Coronavirus updates: State passes 44K cases; judge rejects challenge to emergency powers
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Thursday, July 16.
Updated at 5:25 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Thursday reported 1,267 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths. The DOH said it received a backlog of about 300 cases from hard-hit Yakima County, which are reflected in the count.
Pierce County reported a record high of 89 new cases Thursday but no new deaths. Pierce County had a total of 101 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 44,313 cases and 1,427 deaths, up from 43,046 cases and 1,421 deaths on Wednesday.
Thirty-two people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Wednesday, July 8, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 people admitted, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 753,174 coronavirus tests. On July 8, the most recent date for which data is complete, 12,540 specimens were collected statewide, with 6% testing positive. That compares with 8,684 specimens and a 6% positive rate on June 8; 5,162 specimens and a 4.9% positive rate on May 8; and 5,048 specimens and an 7.8% positive rate on April 8.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 12,558 cases and 631 deaths. Yakima County has the second-highest numbers, with 8,805 cases and 190 deaths.
All counties in Washington are now reporting cases. Five of them have case counts of less than 10.
There had been more than 3.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 138,185 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 588,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
Inslee limits Phase 3 gatherings to 10
Updated at 5:25 p.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that gatherings in phase 3 counties will be limited to 10 people as of Monday.
That does not apply to spiritual services, or to weddings and funerals.
Inslee also said live in-person entertainment that has already been banned in restaurants and bars will now be banned more broadly, including drive-in concerts.
He talked about the potential for further restrictions if COVID-19 transmission continues to grow, including the possibility of another stay home order this year.
Pierce County reports 89 new cases
Updated at 5:20 p.m.
Pierce County reported 89 new COVID-19 cases Thursday and no new deaths on the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s website.
The latest report is the highest single-day reporting of new cases since the start of the pandemic, breaking Saturday’s previous record of 81.
The county has reported 3,485 cases and 101 deaths since the first case in the pandemic was recorded March 6.
The county estimates 1,277 still-active cases.
According to data posted on the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department COVID tracking page, a total of 13 outbreaks were recorded in the county the week of July 4, up from seven the week prior to that.
Outbreaks consist of at least two cases tied to the same location. The health department told The News Tribune this week that outbreaks are happening across a full spectrum of sites.
Health department director Dr. Anthony Chen told the Board of Health at its Wednesday study session that the department on Tuesday had reached out to 722 people in contact tracing investigations.
“This is unprecedented amounts of contact,” Chen said.
On Wednesday, Nigel Turner, the health department’s director of Communicable Disease, told the Board of Health that, from what they’ve learned in contact tracing investigations, cases are involving, “a younger population ... associated with informal social gatherings and associated with businesses, but they tend to be very small outbreaks .... ones and twos and threes, not larger outbreaks.”
The county has reported 850 cases in the past 14 days, an average of 60.7 cases per day. The 14-day case rate per 100,000 people is 94.2.
The age group with the biggest percentage of cases is 20-29, representing 22 percent of the county’s cases but just under 14 percent of the population.
On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee limited gatherings further in Phase 3 counties (Pierce is currently in Phase 2) and said live, in-person entertainment that has already been banned in restaurants and bars will now be banned more broadly, including drive-in concerts.
He also floated the possibility of another statewide stay-home order if cases continue to spiral upward.
Daily totals for cases and deaths can change as the county receives new information, finds duplicate data or is assigned cases originally attributed to other counties.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. This week, Rite Aid launched drive-thru testing at some of its stores in Washington, including 7041 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma, and 5700 100th ST. SW Suite 100 in Lakewood. More information is available at www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/services/covid-19-testing
For more information on other local testing sites, go to www.tpchd.org/covidtest.
Thursday’s geographical case totals are listed below with previous day’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 85 (82)
▪ Central Pierce County: 226 (221)
▪ East Pierce County: 92 (89)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 148 (147)
▪ Frederickson: 126 (125)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 95 (93)
▪ Graham: 101 (97)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 18 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 117 (113)
▪ Lakewood: 346 (341)
▪ Parkland: 203 (199)
▪ Puyallup: 225 (no change)
▪ South Hill: 173 (169)
▪ South Pierce County: 68 (65)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 40 (41)
▪ Spanaway: 118 (116)
▪ Tacoma: 1,112 (1,074)
▪ University Place: 160 (156)
▪ Unknown: 32 (28)
Judge rejects challenge to Inslee’s emergency powers
Updated at 9:10 a.m.
A U.S. judge in Spokane has firmly rejected a water park’s challenge to Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency powers as the state responds to the coronavirus pandemic.
Slidewaters LLC, a water park in Chelan, sued the governor and the Department of Labor Industries last month, saying that Inslee abused his power in declaring the emergency and that the state’s restrictions were likely to prevent it from opening for the summer.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice previously rejected the park’s request for a restraining order that would have allowed it to open. Slidewaters nevertheless opened eight days later, on June 20, and it remains open, despite the threat of $10,000 or more in fines from the state.
On Tuesday the judge dismissed the case with prejudice, saying it is well settled that states have the authority to enact quarantine and other public health laws pursuant to their police powers.
Rice also rejected the park’s claim that it could operate safely in a reduced manner under social-distancing measures.
“It is not the Court’s role to second-guess the reasoned public health decisions of other branches of government,” he wrote.
Rice returned the case to Chelan County Superior Court for consideration of the state’s counterclaims against Slidewaters. The state is seeking a ruling that the park has violated the governor’s proclamation, an order enjoining them from operating, and legal expenses.
Sydney Phillips, an attorney with the conservative Freedom Foundation who represented the park, said Wednesday that Slidewaters will appeal the dismissal.
“Obviously, Slidewaters is disappointed in the ruling and the way Judge Rice summarily dismissed the claims,” Phillips said.
State reports 742 new cases Wednesday
Updated at 9:10 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Wednesday reported 742 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths.
Pierce County reported 67 new cases and one new death. Pierce County had a total of 101 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 43,046 cases and 1,421 deaths, up from 42,304 cases and 1,404 deaths on Tuesday.
Thirty-six people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Tuesday, July 7, the most recent date with complete data. March 23 saw 89 people admitted, the highest number to date during the pandemic.
Washington state has conducted 733,886 coronavirus tests. On July 7, the most recent date for which data is complete, 13,710 specimens were collected statewide, with 5.9% testing positive. That compares with 2,433 specimens and a 4.5% positive rate on June 7; 4,583 specimens and a 5.7% positive rate on May 7; and 5,083 specimens and an 8.1% positive rate on April 7.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 12,325 cases and 630 deaths. Yakima County has the second-highest numbers, with 8,436 cases and 187 deaths.
All counties in Washington are now reporting cases. Five of them have case counts of less than 10.
There had been more than 3.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 137,277 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 582,000 people have died from the disease worldwide.
Port underwrites help for small business through partnership with Highline College
Updated at 9:10 a.m.
The Port of Seattle continued to help COVID-19 recovery efforts in South King County with the approval of a three year, $160,000 agreement with the Highline College Small Business Development Center to provide small, woman and minority business enterprises with training and assistance for those interested in doing business with the Port.
“COVID-19 devasted local business and workers, but the most vulnerable communities have been hit the hardest,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Fred Felleman. “This funding serves as a first step, rapid response to serve this critical need. The Port is proud to partner with Highline College which has the expertise to deliver these support services to small businesses in these impacted communities.”
This investment marks the first expenditure for the Port’s South King County Fund, a unique program to develop equity-based partnerships and provide resources and support in historically underserved near-airport communities.
The fund was created to address noise mitigation, environmental health and sustainability in and around the ethnically diverse cities of Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, SeaTac and Tukwila.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 9:13 AM.
