Coronavirus updates: Blood needs surge; unemployment claims remain unpaid
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Thursday, May 7.
Updated 2:45 p.m.
Pierce County on Thursday reported 35 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths.
The county has seen a total of 1,625 cases and 57 deaths, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. It reduced a previous case count by one.
The new deaths included a Tacoma woman in her 60s, a Tacoma man in his 70s and another Tacoma man in his 50s. All had underlying health conditions, according to the health department.
A new chart now included on the health department’s website includes more data behind deaths related to the coronavirus.
It lists 96.3 percent have died with underlying health conditions; 55.6 percent of those who died lived or worked in a care facility, and 61 percent had been hospitalized.
The totals do not add up to 100 percent as some of the classifications overlap.
Daily case totals can change as the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department receives new information. Adjustments can include correcting duplicate data, assigning a case to another county or learning a test for the coronavirus was a false positive.
According to the state Department of Health’s COVID-19 data dashboard, there have been 16,504 tests run on Pierce County residents with 8.8 percent of them positive. That data lags the county reporting on case totals.
The county’s COVID-19 tracking page unveiled a redesigned look Wednesday, listing the number of assumed recovered cases (799) and estimated active confirmed cases (826) for Pierce County.
Thursday’s geographical totals are listed below with Wednesday’s numbers in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 38 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 121 (120)
▪ East Pierce County: 47 (45)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 81 (no change)
▪ Frederickson: 54 (53)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 51 (50)
▪ Graham: 50 (49)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 40 (39)
▪ Lakewood: 167 (163)
▪ Parkland: 82 (80)
▪ Puyallup: 113 (103)
▪ South Hill: 84 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 34 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 19 (18)
▪ Spanaway: 56 (54)
▪ Tacoma: 526 (518)
▪ University Place: 48 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 7 (no change)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
HCA secures funding to significantly expand behavorial health services
Updated 2:45 p.m.
The Washington State Health Care Authority has secured more than $4 million in federal funding to respond to increased behavioral health service needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a time of great stress, uncertainty and isolation, and we must ensure that the well-being of Washingtonians is addressed. That includes making sure they can get the mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment they need,” Gov. Jay Inslee said. “These new resources will help meet the needs of residents as we all navigate this unprecedented, challenging time.”
“As Washington residents grapple with the stress and uncertainties of this time, we need to be sure there is an adequate support system to meet their needs and help them cope,” HCA Director Sue Birch said. “These grants will create and contribute to services to help our families, friends and neighbors during these times.”
The grants will help ensure Washington residents have access to mental health counseling and substance use disorder treatment:
▪ A $2.2 million Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency. HCA will roll out a program called Washington Listens that helps reach people who are affected by the stress of the outbreak.
The statewide program will relieve stress on behavioral health crisis networks by giving people an outlet for their current stressors and providing referrals to services. The grant will fund a support line and 120 counselors and team leaders with regional partners
Updated at 12:30 p.m.
Comcast announced its Xfinity Watchathon Week will make many of the year’s hit shows and movies everyone has been talking about available to Xfinity video and Internet-only customers for free including, for the first time, episodes of Hulu Originals Castle Rock, Dollface, The Handmaid’s Tale, High Fidelity, Little Fires Everywhere, Ramy and Shrill.
Other popular titles that will be free during the week of May 11-17 include EPIX’s Godfather of Harlem and Belgravia; Starz’s Outlander, Power, and new series Hightown, and Showtime drama Billions. Free programming will be available across Xfinity platforms including X1, Flex and Xfinity Stream.
Also new this year, X1 customers can tune into an Xfinity Watchathon Week Channel featuring free programming across providers curated by Xfinity’s team of editors. The channel can be accessed within the guide on channel one.
In total, more than 10,000 TV series and movies are available for free from more than 70 networks and streaming services Additionally, Xfinity customers can enjoy Peacock from NBCUniversal — now available as an early preview to X1 and Flex customers — with over 15,000 hours of shows and movies included at no additional cost all the time.
X1 customers can view all of the programming available to them during the week by saying “Watchathon” into the Xfinity Voice Remote or by browsing recommendations from the Xfinity editorial team curated into fun and timely collections that will be updated daily.
New drive-in WiFi hotspots appearing statewide
Updated at 12:20 p.m.
The Washington State Broadband Office estimates over 300 new drive-in Wi-Fi hotspots are coming online statewide through an initiative to bring free public broadband internet access to all residents.
To date, 140 of the new drive-in hotspots are operational, in addition to 301 existing Washington State Library hotspots identified across the state. All told, some 600 public hotspots will soon be available to keep Washington communities connected.
For complete information and a map of locations, visit www.driveinwifi.wa.gov. The map will be updated as more sites come online.
Launching primarily as parking lot hotspots in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the free community Wi-Fi is accessible regardless of how users arrive at the locations. Some sites also offer indoor public access during business hours.
Everyone using the sites — outside or inside — must practice social distancing and hygiene precautions, including staying in your vehicle or at least six feet from other users and wearing a mask if necessary.
Each hotspot will have its own security protocol. Some will be open and others will have Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) safe security installed.
“Access to broadband was a challenge for many Washingtonians before COVID-19. This rapid, collaborative response is an essential immediate solution but we cannot stop here,” Gov. Jay Inslee said.
“I’ve long advocated for greater access to quality and affordable broadband for all Washingtonians, and will continue to do so long after this virus is behind us. We thank all of the state and private partners that have stepped up to ensure people are connected today, and look forward to their continued partnership in maintaining that access into the future.”
Requests for blood surge as hospitals prepare to restart elective surgeries
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
With new COVID-19 cases in the Northwest projected to decline in the weeks ahead, Washington and Oregon hospitals are preparing to re-start surgeries, organ transplants and cancer treatments that were suspended in March after the magnitude of the pandemic threat became apparent.
Patient needs and requests for blood from Bloodworks Northwests’ healthcare partners are rising quickly, and could reach pre-COVID levels as early as next week before the blood supply is ready. Bloodworks Northwest is a blood bank and medical research institute that serves patients at hospitals in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
“When the coronavirus hit, donors in the community stepped up immediately,” said Curt Bailey, President and CEO of Bloodworks Northwest. “As we start the challenging road to recovery, patients need them even more.”
Hospitals and healthcare providers in the region are preparing to tackle a significant backlog of surgeries, medical treatments and procedures that require transfusions
Essential measures to contain the coronavirus also took away usual settings for mobile blood drives that account for up to 60% of collections — the equivalent of 34,000 units since March 1.
The community blood supply supports patients receiving trauma care, undergoing surgeries, cancer treatment, organ transplants, plus new moms and neonatal care.
Bloodworks is urging all donors to step up for community recovery. Please pre-book your next several donations now to make sure patients get the fighting chance and lifesaving blood they deserve. All types are urgently needed, but Type O is especially in demand.
To find a donor center near you, visit, BloodworksNW.org.
Value of antibody tests is limited because they can’t determine COVID-19 immunity
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
Antibody tests could be helpful in pinpointing the number of Washington residents who previously have had COVID-19, but they are not a “passport” for demonstrating that someone is immune, state and local government officials say.
The Food and Drug Administration earlier this week said companies that manufacture the tests will now have to demonstrate that they work before they are sold. The federal agency, which had allowed more than 100 commercial antibody tests to reach the market without review, said it took the step because some firms have marketed fraudulent test kits.
“That was good news to bring that a little bit under more control,” said Dr. Charissa Fotinos, a high-ranking state Health Care Authority official who is leading the statewide testing effort.
The tests — usually involving a finger-prick of blood on a test strip — search for proteins called antibodies that the body produces days or weeks after fighting an infection. They’re referred to as antibody, or serological, testing, and are separate from the nose swab tests used to confirm active cases of COVID-19.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday he spoke with Abbott Laboratories recently about the potential for large-scale “surveillance” antibody testing in Washington. Surveillance refers to the search for those people who have previously had COVID-19 — with or without becoming sick. The University of Washington’s Virology Division also is doing antibody testing.
“We think this can have potential utility as a surveillance tool to let us know what the presence of the disease really is,” said Inslee. “It’s also very important to guard against a second wave because sometimes you can have asymptomatic people for quite some time before you even recognize it’s present.”
A spokesman for Abbott Laboratories, an international pharmaceutical firm based in Illinois, didn’t return a message seeking comment.
Inslee said people need to realize that antibody testing, for now, cannot guarantee that a person has immunity from COVID-19.
“We have to realize it’s for surveillance purposes, not for a passport to go back to work,” he said.
More than a third of Washington unemployment claims remain unpaid
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
The Employment Security Department announced that since March 7, it has provided more than $1.5 billion in unemployment benefits across Washington, but that is not enough to cover the need.
An estimated 36 percent of those with completed filings for unemployment benefits have not received payments, department spokesperson, Jim Vleming told The News Tribune.
“We know that people are struggling all across the state, and many are in desperate situations. We have received more initial claims in the past seven weeks than the previous three and a half years combined — it is a truly staggering amount of people affected by this crisis,” ESD Commissioner Suzi LeVine said in a statement on Thursday.
The department is compiling a list of people who have not been helped and plans to contact them in the coming weeks, Vleming said. Those who have not yet been paid will receive benefits retroactive to the date they filed, he said.
He urged people to continue to file weekly claims and have patience with the agency.
Educating the public about the process is becoming a priority for the department. Frequent issues like answering questions incorrectly, misunderstandings and not filing weekly claims can lead to a denial or an adjudication, which is a hearing to give someone a chance to state their case for unemployment. Common mistakes in applying are addressed on the state ESD Facebook page. There will be weekly webinars for unemployment claim questions and advice.
Vleming said the department plans to hire about 1,000 new employees to mitigate the tsunami of requests. In coming weeks, the department is expected to eliminate several adjudications as quickly as possible, he said.
LeVine said the money for unemployment will not run out, and pending claims will receive all the eligible benefits from the state and federal government.
Gov. Inslee issues rules for drive-in religious services
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee released rules Wednesday afternoon that will allow religious, spiritual and faith-based organizations to conduct drive-in services.
“Faith is so important at all times, but especially during times of crisis and difficulty. This unique drive-in service option will allow people to come together,” Inslee said in a written statement. “Our goal has always been to keep Washingtonians safe and healthy, and this option allows them to do that while participating in religious, spiritual and faith-based activities.”
The guidance is part of the governor’s first phase in loosening restrictions that have been in place since late March to combat the spread of the new coronavirus. Inslee’s stay-at-home order runs through May 31.
Here are the rules for attendees of drive-in services:
▪ All persons attending the service must drive up in an enclosed vehicle and remain in that same vehicle during the entire service. Individuals should not get out of their vehicle during the service for any reason.
▪ Vehicle windows, sunroofs and convertible tops must remain closed during the entire service, unless the vehicle is parked more than 6 feet from any other vehicle.
▪ No more than 10 people may be in a single vehicle.
▪ Each vehicle may be occupied only by members of the same household who have already been in close contact with each other and are not sick.
Here are the rules for employees of the faith-based organization:
▪ All employees and employers must follow current state Department of Health, Labor and Industries, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
▪ If it is necessary to collect a physical offering, the organizer may use a drop-box, while vehicles are entering or leaving the service, provided that vehicles and individuals remain at all times at least 6 feet apart. Accepting online donations is the best practice.
▪ No food or beverages or other materials (whether for religious or secular purpose) may be distributed or collected before, after, or as part of the service. This includes communion wafers or bread and wine or juices, Inslee spokesman Mike Faulk confirmed.
MultiCare announces furloughs for 6,000 workers amid COVID-19 financial shortfalls
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit all sectors of the economy, including medical.
In an announcement Wednesday, MultiCare Health System of Tacoma said 6,000 mainly nonclinical employees will be expected to take 17-shift furloughs between May 10 and Jan. 2 “to support the organization’s viability and financial health in the near and long term.”
Nonclinical work would include positions in areas such as human resources, marketing, finance, administration, administrative support and the call center.
The furloughs are the equivalent of one shift per pay period for the remainder of the year, according to the health system, and are set to begin next week.
In its statement, MultiCare said it “has taken steps over the past few weeks to help protect the organization’s long-term health and capacity to fulfill its mission amid $160 million financial losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the steps already announced include implementing executive compensation reduction, deferring hiring for some roles, introducing a voluntary furlough program for employees and re-evaluating open positions.”
It said it hoped the furloughs would help MultiCare “avoid widespread layoffs throughout the system.”
Long-term care facilities linked to 61% of WA virus deaths
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
More than 60% of coronavirus deaths in Washington are linked to long-term care facilities and authorities say more than 250 such locations in the state have reported at least one COVID-19 case.
The state’s COVID-19 response team released information Wednesday showing there were 507 deaths tied to such facilities as of May 2, accounting for 61% of virus fatalities in the state at the time. There were 2,894 positive cases associated with care facilities, representing 19% of total cases as of last week.
Nursing homes have been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and the nation’s first deadly cluster of COVID-19 cases happened at a Seattle-area care facility, where more than 40 people died.
The Washington state Department of Health says long-term care cases include residents, employees and visitors and notes that authorities aren’t certain that all the cases were exposed to the virus at the facilities.
The state agency that regulates such facilities says 94 assisted living facilities, 76 nursing homes, 51 adult family homes and 30 supported living providers have reported one or more COVID-19 cases among residents or staff as of May 5.
This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 8:46 AM.
