Coronavirus updates: Inslee says 5 counties can move to Phase 2; state death toll passes 900
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Friday, May 8.
WASHINGTON STATE DEATH TOLL PASSES 900
Updated 3:45 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 157 new COVID-19 cases and 14 additional deaths Friday.
Statewide case totals have reached 16,388, while the state’s death toll is now at 905, up from 16,231 cases and 891 deaths Thursday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, reporting 6,863 cases and 487 deaths. Snohomish County has reached 2,634 cases and 115 deaths, and Pierce County is reporting 1,634 cases and 58 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (559), Chelan (140), Clark (347), Douglas (102), Franklin (404), Grant (180), Island (172), King (6,863), Kitsap (154), Pierce (1,634), Skagit (391), Snohomish (2,634), Spokane (381), Thurston (115), Whatcom (329) and Yakima (1,579) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Twenty-two counties have reported at least one virus-related death. All but four of those counties have reported multiple deaths, with Benton (48), Clark (20), Franklin (16), King (487), Pierce (58), Skagit (13), Snohomish (115), Spokane (27), Whatcom (33) and Yakima (58) all reporting at least 10.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday that five counties — Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry and Pend Oreille, which have all reported two cases or less — have been approved to move on to Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.
Three more counties — Kittitas, Skamania and Wahkiakum — have also applied to move forward and are under review.
None of these counties have reported virus-related deaths.
There are 69 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There have been 235,835 tests given in Washington, with positive results now at 6.9%.
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.
The DOH also added another hospitalization data update on its reporting site Tuesday.
“Effective May 5, the visualization of COVID-like illness (CLI) hospitalizations reflects hospitalizations identified using updated methodology,” the site says. “While it still may include hospitalizations where the patient is not tested or tests negative for COVID-19, this strategy is optimized to identify more patients with CLI, patients diagnosed with coronavirus of any type, and to remove visits in which the patient was diagnosed with influenza. The overall effect is that the proportion and number of CLI hospitalizations is larger than it was previously.”
INSLEE ANNOUNCES FIVE WASHINGTON COUNTIES CAN MOVE TO PHASE 2
Updated 3 p.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced in a press conference Friday afternoon that five counties in Washington have been approved to move on to Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.
Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties have each been cleared to move on to the second phase.
As of Thursday, Garfield remained the only county in the state that has yet to report a positive case of COVID-19, while Columbia and Ferry had each reported one case, and Lincoln and Pend Oreille two. None of those counties have reported virus-related deaths.
Kittitas (15 cases), Skamania (three) and Wahkiakum (two) counties have also applied to move forward, and their applications are under review. None have reported a virus-related death.
In Phase 2, outdoor recreation involving fewer than five people outside of a household is allowed. Social and spiritual gatherings with five or fewer people outside of a household is also permitted per week. Limited non-essential travel within proximity of residence can also resume.
Business changes include allowing manufacturing that was not permitted in phase one, beginning new construction, allowing in-home services such as nannies and housecleaning, allowing in-store retail purchases with some restrictions, allowing real estate and professional services and office-based businesses to resume, allowing hair and nail salons and barbers to return to work, and allowing restaurants to operate at less than 50% capacity with table sizes no larger than five people.
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 10 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH
Updated 2:30 p.m.
Pierce County reported 10 new COVID-19 cases Friday — its lowest daily case count since it reported nine new cases April 11.
The county also learned one previous cases was a duplicate, from another county or a false positive. It has reported 1,634 cases since the outbreak began.
An additional death was also reported Friday — a Puyallup man in his 60s with underlying health conditions — bringing the county’s total to 58.
New data now reported on the county’s site assumes 828 people — or about half — of those who have contracted the virus have now recovered.
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.
Friday’s geographical totals are listed below with Thursday’s numbers in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 38 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 124 (121)
▪ East Pierce County: 47 (no change)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 81 (no change)
▪ Frederickson: 54 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 51 (no change)
▪ Graham: 50 (no change)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 41 (40)
▪ Lakewood: 169 (167)
▪ Parkland: 82 (no change)
▪ Puyallup: 114 (113)
▪ South Hill: 85 (84)
▪ South Pierce County: 34 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 19 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 56 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 527 (526)
▪ University Place: 48 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 7 (no change)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
PUYALLUP GROCERY STORE DISTRIBUTION WORKERS TEST POSITIVE
Updated 2 p.m.
Twelve workers at a Fred Meyer distribution center in Puyallup have tested positive for COVID-19, the grocery chain confirmed Friday.
The distribution center, located at 349 Valley Ave. NW, has 550 total associates.
“All have been self-quarantining due to the exposure per the company’s Emergency Leave Guidelines,” Fred Meyer media representative Jeffery Temple said in an email to The News Tribune.
“The facility coordinated recurring deep cleaning procedures by a professional third party, as well as sanitization of commonly touched surfaces around the clock as an added precaution.”
Temple said the distribution center has communicated with the state Department of Labor and Industries and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to affirm their processes “continue to live up to our high safety standards in protecting all of our associates and the millions of customers that visit our stores each week.”
Though, Teamsters Local 117 secretary-treasurer John Scearcy told TNT via email it had previously expressed concerns about the implementation of safety protocols at the facility by Kroger, which is the parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC.
“Our communities across Washington state cannot afford to have a grocery distribution center as important to the food supply chain as the Fred Meyer facility suffer a major disruption,” the email says.
“Prior to any outbreak, we expressed our concerns related to the lack of safety protocols and made recommendations including screening all employees entering the facility and adjusting production standards to allow for social distancing inside the warehouse, but Kroger delayed implementation of those measures by over two weeks. If Kroger had acted more quickly, we believe this outbreak could have been avoided or more easily contained.”
According to Temple, the site had implemented safety measures, including providing mandatory face coverings for every associate while at work.
He said the facility had also made hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes available, and implemented social distancing practices, as well as mandatory temperature and symptom checks prior to shifts.
APRIL HOME SALES DOWN IN PIERCE COUNTY
Updated 10 a.m.
The Northwest Multiple Listing Service released new figures Wednesday that depict how the first full month of the COVID-19 shutdown impacted the local real estate market.
According to the April figures, Pierce County’s total active listings for homes and condominiums dropped by more than 11% compared to activity during the same time period in 2019, while pending sales were down 27.4% and closed sales were down 22.4%.
New listings in the county were down 23% compared to March. Total active listings were up 10.6%, suggesting older listings were still available.
Closed sales for homes and condominiums were down 9.2% from March, while home sales alone were down 8.6%.
Average closed sale price for homes in the county was $405,000 in April, up more than 13% from April 2019, but down from $410,000 in March of this year.
“With the first full month of post-COVID-19 data in hand, it’s clear the Puget Sound housing market has been hit but not knocked out,” Windermere chief economist Matthew Gardner said in a release. “The normally active spring market is significantly slower than normal due to COVID-19, but it has not come to a halt ... it is responding to the current circumstances exactly as expected.”
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WASHINGTON RETAIL STORES REOPEN
Updated 9 a.m.
The Washington Retail Association has provided retailers in the state with guidelines and checklists to follow as stores prepare to reopen in the coming weeks.
Under Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the state, which began Tuesday, most retail stores will remain closed, but are permitted to have a limited number of employees working to fulfill online orders and home delivery, and give customers the option of curbside pick-up. Employees will be required to wear face coverings when bringing merchandise to customers in their vehicles for curbside pick-up, and instructed to place the merchandise in the passenger seat or the back seat. Wireless card readers will be used to process payments and wiped down between uses.
During home delivery, employees will be required to wear face coverings and gloves, maintain appropriate social distance from customers and disinfect any surfaces touched as necessary during the delivery process.
Employees will also be encouraged to take their temperatures before work — any employees who feel sick or have temperatures exceeding 100.4 degrees will be required to stay home and report their illness to a supervisor — and establish social distancing in the workplace while also increasing hand washing.
Meetings or gatherings of store employees will be limited to less than 10.
Stores will be allowed to reopen to the public during Phase 2, with some restrictions, including limiting occupancy.
“When retailers lack staff to closely monitor customer flow, the recommendation is to reduce store occupancy to between 20 to 50%, of the stated maximum store capacity according to section 1004.5 of the National Fire Code,” the WRA’s Retail COVID Safety Operational Plan says. “Alternatively, applying a threshold of no more than five customers per 1,000 square feet excluding employees, may also be appropriate.”
Distance markers will be placed outside stores for customers waiting to enter, and signage displaying the occupancy limits, social distancing protocols and face covering policies will be implemented throughout stores. Some stores may also change operational hours to permit sole access to high-risk individuals.
Check-out lines will be spaced out to keep customers 6 feet apart, and the same distance will be encouraged between customers, cashiers and baggers when possible.
Employees will be required to wear face coverings while at work, and customers will be strongly encouraged to do the same.
Thorough store cleanings will also be conducted frequently.
All restrictions will be lifted by the state during Phase 3, though enhanced sanitation and employee health practices — such as regular hand washing and staying home when feeling sick — will remain in place.
AIR FORCE PLANES TO FLY OVER PUGET SOUND HOSPITALS
Updated 8:30 a.m.
The Air Force will salute health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic Friday afternoon by flying over more than 30 hospitals in the Puget Sound region.
Two C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will fly over hospitals ranging from Elma to Whidbey Island between 12:30 and 2 p.m.
Here is a list of flyover locations and estimated times in Pierce and south King counties:
▪ Madigan Army Medical Center, JBLM: 12:30 p.m.
▪ St. Anthony Hospital, Gig Harbor: 12:56 p.m.
▪ Auburn Medical Center, Auburn: 1:57 p.m.
▪ St. Francis Hospital, Federal Way: 1:58 p.m.
▪ Tacoma General Hospital, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Tacoma: 2 p.m.
▪ Allenmore Hospital, Tacoma: 2:01 p.m.
▪ Good Samaritan Hospital, Puyallup: 2:04 p.m.
▪ Washington State Soldiers Home, Orting: 2:07 p.m.
STATE ALLOWING TAKEOUT COCKTAILS AFTER TACOMA-LED PUSH
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Following a formal plea led by the Tacoma City Council, Washington state will now allow restaurants with liquor licenses to serve pre-mixed cocktails to go.
While previous rule changes during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed restaurants to serve sealed bottles of liquor and single-serve cocktail kits alongside takeout food, this addition allows restaurants to to mix the drinks for customers.
Tacoma officials and local restaurants argued selling pre-mixed drinks would be a bigger help with lost sales due to the closures, and provide a more familiar experience for the customer.
Drinks must be sold in a sealable container without openings — disposable cups with straw holes, coffee cups, or using tape to cover openings is not permitted — and accompany a food order.
Drinks should be placed out of reach of the driver when possible, according to specific rules emailed to license holders by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board on Wednesday.
Restaurants are also expected to display — on site and online — notices reminding customers of existing open-container laws.
“The best way government can be a good partner with the private sector and to really support their city is to be agile enough to meet the demand in a way that is safe and efficient, that creates the product that people want and the safety people want,” Tacoma councilman Robert Thoms said.
Thoms requested the support of Mayor Victoria Woodards last month, and the city council then voted unanimously to support a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee lobbying for the change. The Spokane council was also an advocate.
Several states, including Arizona, New York and Texas have made similar moves in recent weeks. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, 31 states and the District of Columbia allow restaurants — and in some cases bars — to sell liquor to-go, while 18 of those states and D.C. permit delivery.
CITY OF LAKEWOOD CANCELS SUMMERFEST
Updated 8 a.m.
The City of Lakewood announced Wednesday it is canceling SummerFEST, its annual summer celebration held annually at Fort Steilacoom Park, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of the Lakewood community is our highest priority. It is through this lens that the city reviewed its planned events for 2020 to determine which could be held in accordance with current available city resources and public health recommendations, including proper social distancing to minimize public interactions and help keep people safe,” the city wrote in a release.
“Based on current conditions, the city made the difficult decision to cancel a number of upcoming events, including our signature summer celebration.”
SummerFEST drew nearly 50,000 attendees last year, the release says, and the city did not believe necessary social distancing practices could be achieved if the event were to go on as planned.
This is the first time in more than two decades the event will not be held.
“While we are sad that we won’t be able to celebrate the summer with our residents, we know that this was the right decision needed at this time to keep our community healthy,” the release says.
The inaugural Lakewood Night Market has been postponed until next year. The Ray Evans Memorial Fishing Event, which was scheduled for May 18 at American Lake Park, has also been canceled this year. National Night Out, which is usually held the first Friday in August, has been pushed back to October.
The Lakewood Farmers Market will open in June as planed, but with modified operations. A start date has not yet been announced.
“The market will likely be smaller and will focus on farm stands only to start,” the release says. “It may also be moved to a new location and have pre-order and a drive through option to achieve recommended social distancing requirements.”
The city’s summer concert series still plans to run in July and August with modified operations.
BROWN BEAR CAR WASH LOCATIONS TO REOPEN FRIDAY
Updated 8 a.m.
Brown Bear Car Wash locations will reopen for business Friday following a delay in the release of operational guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic from the state, the company wrote in a release.
Tunnel wash locations will open at 8 a.m., and self-service locations will open later in the morning.
Brown Bear has 51 tunnel wash and self-service locations in the state, including 15 in the South Sound.
“In the end, our customers are the real winners,” Lance Odermat, vice president and general counsel of family-owned Car Wash Enterprises, Inc., said in the release. “Many have postponed car washing during the six-week shutdown, and a sparkling vehicle is a bright spot for many during these challenging times.”
Brown Bear locations were originally set to open Thursday as part of the first phase of the state’s reopening, but the company was notified Tuesday all car wash operations in the state would not be allowed to resume operations until the state determined specific safety standards for the industry.
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 7:59 AM.
