Coronavirus updates: State passes 83k cases
Updated at 12 p.m.
Tacoma Community House is partnering with Pierce County and Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to provide free COVID-19 testing on Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The address is 1314 S L St. Tacoma, WA 98405
Volunteers will help people register on site. No identification is required. Results willl be available in five to seven days. Anyone can be tested. It’s important to get tested if you:
▪ Experience fever, chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, loss of smell, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
▪ Were close to a person with COVID-19 or attended a gathering with many people.
▪ Are a member of an at-risk community: Alaska Native, American Indian, Black, Hawaiian, Latinx and Paciifc Islander.
State passes 83k cases Tuesday
Updated at 9:20 a.m.
After reporting errors caused the Washington state Department of Health to retract data on Monday, the agency reported new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths on Tuesday.
Statewide totals Tuesday evening from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 83,193 cases and 2,070 deaths. Cases stood at 82,548 on Sunday and deaths were at 2,037. Those were the last confirmed numbers before Monday’s data reporting errors.
On Tuesday, the U.S. death toll passed the 200,000 mark — a number roughly equivalent to the population of Salt Lake City.
Pierce County reported 43 cases Tuesday and two new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 166 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Nineteen people with confirmed COVID-19 cases were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Sep. 3, the most recent date with complete data. Late March had two days with 88 people admitted, the highest numbers to date during the pandemic.
On Sept. 11, the most recent date with complete data, 12,656 specimens were collected statewide, with 3.3% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 3.1%. More than 1.74 million tests have been conducted in Washington.
The test numbers reflect only polymerase chain reaction tests, which are administered while the virus is presumably still active in the body.
King County continues to have the highest numbers in Washington, with 21,559 cases and 757 deaths. Yakima County is second, with 11,301 cases and 257 deaths. Pierce is third with cases at 7,655.
All counties in Washington have cases. Eleven counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
On Tuesday, Washington had a 1,099-per-100,000-people case rate. The national rate is 2,063, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana has the highest rate in the United States at 3,487. Vermont is lowest at 275.
There had been more than 6.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 200,724 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Tuesday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation. More than 968,000 people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 31 million.
L&I issues COVID-19 Hazard Alert on hospital worker safety
Updated at 9:20 a.m.
Concern over COVID-19 cases in hospital workers has prompted the Washington State Departments of Labor & Industries and Health to clarify and update hospital guidance to prevent the spread of the virus to staff and patients.
The state Hazard Alert highlights key worker safety and health requirements and guidance on employee training, proper use of respirators and Personal Protective Equipment, social distancing, disinfecting procedures and the importance of a comprehensive infection control program. The alert aligns hospital requirements with the most current information about transmitting the virus.
“Health care workers are on the front lines of the pandemic caring for others. This Hazard Alert spells out what hospitals must do to take care of all of their workers to prevent them from getting infected on the job,” said Anne Soiza, L&I assistant director for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).
“Employee safety and patient safety are equally important,” Soiza added.
The alert covers several key areas including training on COVID-19 procedures and infection control. You can read the specifics here.
Department of Health rolls back Monday COVID data after errors are discovered
Updated at 9:20 a.m.
COVID-19 data released by the state Department of Health on Monday, Sept. 21 have been rolled back.
As of Tuesday morning, deaths and case numbers posted on the state’s coronavirus dashboard is accurate to Sunday. DOH said they discovered errors after posting the data on Monday.
DOH believes the incorrect data posting only occurred on Monday.
State announces new COVID relief funds to support nonprofits helping youth
Updated at 9:20 a.m..
The Washington State Department of Commerce is partnering with School’s Out Washington to distribute approximately $9 million in state Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding to respond to the impact of COVID-19 by supporting programs serving school age kids and young adults facing the most significant challenges to educational and economic opportunity.
School’s Out Washington developed application criteria and will award grants between $10,000 and $50,000, based on the organization’s 2019 budget. Priority consideration will be given to programs that serve youth with lower access to educational opportunity and whose leaders are reflective of the populations they serve.
Youth development includes three primary types of programs: Expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) such as afterschool and summer programs, mentoring and wrap-around services that connect youth with social-emotional and non-academic supports integrated within a school setting.
These funds are separate from the grants announced by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for organizations working with school districts to support school-based learning for the duration of this school year.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 9:31 AM.
