Coronavirus updates: State launches updated risk assessment dashboard
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Wednesday, June 3.
Updated at 6 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 327 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and six deaths.
Statewide totals are now at 22,484 cases and 1,135 deaths, up from 22,157 cases and 1,129 deaths on Tuesday.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 8,264 cases and 573 deaths. Snohomish County has 2,991 cases and 150 deaths, while Yakima County has 3,838 cases and 97 deaths. Pierce County reported a total of 1,988 cases and 75 deaths
Washington’s least populous county, Garfield, remains the only one without a case. Seven other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases each.
There are 28 cases that haven’t been assigned a county.
Nineteen people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on May 26, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 88 admittances, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
The total number of people who have been hospitalized in Washington state with a confirmed case of COVID-19 stood at 3,578 on Wednesday.
Washington state has conducted 377,327 tests, with 6% coming back positive. The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are given to patients while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
Pierce County reports 22 new COVID-19 cases
Updated at 6 p.m.
Pierce County reported 22 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and no new deaths where COVID-19 was the specific cause.
The county total is now 1,988 cases and 75 deaths, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Five additional deaths have involved patients with COVID-19 but are not counted among the official death toll where the disease has been determined the likely cause. One of the five was cited in Wednesday’s report, a Tacoma man in his 20s with underlying health conditions.
“He had COVID-19 but it was not the cause of death,” according to the health department.
Case and death data can change as new information emerges to correct duplicates, false positives or to assign a case to another county.
Wednesday’s total was a spike from recent days, but Stacy Page, a communications representative for the health department, told The News Tribune late Wednesday that the increased number was because of a data lag in reporting.
Tacoma alone reported 11 new cases.
As part of the Phase 2 application process, Pierce County needs to see fewer than 25 new cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period.
According to the health department on Wednesday, Pierce County had 18.4 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past 14 days —166 new cases in the last 14 days, an average of 11.9 new cases each day.
On Tuesday, state Secretary of Health John Wiesman warned that the large gatherings, including recent protests, raised the risk of additional COVID-19 cases, and called on attendees to “do their best” to maintain social distancing, wear a face covering and practice good hygiene.
“The masks really can help ... This remains an extremely dangerous virus,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in response to questions on the same issue on Wednesday.
The health department estimates that the number of still-active confirmed cases in Pierce County is 410.
Pierce County to reopen some outdoor restrooms
Updated 2:25 p.m.
Pierce County will begin reopening restrooms at various park locations as resources allow.
Restrooms will be cleaned daily and supplies will be monitored. Unhealthy or unsafe conditions may result in intermittent closures. Park outdoor spaces are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Protocols created to promote respectful use including limiting travel, shortened stays and social distancing measures remain in effect. Public gathering, events and team sports, including practices, are still restricted.
Recreation centers, picnic shelters, and fields at athletic complexes will remain closed until Phase 3, except for specific permitted or preauthorized activities.
Crowded parks may result in future closures; therefore Pierce County is asking that everyone continue working together and remember to limit travel, stays and contact. Pierce County Parks will continue to follow safety protocols and update recreational opportunities in accordance with Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start reopening recommendations.
King County applies for limited, modified openings
Updated at 12:45 p.m.
King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci, and King County Board of Health Chair Joe McDermott submitted a plan to the state Department of Health that would allow limited and modified openings for a wide range of businesses and personal activities.
The county’s application includes recommendations from King County local health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin that would:
▪ allow all outdoor recreation permitted in Phase 2 in Gov. Inslee’s Safe Start plan
▪ expand opening indoor fitness studios for one-on-one activities
▪ allow restaurants to begin opening indoor seating at 25% of normal capacity
▪ allow hair stylists and other personal services at 25% capacity
“Our plan to safely reopen our region’s economy is based on the latest data, recommendations by Public Health experts, and insight from communities and businesses,” Constantine said. “We are ready to take the next careful step toward an equitable recovery that benefits everyone who calls King County home.”
State launches updated risk assessment dashboard
Updated at 8:45 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee and the state’s Joint Information Center have launched an updated version of the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard. The updated dashboard provides researchers and the public a better ability to see what’s happening at the regional and county level when it comes to COVID-19 activity, testing and healthcare system readiness.
“As we begin to gradually reopen and shift to a county-based plan, it’s crucial we keep a close eye on if, where and how COVID-19 is spreading,” Inslee said. “Washingtonians have been doing their part to keep each other healthy and safe, and we want to keep up that good work. We hope the data provided in this dashboard helps us all make well-reasoned decisions about how we can reopen safely.”
Inslee announced his updated county-based Safe Start reopening plan on May 29. With this new approach, counties will have more flexibility to demonstrate they can safely allow additional economic activity based on targeted metrics.
Many of those metrics have been incorporated into the dashboard so it’s easier to see how well a county is meeting key targets. The metric goals are intended to be applied as targets, not hardline measures, and reflect recommendations from the Washington State Department of Health. The targets each contribute to reducing risk of disease transmission, and are to be considered in whole. Where one target is not fully achieved, actions taken with a different target may offset the overall risk.
“This data, combined with the additional information provided by counties when they apply for approval to move to a new phase, will help us work together to determine when it’s safe for a community to move forward,” said John Wiesman, Secretary of the Washington State Department of Health.
The new Power BI dashboard, built through a partnership with Microsoft, provides a dynamic new way of displaying what had previously been static snapshots of manually-compiled data. In the weeks to come, the new dashboard will also incorporate data related to case investigations and contact tracing and high risk populations.
The dashboard is fed with data from multiple sources including the Washington State Department of Health, the state’s new WA HEALTH hospital reporting system, the state Department of Social and Health Services and more.
“We are proud to partner with Washington state’s COVID-19 incident response team, by providing the technology and data analytics to have better visibility into the regional and county level development of COVID-19,” said John Kahan, Chief Data Analytics Officer and global lead for the AI for Health program. “This will inform our local governments with key metrics to determine the next steps in the phased Start Safe approach.”
Inslee issues guidance for libraries, drive-in theaters in Phases 1 and 2
Updated at 8:45 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee today issued guidance for library operations, including plans to resume service through the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, in Phase 1 and Phase 2, and drive-in theater operations for Phase 2.
Through the Washington “Safe Start” plan, more businesses and activities will re-open in phases, with adequate safety and health standards in place. Each phase will be at least three weeks.
Counties can apply to move to the next phase of “Safe Start”. County applications will be approved or denied by the secretary of the Department of Health. Twenty-seven counties have been approved to move to the next phase.
The Phase 1 guidance for reopening the Talking Book and Braille library is here.
The Phase 2 guidance for libraries is here.
The Phase 2 guidance for drive-in theaters is here.
Inslee extends residential eviction moratorium through Aug. 1 with changes
Updated at 8:45 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday extended the moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment of rent through Aug. 1 and made several changes to it that will affect tenants and landlords.
They include:
▪ Allowing eviction based on property damage, “except for damage that is not urgent in nature, including conditions that were known or knowable to the landlord prior to the COVID-19 crisis.”
▪ Prohibiting retaliation against any tenant who invokes rights or protections under the proclamation.
▪ Allowing owners to evict tenants if the owner plans to occupy or sell the property, after providing at least 60 days’ notice; and
▪ Establishing a defense to any lawsuit for tenants if a landlord fails to offer a reasonable repayment plan.
Inslee initially put the eviction moratorium into place on March 18. On April 16, he renewed the moratorium through Thursday and expanded it.
The proclamation that the governor signed Tuesday continues the prohibition on landlords assessing late fees or other charges.
Also, landlords still are prohibited from increasing rents or deposits for residential tenants, as well as for commercial properties as long as those tenants have been impacted by COVID-19.
The latest version of the moratorium, however, exempts commercial property rent increases that were executed in a rental agreement before the governor declared the state of emergency on Feb. 29.
Jim Baumgart, a senior policy adviser to Inslee, said Aug. 1 was chosen for the end of the extension because the moratorium will stretch over two more rental periods, providing a “sense of predictability.”
Baumgart said the governor’s office is preparing for a “transitional period” through the proclamation signed Tuesday.
“There are still longstanding issues that we’re going to have to deal with, like back rent. Those types of things are not going to be quickly or easily resolved for either landlord or tenant,” he said.
Baumgart said an estimated 10 percent of Washington’s 1.2 million renters have been unable to pay because of the damage that the COVID-19 epidemic has done to the state’s economy.
Large protests probably will lead to some COVID-19 cases, state health official says
Updated at 8:35 a.m.
The large protests in Washington state against the type of police use of force that led to George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis probably will lead to additional COVID-19 cases, state Secretary of Health John Wiesman said Tuesday.
“When you just have large groups of people together and we have a pandemic, there is likely to be some kind of infection there. And we know that somewhere between maybe 20-25 percent and 40 percent of folks who have COVID may be asymptomatic — and that can pose a risk as well,” he said at a press briefing.
The state will study epidemiological data to determine if there is any spike of COVID-19 cases associated with the protests, Wiesman said.
He said he was not aware of any cases associated with protests over the past several weeks against Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order and partial business closures.
In response to a question from a reporter, Wiesman said outdoor activities are less of a risk for the spread of COVID-19 than those indoors, outdoor activities with fewer people are less risky than ones with large groups, and activities where people are at least 6 feet apart from others are less risky.
“The concerning piece here is when you have lots of people who are close to each other and for any kind of period of time. ... We do know that when people are speaking more loudly or singing, there seems to be more risk from the virus in terms of the droplets,” he said.
Wiesman requested those who are 65 years old or older and those of any age with underlying health conditions to “give careful thought” to taking part in large demonstrations.
He said the state encourages people to avoid large crowds. If people choose to attend protests, they should “do their best” to maintain social distancing, wear a face covering, and practice good hygiene, Wiesman said.
Videos of demonstrations in Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia show many protesters wearing facial coverings, but some without them.
“We understand people’s desire to express their concerns and outrage over what is happening and to stand in solidarity with our people of color and our black people. In these times, there are multiple ways to do that ... that are much less risky than others,” he said.
Wiesman said people can reach out to black friends and other people of color with a message of support, write elected officials about the types of policies and reforms that should be made in the wake of Floyd’s death, and have conversations with family members and children about racism.
On Sunday, Wiesman released a statement about the “violent, senseless death” of Floyd. He said public health must continue to respond and lead with racial equity and social justice.
“Racism is a public health threat that can’t be ignored. And leading with racial equity and social justice requires us to prioritize the health and well-being of historically marginalized and oppressed communities — including Black, Indigenous and People of Color, individuals with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community, to name a few,” Wiesman said.
Fishing trawler in Washington state has 86 coronavirus cases
Updated at 8:45 a.m.
A fishing trawler in Washington state has 86 crew members who tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.
Ship operator American Seafoods said the American Dynasty trawler first docked in Bellingham May 26, The Bellingham Herald reported Sunday.
The Seattle-based crew are not showing symptoms and remained on the ship while it was in Bellingham, the company said.
The results of nine tests are still outstanding.
The American Dynasty returned to the Port of Seattle and is under quarantine, American Seafoods said in a statement.
“The crew has access to any required medical care, and we are thrilled with the support that the agencies we are working with have provided,” American Seafoods CEO Mikel Durham said.
“We have also put in place preparedness procedures in the event of a virus outbreak,” Durham said.
The American Dynasty can carry a crew of 142 and is a factory vessel fishing for pollock, hake and sole. The ship was carrying a crew of 124, including a medic, American Seafoods spokesperson Suzanne Lagoni said.
A crew member tested positive for the coronavirus while the ship was docked in Bellingham and remains in a hospital for treatment after being admitted Friday.
American Seafoods said it activated its COVID-19 response plan, which includes testing all crew members on board.
Crew members were screened and tested through the University of Washington before boarding the vessel, Durham said.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 8:50 AM.
