Coronavirus updates: Pierce County confirms 9 new cases, 1 death; State approves more counties for Phase 2
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Friday, May 22.
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 9 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 1 DEATH
Updated 2:30 p.m.
Pierce County reported nine new COVID-19 cases and one death Friday.
The reported death was a Bonney Lake woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions. Friday’s data shows 97.2% of deaths in the county have involved underlying conditions.
The county’s totals are now at 1,840 cases and 73 deaths since the outbreak began.
The county’s data estimates 1,288 of the confirmed cases have recovered, while 552 are still assumed active.
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.
There have been 22,552 tests conducted in the county as of May 20 with positive results at 7.6%, according to the state Department of Health. That total does not include negative tests from long-term care facilities or tests not yet assigned to a county.
Friday’s geographical case totals are listed below with previous day’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 46 (44)
▪ Central Pierce County: 133 (132)
▪ East Pierce County: 51 (49)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 87 (no change)
▪ Frederickson: 64 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 52 (no change)
▪ Graham: 54 (no change)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 46 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 191 (189)
▪ Parkland: 102 (no change)
▪ Puyallup: 131 (132)
▪ South Hill: 100 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 38 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 21 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 63 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 586 (585)
▪ University Place: 60 (59)
▪ Unknown: 8 (no change)
STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH CONFIRMS 2 CASES OF MIS-C
Updated 1 p.m.
The state Department of Health, along with the Snohomish Health District and Public Health – Seattle and King County, confirmed two cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children in the state in a release Friday.
These are the only two cases of MIS-C, which is associated with COVID-19, reported in the state to date, the release says.
Both patients, one is a Snohomish County resident and the other is a King County resident, have been treated at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
One patient is younger than 10 years old, while the other is in the 10-19 age bracket.
“In Washington, we are tracking this issue closely and working with local health departments and providers to learn more,” state health officer Dr. Kathy Lofy said in the release. “Early last week we asked all health care providers in the state to be on the lookout and immediately report possible cases to local health authorities.”
Cases of MIS-C were first recognized in late April in the United Kingdom, the release says, and other states in the U.S. have also confirmed cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory about MIS-C last week following reports of children showing symptoms of severe inflammatory syndrome and symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease.
MIS-C is defined by the CDC as occurring in individuals younger than 21 who present with a fever, have laboratory evidence of inflammation, and require hospitalization with multisystem (two or more) organ involvement. Cases also must have no “alternative plausible diagnoses” and individuals must have had a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to a confirmed case within four weeks prior to the onset of symptoms.
“Seattle Children’s is committed to caring for our region’s most medically complex children, and our team of specialists is well-equipped to care for children presenting with this newly identified syndrome,” Dr. John McGuire, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Seattle Children’s, said in the release. “Although it remains very uncommon, parents should call their primary care providers if their children are showing new or unusual symptoms, such as a persistent fever or headache, abdominal pain with or without diarrhea, fatigue, and respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath.”
STATE APPROVES 4 MORE COUNTIES TO MOVE INTO PHASE 2
Updated 12 p.m.
Four more counties in Washington were given approval Friday to move to the second phase of the state’s reopening plan.
Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved variance applications for Adams, Grays Harbor, Lewis, and Spokane counties to move forward, according to a release from the state Department of Health.
Of the state’s 39 counties, 14 — including the four approved Friday, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry, Pend Orielle, Skamania, Stevens, Wahkiakum and Whitman — have been approved to move to Phase 2.
There are 11 more counties — Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grant, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason, Pacific, San Juan, and Thurston — eligible to apply for variance, the release says.
Counties must “have an average of less than 10 new cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period,” according to the state DOH.
Applications require support from the local health officer, local board of health, local hospitals and the county commission or council, and must include plans for testing, case investigations, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine procedures, and outbreak response procedures.
Kittitas County’s application remains on pause until Tuesday as a virus outbreak is investigated.
NPS UPDATES ON OPEN, CLOSED AREAS AT MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
Updated 11 a.m.
The National Park Service is continuing to increase access in a phased approach during the COVID-19 pandemic, and posted an update about what is open and closed at Mount Rainier National Park on Thursday.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has opened State Routes 410 and 123 between Enumclaw and Packwood, the release says, including Cayuse Pass.
“Visitors can now access the trailheads along these roads and hike in the park,” the release says. “Park with care in designated roadside parking areas.”
Visitors can access the Ohanapecosh area for walk-in use during the day, but should expect limited restroom access and prepare to remove their own trash.
SR 410 East over Chinook Pass remains closed, and the the park’s Nisqually Entrance, Paradise and Longmire areas are closed to private vehicles.
The park is planning to restore access to Longmire and Paradise through the Nisqually Entrance during Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, the release says.
“The park will continue to evaluate updated health guidance and will reopen to vehicles in a phased approach when it is safe to do so,” the release says. “The safety of our park visitors, employees and partners remains Mount Rainier National Park’s top priority.”
A detailed rundown on what is open and closed at the park is available on the NPS website.
TSA UPDATES COVID-19 SECURITY PROCEDURES
Updated 10 a.m.
The Transportation Security Administration said in a release Thursday it has “implemented changes to the security screening process” to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The changes aim to “reduce the potential for cross-contamination at the security checkpoint,” the release says.
TSA has already started implementing these changes, with more to come at airport checkpoints across the nation in June.
“In the interest of TSA frontline workers and traveler health, TSA is committed to making prudent changes to our screening processes to limit physical contact and increase physical distance as much as possible,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in the release. “We continue to evaluate our security measures with an eye towards making smart, timely decisions benefiting health and safety, as well as the traveler experience.”
Air travel has been steadily increasing, TSA said, prompting response. In the coming weeks, the release says travelers should expect the following:
▪ Being instructed to use the pass reader on the podium to scan both paper and electronic boarding passes instead of handing them to a TSA officer.
▪ Separating food for X-ray screening. Travelers are asked to place carry-on food items in clear plastic bags and place those bags into a separate bin at the checkpoint. TSA Precheck members will not be asked to remove items from their travel bags.
▪ Continuing to ensure they do not have any prohibited items — such as liquids, gels or aerosols over the 3.4-ounce limit — in their carry-on bags. Liquid hand sanitizer containers up to 12 ounces per passenger are allowed by TSA due to the pandemic, but travelers must remove those containers for screening.
▪ Continuing to practice social distancing by reducing direct contact with employees and other travelers, and standing an appropriate distance from others while standing in line.
▪ Being encouraged to wear facial protection to reduce exposure to COVID-19. TSA officers are also now wearing facial coverings at checkpoints. Travelers will also be encouraged to remove items from pockets — such as keys, wallets and cellphones — and placing them directly into carry-on bags instead of bins to reduce frequent touching of bins during screening.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has also updated its health and safety protocols during the pandemic, including requiring all travelers, visitors and airport workers to wear face coverings in public areas of the airport.
FIRE BURNS OLYMPIA HOTEL, DISPLACING HOMELESS GUESTS WHO WERE STAYING THERE DURING PANDEMIC
Updated 10 a.m.
A fire that was reported at about midnight was still burning Friday morning at the Quality Inn hotel in Olympia, according to the Olympia Fire Department.
The department estimates the building will be a total loss. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters arrived at the hotel at about midnight Friday to the 1200 block of Quince Street Southeast and found a shrub burning, Asst. Chief of Operations Mike Buchanan said. That blaze was extinguished, but it spread up the building’s siding and into its attic.
Crews started fighting the fire from inside, but it was difficult to access, Buchanan said. About 45 minutes after crews arrived, it was no longer safe to fight the fire inside the building. Crews and hotels evacuated and firefighters regrouped outside of the building.
“Basically, the fire moved faster than we could,” Buchanan said.
Crews were still on scene at 7 a.m. Friday.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
The fire displaced about 80 guests, Buchanan said. About 50 of those guests were homeless individuals who were staying at the hotel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, city spokesperson Kellie Purce Braseth said. Those guests are at higher risk for COVID-19 complications due to age or underlying health conditions, she said, and had been moved from the hotel from the mitigation site in downtown Olympia.
Intercity Transit buses temporarily housed evacuees at the scene of the fire until the American Red Cross and Quality Inn worked to find guests accommodations at the Red Lion Inn & Suites, Governor Hotel.
WASHINGTON’S COVID-19 DEATH TOLL MAY BE HIGHER, HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Washington state’s COVID-19 death toll could be “two to three times” higher than the current total, according to a report Thursday from The Associated Press.
The state Department of Health had reported 1,037 virus-related deaths as of Thursday, but that total could be much higher because some who died of virus-like symptoms earlier this year were never tested for COVID-19, health officials told the AP.
Health officials have reportedly identified 3,000 deaths dating back to Jan. 1 that involved respiratory symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19.
Since those cases occurred before the state’s first confirmed COVID-19 case on Jan. 21, officials are investigating to determine whether they are coronavirus-related, health statistics manager Katie Hutchinson told the AP.
“It’s going to be extremely hard to figure out if any of these were covid-related,” she said. “So we’re trying to work on that.”
Because of how quickly the outbreak hit the state, Hutchinson said officials had to part from their usual process of counting deaths, and focus on getting data out “in near-real time so immediate decisions could be made to protect the health of Washingtonians.”
COVID-19 deaths that included people who were already in health care facilities after testing positive were easier to confirm. Officials have also identified about 100 deaths not linked to a positive case, but “we can’t rule them in or out,” Hutchinson told the AP. About five deaths related to positive cases involved gunshot wounds.
“Our current dashboard reflects anybody that has died from covid irrespective of cause of death,” Hutchinson said.
She said the data has a 3% variance.
“There’s a commitment to provide data as rapidly as possible and we have to balance that with our commitment to accuracy,” state epidemiologist for non-infectious conditions Cathy Wasserman told the AP. “So the data we are publishing on our website every day are the most accurate data that we have on any given day with the intention to be extremely transparent and make the information as understandable as possible.”
MARY BRIDGE OFFERS INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO WEAR A MASK
Updated 9 a.m.
With facial coverings now recommended in public settings by many health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, with the help of two good dogs, has provided an instructional visual on how to properly wear a mask.
“As masks become our new norm, we thought we’d ask Olaf and Daze for some helpful instructions on how to properly wear them,” the hospital wrote Thursday on Twitter. “As you can see, there’s only one right way.”
Mary Bridge also has a page on its website dedicated to helping adults talk to children about personal protective equipment.
“We are committed to keeping everyone safe in our changing times and realize this can be difficult to explain to children,” the site says. “Our Child Life Specialists developed helpful tips to review with your child in preparation for a visit to Mary Bridge Children’s.”
FRAUDULENT UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS SWARM STATE, TACOMA
Updated 8 a.m.
The state Employment Security Department said Thursday “hundreds of millions of dollars” in fraudulent jobless claims may have been paid with state and federal money in an imposter fraud scheme that targeted Washington.
“We have also zeroed in on stopping the increase in fraudulent claims we’ve seen in recent weeks,” ESD Commissioner Suzi LeVine said in the department’s weekly news release. “We are working closely with federal law enforcement to stop fraudulent activity, to investigate these crimes and get as much of the stolen money as we can returned to us.”
LeVine noted in a news conference Thursday the state may have become an attractive target for fraudulent filings — in which individuals use stolen personal information to apply for unemployment benefits — because it pays among the nation’s highest weekly claims benefit, and was one of the first to add extra benefits as part of the federal COVID-19 relief effort.
LeVine emphasized, as she has in the past, that there was “no breach of our ESD system, and no information was stolen from ESD,” and the information used to file claims was previously stolen from other sources, including during the 2017 Equifax data breach. The New York Times reported last week the fraudulent claims targeting the state could be part of a larger scheme.
LeVine said Thursday reports of fraudulent claims “became a flood” around May 11 or 12, and the ESD has installed countermeasures, such as “hiring more than 100 additional staff to answer questions on our fraud hotline and bringing on more investigators and external fraud experts and analysts.”
In Pierce County, the City of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, the University of Washington Tacoma campus, the Tacoma-based MultiCare Health System, CHI Franciscan locations, and others, have reported being targets of false claims.
According to the ESD, Pierce County had among the highest number of initial filings in the state between May 10-16 — the most current data available — with initial claims up 26% from the previous week, from 12,938 to 16,240.
Workers and employers across the state targeted by false filings are asked to visit the ESD website for information on how to report fraud. The ESD also recommends setting up an account on its site, even if you are still working, so it can send out alerts if fraudulent claims are being filed using your Social Security number. It also recommends visiting the FTC identity theft website.
RAINIERS, DEFIANCE DONATING $5 FROM EACH HAT SALE TO HERO MEALS PROJECT
Updated 8 a.m.
The Tacoma Rainiers and Tacoma Defiance announced Wednesday that $5 from each hat sale the online team store records will be sent to the Hero Meals project, which supports Tacoma restaurants and South Sound essential workers.
“These are unique circumstances, but if you can, head to the online We R Tacoma Team Store, buy a new Rainiers or Defiance hat to rep Tacoma in a time when city pride is so valued, and don it proudly knowing that you did your part to give back to those working to keep R City safe, and fed,” the fundraiser website says.
“This Is R City. Let’s rally together and support a project that truly matters to Tacoma.”
The indirect $5 donations can be made by purchasing Rainiers hats or Defiance hats, while larger donations can be made directly to the participating restaurants through the Hero Meals website.
Hero Meals was established in April through the Downtown Tacoma Partnership with the goal of delivering 100 meals three days per week to frontline workers — including health care workers, first responders, law enforcement, grocery workers and others — serving the community.
For every $25 raised, three meals are donated from one of the participating restaurants downtown, which include Alma Mater, Happy Belly, Indochine, Pita Pit, Stink, The Swiss, The Koi, Wooden City and Zeeks Pizza.
The Rainiers and Defiance will make incremental donations to Hero Meals as hat sales are made.
The “R Hat R City” fundraiser is a reboot of the fundraiser the Rainiers started in November, when hat sales helped benefit the solar panel project at Tacoma’s Jason Lee Middle School.
TACOMA DOME RESCHEDULES TWO MORE CONCERTS
Updated 8 a.m.
The Tacoma Dome announced two more scheduling updates this week.
James Taylor and His All-Star Band, and special guest Jackson Browne, were originally slated to perform this weekend, but that concert has been rescheduled for May 23, 2021, the venue wrote Tuesday on Twitter.
“Fans are advised to hold onto their tickets as they will be honored at the rescheduled event,” the tweet says.
The Weeknd was scheduled to play the Tacoma Dome in August, but the singer announced Wednesday on Twitter his entire “After Hours” tour will be pushed back to 2021, writing “see you when it’s safe.”
The Tacoma Dome later announced the concert would be rescheduled for July 30, 2021.
“All tickets will be transferable to the newly scheduled dates,” The Weeknd’s tweet says. “The tour asks ticket holders to please hold on to your tickets as they will be honored for the new dates. If you are a ticket holder and cannot make the new show, you will receive an email directly allowing you to request a refund.”
The Tool concert scheduled for May 29 has also been postponed, as has the Dude Perfect event planned for July 10. The Bon Jovi (June 10), NGHTMRE (June 27) and Ozzy Osbourne (July 11) concerts have all been canceled, according to the Tacoma Dome’s event page.
STATE REPORTS 146 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 7 DEATHS
Updated 8 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 146 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths Thursday.
Statewide totals have reached 19,117 cases and 1,044 deaths, up from 18,971 cases and 1,037 deaths Wednesday.
Pierce County reported four new cases and one new death Thursday. The county is reporting 1,833 cases and 72 deaths since the virus outbreak began.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, with 7,630 cases and 539 deaths, while Snohomish County has 2,846 cases and 133 deaths and Yakima County has 2,551 cases and 83 deaths.
Garfield County remains the only county in the state without a confirmed case, while seven other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases.
The state has conducted 302,927 coronavirus tests, with 6.3% coming back positive.
This story was originally published May 22, 2020 at 7:59 AM.
