Coronavirus updates: State nearing 10,000 cases; Pierce County reports 37 new cases, 2 deaths
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Friday, April 10.
STATE NEARING 10,000 COVID-19 CASES, UP TO 475 DEATHS
Updated 6:15 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 279 new COVID-19 cases and 29 additional deaths Friday.
Statewide totals are up to 9,887 cases and 475 deaths, up from 9,608 cases and 446 deaths Thursday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, passing 4,000 cases with 4,047, and has reached 275 deaths, while Snohomish County has 1,743 cases and 65 deaths and Pierce County has 875 cases and 19 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (234), Clark (208), Franklin (107), Grant (100), Island (154), King (4,047), Kitsap (128), Pierce (875), Skagit (174), Snohomish (1,743), Spokane (245), Whatcom (247) and Yakima (447) all reporting at least 100 cases.
Seventeen counties have reported at least one virus-related death.
There are 848 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
More than 88,000 people in Washington have been tested, with the positive cases at 8.6%. Testing data has been updated through April 3.
CONTROVERSIAL DRIVE-IN EASTER SERVICE CANCELED
Updated 4 p.m.
A controversial drive-in Easter church service which was scheduled for Sunday in the parking lot of Tacoma’s Emerald Queen Casino has been canceled, an OURchurch 253 spokesperson said Friday.
“We are surprised and shocked that the governor has discouraged drive-in experiences, which in no way violate health rules of the White House or the state of Washington, over Passover and Easter weekend,” OURchurch 253 pastor Dean Curry said a statement.
The idea for the drive-in service was that people would congregate in the casino parking lot, but remain in their cars and tune their radios to 107.9 FM to listen to the service.
Curry, who was formerly the lead paster at Tacoma’s Life Center, stepped down from that position in 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct. He recently opened OURchurch 253 in University Place, and has been holding drive-in services since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“A drive-in worship service on Easter gives people a valuable shared experience during this holy week, which allows them to stay in their own vehicle, without violating the health rules,” Curry’s statement said. “They interact with no one. Marijuana distributors and others have drive-in experiences which apparently please the governor, but worship at Easter is an issue.
“Social isolation resulting in growth of addiction, despair and loneliness, there’s a very real threat that I would hope the governor would consider. Out of respect for our friends at the Puyallup Tribe, we don’t want them to be in the middle of this issue, so we are reconsidering where we will hold the event, if at all. I urge the governor to reconsider.”
The governor’s office and the state do not have authority over tribal lands, a spokesperson from the governor’s office said in a statement Friday.
“Drive-in religious services are not allowed per the governor’s proclamation. However, we do not have authority on tribal lands as they are sovereign nations,” the statement said. “And the Emerald Queen Casino is on the lands of the Puyallup Tribe. We do not have authority to tell them what they can and cannot do. The Puyallups and other tribes have been great partners in the fight against COVID-19, but the governor’s office does not dictate what happens in tribal communities.”
The drive-in service is currently planned to move online.
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 37 NEW CASES, 2 DEATHS
Updated 2:15 p.m.
Pierce County reported 37 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing its total cases to 875.
The county also reported two deaths — a Tacoma woman in her 80s and a Tacoma woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions — bringing that total to 19.
Tacoma now has six reported virus-related deaths, while Bonney Lake (one), Central Pierce County (two), East Pierce County (one), Edgewood/Fife/Milton (two), Key Peninsula (one), Lakewood (three), Puyallup (one) and Spanaway (two) have also previously reported deaths.
Daily case totals can change as the county receives new information about cases or finds duplicate data. The health department has released a statement on delays in data posting. As of Sunday, 8,870 tests of Pierce County residents had been reported.
Friday’s geographical totals are listed below with Thursday’s numbers in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 25 (24)
▪ Central Pierce County: 50 (48)
▪ East Pierce County: 25 (no change)
▪ Edgwood/Fife/Milton: 50 (40)
▪ Frederickson: 24 (21)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 44 (43)
▪ Graham: 35 (32)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 6 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 21 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 70 (67)
▪ Parkland: 39 (38)
▪ Puyallup: 43 (no change)
▪ South Hill: 51 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 16 (15)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 8 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 29 (28)
▪ Tacoma: 309 (300)
▪ University Place: 30 (28)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
THIRD COVID-19 CASE CONFIRMED AT TACOMA RESCUE MISSION
Updated 1 p.m.
A third positive COVID-19 case has been confirmed at the Tacoma Rescue Mission, the mission said in a press release Friday.
A guest at the mission’s location on South Tacoma Way was confirmed positive Tuesday evening and has been transferred to a secure location off property, the release says.
“All individuals who slept near the guest with the positive test result have been identified,” the release says. “To limit further potential spread of the virus, they have been given masks and moved to a separate sleeping area where they will be jointly monitored by Mission staff and the Health Department. “Additionally, impacted areas were sanitized, using Health
Department guidelines. Expedited testing has been offered — in partnership with Community Health Care — to any guests or staff with flu-like symptoms.”
The first individual who tested positive was released from quarantine two weeks ago, while the second individual is also at a secure site being monitored.
Neither have required medical treatment.
“The Mission continues to focus on providing vital services, in ways that promote the health and well-being of our entire
community,” executive director Duke Paulson said in the release. “We invite you to join us in praying for our guests who have contracted COVID-19, and for the safety of our other guests, volunteers, and staff. As a community, our shared work of caring for our most vulnerable neighbors is more important now, than ever.”
STATE PATROL INSISTS IT IS NOT STOPPING VEHICLES TO CHECK TRAVEL STATUS
Updated 12 p.m.
The Washington State Patrol tweeted an instructional video Friday, assuring people troopers are not stopping vehicles to check travel status.
“We’re all aware of the governor’s stay-at-home, stay-healthy order and we understand that essential employees need to get to work and that people need to go to the store occasionally to get supplies,” Sgt. Darren Wright says in the video.
We want you to know that the Washington State Patrol will not make traffic stops just to check your travel status or ask for any additional documents or letters. The only documents you’ll need on a traffic stop are registration, driver’s license and proof of insurance.”
Wright continues to display two of the uniforms WSP troopers may be wearing when making traffic stops, as well as shows the vehicles troopers may be traveling in.
If travelers believe they are being stopped by someone impersonating a trooper or police officer, it is recommended they pull over with their emergency flashers on, call 911 and give a description of their vehicle and location, or pull over in a highly populated area such as a grocery store parking lot.
Watch the full video below:
HERE’S A LIST OF AUTO INSURERS OFFERING REFUNDS, DISCOUNTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Updated 11:30 a.m.
The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner has an updated list of auto insurers offering refunding or discounts of auto insurance premiums to policyholders since driving has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s a list of companies that have announced refunds or discounts:
▪ Allstate
▪ American Family Insurance
▪ Liberty Mutual
▪ USAA
▪ Farmers
▪ GEICO
▪ Mapfre
▪ Progressive
▪ State Farm
People who haven’t haven’t heard from auto insurers should contact them for more information.
AUBURN WOMAN SEWS MORE THAN 300 MASKS FOR SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Updated 11 a.m.
Arline Bauman, a 75-year-old Auburn woman, has sewn more than 300 masks for the Pierce County Sherriff’s Department during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help keep deputies and other personnel safe.
“Every day my husband makes breakfast, and I go to work in the sewing room,” Bauman told The News Tribune. “I’m quite comfortable being cooped up because it’s what I’d normally do.”
The masks are black with a thin blue line across the back — a common symbol for law enforcement.
Bauman said she learned to sew in grade school, and found so much joy in the activity that she hasn’t stopped. She primarily makes quilts, but also often sews baby hats to donate to Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
When health care officials starting talking about masks being useful during the COVID-19 outbreak, Bauman found a tutorial on YouTube and started sewing.
Her first masks were distributed to family members, including her son, Joe Bauman, whose mask was noticed during a conversation with his friend Ed Troyer, who is also the spokesman for the sheriff’s department.
Troyer asked about the possibility of Arline Bauman producing more masks, and she had eight ready by the following morning.
The first set were distributed to school resource officers handing out lunches to students in Pierce County.
“Everybody I showed them to, I had to wrestle them away,” Troyer said.
The masks have three layers, are backed with flannel, and are reversible and machine washable. As soon as Bauman has masks ready, they are distributed.
She can produce a mask about every five minutes, but has developed a system to produce dozens at a time.
“We can’t make them fast enough,” Joe Bauman said, adding that police agencies from Michigan and Georgia have also reached out to them. “We’re trying to get them all taken care of because they’re on the front lines.”
Arline Bauman is hoping to find other seamstresses who can help making the masks, which are in such high demand.
“As long as there’s a need, I’ll keep doing this,” she said.
MARINERS, BLOODWORKS NORTHWEST HOSTING POP-UP BLOOD DRIVE
Updated 10:30 a.m.
The Seattle Mariners are partnering with Bloodworks Northwest to host a pop-up blood drive at T-Mobile Park.
The blood drive begins Monday morning at the ballpark, and will be open three days per week for three weeks until May 2, to help ensure needs are met as Washington continues to try to slow the spread of the virus.
“This is an unprecedented time, but when there is a crisis, our community always comes together,” former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson said in a release. “Giving blood is something we all can do to help to meet a critical need during this national emergency.”
Wilson will be among the first to donate Monday at the stadium.
“My wife, Annie, and I are grateful for the opportunity to be able to assist in some small way,” he said. “My hope is everyone who is able to give blood will sign up to donate at T-Mobile Park or at a Bloodworks center close to home.”
Keeping in line with Gov. Jay Inslee’s social distancing guidelines, participants are required to make one-hour donation appointments online. No walk-ins, guests or people under the age of 16 will be allowed on-site.
Free parking will be provided at the Parking Plaza, which is adjacent to the Mariners Parking Garage at the corner of Edgar Martinez Drive and Occidental Street. The entrance to the blood drive is located on the street level near the third base entry, to the left of the Ken Griffey Jr. statue which is situated at the corner of First Avenue and Edgar Martinez Drive.
The blood drive will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays (except the first day, when it will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m.), from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays and from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays.
Bloodworks urges people of all blood types to donate to support not only severely ill COVID-19 patients, but also cancer patients, trauma victims and premature newborns, among others.
“The health of our community depends on donors making blood donation a regular habit,” Bloodworks Northwest president and CEO Curt Bailey said in a release. “Creating this opportunity for people to donate blood at T-Mobile Park is how we keep our community safe. Our community is counting on the best fans in baseball to look after our friends, family, and neighbors by donating blood.”
The Mariners invite their fans to wear team colors when they donate, and each donor will receive two tickets to an upcoming game. Two of the club’s corporate partners, Pepsi and Hempler’s Foods, will also be on-site to provide refreshments for all donors.
WSDOT UPDATES ITS MESSAGE BOARDS
Updated 10 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has updated its freeway message boards to “encourage people to continue what we’re doing” by limiting non-essential travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Staying home is saving lives, keep it up WA!” the signs now read.
PIERCE TRANSIT UPDATES SERVICE CHANGES, ADDS SOME TRIPS
Updated 10 a.m.
Beginning Friday, Pierce Transit will implement more changes to reflect ridership trends it has seen during the past week, including offering additional trips for essential workers, according to a release.
Pierce Transit will also add “shadow” buses to follow major routes to provide relief when buses are reaching maximum loads, in an effort to continue to promote social distancing.
The following changes will be posted to each route page Friday:
▪ Routes 1, 2, 3 and 4: Morning and evening trips will be added to some of these routes on weekdays so they will all begin and end at their usual times to help essential workers get to and from work.
▪ Route 1: Trips are being added so a bus arrives every 15 minutes throughout most of the day, with 30-minute intervals in the early morning and late evenings.
▪ Route 3: Trips are being added so a bus arrives every 30 minutes on weekdays.
▪ Route 100: Will not operate on Pioneer Way due to the need to operate bigger buses.
▪ Route 206: Will now run all the way to Madigan on weekdays and Saturdays.
▪ Route 500: Trips are being added so a bus arrives every 30 minutes during peak travel times on weekdays.
SHOULD CONSTRUCTION BE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL UNDER INSLEE’S STAY-AT-HOME ORDER?
Updated 9:30 a.m.
Many commercial and residential construction sites across Pierce County have ceased operations in compliance with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, which declares construction as non-essential.
Rush Residential vice president Scott Walker said the residential segment of their company, which includes seven housing divisions in the South Sound and builds between 80-100 homes a year, is “completely shut down.”
“We’ve had to board up all of our sites, so we don’t have theft or vandalism, which has already begun,” Walker said.
Puyallup-based Absher Construction is working on both the $125 million Tacoma Town Center project and the new hotel at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center.
But, both of those projects are “currently shut down,” Absher marketing manager Erin Mayer said.
Though, some projects in the Tacoma area are permitted to continue work under Inslee’s order.
As companies determine which projects can continue, some advocacy groups are trying to get the state to roll back restrictions while still ensuring a safe work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pierce County Master Builders Association (MBA) and the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) are seeking some changes to the order.
“We continue to talk to the governor and his staff about the impact to our industry, and we have been joined by a number of industry associations,” BIAW communicatons director Jennifer Spall said.
In Tacoma, construction crews working on private residential and commercial projects are allowed to continue to be on site for emergency repairs, preventing spoiling of materials and to prevent unsafe conditions. Once that work is achieved, operations are expected to halt.
But, Inslee’s order allows construction projects that “furthers a public purpose related to a public entity or governmental function” to continue, including the street projects in Tacoma.
“Routine street/grounds maintenance, such as pothole repair, minor asphalt pavement repair (larger than a pothole), street sign repair, and mowing in right-of-way /City maintained parks is still occurring,” the city’s public works department told The News Tribune. “Crews are practicing social distancing while performing their work.”
School construction is also continuing, according to Tacoma Public Schools, which has three projects underway.
Two projects for the Tacoma Housing Authority will also continue.
Sound Transit announced Monday most of its construction projects would halt, but some, like the Tacoma Link extension, will continue to avoid mobility, environmental or other impacts.
The work that is deemed “highly disruptive” in the Hilltop neighborhood and Stadium District will continue.
Inslee has stood by his decision that residential and commercial instruction are not essential, but some are working to change his mind.
“Our industry employs more than 165,000 people in our state, generating $23 million in family wages every day to our economy,” Spall said. “We are hearing from members across the state who are concerned about the future of their workforce and of their business; with more immediate concerns such as theft and working to ensure job sites are safely secured from spoilage.”
PIERCE COUNTY CHURCHES OFFERING LIVE STREAMS OF EASTER SERVICES
Updated 9 a.m.
While the pews may be empty on Easter Sunday due to the COVID-19 pandemic, churches around Pierce County are turning to live streaming to deliver their Easter messages.
Aaron Stewart, senior pastor at University Place Presbyterian Church, said the pandemic, which led to Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, has been a challenging time for church communities in Pierce County.
“It has required a lot of adapting and trying to be creative about engaging people and their spiritual needs,” Stewart said. “To be healthy and be good neighbors, we have to distance ourselves from one another. Fortunately, we can stay connected digitally, and through the gift of email and phone calls can stay engaged with people.”
Here is a list of what some churches around the county are offering on Easter Sunday:
University Place Presbyterian Church
Traditional service: 9:30 a.m.
Contemporary service: 11 a.m.
St. Charles Borromeo (Tacoma)
Mass: 10 a.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church by the Narrows (Tacoma)
Service: 10 a.m.
St. Patrick Catholic Church (Tacoma)
Mass: 9 a.m.
Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church (Gig Harbor)
Service: 10 a.m.
YouTube live stream | Facebook live stream | Website
Life Center (Tacoma)
Services: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m.
Motion Church (Puyallup)
Services: 9, 10, 11 a.m.
YouTube live stream | Facebook live stream | Website
Immanuel Presbyterian Church (Tacoma)
Service: 10:30 a.m.
YouTube live stream | Facebook live stream | Website
Our Savior Lutheran Church (Tacoma)
Services: 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.
Stream | Facebook live stream | Website
St. Leo Church (Tacoma)
Service: 9 p.m. (Saturday) Easter Vigil
Anchor Church (Tacoma)
Services: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
Evangelical Reformed Church (Tacoma)
Service: 10 a.m.
Hope Community Church (University Place)
Service: 5 p.m.
Resurrection Church
Service: 9 a.m.
Online Easter Hangout: 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m.
Website | Hangout No. 1 | Hangout No. 2
Want us to add your church and its live stream options for Easter Sunday to this list? Email reporter Jon Manley at jon.manley@thenewstribune.com with the name of your church, the time of Sunday’s service(s) and a link to the church’s website.
SOME SCHOOLS RESTRICTING ACCESS TO ZOOM
Updated 8:45 a.m.
With Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement Monday that classrooms will remain closed through the end of the school year, teachers around the state will have to continue looking for ways to connect with students remotely.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, one popular tool schools, workplaces, families and friends have used is the Zoom platform, a remote site that offers video conferencing, online meetings, chat rooms and mobile collaboration.
But, some school districts, including Tacoma Public Schools, are restricting access to the site, citing security concerns.
TPS executive director of communications Dan Voelpel sent a statement to The News Tribune saying the “only approved virtual platform for interactions between students and teachers is Microsoft Teams.”
Zoom can be used internally by staff members, Voelpel said, but students are not to be contacted through that platform due to security concerns and the inability to “track interactions.”
The district’s Emergency Operations Command, led by Superintendent Carla Santorno, made the decision with input from department leaders.
Zoom has recently been scrutinized for security flaws, including “Zoombombing,” in which video calls are hijacked to post hate speech or explicit content.
While Zoom is not necessarily being recommended at some higher local institutions like the the University of Washington’s Tacoma campus, the University of Puget Sound, and Tacoma Community College.
UWT director of digital learning Darcy Janzen said in an email Zoom is being used to teach, but the university has tried to shift away from synchronous teaching over concerns about equity.
“UW Tacoma has encouraged faculty from the beginning to focus more on asynchronous activities, rather than synchronous, to take into account varying levels of student access to technology and internet access,” Janzen said.
Faculty and staff across all UW campuses have been given access to Zoom pro accounts which will be used throughout the spring and summer quarters.
Janzen said university officials have encouraged “adjustments to some default settings and have provided guidance on securing class meetings” to address concerns.
UPS chief information officer Jeremy Cucco said the university has no restrictions on using Zoom — about 20 professors, mostly in the math and science departments, are using it — but there are concerns about protecting student data.
“We don’t have an enterprise license for Zoom,” Cucco said. “When we have an enterprise license, we have some legal recourse and we have some protections in place for student data. If we don’t have that, then we don’t have those protections.”
Tamyra Howser, the director of marketing and communications at TCC, said none of the faculty uses Zoom for primary instruction, but it may be used for office hours or small conferences with students. TCC has implemented security measures, participation alerts and password requirements while using the platform, she said.
SOUNDERS’ JORDAN MORRIS ENCOURAGES WASHINGTON RESIDENTS TO STAY HOME
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris, a Mercer Island native, joined Gov. Jay Inslee’s effort to ask Washingtonians to stay home and stay healthy in a video message Thursday.
“I think it’s so important to think about others, because there’s a lot of people out there that are at a higher risk of getting this illness,” Morris said.
Morris, 25, is a Type 1 diabetic and known for his work educating and supporting children with the disease through the Jordan Morris Foundation, and reiterates in his video message how important it is for residents across the state to be compassionate for others at risk.
“Keep washing your hands. Keep practicing social distancing,” he says. “Do all the things to keep yourself and others safe and you can save a lot of lives.”
Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei and Gonzaga men’s basketball coach Mark Few have also recently recorded video messages the governor has shared on his Twitter account.
L&I ISSUES GUIDANCE TO KEEP GROCERY WORKERS SAFE
Updated 8:15 a.m.
The Department of Labor and Industries has issued a specific guidance for protecting grocery store workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Employers must ensure social distancing for employees and customers; frequent and adequate handwashing; and that sick employees stay home,” the document says. “Employers must also provide basic workplace hazard education about coronavirus and how to prevent transmission in languages best understood by employees.”
The document offers guidance for effective social distancing plans, effective handwashing plans, and other protective measures.
It recommends limiting the number of customers who enter the store at once, marking 6-foot increments on floors to ensure customers are maintaining proper distance and requiring all workers to remain at least 6 feet away from customers and coworkers.
Posting large signs that grab attention and educate customers about social distancing, designating workers to monitor distancing at check-out lines and discontinuing self-serve foods, free sample stands and product demonstrations are also recommended to maintain appropriate social distance.
The document also recommends installing hand-sanatizing dispensers at entrances, educating workers on standard handwashing practices — and requiring them to wash their hands frequently — and ensuring cart retrievers and those handling money or food are given gloves to wear.
Employers are asked to monitor employees for signs and symptoms of the virus and ensure sick employees stay home, while communicating with employees about how to prevent transmission of the virus.
The document also recommends closing self-checkout if those stands cannot be sanitized properly between customers, installing “sneeze shields” at regular check stands and prohibiting reusable shopping bags.
As much stocking and deep cleaning as possible should be scheduled while the store is closed to isolate workers as much as possible, and workers should be designated to continuously clean and disinfect surfaces frequently, while also paying attention to the directions on food labels while sanitizing with chemicals.
More information on L&I’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on its website.
STATE CONSIDERING RELEASE OF NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS
Updated 8 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday the state is considering releasing nonviolent offenders early to free up prison space during the COVID-19 pandemic, so inmates at risk of infection can be isolated.
“I think public safety calls for that, and we’re looking for reasonable things to do for some nonviolent offenders,” Inslee said.
Details of Inslee’s plan are expected during the next few days. The prison system has started looking at the number of nonviolent offenders who are already within 60 days of release, according to Stephen Sinclair, the Secretary of the Department of Corrections.
Both Inslee and Sinclair spoke at a press conference Thursday — a day after the virus outbreak triggered a disturbance at the Monroe Correctional Complex’s Minimum-Security Unit.
Six inmates and five staff at the facility have tested positive for the virus.
Sinclair said the DOC attempted to move potentially vulnerable inmates to different units, but they have resisted, and after a living unit was placed on quarantine, about 50 inmates housed there walked to the recreation yard Wednesday, starting the disturbance.
“That puts people at risk, not only the individuals who are on that quarantine status, but everybody else around them who potentially could be infected,” Sinclair said. “So a really disappointing situation.”
The DOC said some inmates threatened guards, set off fire extinguishers and vandalized property.
A nonprofit law firm filed an emergency motion with the state Supreme Court as part of a lawsuit filed last month seeking the release of certain inmates around the state who are vulnerable to contracting the virus. The motion said the high court must step in and address the issue, “because the governor and Secretary Sinclair refuse to do so.”
“This unfortunate, but completely foreseeable, situation is a direct result of the failure of DOC to take action sooner, even though people who are incarcerated in state prisons, their family members, and advocates have sounded the alarm for weeks,” Columbia Legal Services attorney Nick Straley said.
The emergency motion asked the high court to appoint a special master to provide information about the status of the Monroe prison and how the DOC is addressing the pandemic around the state, issue an emergency order requiring testing of every inmate who has been in the unity in the past 14 days and begin immediate release of inmates in the unit over the age of 50 who have underlying medical conditions and are within 18 months of release.
The DOC filed a declaration Wednesday afternoon, addressing the minimum security unit at Monroe specifically.
“All individuals who are housed in the unit with the positive cases at (Monroe Correctional Complex) have been provided surgical masks for further protection,” the declaration says. “The Department is currently creating a new staffing model for the Minimum Security Unit at MCC. This model will identify only those staff who are approved to work inside the Minimum Security Unit, and such employees will not be allowed to work anywhere else at MCC. …
“The Department is also scheduling a Skype call with those individuals housed in the Minimum Security Unit with the Department’s infectious disease control expert Dr. Lara Strick to answer any COVID-19 health-related questions that they may have.”
The DOC said offers to move 30 vulnerable inmates to another unit were declined.
The department also outlined its cleaning efforts across its facilities, including giving inmates two bars of soap for free, staggering pill lines, closing weight rooms, reducing the number of inmates in recreation yards and in educational programs, having staff who screen inmates and other staff wear masks, gowns and gloves, and issuing protective gear to others who may come in contacted with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus.
“In addition, the Department also recently began issuing expired N95 respirators to all correctional staff who work closely with the incarcerated population,” the declaration says. “At this time, the use of the respirators is voluntary. The Department did this, in part, to further reduce the risk of staff introducing the virus into the incarcerated population. The CDC has approved the use of expired N95 respirators, and our agency has a large supply of expired respirators.”
ABOUT A THIRD OF AMERICANS MISS APRIL RENT PAYMENT
Updated 8 a.m.
According to a new study from the National Multifamily Housing Council, it was found about a third of renters in the United States did not make their monthly payment by April 5, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While 82% of tenants paid rent in April 2019, the study found only 69% paid in April 2020.
This follows reports that nearly 10 million Americans applied for unemployment in March after the pandemic caused massive layoffs across the country.
About 35% of renters lost income in march and 45% do not have enough money saved to cover rent payments, according to a survey cited by Yahoo! Finance.
The NMHC data only includes 13.4 million of the 44 million renting households in the U.S., so the full impact of the pandemic on renters could be unknown until May, according to CNN.
“People were working in March. April rent may have come from their savings,” Enterprise Community Partners CEO Priscilla Almodovar told CNN. “The rent check is probably the first thing they pay. Now they may be unemployed, and we don’t know what resources will get to them in time for May.”
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
