Coronavirus updates: Washington state passes 600 deaths; Pierce County reports 28 new cases
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Friday, April 17.
WASHINGTON STATE DEATH TOLL PASSES 600
Updated 6:15 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 293 new COVID-19 cases and 20 additional deaths Friday.
Statewide case totals have reached 11,445, while the state’s death toll is now at 603, up from 11,152 cases and 583 deaths Thursday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 4,865 cases and 330 deaths, while Snohomish County has 2,032 cases and 89 deaths and Pierce County has 1,086 cases and 28 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (293), Clark (246), Franklin (167), Grant (132), Island (157), King (4,865), Kitsap (133), Pierce (1,086), Skagit (222), Snohomish (2,032), Spokane (290), Whatcom (269) and Yakima (692) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Nineteen counties have reported at least one virus-related death. All but four of those counties have reported multiple deaths, with Benton (32), Clark (14), King (330), Pierce (28), Snohomish (89), Spokane (15), Whatcom (25) and Yakima (34) all reporting more than 10.
There are 444 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There have been 131,627 people tested in Washington, with positive cases at 8.7%.
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 28 NEW CASES, 3 DEATHS
Updated 2 p.m.
Pierce County reported 28 new COVID-19 cases Friday, and is up to 1,086 cases total since the pandemic began.
The county also reported three additional deaths, including a Puyallup woman in her 70s, a Frederickson man in his 70s and a Tacoma woman in her 80s. All had underlying health conditions. The county has reported 28 virus-related deaths since the outbreak began.
Daily case totals can change as the county receives new information about cases, finds duplicate data or is assigned cases that were originally attributed to other counties.
The state Department of Health has released a statement on delays in data posting.
Friday’s geographical totals are listed below with Thursday’s numbers in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 29 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 69 (66)
▪ East Pierce County: 32 (no change)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 59 (56)
▪ Frederickson: 38 (36)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 47 (no change)
▪ Graham: 37 (36)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 6 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 25 (24)
▪ Lakewood: 92 (88)
▪ Parkland: 55 (53)
▪ Puyallup: 52 (51)
▪ South Hill: 65 (63)
▪ South Pierce County: 20 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 8 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 34 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 379 (370)
▪ University Place: 37 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 2 (no change)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
TACOMA POLICE MAKE MUSIC VIDEO TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING
Updated 1:30 p.m.
Tacoma police released a music video earlier this week to remind the public to continue practicing social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two-minute video, titled “Step Off Six,” was released Tuesday, and features department personnel dancing on the waterfront at a distance.
“We have no desire to make arrests for violations of the governor’s order,” Police Chief Don Ramsdell said. “At the same time, we’re in a position to help educate our community. This can sometimes mean using a novel approach.
“Despite the upbeat feel of our video, we recognize the seriousness of this issue and the suffering at hand. Our aim is to reach people, help educate them and minimize further pain in our community.”
TRAFFIC VOLUMES INCHING BACK, WSDOT SAYS
Updated 1 p.m.
The state Department of Transportation wrote in a blog post Thursday that traffic volumes have slightly increased recently though Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order remains active until May 4.
“As we head into another weekend when people are being asked to stay close to home, it’s important to note we’ve seen traffic volumes inch back up in many areas across Washington,” WSDOT’s post says. “While the roads look starkly empty and the sun might be a temptation to break distancing rules, let’s stay the course.”
According to a WSDOT graph comparing recent weekday travel trends to this time last year, traffic reached its low point — down more than 50% from normal — when the stay-at-home order went into effect at the end of March.
While travel trends remain lower than normal, they have increased by about 10% since the order was issued.
WSDOT also breaks down travel trends on the I-5 corridor in its post.
Pierce County traffic near the Fife curve is down about 37%, while weekday travel through JBLM is down about 33%. Traffic on State Route 16 west of the Narrows Bridge is down about 40%.
PIERCE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM CREATES HOPE GROWS READING LIST
Updated 12:30 p.m.
As part of the #HopeGrowsHere initiative, the Pierce County Library System has created an uplifting reading list for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From uplifting fiction titles to biographies that inspire to practical advice for caring for yourself when you are feeling alone, the Pierce County Library System created a Hope Grows Here reading list for you,” MultiCare, which started the initiative, tweeted Friday.
The list includes more than 150 fiction and nonfiction titles.
The system is also participating in #HarryPotterAtHome, offering the series on audiobook and ebook in multiple languages with no waits.
STATE RECEIVES 15 TESTING DEVICES THAT CAN PROVIDE COVID-19 RESULTS IN MINUTES
Updated 12 p.m.
Washington received 15 new testing devices this week that can provide COVID-19 results in five minutes.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department received two of those devices Tuesday.
“It was like Christmas opening the box,” assistant director of communicable diseases Stephanie Dunkel told the TPCHD Board of Health Wednesday.
Abbott Laboratories created the portable device — known as the ID NOW and approved by the Food and Drug Administration March 27 — to give health care providers an alternative testing method.
Most tests have been sent to labs and patients sometimes wait days for results.
Abbott has been working with the federal government to provide states with the device since its FDA approval, according to a release.
Test results are returned as positive or negative between five and 13 minutes after swabs are inserted into the device, the release says.
Production of the devices has rapidly increased, another release says.
“We’re ramping up production to deliver 50,000 ID NOW COVID-19 tests per day, beginning next week, to the U.S. health care system,” the release says.
TPCHD staff are training on the devices and deciding which health care facilities to distribute to.
“What we still need to work through is the how and the where in the field,” Dunkel told board members. “But it’s a great resource.”
EMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT WEBSITE TO UNDERGO MAINTENANCE
Updated 11:30 a.m.
The state Employment Security Department’s website will undergo maintenance Saturday in preparation for a predicted surge in unemployment claims.
The unemployment benefits system (both phones and eServices) will be unavailable from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday so the department can “update our technology to implement the federal CARES Act,” according to a release.
“These updates will allow individuals who are self-employed and part-time workers with less than 680 hours to apply for benefits,” the release says.
The department will implement special hours Sunday, from 7 a.m.-4 p.m., to take calls and resume its regular Monday through Saturday hours next week.
Due to long wait times by phone, the department urges the public to check for answers to frequently asked questions on its website before calling the claims center.
HERE’S WHEN TO EXPECT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TO ARRIVE
Updated 10:45 a.m.
The first supplemental unemployment payments of $600 per week should start arriving for current benefit recipients in Washington next week.
Extra funds will be paid retroactively to March 29 for beneficiaries already receiving payments, Employment Security Department spokesman Nick Demerice said.
For those applying for new benefits, it will take 7-10 days for the first supplemental payments to arrive, unless they are held up by fact-finding issues.
The extra $600 per week, which will be added to the state’s regular benefits, stems from the federal stimulus package, which was signed into law March 27, and will be available to qualified recipients through July.
Washington had an estimated 150,516 new unemployment claims filed last week. About 631,000 have applied for new benefits since the COVID-19 outbreak started.
Most receiving benefits can get an extra 13 weeks — available through Dec. 26 — for a total maximum of 39 weeks.
Those who have exhausted benefits from a claim that expired on or after July 6, 2019 should continue to file their weekly claim, the department says.
“You will be paid retroactively after our systems are updated for the new federal legislation,” the department says.
More information on eligibility and the filing process can be found on the ESD website.
STATE BRACING FOR ‘TSUNAMI’ OF UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
Updated 10:30 a.m.
Washington state officials are bracing for a “tsunami” of new unemployment claims from workers who were laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expanded unemployment benefits provided under the federal stimulus package take effect Sunday.
Workers who are self-employed, independent contractors and those who haven’t worked 680 hours in the previous year are now all eligible for benefits under the federal CARES Act, which is intended to provide relief during the pandemic.
“We know there are hundreds of thousands, if not more, who will now be eligible for unemployment assistance and we are looking forward to this expansion,” Employment Security Department commissioner Suzi LeVine said during a press conference Thursday.
Workers receiving unemployment will also get an extra $600 per week in addition to their usual benefits. Those payments will also be retroactive to workers who are now eligible.
LeVine offered the following tips for applicants in Washington:
▪ Sign up for “action alerts” on the department’s website, which will provide instructions and information to better prepare people to apply.
▪ Use Employment Security’s eligibility checker on its website to determine eligibility.
▪ Consult the website’s application checklist. “Now for anybody who has tried to put together a bookshelf without instructions, you know what ultimately happens,” LeVine said.
▪ Sign up for a SecureAccess Washington account, which is needed to use online services.
Self-employed workers and independent contractors will also have to upload wage data for review, and will be provided the minimum weekly benefit of $235, plus the $600 from the CARES Act during that process. Successful applicants will be paid retroactively for any differences upon verification.
“It’s going to be a two-step process,” LeVine said. “So you’re going to go through and fill out the unemployment insurance form and at the end of that it’s going to state that ‘you’re ineligible.’ And then that will unlock another link to go and apply for the unemployment assistance.
“That’s not the optimal experience and I recognize that. But, we wanted to get money in your pockets faster and that was a trade-off that we were willing to make in order to do that.”
Employment Security’s customer service effort will increase from 500 to more than 1,000 people next week, LeVine said.
BOEING REOPENING, SENDING 27,000 BACK TO WORK
Updated 9:30 a.m.
Boeing will begin production again at sites around Puget Sound next week, the company announced Thursday, after the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shut down operations.
Operations around the region were suspended March 25, and facilities were initially planned to reopen after 14 days.
There were 29 confirmed cases of the virus among Boeing employees in Washington when facilities were closed, including 17 in Everett, five in Renton, one in Auburn and one in Longacres.
The decision to reopen will send about 27,000 people in the Puget Sound area back to work.
“Approximately 27,000 people in the Puget Sound area will return to production of the 747, 767, 777 and 787 programs, supporting critical global transportation infrastructure, cargo services and national defense and security missions,” the company’s news release said. “The 737 program will resume working toward restarting production of the 737 MAX. Boeing South Carolina remains in a suspension of operations at this time. Earlier this week Boeing restarted mostly defense production operations in the region with approximately 2,500 people.”
Employees working on the 737, 747, 767 and 777 programs could return as soon as April 20, while employees working on the 787 program will return April 23.
The company is taking steps to ensure returning to work is safe for employees, including implementing social distancing practices, staggering shift start times, wearing face coverings, asking employees to perform “self-health” checks, and contact tracing when an employee tests positive.
TESTING, TRACING KEY TO LIFTING RESTRICTIONS
Updated 9:30 a.m.
Dr. Anthony Chen, the head of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, says there needs to be more COVID-19 testing done and more investigators hired to trace the virus before social distancing restrictions can be lifted.
““It’s like blood pressure,” Chen told the Board of Health Wednesday. “If you have high blood pressure and you are taking your medication and blood pressure looks great, that’s because you are taking your medication.
“If we ease up the social mitigation strategies, we are going to bounce back up.”
Pierce County has reached 1,058 cases with 25 deaths, including 37 new cases and one death reported in Thursday’s latest count.
Chen said it’s unlikely large events, gatherings and fundraisers will be held this summer, and echoed what state Secretary of Health John Wiesman said Tuesday, that life as it was before the pandemic won’t return for many months.
When businesses do reopen, capacity could be limited to continue to encourage social distancing, and normal practices like hugging and shaking hands will be discouraged.
“The great news is that we’re seeing progress,” Chen said. “The not-so-great news is we have to keep it up.”
Chen said testing will need to increase before restrictions can ease. Washington is one of the states waiting for more kits to arrive.
Since March 20, the state has received 32,100 test kits according to the state Department of Health, and recently most have been issued to Kitsap and Yakima counties.
The state performs about 4,500 tests on weekdays and 2,000 tests on weekends, state health officer Dr. Kathy Lofty said in a briefing Tuesday.
Transmission tracking is also important, and Pierce County could use several hundred more disease investigators, Chen said, but it is difficult to find them.
“Even adding just a hundred is a daunting task,” he told the board.
The health department is considering solutions like hiring call centers to help track people in contact with those who have contracted the virus. Chen cited places like San Francisco and Massachusetts, which have trained volunteers performing contact-tracing efforts.
Though the county’s current confirmed case total is about 1% of its population, Chen said what the public considers normal will have to return slowly.
“That’s a lot of people we’ve got to get immune before we throw the doors open and have big public events,” he said. “Until a vaccine shows up, we’ve got to do this in a very controlled way.”
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS RETURNING TO RECOGNIZE 2020 CLASS
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Friday night, school districts around the state will ignite their high school stadium lights at 8:20 p.m. to honor the Class of 2020, which had its senior year cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many athletic directors and school administrators planning to participate have been communicating through the #BeTheLightWA hashtag on Twitter.
“It’s just a symbol of the connection between our school and our community,” said Peninsula athletic director Ross Filkins, who will light up Roy Anderson Field in Pury for 20 minutes Friday night.
“I hope that, in a small way, it’s something that they can keep connected to the school and the community. They put a big footprint on what they did here. Hopefully, it resonates with them.”
Many schools, and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, have also noted to students this is not an invitation to congregate, but rather to recognize achievements from afar.
The gesture is intended to recognize outgoing seniors, but is also a nod to athletes whose spring seasons were abruptly cut short.
“We’re certainly feeling for all of them,” Filkins said. “Just the timing of it. We were gearing up, kids have been working really hard for years for their sports. And we were coming up on the season for AP testing, prom, all these big things, the entirety of the spring sports season.
“It’s tough to see the impact on that, just the loss of connectivity.”
Filkins said he hopes the lights are a simple reminder to seniors of what they have accomplished during a difficult time for all.
“Just something to recognize them, make sure they understand and their achievements are not going unnoticed or unrecognized,” Filkins said. “Just a simple gesture we can do just to recognize all they’ve done.”
Known stadiums and fields participating around the South Sound include:
▪ Art Crate Field (Spanaway)
▪ Auburn Memorial Stadium
▪ Bellarmine Prep’s Memorial Field (Tacoma)
▪ East Field at PLU (Tacoma)
▪ Fields at Foss High School (Tacoma)
▪ Fields at Wilson High School (Tacoma)
▪ Ingersoll Stadium (Olympia)
▪ Kitsap Bank Stadium (Port Orchard)
▪ Lincoln Bowl (Tacoma)
▪ Mount Tahoma Stadium (Tacoma)
▪ Pete’s Pool (Enumclaw)
▪ Sparks Stadium (Puyallup)
▪ Stadium Bowl (Tacoma)
▪ Sunset Chev Stadium (Sumner)
▪ Tumwater District Stadium
▪ Viking Stadium (University Place)
▪ Yelm Stadium
WASHINGTON PASSES 11,000 CASES, REPORTS 583 DEATHS
Updated 8 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 369 new COVID-19 cases and 16 additional deaths Thursday.
Statewide case totals have reached 11,152, while the state’s death toll is now at 583, up from 10,783 cases and 567 deaths Friday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 4,796 cases and 320 deaths, while Snohomish County has 2,020 cases and 85 deaths and Pierce County has 1,058 cases and 25 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (284), Clark (242), Franklin (156), Grant (128), Island (158), King (4,796), Kitsap (132), Pierce (1,058), Skagit (213), Snohomish (2,020), Spokane (282), Whatcom (262) and Yakima (667) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Nineteen counties have reported at least one virus-related death. All but four of those counties have reported multiple deaths, while Benton (32), Clark (14), King (320), Pierce (25), Snohomish (85), Spokane (15), Whatcom (25) and Yakima (29) have reported more than 10.
There are 334 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There have been 128,900 people tested in Washington, with positive cases at 8.7%.
INSLEE EXTENDS EVICTION MORATORIUM, BANS RENT HIKES, LATE FEES
Updated 8 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee extended his statewide moratorium on residential evictions Thursday while also banning landlords from charging — or threatening to charge — late fees and prohibiting them from increasing rent or deposits for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The eviction moratorium is now in place until June 4.
The new late fee protections apply to both residential and commercial tenants — such as those who had to shut down non-essential businesses under Inslee’s stay-at-home order last month.
The non-essential business closure is currently set to expire May 4.
“People have lost their livelihoods through no fault of their own and we must continue to take steps to ensure they don’t also lose the roofs over their heads,” Inslee said in a statement.
“Continued support and protection for tenants is the right thing to do and I am extending and expanding the moratorium on evictions through the beginning of June, which will allow for two additional rent cycles.”
Inslee’s expansion on his original moratorium on residential evictions now also prohibits landlords from treating unpaid rent or other charges as enforceable debt, the exception being if the landlord can provide evidence that the resident was offered and failed or refused to comply with a reasonable plan for repayment.
“All rent payments delayed through this moratorium will still be owed but a landlord must offer a tenant a reasonable repayment plan to enforce any collection of that debt,” the governor’s office said.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Thursday on Twitter his office has received 525 complaints about landlords allegedly violating the original eviction moratorium Inslee ordered on March 18.
The attorney general’s office has reportedly contacted 406 tenants and 216 landlords, according to Ferguson’s tweet.
FIRST CASE REPORTED AT HANFORD
Updated 8 a.m.
The Department of Energy was notified Thursday of the first known positive case of COVID-19 reported at the Hanford nuclear reservation.
An employee who works for the Washington River Protection Solutions at the Hanford tank farms tested positive Thursday, a release says, but has not been on site since March 17.
Only essential work to protect workers, the public and the environment has been conducted at the reservation for about four weeks.
The partial closure was extended for another week Thursday, before the first known case of the virus was reported.
Only 10-15% of Hanford’s workforce is currently working on site, while about 60% are working remotely.
The building where the employee who tested positive was working — a mobile office in the 200 East Area at the center of the 580-square-mile site — was previously sanitized according to John Eschenberg, president of the tank farm contractor.
Workers who may have been in close contact with the person who contracted the virus will be notified by the Benton Franklin Heath District.
PIERCE COUNTY TRANSFER STATIONS ACCEPTING YARD WASTED DURING LIMITED HOURS
Updated 8 a.m.
Beginning Tuesday, three Pierce County transfer stations will begin accepting yard waste during limited morning hours twice per week.
Yard waste collection at these stations will be allowed Tuesdays and Wednesdays only until 11 a.m. and garbage will not be accepted during the times set out for yard waste collection.
Cash payments were temporarily halted earlier this month to protect employees and the public at Pierce County transfer stations outside of Tacoma. Major credit cards are still accepted at all facilities.
There are no changes to curbside garbage, recycling or yard waste collection at this time.
Here is a schedule of the three facilities adding yard waste drop-off hours:
▪ Hidden Valley (Puyallup)
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Yard waste only from 8-11 a.m. Garbage only 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
▪ Purdy (Gig Harbor)
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Yard waste only from 9-11 a.m. Garbage only 11 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
▪ Prairie Ridge (Bonney Lake)
Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Yard waste only from 9-11 a.m. Garbage only 11 a.m.-4:45 p.m.
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
