Coronavirus update: Nursing home employee tests positive; Target, CVS, more require masks
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Saturday, July 18.
Updated 9:02 a.m.
Positive coronavirus cases are continuing to climb, with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reporting Friday that it has confirmed 856 cases in the past 14 days, an all-time high since the pandemic started.
Washington is still preparing to adhere to the revised Phase 3 guidelines, which start July 20. The guidelines will limit gatherings to 10 people, with few exceptions.
Orting nursing home employee tests positive
An employee tested positive on July 13 at the Washington Soldiers Home, a nursing home operated by the Washington State Department of Veterans.
Additional symptom surveillance and environmental cleaning took place shortly after.
Communications and Legislative Director Heidi Audette said that one other resident had the virus in April, but no new cases have been reported yet since then.
The employee is the first staff member to test positive since the start of the pandemic.
Target, CVS, Publix requiring facemasks in all stores nationwide
Target, CVS Health and Publix Supermarkets are requiring customers to wear face masks in all locations starting Aug. 1, the AP reported.
This comes after Walmart, Starbucks, Best Buy, Kohl’s and Kroger Co. made similar announcements.
Washington among least-prepared in hospital capacity, study says
Washington ranks 41st among states in hospital capacity, a report from Insurance Marketplace site Quote Wizard says.
The report took into account physicians and beds per 1,000 people, percent of beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and growth in seven day moving average of cases.
Washington’s 102% moving increase in cases was one factor in it being low on the list.
Private and charter schools receive most PPP funding
Private and charter schools in Pierce County received the bulk of the $10 million in PPP all schools in Pierce County received.
The private Annie Wright Schools topped the list with $2.1 million in PPP, with Charles Wright Academy ($2 million) and charter Summit Public Schools ($1.5 million) taking the second and third spots.
No live music until 2022, says Lollapalooza co-founder
In a podcast Thursday, Lollapalooza co-founder Marc Geiger said he thinks it unlikely that live concerts or music festivals will return before 2022.
He described the current environment as a “germaphobia economy” that will take time to disappear.
Additional national news
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suing the city of Atlanta for implementing a mask order within city limits, and 48 workers at an NFL stadium being built in California tested positive.
The News Tribune’s Josephine Peterson and Drew Perine, the Associated Press’s Anne D’Innocenzio and McClatchy’s Mike Stunson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 10:12 AM.