Coronavirus updates: Crowds protest stay-home order; Washington cleans up case data
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, April 21.
Updated at 5:20 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Monday reported 295 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 18 additional deaths.
The state case total is now 12,085 with 652 deaths, meaning 5.4% of confirmed cases have resulted in death.
DOH reported that 141,011 tests have been given in Washington. Of those, 8.6% have come back positive.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 5,259 cases and 358 deaths. Snohomish County has 2,125 cases and 96 deaths while Pierce County reported 1,188 cases, 34 deaths.
There are 151 cases that haven’t been assigned a county. Garfield County remains the only county in the state without a confirmed case.
Pierce County reports 25 new cases
Updated at 3:35 p.m.
On Monday the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported a COVID-19 outbreak in a local assisted living community.
Gibraltar Senior Living, 10816 18th Ave. E., Tacoma, has 27 positive cases among its 41 residents, according to the health department, and seven staff members have tested positive. Four residents have been hospitalized.
No COVID-19-related deaths have been reported there, the health department said in a news release.
Also Monday, the health department reported 25 new cases and five new deaths for Pierce County, and reassigned a previous case to another county, for a total of 1,188 cases, 34 deaths.
The county’s new deaths include a Tacoma woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions, and two cases where it is not known whether underlying health conditions were involved: a Tacoma woman in her 80s and a Tacoma man in his 70s.
The other new deaths were a Puyallup woman in her 70s and a Bonney Lake man in his 60s, both with underlying health conditions.
12,000 state testing kits recalled
Updated at 3:35 p.m.
The Washington state Department of Health has recalled 12,000 coronavirus test kits sent to local and tribal governments after the kits were identified as possibly having a “quality control issue.”
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department had 163 of the recalled kits.
“We discarded them at the request of the State Department of Health. DOH has supplied us with additional tests,” Steve Metcalf, communications specialist for the department, said in an emailed statement to The News Tribune. “The removal of the recalled tests does not affect our testing capabilities.”
Thurston County Public Health & Social Services said it “did not receive any of the test kits from the contaminated lot number that was recalled.”
According to a Sunday news release, UW Medicine brought the issue to the attention of the DOH on Friday when it observed the viral transport media (VTM) were “an unusual color.” DOH were brought in to “investigate potential contamination.”
“Though the quality control issue has only been observed in a small number of tubes of viral transport media, we adhere to the highest quality standards for COVID-19 testing in Washington state,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “We are working with our partners to have them discard the product and will work to replace them as quickly as we can.”
The release said that there was no risk to the health of patients “as the VTM does not come in contact with patients during a COVID-19 test.”
The release stated there were no incorrect test results found during the initial investigation.
SLU lanches initiative to address increased need for domestic violence protection
Updated at 12:35 p.m.
Seattle University School of Law students and volunteer attorneys, led by Professor Deirdre Bowen, have launched a new initiative to address the increased need for domestic violence protection orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student volunteers, all of whom studied family law with Bowen, will be on call to help victims fill out the required legal forms to obtain a protection order. Practicing family law attorneys will also be on hand to offer mentorship and legal assistance pro bono.
The clinic launched on Friday, April 17. No firm end date has been set, but Bowen anticipates that it will continue as a volunteer opportunity for students as long as the increased need remains.
“The stay-home orders are intended to keep everyone safe, but if you’re a victim of domestic violence you’re now trapped at home with your abuser,” Bowen said, adding that estimates show an increase of 30 to 50 percent in abuse-related calls to police since the pandemic began.
Bowen serves on the board of directors for LegalAtoms.com, a two-year-old Seattle tech company that offers free or low-cost family law services online. Filing for a protection order is free. King County forged a partnership with LegalAtoms.com in early March to host the five required and two optional forms related to protection orders.
More information avaluable at law.seattleu.edu or via McKinley Irvin.
U.S. Department of Labor ends temporary non-enforcement of paid leave protections
Updated at 12:35 p.m.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Monday the end of the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
The non-enforcement period allowed the department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to offer extensive guidance and education about the law’s requirements, which aided American workers and enabled employers covered by the new law to come into compliance as the nation continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
“With millions of Americans eligible for new and expanded leave programs, the U.S. Department of Labor is working tirelessly to answer the public’s questions and conduct outreach to groups and individuals so that employers nationwide provide employees with the benefits they need,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Cheryl Stanton. “We have taken hundreds of complaints and are working to resolve them as soon as possible.”
To resolve issues that have arisen with providing FFCRA-required leave, WHD has explained employers’ obligations and has assisted employers with getting money into the hands of workers. Educational outreach efforts will continue as enforcement begins in order to ensure compliance with the law and to maximize its benefits for workers and employers alike.
FFCRA helps combat the workplace effects of the coronavirus by reimbursing America’s private employers with fewer than 500 employees with tax credits for the cost of providing employees with paid leave for specified reasons related to the coronavirus. The law enables employers to keep their workers on their payrolls, while at the same time ensuring that workers do not have to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.
Protestors rally against stay-home order
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
In spite of federal and state recommendations to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 1,000 people gathered on the Capitol Campus Sunday to protest Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order and to uphold their right to assemble.
All ages were represented at the protest. There were families with children and senior citizens, many of whom held U.S. flags, President Trump signs and flags.
The event was billed as “Hazardous Liberty! Defend the Constitution!” and coincided with the 245th anniversary of the “shot heard ‘round the world” — a reference to the opening shot of the Battle of Concord on April 19, 1775, which began the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States. Organizers opposed the governor’s order, saying it violates the First Amendment right to assemble peaceably.
But many who participated Sunday expressed practical concerns about the economy. “Small business is essential,” read one such sign.
Some people took their social distancing seriously and wore masks, but many did not, including Matt Marshall of Eatonville, who said he was helping event organizer Tyler Miller.
KOMO news reports that Miller is part of the Kitsap County Republican Party.
“I’m tired of being out of work and I don’t believe in the governor’s orders,” Marshall said, adding that he believes Inslee is playing “king” to pick winners and losers in the economy.
“We want to go back to work, fish and and return to church,” he said. “I understand the risk of the virus, but it’s not worth crippling the economy.”
Marshall said he works in the medical field, but his position was deemed non-essential.
“Those who are at high risk (for contracting the virus) need to be quarantined, but not the entire population,” he said.
Statistically, the respiratory illness is more likely to be serious or fatal for older adults, but the disease infects all ages and can be spread by people without symptoms. More than 11,700 Washingtonians have tested positive for the disease and more than 600 have died, according to the state Department of Health.
Inslee releases statement on demonstrations
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee released the following statement on Sunday’s rally against his state-home order:
“I hear every day from people who want to go back to work, open their businesses and spend time with their friends and family. Most of them are doing what must be done first to accomplish that: They’re staying home.
“These are difficult and frustrating times. I understand the urgency of this crisis. However, this is not the time to halt the progress we have made. I encourage everyone in our state to stay home, stay healthy and, if you need to go out, practice adequate physical distancing.
“Comments in the news today by some Republican legislators calling for ‘open rebellion,’ claiming a ‘deep state’ plot and other radical statements are irresponsible and could needlessly lead to more people getting sick. I hope Republican legislative leaders will speak out against such rhetoric from their members.
“I support free speech. But crowd counts or speeches won’t determine our course. This isn’t about politics. It can only be about doing what is best for the health of all Washingtonians.”
AG Ferguson to gyms and fitness centers: Allow members to cancel memberships
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
In response to dozens of consumer complaints, Attorney General Bob Ferguson has sent an open letter to Washington fitness centers and gyms providing the following guidance:
▪ Gyms and fitness centers must allow customers to cancel their memberships at any time, for any reason, including the inability to access their gym or fitness due to the global pandemic, provided those requests are issued in writing.
▪ Members who cancel their gym and fitness center membership are legally entitled to a refund – not credits – of the unused portion of any prepaid fees or dues.
▪ Fitness centers must pay the refund within 30 days of receipt of a written notice of cancellation.
▪ Gyms and fitness centers cannot misrepresent these rights or prevent members from cancelling.
Ferguson’s letter warns that any gym failing to comply is violating the Washington State Consumer Protection Act, and will face legal action from his office.
“My office received dozens of complaints from Washington consumers that their fitness center is continuing to charge them membership fees in the midst of this crisis,” Ferguson said. “The law is clear: Washingtonians are allowed to cancel their gym memberships any time, for any reason.”
Ferguson’s guidance applies to all health studios, defined in the Washington State Health Studio Services Act as “any person or entity engaged in the sale of instruction, training, assistance or use of facilities which purport to assist patrons to improve their physical condition or appearance through physical exercise, body building, weight loss, figure development, the martial arts, or any other similar activity.”
Nothing in the law prohibits a fitness center from waiving the written requirement and accepting cancellations from its members by phone. Gyms can also comply with the law by not charging membership fees until gyms can safely reopen.
‘Data cleaning’ reduces number of COVID-19 cases in Washington state
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases dropped on Sunday after “data cleaning” on Saturday night removed 190 cases that were discovered to be out of state residents.
The state also reported 10 additional deaths. The case total is now 11,790 with 634 deaths. DOH reported 11,802 confirmed cases and 624 deaths on Saturday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 5,135 cases and 346 deaths. Snohomish County has 2,101 cases and 94 deaths while Pierce County reported 1,164 cases and 29 deaths. There are 159 cases that haven’t been assigned a county.
DOH reported that 138,642 tests have now been given in Washington with 8.5% coming back positive.
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 8:37 AM.
