreement, businesses must file their quarterly report on time, which is no later than April 30, 2020. L&I regional offices are closed to walk-in visits because of the outbreak, however, quarterly reports can be filed online through QuickFile.
Updated at 11:15 a.m.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal told parents, educators and students in a video posted Friday that they should expect to use distance learning “for quite a long time.”
“I don’t know if we’re coming back to school this year, and I want to be honest about that. It’s going to be really tough to do because we want to make sure people are safe. If we rush back to school and put all of us in tight classrooms and bring everyone back into our buildings, there’s a chance that our caseload peaks back up again and that would be absolutely the worst thing for public health,” he said.
Reykdal said Gov. Jay Inslee would make the decision. Inslee has scheduled a press conference for 2:30 p.m., joined by Reykdal.
“I think you should expect to be in this distance learning model for quite a long time,” Reykdal added in the video, which is the first in weekly updates to parents, educators and students. “That’s the honest truth and we’ll keep you up to date as we know that.”
First inmate in state prison tests positive
Updated at 11:10 a.m.
Washington officials said they have confirmed the first COVID-19 case of an inmate who was housed in a state prison.
The inmate exhibited symptoms at the Monroe Correctional Complex-Minimum Security Unit, the state Department of Corrections announced.
The male inmate was transported Sunday to a local hospital for examination and rapid COVID-19 testing, which came back positive, said Susan Biller, the Joint Information Center for the Department of Corrections.
“Following established protocol, the man was transferred back to the Monroe Correctional Complex and placed in an isolation unit in a single person cell, where he will begin appropriate treatment for COVID-19,” the state prison system said.
DOC said there are about 119 inmates in the unit where the individual was previously housed. That unit was placed on quarantine with “no movements in or out of the unit,” Biller said.
There are 420 total inmates in the minimum-security unit.
MultiCare Health System announces donation to community organizations
Updated at 9:55 a.m.
MultiCare Health System announced on Monday that it will be donating $1 million to help support other community organizations in Pierce County, South King County and the Inland Northwest region during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many not-for-profit, locally based organizations are among the hardest hit financially by the spread of COVID-19.
“Many of these organizations provide critical services, such as shelter and food for those in need, and childcare for the children of first responders and health care workers,” says Lois Bernstein, Chief Community Executive for MultiCare. “We are thankful for the work that these organizations do in our community, and we want to help them continue their work, particularly during this uncertain time.”
MultiCare provided The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation $500,000. That money will be added to the Pierce County Connected Fund, which is supporting organizations during COVID-19. The remaining $500,000 will be split evenly between Spokane area and South King County community-based organizations.
“It is critically important that these community services and programs remain viable during — and after — the COVID-19 health crisis,” says Bill Robertson, President and CEO of MultiCare. “MultiCare is committed to supporting organizations doing this work, and doing so is true to our mission of partnering for healing and a healthy future.”
Two deaths reported in Tacoma area long-term care facilities
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported on Sunday two deaths in two long-term care facilities—a Tacoma woman in her 90s and a Key Peninsula man in his 80s. Both had underlying health conditions.
The Tacoma woman was a resident of Heartwood Extended Health Care facility. The Key Peninsula man was receiving care at Avamere Puget Sound Transitional Care facility.
Long-term care facilities serve vulnerable populations that are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Residents’ age and health status put them at greater risk for severe COVID-19 complications and potential death. COVID-19 can quickly spread in congregate care settings.
Because of these factors, the Health Department has expected high rates of cases and deaths in long-term care facilities. The Department has been working with these facilities throughout the county to ensure strong infection control guidance, availability of testing, and other measures to identify cases and minimize the spread of disease and protect these vulnerable populations.
Prior to any positive cases, the Health Department teamed with MultiCare Health System and CHI Franciscan to ensure they could manage an outbreak within their affiliated long-term care facilities. The Health Department also worked directly with long-term care facilities unaffiliated with a healthcare system.
“These unfortunate deaths are likely not to be the last within a long-term care facility. Facilities need to continue to work proactively with their local health departments to reduce COVID-19 spread,” said Doug Richardson, Chair of the Pierce County Council and a Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health member.
“We all need to do our part to keep our community healthy. This means staying home if you’re sick, maintaining social distancing, and washing your hands. Our community is stronger when we work together.”
Amazon donates 8,200 laptops to Seattle Public School elementary families
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Seattle Public Schools, the Alliance for Education, and Amazon announced a donation by Amazon to supply 8,200 laptops to students will help close the gap in Seattle Public Schools’ continuous learning plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amazon’s permanent, direct to student donation, valued at more than $2 million, meets the estimated need for elementary students and will help toward the goal of providing all SPS students with access to a device while at home so they can participate in those parts of continuous learning that call for online access.
This donation also kick starts the Education Equity Fund, stewarded by the Alliance for Education — Seattle Public Schools’ nonprofit partner. The fund will support students furthest from educational justice in accessing the technology, technical support and additional learning resources required to continue to learn during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Amazon’s gift comes at a crucial time for our students,” said SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau. “We’ve never lost sight of the need to continue our students’ education — even during this unprecedented time — and our community partner Amazon now makes it easier to keep moving forward with the critical work of teaching and learning.”
Salvation Army had planned to close Olympia shelter, but COVID-19 has changed that
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
After surveying Thurston County citizens about the community’s needs, The Salvation Army planned to stop using its downtown Olympia building as an overnight, cold-weather homeless shelter, according to the local director. But, with the introduction of a global pandemic, the community’s needs have quickly, drastically changed.
“At this point, everything we were thinking about four weeks ago is on hold, and we have to take care of the immediate need right now,” Captain Mark Stearns, The Salvation Army corps officer in Olympia, said. “That means taking care of our people.”
In recent days, Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby and Thurston County’s Board of Commissioners sent letters to Salvation Army Northwest Division Commander Bill Dickinson Jr., asking the organization to continue offering shelter in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among other work in Olympia, The Salvation Army hosts the Community Kitchen operated in conjunction with Catholic Community Services and has a contract with the county to run its 29-bed overnight shelter November through April.
It previously planned to become a 24-hour facility, which Stearns said “financially wouldn’t pencil” in the end.
In 2018, it also had contracted with the city to expand its shelter, dining area and day center, according to The Olympian’s previous reporting. According to Keith Stahley, interim assistant city manager, the Salvation Army withdrew from its contract due to a shortage of operating funds and returned the city’s $400,000 in capital funding.
Stearns confirmed the money was returned and said the city and organization “parted friends,” but would not comment further on the subject, calling it “old news.”
He said the shelter downtown started offering up to 40 beds per night — more than the contract requires — when temperatures dropped in January and never scaled back. The facility is roomy enough that they’ve been able to offer those beds while following social-distancing guidelines, according to Stearns.
Boeing to continue production shutdown due to coronavirus
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Boeing said Sunday it will continue its shutdown of production indefinitely at its Seattle area facilities due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The company in an email to Washington employees said it is extending the planned two-week shutdown rather than reopening Wednesday. The decision affects about 30,000 of Boeing’s 70,000 employees in the state.
The company said the decision is based on the health and safety of its employees, assessment of the coronavirus spread, supply chain concerns and recommendations from government health officials.
“The health and safety of our employees, their families and our communities is our shared priority,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal. “We will take this time to continue to listen to our incredible team, and assess applicable government direction, the spread of the coronavirus in the community, and the reliability of our suppliers to ensure we are ready for a safe and orderly return to operations.”
A spokesman told The Seattle Times that employees are receiving their regular salaries during the two-week shutdown, but will have to transition to vacation or sick leave after that.
The company said that at the end of the day Friday, it had 133 confirmed cases among employees worldwide, up from 118 a day earlier. Of those, 95 employees are in Washington.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 8:30 AM.
