Coronavirus updates: Taste of Tacoma to reschedule; Pierce County restaurants reopen in Phase 2
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Saturday, June 6.
INSLEE ISSUES REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORTS TO RESUME
Updated 8 p.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee’s office released requirements for professional and amateur and youth sports to resume in the state Friday.
The document outlines health and safety requirements for both indoor and outdoor professional sporting activities, as well as outdoor youth team sports and outdoor adult recreational team sports.
“All professional sporting activities, indoor and outdoor, outdoor youth team sports, and outdoor adult recreational team sports operating during the Safe Start Washington phased reopening must adopt a written procedure for employee safety and customer interaction that is at least as strict as this procedure and that complies with the safety and health requirements below, including recreation-specific guidance,” the document says.
According to the document, professional sporting activities, “including back office operations of up to 50 people, unless a county’s then-current phase permits a greater number of people, full team practices, and spectator-less games and competitions” were able to resume as of Friday, as long as the following conditions could be met:
▪ Organizations must follow league an team specific return to play safety plans.
▪ The league plans must be approved by the player’s association or union representing the players.
▪ The team must report in advance to its county health department the dates when full team practices and preseason games without spectators will occur.
▪ For horse racing, a separate set of specific guidances must be followed.
This gives clearance from the state for the Mariners and Seahawks to resume activities in the Seattle area for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state in March. The Sounders resumed voluntary trainings in Tukwila last month.
Though, the NFL and MLB have yet to allow players back into team facilities in King County.
Some Mariners players have resumed voluntary workouts at the club’s spring training facility in Peoria, Arizona, but MLB and the MLB Players Association remain in a labor standoff, and have not settled on a plan for a possible return to play this summer.
The Seahawks facility in Renton, like all other NFL team facilities, remains closed indefinitely to players. The belief is facilities will remain closed to players until the start of training camp, which for Seattle is scheduled to begin July 29.
For youth and adult outdoor recreational sports, Inslee’s guidance states leagues can resume practices when their county is in Phase 2 if “players are limited to groups of five in separate parts of the field, separated by a buffer zone” and if the practice can “follow social distancing of a minimum of five feet between players with no contact.”
“Each league, organization, or club must publish and follow a ‘return to play’ safety plan,” the document says. “Parents and household members must not congregate on the sidelines during practice.”
Game play can resume when a county reaches Phase 3, but total gathering at a game cannot exceed 50 people.
“For sporting complexes with multiple fields or other playing surfaces, the 50-individual limit is counted on a per-field, not a per-complex basis,” the document says.
The requirements are not intended to “obligate a facility owner to reopen a facility,” the document says.
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK EXPANDS PUBLIC ACCESS
Updated 5 p.m.
Mount Rainier National Park has expanded its public access, and reopened the Nisqually to Paradise Road in the park’s southwestern corner, according to a Saturday release.
“This expansion provides public vehicle access to the Longmire National Historic District and to Paradise,” the release says. “Limited services will be available, including restrooms and trailheads throughout the corridor.”
Access has also been expanded on the eastern side of the park near the White River and Ohanapecosh campgrounds for hiking and picnicking. Overnight use will resume at a later date, the release says.
Recreation on the Upper Mountain, above 10,500 feet, will open June 19.
“Public access is expected to expand further during the summer based upon updated risk assessments and staffing availability,” the release says.
For a full breakdown of areas that were reopened this week, visit the park’s website.
WHITMAN COUNTY APPROVED FOR PHASE 3
Updated 5 p.m.
Whitman County is the eighth county in Washington to move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved the move Saturday, according to a release.
Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens and Wahkiakum counties were approved for the third phase Friday.
There are 25 counties now in Phase 2, including Pierce, Clark, Okanogan, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom, which were also approved to move forward Friday.
King County was approved for a modified version of Phase 1.
There are five counties in the state that remain in Phase 1. Chelan and Douglas counties submitted applications Friday to move into a modified Phase 1, and are currently being reviewed.
Counties must remain in a new phase for at least three weeks before becoming eligible to move into the next phase, and can be moved back to earlier phases if circumstances surrounding public health change.
STATE REPORTS 449 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 4 DEATHS
Updated 4:20 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 449 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths Saturday.
Statewide totals have reached 23,442 cases and 1,153 deaths, up from 22,993 cases and 1,149 deaths Friday.
King County remains the hardest hit with 8,417 cases and 576 deaths, while Yakima County has 4,366 cases and 100 deaths and Snohomish County has 3,025 cases and 152 deaths.
Pierce County reported 18 new cases and one death Saturday, bringing its totals to 2,036 cases and 80 deaths.
Seventeen of the state’s 39 counties have reported more than 100 cases, and 11 counties have reported at least 10 virus-related deaths.
Garfield, the state’s least populous county, remains the only county without a reported case. Seven other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases each.
There are 25 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There were 18 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted to state hospitals on May 29, the most recent date with complete data. The total number of people who have been hospitalized in the state stood at 3,652 on Saturday.
There have been 400,588 tests conducted in the state with 5.9% 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 18 NEW CASES, 1 DEATH
Updated 2:30 p.m.
Pierce County reported 18 new COVID-19 cases Friday. One additional death – a Tacoma woman in her 90s with underlying health conditions — was also reported.
The county’s totals are now at 2,036 cases and 80 deaths since the outbreak began.
The health department’s website says it has “stopped reporting deaths of COVID-19 patients whose cause of death was not attributed to the disease.”
There have been 20.8 new cases per 100,000 residents during the past 14 days, the site says.
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 29,916 tests conducted in the county with positive results at 6.7%, according to the state Department of Health.
That total does not include negative tests from long-term care facilities or the 77,000 tests not yet assigned to a county.
Saturday’s geographical case totals are listed below with Friday’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 48 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 146 (no change)
▪ East Pierce County: 58 (no change)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 93 (no change)
▪ Frederickson: 67 (66)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 55 (no change)
▪ Graham: 67 (64)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 7 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 50 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 211 (209)
▪ Parkland: 123 (120)
▪ Puyallup: 143 (no change)
▪ South Hill: 105 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 39 (38)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 21 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 66 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 658 (649)
▪ University Place: 69 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 10 (11)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
TASTE OF TACOMA WILL BE RESCHEDULED
Updated 8 a.m.
The annual Taste of Tacoma food festival, which was originally scheduled to run from June 19-21 at Point Defiance Park, will be rescheduled according to a Saturday morning email update from the Emerald Queen Casino hosted event.
The free festival, presented by BECU, is celebrating its 35th year in Tacoma, and draws large outdoor crowds annually that would not be permitted until the fourth phase of Gov. Jay Inslee’s plan to reopen the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new date has not yet been determined.
“While we are disappointed to not be celebrating the Taste with you in June, we want you to know that we are working closely with local (organizations) and authorities to understand what Phase 4 will look like for community events and festivals overall,” the update says.
Should Pierce County, which was approved for Phase 2 on Friday, move into Phases 3 and 4 after the minimum three-week requirement, the soonest the festival could run would be sometime in July.
“Our goal is provide a safe environment for all guests while enjoying this iconic festival, and, to ensure that the Taste meets all required health and safety guidelines, we are redesigning the layout and logistics to include social distancing measures, minimal contact transactions, etc.,” the update says.
“We want you to know that we are TRULY doing our absolute best to continue to bring this free-to-attend family-friendly community festival to Tacoma, this year, and in many years to follow.”
RESTAURANTS, TAVERNS REOPENING IN PIERCE COUNTY FOLLOWING PHASE 2 APPROVAL
Updated 8 a.m.
Several restaurants in Tacoma and across Pierce County reopened at limited capacity almost immediately Friday, following the county’s approval to move into Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan for the state.
“Customers are already here,” Russ Heaton, the owner of Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma told The News Tribune just after 11 a.m. Friday, not long after the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department email landed in inboxes.
Many restaurants and taverns across the county have been shut down completely since the COVID-19 pandemic forced statewide closures in March.
Per the guidelines for Phase 2, restaurants and taverns can only operate at 50% capacity, tables must be spaced at least 6 feet apart or have physical barriers between them, and parties can include no more than five people. Bar seating must remain closed until Phase 3.
Pierce County is one of 26 counties now in Phase 2 that is allowed to open restaurants and taverns with restrictions, while seven of the state’s counties have moved into Phase 3 and King County has entered a modified Phase 1, which allows for some business reopenings. Five counties remain in Phase 1.
Heaton said his staff is striving “get everything exactly right” and is “sweating the smallest details” as they welcome back customers.
The Church Cantina on South Tacoma Way and Indochine on Pacific Avenue were among eateries that reopened Friday, while Shakabrah Java on Six Avenue and The Social on the Thea Foss Waterway have plans to reopen Saturday.
Tacoma breweries 7 Seas and Narrows Brewing also announced reopenings Friday.
“We’re finally open for in-house consumption!” Narrows Brewing wrote in an Instagram post. “We’ll continue to practice social distancing and intense sanitization of the tasting room.”
Follow along with The News Tribune for a running list of restaurants reopening for dine-in business.
STATE REPORTS 264 NEW COVID-19 CASES, 11 DEATHS
Updated 8 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 264 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths Friday.
Statewide totals are now at 22,993 cases and 1,149 deaths, up from 22,729 cases and 1,138 deaths Thursday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit, with 8,371 cases and 576 deaths, while Snohomish County has 3,014 cases and 152 deaths and Yakima County has 4,141 cases and 99 deaths.
Pierce County reported nine new cases and one death Friday, and is up to 2,018 cases and 79 deaths since the outbreak began.
The total number of hospitalizations with a confirmed case in the state were at 3,639 on Friday.
The state has conducted 390,863 tests, with 5.9% 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.
This story was originally published June 6, 2020 at 7:57 AM.
