Coronavirus updates: DOH releases latest statewide situation report
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health on Sunday reported 349 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. The department is no longer reporting deaths on weekends.
Pierce County reported 36 new cases on Saturday. Pierce County had a total of 163 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Saturday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 82,548 cases and 2,037 deaths, up from 81,199 cases on Saturday.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 21,453 cases and 751 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,283 cases and 256 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,425, according to the Tacoma Pierce-County Health Department.
All counties in Washington have cases. Wahkiakum is the only county with a case count less than 10.
COVID-19 risk remains high in Washington state despite decreasing activity
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health released the latest statewide situation report. The report shows an overall decline in COVID-19 cases in western Washington and a plateau in eastern Washington, with significant differences from county to county.
Report findings include:
▪ The reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) was close to one in both western and eastern Washington as of August 29. The best estimates of the reproductive number at that time were 1.07 for western Washington and 0.94 for eastern Washington. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining.
▪ There is an overall decline in case counts in western Washington and an overall plateau in eastern Washington. These trends are not uniform and there will continue to be very different trends from county to county.
▪ The overall trends also differ by age. The recent increase in cases among 18 to 24 year olds in eastern Washington was driven by an outbreak in Whitman County. In western Washington, there are moderate increases in cases among people age 0 to 17 and 25 to 39.
▪ Risk remains high throughout the state.
‘While we continue to see some encouraging declines in case counts, it is clear we cannot let our guard down,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said in a release. “The counties where we are seeing plateaus or increases in case counts illustrate the continued importance of limiting the size and frequency of our in-person gatherings, wearing face coverings and staying home when we are sick. We must all consistently take these steps in order to safely reopen schools and protect our communities.”
Coronavirus can be spread through the air, CDC says in updated guidance
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance on how the coronavirus can be spread.
COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets or small particles, such as those in aerosols, that are caused when a person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks or breathes, according to the CDC in a recent update.
“These particles can be inhaled into the nose, mouth, airways, and lungs and cause infection. This is thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the CDC said in its updated guidance.
The CDC added there is “additional evidence” that droplets of air particles can be left in the air and inhaled by others — even traveling beyond 6 feet. ”In general, indoor environments without good ventilation increase this risk,” the CDC said.
“They’ve been paying attention and moving in response to research, so I’m glad to see that they’re continuing and that there’s nobody getting in the way,” Donald Milton, a University of Maryland environmental health professor and expert on aerosols, told the Los Angeles Times on the CDC’s new guidance.
The CDC did not offer additional guidance on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Possible solutions could be more tightly-fitted masks and improved ventilation, Jose-Luis Jimenez, a chemistry professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, told The Washington Post.
WNBA postpones game between Storm and Lynx due to COVID-19
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The opener of the WNBA playoff series between the Seattle Storm and the Minnesota Lynx was postponed nearly 90 minutes before its scheduled tipoff Sunday because of inconclusive COVID-19 test results for Storm players.
The players with inconclusive results have undergone additional testing and are in isolation, according to the WNBA.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was at the hotel when she found out about the inconclusive results and boarded the Storm’s bus to let them know.
“We needed more testing and data,” Engelbert said in a TV interview. “As soon as I talked to them they were concerned about health and safety, and it wasn’t about basketball at that point.”
The Lynx already had arrived at the arena and some of the players had been warming up when they were told the game was postponed.
“This is the hardest part of COVID-19 of putting on live sports,” Engelbert said. “Every day you’re reset to zero. Keeping the bubble safe and making sure there’s no community spread. The purpose of testing program and protocols is to pull anyone out before they are infectious.”
The league announced Sunday night that Game 1 of the best-of-five semifinal series would be played on Tuesday. That was supposed to be Game 2.
“We want to make sure we have all the data and testing if someone is affected with COVID,” Engelbert said. “We can isolate them and take care of their safety. Hopefully we’ll get good data over the next 24 to 48 hours. Hopefully get back on the court for Game 1 on Tuesday. We will test them tonight and have additional testing on those players that had inconclusive results.”
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 9:31 AM.
