Coronavirus updates: Inslee extends stay-at-home order through May 31
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Friday, May 1.
STATE REPORTS 14,637 CASES, 824 DEATHS
Updated 5:20 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 310 new COVID-19 cases and 10 additional deaths Friday.
Statewide case totals have reached 14,637, while the state’s death toll is now at 824, up from 14,327 cases and 814 deaths Thursday.
During a press conference Friday afternoon, Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s stay-at-home order — which was set to expire next week — through May 31.
He noted while the COVID-19 spread is slowing in the state, it remains unsafe to completely rescind order, and outlined a four-phase plan for how the state can reopen in the coming weeks.
“We have not won the fight against this virus,” Inslee said.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, reporting 6,274 cases and 452 deaths. Snohomish County has reached 2,453 cases and 109 deaths, and Pierce County is reporting 1,457 cases and 51 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (461), Chelan (113), Clark (327), Franklin (309), Grant (163), Island (169), King (6,274), Kitsap (150), Pierce (1,457), Skagit (337), Snohomish (2,453), Spokane (367), Thurston (106), Whatcom (305) and Yakima (1,203) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Twenty-two counties have reported at least one virus-related death. All but five of those counties have reported multiple deaths, with Benton (41), Clark (19), Franklin (11), King (452), Pierce (51), Skagit (13), Snohomish (109), Spokane (22), Whatcom (28) and Yakima (47) all reporting more than 10.
There are 77 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There have been 198,724 tests completed in Washington, with positive results at 7.4%.
The DOH is also now reporting downloadable datasets that break down cases and deaths by week, county and age. These datasets are updated each Sunday.
Preliminary data on total hospitalizations for confirmed cases — broken down by admission date, date of illness onset, age, sex and race and ethnicity — are also now available.
INSLEE EXTENDS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER THROUGH MAY 31
Updated 2:40 p.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday afternoon he will extend the state’s stay-at-home order, which was set to expire next week, through May 31.
“We have not won this fight against this virus,” Inslee said.
The extension will continue the ban on public gatherings, Inslee said, and many businesses will have to remain closed.
Smaller counties that have not been hit as hard during the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to apply to the state Department of Health for a variance of the order, Inslee said.
He said Washington will reopen in four phases, and included a chart outlining how the state will gradually resume public activity.
Here is how the chart outlines each phase:
PHASE 1
High-risk populations: Continue to stay home and stay healthy.
Recreation: Some outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, golf, boating and hiking.
Gatherings (social, spiritual): No in-person gatherings apart from drive-in spiritual services with one vehicle per household.
Travel: Only essential travel allowed.
Business/employers: Essential businesses remain open, existing construction that meets agreed upon criteria can continue, landscaping, automobile sales, retail with curb-side pickup only, car washes, housecleaning services and pet walkers can resume.
PHASE 2
High-risk populations: Continue to stay home and stay healthy.
Recreation: All outdoor recreation involving fewer than five people outside of those living in your household can resume, including camping, beaches, etc.
Gatherings (social, spiritual): Gatherings with no more than five people outside your household allowed per week.
Travel: Limited non-essential travel within the proximity of your home allowed.
Business/employers: Remaining manufacturing can resume, new construction can begin, in-home/domestic services (nannies, housecleaning, etc.), retail (in-store purchases with restrictions), real estate, professional services/office-based businesses (telework remains encouraged), barbers/hair and nail salons and restaurants with less than 50% capacity and table size no larger than five can resume.
PHASE 3
High-risk populations: Continue to stay home and stay healthy.
Recreation: Outdoor group sports and activities (5-50 people) can resume and recreational facilities (public pools, etc.) can open at less than 50% capacity.
Gatherings (social, spiritual): Gatherings allowed with 50 or less people.
Travel: All non-essential travel can resume.
Business/employers: Restaurants can expand to less than 75% capacity with table size no larger than 10, bars can open at less than 25% capacity, indoor gyms can open at less than 50% capacity, movie theaters can open at less than 50% capacity, government (telework remains encouraged), libraries, museums and all other businesses not yet listed — except for nightclubs and events with greater than 50 people — can open.
PHASE 4
High-risk populations: Resume public interaction with appropriate distancing.
Recreation: All recreational activity can resume.
Gatherings (social, spiritual): Gatherings with more than 50 people can resume.
Travel: All non-essential travel can continue.
Business/employers: Nightclubs, concert venues, large sporting events can resume operations, and unrestricted staffing of worksites can resume with continued distancing and good hygiene.
Inslee’s press conference is streaming live online as well as being broadcast on TVW.
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 27 NEW COVID-19 CASES, NO ADDTIONAL DEATHS
Updated 2 p.m.
Pierce County reported 27 new COVID-19 cases Friday.
No additional deaths were reported for the third consecutive day.
County totals are now at 1,457 cases and 51 deaths, up from 1,430 cases Thursday.
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 health department has released a statement on delays in data posting.
Saturday’s geographical totals are listed below with Friday’s numbers in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 36 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 110 (107)
▪ East Pierce County: 40 (39)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 77 (no change)
▪ Frederickson: 50 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 50 (no change)
▪ Graham: 45 (no change)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 38 (37)
▪ Lakewood: 144 (142)
▪ Parkland: 76 (74)
▪ Puyallup: 70 (69)
▪ South Hill: 76 (75)
▪ South Pierce County: 32 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 17 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 48 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 487 (471)
▪ University Place: 48 (no change)
▪ Unknown: (6)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
UNEMPLOYMENT DRIVES DEMAND FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE
Updated 12:30 p.m.
The unemployment surge in Washington caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an increase in demand for food assistance, state officials say.
About 1.6 million people in the state have sought help from food banks since the pandemic began — it is projected to reach 2 million by May — compared to about 850,000 last November, according to Department of Agriculture Food Assistance Specialist Katie Rains.
“We figure that we’re needing to provide $6 million of food per week to meet this demand,” department director Derek Sandison said. “It is taking all of us working collectively,”
The department received $10 million from the approved revised operating budget.
The state is being assisted by Philanthropy Northwest and other donors to meet May’s demand, while federal funding for milk, fruit, vegetables and protein sources is expected to be available in June.
Philanthropy Northwest CEO Kiran Abuja said $3 million has been raised for the Washington Food Fund. Gov. Jay Inslee joined nonprofit and philanthropy groups on April 7 to launch the statewide fund.
“We have a goal of $11 million to raise to provide those resources to get us to the time in June and July when federal resources will kick in,” Ahuja said. “But the more and more I know ... as those jobless numbers go up, I’m afraid $11 million will not be enough.”
Pierce County’s doubled increase in demand has mirrored state figures, Nourish Pierce County CEO Sue Potter said. Nourish Pierce County is one of the food banks that has been assisted by the Washington National Guard since early April. They have been packing bags and boxes full of groceries at a warehouse, helping hand those out, helping operate mobile food banks and working at brick-and-mortar locations.
“People are scared,” Potter said. “They don’t know what’s going to happen or when it’s going to happen. Everybody is kind of walking around in a daze, but they instantly feel a sense of relief knowing that they’re going to be able to feed their families.
“That energy keeps us going. What we’ve seen is it’s unfortunate it took a pandemic to do this, but this whole episode has shown the really, really important role that food pantries play in our community. We will always be the first ones there that people can turn to when they need us.”
QUESTIONS ABOUT SYMPTOMS? CDC HAS A SELF-CHECKER
Updated 12 p.m.
Questions about COVID-19 symptoms? The CDC has a self-checker on its website to help people who have developed symptoms decide what their next steps should be.
“The purpose of the Coronavirus Self-Checker is to help you make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care,” the site says. “This system is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other conditions, including COVID-19. This system is intended only for people who are currently located in the United States.”
The checker asks a series of questions about the person showing symptoms — including location, age, gender, places they have visited recently, whether they’ve been exposed to or care for someone with the virus and more.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild to severe, according to the CDC, can show up between 2-14 days following exposure, and can include cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
When the user has answered all of the checker’s questions, it suggests how to follow up — which may or may not include seeking medical attention — and whether or not a test is considered necessary.
“This system does not replace the judgment of healthcare professionals or the performance of any clinical assessment,” the site says.
DATA COLLECTING COMPANY RELEASES SOCIAL DISTANCING GRADES
Updated 10:30 a.m.
The data collecting company Uncast recently graded states on social distancing initiatives.
Each state was graded based on its change in average mobility — including distance traveled, changes in non-essential visits and difference in number of human encounters.
Washington had a 25% to 40% decrease in average mobility based on distance traveled, which is considered a D grade, while non-essential visits decreased by less than 55%, which is considered in the F category. Washington received a C for limiting social encounters — which included a 74% to 82% decrease in “encounters density.”
San Juan (A-), Whitman (B), Jefferson (B), Ferry (B) and Pacific (B-) were the five counties in the state that were given the best grades for decreasing average mobility. Pierce, Thurston, Spokane and Clark were all given an F. Garfield, which is the only county in the state that has not reported a positive case, was not graded.
The United States as a whole was given a D-, with Nevada (C+) given the highest state score and Rhode Island (F) given the lowest.
INSLEE TO UPDATE ON STAY-AT-HOME ORDER FRIDAY
Updated 10 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee will address Washington residents Friday afternoon and is expected to give an update on the state’s stay-at-home order, which currently runs through May 4.
Inslee indicated earlier this week that the order will be extended as the state rolls out a phased-in approach to reopening.
The press conference will be available live online as well as broadcast on TVW.
OFFICIALS STRATEGIZING RETURN TO SCHOOL
Updated 9 a.m.
No return date has been set for students in Washington to return to school, but state and federal officials have started discussing how to return safely — and it likely won’t be a complete return to normalcy.
“Nobody thinks we’re coming back (to school) in anything that doesn’t still look like social distancing,” State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said last week during a webinar with the League of Education Voters.
Here are several strategies officials are discussing for a safe return to school post-COVID-19:
▪ Alternating schedules: Schools could be on split schedules to encourage distancing. Some students could attend in the mornings, others in the evenings, or schedules could be staggered so students attend on different days of the week.
“There are people thinking about unbelievable schedules, and that will all sort of feed Emergency Management’s thinking (and) the governor’s thinking,” Reykdal said.
▪ Younger students returning first: Younger students and students with disabilities could be back in school sooner than high schoolers.
“We focus the face-to-face time for our K-8 students who are probably least likely to have success online … and have more of our high school students focus on the distance technology,” Rekydal said.
▪ Desks set up 6 feet apart, masks for teachers and students, temperature checks: Guidance from the CDC earlier this week suggests placing desks 6 feet apart in classrooms, which would be easier in some districts in Washington than others.
“If you’re an entire school of 100 students in rural Washington, that’s very different than a 2,000-person high school for your opportunity,” Reykdal said.
Federal guidelines under review also suggest implementing one-way hallways, having students and teachers wear masks, and having student temperatures taken before entering buildings.
No more group activities: New CDC guidance suggests keeping playgrounds closed when schools are reopened, and canceling larger gatherings such as field trips and assemblies.
Cafeteria lunches could also be in jeopardy, which lunchtime inside classrooms offering better opportunity for social distancing.
▪ Regular deep cleanings: CDC guidelines recommend regular cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, sink handles and drinking fountains, as well as shared objects such as as toys, games and art supplies between uses.
Menu of options: Reykdal said the goal is to have a menu of options for districts around the state prior to reopening.
“We are beginning to look at strategies for when school reopens, but that work hasn’t yet kicked off in earnest,” OSPI spokesperson Katy Payne told The News Tribune.
A stakeholder group will be put together to imagine what a return in the fall could look like.
“Ideally, this group will have folks with expertise from around the educational system, as well as legislators, folks from the Department of Health, and others,” Payne said.
OSPI is aiming to have more guidance by early June for the possibility of reopening in September.
LOCAL FITNESS NONPROFIT GIVING OUT FREE GROCERIES
Updated 8:30 a.m.
OnSight253Fitness, a Tacoma-based nonprofit training facility, will be giving out free groceries from 2-4 p.m. Friday.
“We understand this is a difficult time for folks and we are pleased to help while respecting social distancing,” the nonprofit tweeted earlier this week.
Groceries will be given out at the facility, which is located at 5636 S Adams St.
ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL HOST TWITTER Q&A FRIDAY
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson will answer questions about COVID-19 beginning at noon Friday on Twitter.
“If you have questions about #COVID19 consumer protections, safety, or resources for Washingtonians, respond to this tweet or tweet your question with #AskAGFerguson,” Ferguson’s account tweeted Thursday afternoon.
TNT OPENS ONLINE SURVEYS ABOUT COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Updated 8 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to announce an extension of Washington’s stay-at-home order — which is currently set to expire Monday — Friday, while outlining more steps for the state’s gradual reopening.
The News Tribune opened an online survey Thursday seeking public opinion on the extension, and other topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington.
This is not a scientific poll. It reflects only the views of those who choose to respond.
The survey is open until noon Monday.
STATE REPORTS 14,327 CASES, 814 DEATHS
Updated 8 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 257 new COVID-19 cases and 13 additional deaths Thursday.
Statewide case totals have reached 14,327, while the state’s death toll is now at 814, up from 14,070 cases and 801 deaths Wednesday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, reporting 6,207 cases and 447 deaths. Snohomish County has reached 2,433 cases and 108 deaths, and Pierce County is reporting 1,430 cases and 51 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (430), Chelan (108), Clark (321), Franklin (279), Grant (159), Island (168), King (6,207), Kitsap (149), Pierce (1,430), Skagit (329), Snohomish (2,433), Spokane (357), Thurston (105), Whatcom (302) and Yakima (1,128) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Twenty-two counties have reported at least one virus-related death. All but five of those counties have reported multiple deaths, with Benton (41), Clark (19), King (447), Pierce (51), Skagit (13), Snohomish (108), Spokane (21), Whatcom (28) and Yakima (47) all reporting more than 10.
There are 60 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There have been 193,981 tests completed in Washington, with positive results at 7.4%.
The DOH is also now reporting downloadable datasets that break down cases and deaths by week, county and age. These datasets are updated each Sunday.
Preliminary data on total hospitalizations for confirmed cases — broken down by admission date, date of illness onset, age, sex and race and ethnicity — are also now available.
CHAMBERS CREEK REOPENS FRIDAY, OTHER PARKS TO FOLLOW
Updated 8 a.m.
Chambers Creek Regional Park will be among the first parks in Pierce County to reopen as Washington’s stay-at-home order begins to relax.
The park, located in University Place, has been gated due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, though many have still been walking, running or biking on the premises during its closure.
Pierce County said in a news release Thursday there will be new protocols in place for park users, including requiring wearing masks when near others, keeping 6 feet away from others and visiting for less than two hours and no more than twice per week.
“Crowded parks may result in future closures, so everyone is encouraged to work together and abide by the guidelines ... for safe and respectful park, open space and trail use,” the statement says.
Other Pierce County parks, as well as Chambers Bay Golf Course, are set to reopen Monday.
Some recreation spaces, including playgrounds, picnic shelters and fields at athletic complexes will remain closed. Restrooms will also remain closed.
Parks will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 8:01 AM.
