Coronavirus updates: Inslee announces distribution of $365 million in federal funds
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Wednesday, July 1.
Updated at 5 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Tuesday reported 611 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths.
Statewide totals have reached 33,435 cases 1,339, up from 32,824 cases and 1,332 deaths on Tuesday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 10,304 cases and 612 deaths. Yakima County has 7,128 cases and 159 deaths while Snohomish County has 3,535 cases and 171 deaths. Pierce County reported 34 new cases and one deaths on Wednesday, bringing its totals to 2,587 cases and 90 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 171 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
There were 33 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted to state hospitals on June 23, the most recent date with complete data. The total number of people who have been hospitalized in the state stood at 4,402 on Monday.
There have been 571,964 tests conducted in the state with 5.8% 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 34 new cases
Updated at 2:20 p.m.
Pierce County reported 34 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and one additional death.
Pierce County totals are now 2,587 cases and 90 deaths since the county’s first case was reported March 6, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
The new death reported Wednesday involved a University Place woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions.
Daily totals can change as the county receives new information about cases, finds duplicate data or is assigned cases originally attributed to other counties.
The county has reported 415 cases in the past 14 days, according to the health department. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 46.0, and average cases per day over the past 14 days is 29.6.
As of Wednesday, the county reported an estimated 596 still-active cases.
The county continues to see a spike in new cases, pushing past 50 in one day on June 26, a level not seen since mid-April.
On Tuesday, health department director Anthony Chen announced he would withdraw the county’s application for an expanded Phase 2 for now, amid the sharp rise in cases.
Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan is geared toward a slow reopening of businesses and society in hopes of avoiding spikes in the spread of coronavirus. Pierce County was approved for Phase 2 on June 5.
In Tacoma alone, 18 new cases were reported Tuesday. On Tuesday, 47 new cases were reported.
Pierce County is among others in Western Washington to see numbers of new cases grow at rates more reminiscent of times earlier in the pandemic.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. For more information on local testing sites, go to www.tpchd.org/covidtest.
Wednesday’s geographical case totals are listed below with previous day’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 52 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 175 (173)
▪ East Pierce County: 64 (no change)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 112 (111)
▪ Frederickson: 85 (84)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 71 (68)
▪ Graham: 77 (76)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 11 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 70 (67)
▪ Lakewood: 270 (267)
▪ Parkland: 153 (152)
▪ Puyallup: 178 (176)
▪ South Hill: 130 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 49 (48)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 30 (29)
▪ Spanaway: 88 (86)
▪ Tacoma: 837 (828)
▪ University Place: 109 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 26 (22)
Taste of Tacoma canceled
Updated at 2:10 p.m.
The annual Taste of Tacoma, a three-day food and music festival in Point Defiance Park, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced Tuesday. Sister event Bite of Seattle also has been canceled, according to event host Festivals Inc.
As the coronavirus befell northwest Washington, Emerald Queen Casino and BECU postponed the event, originally scheduled for June 19 to June 21. They planned to reschedule to late summer as they developed a robust health and safety plan to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions.
Ultimately, they determined it would be nearly impossible to host the festival given public health mandates and the “unforeseeable and unpredictable future” for large gatherings in Washington state, according to a release.
Reported cases of COVID-19 have risen across the country in recent weeks, after nearly three months of stay-at-home orders expired and businesses reopened.
“Despite this devastating news, while we will miss bringing the community together to enjoy three days of food and fun in Tacoma, our top priority remains the health and safety of our guests, vendors, employees, bands, chefs and all involved who help make the Taste of Tacoma the ultimate summer get together,” said Festivals Inc. president Brett Gorrell.
The Bite of Seattle, held at at Green Lake Park, has also been canceled for the first time since 1982.
Fitness center fined for violating Safe Start order
Updated at 2:10 p.m.
A fitness center near Yakima is facing nearly $10,000 in fines for operating in violation of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start order.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cited company owner Bradshaw Development, Inc. this week after L&I inspectors found Anytime Fitness Selah open for business on June 15 when it should’ve been closed under the governor’s order.
L&I inspected the Selah facility after receiving multiple complaints from the public and a referral from the Yakima Health District that Anytime Fitness was operating in violation of the governor’s proclamation. When L&I inspectors went to the facility they saw several employees working, as well as customers entering and using the facility.
Before L&I conducted the inspection, state workers contacted the business multiple times; they informed the business about the order and directed it to close.
The governor’s Safe Start proclamation prohibits most businesses from operating unless their county is in the appropriate phase of the statewide plan to reopen their economy and other aspects of daily living. Anytime Fitness Selah is in Yakima County, one of the state’s most active areas for COVID-19 infections.
The county remains in Phase 1, the most restrictive tier of the four-phase state plan.
Nearly $365 million in federal funds distributed
Updated at 8:50 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state has distributed nearly $365 million in federal funds to help with COVID-19 response and relief efforts across Washington.
Distributed this week to seven state agencies and the University of Washington, the allocations include nearly $351 million in federal CARES Act funding and $13.5 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To date, the state has distributed more than $950 million in federal COVID-19 relief and response funds.
“This next installment of funds for communities all over the state will be put to work right away to help stabilize and restart our state’s economy,” Inslee said. “These funds are going to those who need it the most— renters, small businesses, tribes and non-profit organizations working with young people. We will continue to everything we can to ensure that Washingtonians have what they need to be secure, stable and healthy.”
This week’s distributions include $163 million to the state Department of Commerce to provide aid to many of those hardest hit by the economic fallout from the worst pandemic in more than a century. It includes:
▪ $100 million to provide rent assistance to low-income renters at risk of homelessness, using an existing framework to send rent payments directly to landlords.
▪ $20 million to provide grants to help small businesses, support for local economic development organizations providing assistance to businesses, and support for data-driven recovery plans by region and industry.
▪ $20 million to provide operating grants to support nonprofits working to address disparities and inequities exacerbated by increased need and decreased funding due to COVID-19, including a variety of community and youth development programs.
▪ $20 million to assist Tribes with their pandemic recovery related efforts.
The state also sent $45 million to the Department of Health to support the agency’s COVID-19 emergency response efforts and to support its testing and contact tracing activities in Yakima.
Another $61 million went to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, mostly to assist child care providers and families receiving services from the Working Connections Child Care program. The Department of Agriculture also received $15.2 million to cover increased demands for the state’s Emergency Food Assistance Program.
The University of Washington received nearly $24 million, largely to support the university’s COVID testing efforts and reimburse UW Medicine’s public health response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Inslee issues and extends COVID-19 response proclamations
Updated at 8:50 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation designed to help cities and towns continue adopting comprehensive transportation improvement plans amid municipal resource and revenue shortages due to COVID-19.
This proclamation goes into effect June 30and expires on July 30.
Inslee also extended a proclamation waiving and suspending provisions in agreements between the state and tribes that restrict the use of fuel tax refunds to highway or transportation purposes.
The proclamation, which went into effect on May 28, expired June 27. The legislature extended it until July 1. The governor has requested further extension.
Alaska Airlines could ban non-masked flyers from travel
Updated at 8:50 a.m.
Alaska Airlines says its flight attendants can issue warnings to passengers who refuse to wear a mask which could lead to them being banned from future flights.
Starting in early July, the airline will hand yellow cards to noncompliant passengers, advising them that it is their “final notice” and that a written report about them will be made, The Seattle Times reported. If a passenger continues to refuse, it will be noted in the report and a decision could be made to ban the passenger from future flights.
“Overwhelmingly, those who fly with us understand and appreciate the importance of wearing masks and face coverings during this time of COVID-19,” a statement Tuesday on the airline’s blog said. “Our flight crews encounter moments when some travelers disregard or disobey our mask requirement. It creates tension and anxiety for many of our passengers who do have their face coverings on. So, a change is needed.”
Airline officials also said they understand some people cannot wear masks and exceptions are allowed in some cases.
Airlines nationwide have grappled with how to handle mask requirements and other complaints tied to social distancing. The Trump administration and federal regulators have left enforcement to individual airlines.
Although all airlines except Allegiant were requiring masks — and that airline will now mandate them starting July 2 — some have been less aggressive than others about enforcement.
L&I furloughs will mean reduced services for four days in July
Updated at 8:50 a.m.
Starting this week, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is participating in the state’s furlough plan as a result of the budget shortfall related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many L&I employees will be furloughed on the following four dates in July:
▪ Thursday, July 2
▪ Friday, July 10
▪ Friday, July 17
▪ Friday, July 24
L&I’s Tumwater and field office locations will be closed to the public on furlough days, and many employees will not respond to phone calls and email on those days. L&I is also closed July 3 to observe Independence Day.
L&I services vital to public health and safety — Insurance Services, Occupational Safety and Health, and electrical inspections — have some staff working on furlough days. This ensures there are no delays in workers’ compensation benefits, and quicker responses to urgent workplace safety and health issues.
People can contact these groups as normal:
Insurance Services: Contact the assigned claim manager.
Occupational Safety and Health: 1-800-4BE-SAFE.
The Electrical Program staff will continue to perform scheduled inspections on these days.
Health director withdraws recommendation for Phase 2.5 amid increasing COVID cases
Updated at 8:50 a.m.
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Director of Health, Dr. Anthony Chen, said he wants to cancel plans to move into a modified Phase 2 of Washington’s Safe Start COVID-19 recovery plan.
“I am no longer in a hopeful place. Because the health of our community is my top priority, I am withdrawing my recommendation for Pierce County to apply for an expanded Phase 2,” Chen said in a Tuesday blog post.
Pierce County has reported almost 400 new and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Pierce County’s 14-day case total is 44.1 per 100,000, which nearly doubles the Phase 2 target of 25 or fewer cases per 100,000 residents over a 14-day period.
The percentage of positive tests is increasing.
“We are at 3.6% while our target should be less than 2%,” the blog post said. “This means the increases are from more disease and not just more testing.”
The July 1 Board of Health meeting included a resolution to submit an application to enter the modified Phase 2.
Board Chair Catherine Ushka said in an email she requested the removal of the item.
“The board will still discuss this under the COVID-19 response report on the agenda,” she said.
An expanded Phase 2 would allow outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people for social and recreational purposes. Indoor gatherings of up to five people per week from other households would be allowed. Libraries and museums could open with physical distancing and Phase 3 safety requirements.
The modified phase would not allow recreational activities like team sports and the opening of public swimming pools, where respiratory droplets are highly likely to be released. All other businesses and religious services would remain the same.
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 8:51 AM.
