Coronavirus updates: Inslee on report showing increased transmission; state reaches 26,158 cases Monday
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Monday, June 15.
Updated at 6 p.m.
A gym brand familiar in Washington state is closing nine of its area gyms as part of a bankruptcy filing announced Monday.
In a statement, 24 Hour Fitness blamed the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on business.
Along with the filing, the company expects to secure about $250 million in debtor-in-possession financing.
“If it were not for COVID-19 and its devastating effects, we would not be filing for Chapter 11,” CEO Tony Ueber said in a statement. “With that said, we intend to use the process to strengthen the future of 24 Hour Fitness for our team and club members, as well as our stakeholders.
“We expect to have substantial financing with a path to restructuring our balance sheet and operations to ensure a resilient future.”
According to the announcement, “During the time of phased club reopenings, all club members will have access to any available 24 Hour Fitness club through the end of 2020, regardless of membership level.”
The following gyms are among the closures listed on 24 Hour Fitness’ website:
▪ Capital Mall site, Olympia
▪ 915 Auburn Way N., Auburn
▪ Bollinger Village, Seattle
▪ Everett 19th Avenue SuperSport, Everett
▪ Kent Kangley Super Sport, Kent
▪ 5919 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Suite K, Lakewood
▪ Puyallup SuperSport, 307 37th Ave., Puyallup
▪ Renton Highlands Active, Renton
▪ 2913 NE 72nd Dr., Vancouver, Washington.
The chain’s Tacoma SuperSport gym, 111 S. 38th St., which opened in September 2017 in the former Albertsons/Haggen grocery space, reopens July 7, according to the website. At the time it opened, it was the chain’s 20th Washington site.
The Puyallup location included on Monday’s closure list was the company’s 21st Washington site, and opened just last year.
The closures affect more than 100 sites nationwide.
Washington state reports 324 new cases Monday
Updated at 6 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Monday reported 324 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.
Pierce County reported 13 new cases and no new deaths Monday. Pierce County had a total of 83 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Friday.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 26,158 cases and 1,221 deaths, up from 25,834 cases and 1,217 deaths on Sunday.
Sixteen people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on June 6, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 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 3,856 on Monday.
Washington state has conducted 462,602 coronavirus tests, with 5.6 percent 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.
There have been more than 2.1 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 116,081 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 434,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 8,785 cases and 592 deaths. Snohomish County has the second highest number of deaths at 156. Yakima County has the second highest number of cases at 5,450.
Washington’s least populous county, Garfield, remains the only one without a case. Six other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases each.
Updated at 4 p.m.
Pierce County reported 13 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday and no additional deaths.
The county’s totals are now 2,137 cases and 83 deaths since the first case was reported March 6.
Pierce County had 184 new cases in the past 14 days, an average of 13.1 new cases each day. There have been 20.4 new cases per 100,000 residents during the past 14 days, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department website says.
As of Monday, the county reported an estimated 344 active cases.
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 34,128 tests for the coronavirus conducted in the county with positive results at 6.3 percent, according to the state Department of Health.
That total does not include negative tests from long-term care facilities or the 94,000 tests not yet assigned to a county.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. For more information, go to tpchd.org/healthy-people/diseases/covid-19/testing-information.
Monday’s geographical case totals are listed below with Sunday’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 48 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 149 (147)
▪ East Pierce County: 60 (59)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 98 (97)
▪ Frederickson: 70 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 56 (no change)
▪ Graham: 70 (69)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 8 (7)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 56 (55)
▪ Lakewood: 219 (no change)
▪ Parkland: 129 (no change)
▪ Puyallup: 153 (151)
▪ South Hill: 108 (107)
▪ South Pierce County: 40 (no change)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 22 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 70 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 688 (683)
▪ University Place: 81 (80)
▪ Unknown: 12 (no change)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
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.
Pierce County Library System opens book drops
Updated at 11:10 p.m.
Pierce County Library System staff is ready to serve Pierce County residents with limited services from the library buildings, while the buildings remain closed to the public to help reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic 2019 (COVID-19).
Book drops are now open at eight of the Library System’s 20 libraries: Fife, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Parkland/Spanaway, South Hill, Summit, Sumner and University Place Pierce County Libraries. In the coming weeks, the Library will open book drops at its other locations. The Library thanks people for holding onto library books, movies and other items for the past several months.
Also, given the ongoing economic burden brought on by the pandemic as well as the overall disruption to library services, the Library System will not assess fines for overdue books and materials for the remainder of 2020.
Free Wi-Fi service is now available for use outside of all of the library buildings in parking lots, with a continued emphasis on social distancing.
Staff is also making plans to offer curbside service for people to pick up books, movies and other materials, as well as copies of prints people may send remotely to printers in the libraries this summer.
For now, staff will be checking in safely the thousands of books and movies people will return to the libraries. At the same time, staff is processing thousands of new books that will be ready for readers.
Librarians and other staff are preparing the library buildings to offer more learning and enjoyment services for Pierce County communities. The Library is reimaging services for the public and starting with limited services, as it readies its operations and offerings to bring more services safely in the coming weeks and months.
Inslee statement on report showing increased transmission
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement after the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report, which shows COVID-19 transmission continued to increase throughout Washington, as of the end of May.
It read:
“Washingtonians have done the hard work to flatten the curve on COVID-19 and we know this has been tremendously difficult for families, businesses and communities over the past few months. But today’s report shows us there is still reason for strong concern in parts of our state. The report estimates cases and deaths will soon increase substantially if COVID-19 continues to spread at current levels.
“The cases in Benton, Franklin and Yakima counties are of particular concern. I joined the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) this morning as they shared data with leaders in these three counties. This data will force us to look for some creative solutions and strengthen our strong local - state partnerships to address the disease activity.
“To continue tackling this virus, we must increase testing and mask-wearing, and maintain physical distancing and hospital capacity, as well as target interventions for high-risk populations such as long-term care facilities and indoors, including close proximity workplace operations, such as food processing and agricultural housing.
“This is not the time to give up on efforts to protect ourselves, our families and our communities. We are still in the middle of a pandemic that is continuing to infect and kill Washingtonians.”
Washington state reports 296 new cases on Sunday
Updated at 8:30 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Sunday reported 296 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four additional deaths.
Statewide totals have reached 25,834 cases and 1,217 deaths, up from 25,538 cases and 1,213 deaths on Saturday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 8,722 cases and 591 deaths. Yakima County has 5,384 cases and 120 deaths while Snohomish County has 3,136 cases and 156 deaths. Pierce County reported 19 new cases and no deaths on Sunday, bringing its totals to 2,125 cases and 83 deaths.
Garfield, the state’s least populous county, remains the only county without a reported case. Six other counties are reporting fewer than 10 cases each.
There are 48 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There were 16 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted to state hospitals on June 6, the most recent date with complete data. The total number of people who have been hospitalized in the state stood at 3,856 on Sunday.
There have been 462,602 tests conducted in the state with 5.6% 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.
Puyallup animal rescue to reopen, but drastic changes necessary because of COVID pandemic
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Sunny Sky’s Animal Rescue will reopen June 17 but look exceptionally different because of impacts of the coronavirus.
The Puyallup rescue center has lost its hospital and restructured the way it allows people to search for pets. Instead of housing animals at its facility at 1102 E. Main Ave., the shelter will disperse them to foster families.
“We will use foster homes for our available animals, and, during shelter hours, foster families will bring the animals to the shelter for viewing,” former employee Jessica Vendetti said.
Loss of revenue during the COVID-19 crisis caused the nonprofit to shut down its low-cost hospital, said Vendetti, who worked at the front desk for 12 years.
“We no longer have any staff and are fully operated by a volunteer team,” a statement on the organization’s site said.
The adoption center hours will be limited hours to Wednesdays and Saturdays noon to 5 p.m. Sunny Sky’s will hold adoption events, where foster pets can be taken home, and the building will become a meeting site for those wanting to adopt an animal.
If a pet isn’t working out or there is an emergency, kennels and shelter will be provided.
Once the foster network is set up, the building will hopefully be empty most of the time, Vendetti said.
There will be public health safety measures in place. Volunteers will wear masks. There will be hand-washing stations. Time with dogs will be outside in the yard away from others, and the queue will be out front with 6-foot markers to promote social distancing, Vendetti said.
Currently, the team is working to implement a pre-approval system to streamline the adoption process, meaning more time with the animals and less time filling out paperwork at the shelter.
Puyallup businesses take extra steps to clean as they reopen during COVID-19 pandemic
Updated at 8:30 a.m.
Deep cleaning has become a priority for Puyallup businesses as they reopen.
The added price of cleaning is seen as another concern by business owners, but local cleaning services have been able to bounce back quickly due to the need.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a rollercoaster for Community Clean co-owner Lacey Noble and her husband.
Community Clean, an antimicrobial commercial cleaning company, lost 80 percent of its business when businesses closed to comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home orders in mid-March.
Employees were laid off, and Noble said it was hard because company’s 10 employees are close.
Once Pierce County was approved for Phase 2, business ramped up quickly. Within the week, 30 businesses contacted her to deep clean their dental offices, health care facilities, warehouses and spas. Noble said her company was almost back to full capacity.
Noble said the virus has shown the importance of hiring certified cleaning services. The process her team uses includes an electrostatic sprayer and a solution that is “biostatic.” She described the solution as having spikes that ruptures the cell body of any pathogen. The disinfectant is active for up to 90 days.
Randy Anderson, who owns four restaurants, said Puyallup’s Wicked Pizza has added dividers to separate staff from customers, frequently cleans door handles and high-touch spots and changed faucets and paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms to be hand-free.
Menus are paper, to be thrown away after each use and staff wear masks. He’s hired a cleaning company to come in once a month to deep clean the restaurants.
“It’s an added cost to open,” he said.
The Puyallup Main Street Association said in a blog post that downtown businesses have been sanitizing public areas frequently, wearing proper personal protective equipment, practicing social distancing, maintaining reduced occupancy and offering touch-free payment systems.
To further public health safety measures, the Puyallup Main Street Association asks customers also to take measures.
“Please be sure to use the hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting, wear a mask or some sort of face covering to keep the spread of the virus down and protect the employees, practice social distancing, use public restrooms and stay home if you are sick,” the nonprofit said in the blog post.
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 8:31 AM.
