Coronavirus updates: Asotin County moves to Phase 2; Sounders FC to begin individual workouts
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, May 18.
Updated at 2:20 p.m.
Pierce County on Monday reported eight new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths for the second day in a row.
The county’s totals now stand at 1,802 cases and 68 deaths, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Daily case totals can change as the county receives new information about cases, finds duplicate data or is assigned cases originally attributed to other counties.
Figures on the health department’s website show 95 percent of the county’s deaths from COVID-19 involved individuals with underlying health conditions.
The county’s COVID-19 tracking page estimated the number of still-active confirmed cases at 676 on Monday.
There have been 20,983 coronavirus tests run on Pierce County residents with 8 percent of them positive as of May 18, according to the county health department. That total does not include negative tests from long-term care facilities or tests not yet assigned to a county, according to the county health department.
Monday’s geographical case totals are listed below with deaths in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 44 (2)
▪ Central Pierce County: 130 (6)
▪ East Pierce County: 49 (2)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 85 (9)
▪ Frederickson: 64 (2)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 52 (1)
▪ Graham: 54
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (1)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 45
▪ Lakewood: 183
▪ Parkland: 100 (2)
▪ Puyallup: 127 (6)
▪ South Hill: 99 (1)
▪ South Pierce County: 38
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 21 (2)
▪ Spanaway: 62 (4)
▪ Tacoma: 576 (24)
▪ University Place: 58 (1)
▪ Unknown: 8
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we are reporting coronavirus numbers
The News Tribune reports confirmed coronavirus cases as listed by the Washington Department of Health and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in their daily updates.
The state total includes all cases submitted by county health departments by 11:59 p.m. the previous day and is updated once a day by 6 p.m. on its website. Its numbers only include the cases the health departments have reported directly to the state. In some cases, county health departments have reported cases publicly but not to the state health department by the daily deadline, leading to different totals on occasion.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department updates its total by 2 p.m. each day on its website, and consists of all new confirmed cases reported by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
Asotin County approved for Phase 2
Updated at 2 p.m.
Today Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved the variance application for Asotin County to move into Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan.
Ten total counties have now been approved for Phase 2.
Businesses in the counties approved to move into Phase 2 must wait to reopen until guidance has been released for their industry on how to keep workers and the public safe. They must comply with all health and safety requirements outlined in that guidance to reopen.
To apply for a variance, counties must have a population of less than 75,000 and no new cases of COVID-19 in the last three weeks. The application process requires support from the local health officer, the local board of health, local hospitals, and the county commission/council.
The variance requests are reviewed by the secretary of health, who can approve the plans as submitted, approve with modifications or deny the application. If circumstances change within the jurisdiction, the variance can be revoked.
The state is still considering additional options to support different regional needs in reopening. Learn more about county variances and the statewide response to COVID-19 at coronavirus.wa.gov.
Sounders FC to begin voluntary workouts
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
After receiving approval from government officials and public health authorities in Washington State, Seattle Sounders FC players can begin voluntary individual workouts on Monday, May 18 at Starfire Sports.
Sounders FC players now have the opportunity to safely conduct voluntary individual workouts on the club’s outdoor training fields. All individual player workouts on Monday and beyond are closed to the general public.
“Though it’s a small step in our road back to normalcy, we are pleased to have been given the green light by our regional authorities to begin voluntary individual player workouts tomorrow at Starfire,” said Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey.
“We continue to work constantly with our government officials in Washington State, in addition to public health authorities and Major League Soccer, and we are thankful to everyone involved in that collaborative process that we are able to push forward tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming our players back for individual workouts, albeit from a safe social distance under the league’s new guidelines.”
By allowing players, on a voluntary basis, back on the Starfire Sports training fields for individual workouts, the club is able to provide a controlled environment that ensures adherence to safety protocols and physical distancing measures for players and staff.
The announcement applies to all professional players within the club, including rostered Tacoma Defiance athletes.
The individual player workout protocol prohibits access to club indoor facilities including but not limited to locker rooms, team gyms and team training rooms. Team gyms and training rooms may still only be accessed by players receiving post-operative and rehabilitation treatment, as directed by the club’s Chief Medical Officer.
As announced by Major League Soccer on May 14, the moratorium for small group and team training sessions has been extended until June 1. Monday’s voluntary individual player workouts represent the first activity of any kind for Sounders FC at Starfire Sports following the COVID-19-related shutdown that began on March 12.
Washington state reaches 18,433 cases
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Sunday reported 145 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and one additional death.
State totals are now at 18,433 cases and 1,001 deaths, up from 18,288 cases and 1,000 deaths on Saturday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 7,472 cases and 572 deaths. Snohomish County has 2,784 cases and 125 deaths while Yakima County has 2,253 cases and and 75 deaths. Pierce County reported 1,688 cases and 60 deaths.
Garfield County remains the only county in the state without a confirmed case. There are 101 cases that haven’t been assigned a county.
DOH is now reporting that 285,243 tests have been given with 6.5% coming back positive. Of those confirmed cases, 5.4% have resulted in death.
Tacoma Dome to host free COVID-19 testing starting Tuesday
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
The Tacoma Dome will host free COVID-19 testing for two weeks starting Tuesday through a partnership with QFC and Fred Meyer parent company Kroger.
Testing will be held three days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 19-21 and May 26-28. That could extend in the future.
The drive-thru testing site is capable of testing 250 people per day, according to city staff.
To be tested, Tacoma area residents must register at krogerhealth.com/covidtesting or call 1-888-852-2567 (select option 3).
People approved to receive the test should have photo ID ready when they arrive to their scheduled testing time and should leave their window rolled up for check-in until a health care practitioner comes to the car to administer the test. Patients should remain in their cars throughout the testing process, which is self-administered and takes a few minutes.
This testing is supported with laboratory services provided by eTrueNorth, a contractor of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The tests use a nasal swab and results are provided within 48 hours.
The Tacoma Dome served as a COVID-19 testing site in March, where nearly 1,000 first responders and medical workers were tested.
Kroger is also hosting a testing site at T-Mobile Park in partnership with the city of Seattle and the Mariners. The site opened earlier this week.
This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 8:30 AM.
