Coronavirus updates: State reaches 147,537 cases
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The Washington state Department of Health reported 6,277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 36 deaths Monday. The numbers reflect case totals from both Sunday and Monday and deaths from Saturday-Monday.
Pierce County reported 160 cases Monday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 224 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Monday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are at 147,537 cases and 2,655 deaths, up from 141,260 cases Sunday and 2,619 deaths Friday. Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
Sixty-four people were admitted to Washington state hospitals on Nov. 4, the most recent date with complete data. Average daily hospitalizations peaked in early April at 78. Preliminary data shows hospitalizations have been increasing in November.
On Nov. 12, the most recent date with complete testing data, 26,863 specimens were collected statewide, with 9.7% testing positive. The average positive test rate for the seven days prior was 8.7%. More than 2.9 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 39,634 cases and 859 deaths. Pierce County is second, with 15,077 cases, according to the state’s tally. That number differs from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s tally due to lags in reporting data. Yakima County has the second highest number of deaths at 294.
All counties in Washington have cases. Six counties have case counts of fewer than 100.
For the past seven days, Washington had a case rate of 21.3 per 100,000 people. The national rate for the same period is 52 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. North Dakota has the highest rate in the United States, at 160. Hawaii is the lowest, at 6.6.
There have been more than 12.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 257,514 deaths from the virus in the United States as of Monday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has the highest number of reported cases and deaths of any nation.
More than 1.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide. Global cases exceed 59 million.
What does it mean that COVID vaccine candidates have over 90% efficacy?
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
A major vaccine developer announced Monday that its coronavirus vaccine has an average efficacy of 70%, joining two others that reported an efficacy rate of over 90% in late-stage clinical trials.
Pfizer, Moderna and now the British-Swedish company AstraZeneca are in line to provide the country with three different COVID-19 vaccines if given government approval.
But what does vaccine efficacy mean?
Contrary to everyday language, it doesn’t carry the same definition as “effectiveness,” at least not in science.
“Vaccine efficacy” is measured in controlled clinical trials under “ideal conditions,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, a vaccine efficacy of 90% means there was a 90% reduction “from the number of cases you would expect if [trial participants had] not been vaccinated.
Drugmaker Pfizer said it measured its coronavirus vaccine’s efficacy by evaluating confirmed COVID-19 cases that occurred a week after participants’ second dose.
But data collection on new vaccines doesn’t stop after clinical trials. Researchers will continue to monitor how the COVID-19 vaccine prevents symptoms, severe disease and deaths over several years — in other words, the vaccine’s “effectiveness,” which can only be measured once the general population has been vaccinated.
This includes how well the vaccine performs in different groups of people, how long protection lasts and how well it can prevent infections from different virus strains that may evolve over time, wrote Zania Stamataki, a viral immunologist at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., in an article for The Conversation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says in order for a COVID-19 vaccine to be effective, its efficacy “should be at least 50%” during clinical trials.
The World Health Organization also set a minimum efficacy of 50% for coronavirus vaccines, but it prefers “at least 70%.”
Stamataki said it’s unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be 90% effective once researchers see how it performs in the general public.
“Very few vaccines, aside from measles and chickenpox – are 90% effective. The flu vaccine is around 40%-60% effective, but it still saves millions of lives. And that’s something to celebrate,” she wrote.
New shutdown expected to cost Washington restaurants $800M
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
A four-week shutdown on indoor service at restaurants and bars prompted by an alarming statewide spike in COVID-19 cases is expected to cost the industry some $800 million, a representative said Monday.
Anthony Anton, chief executive of the Washington Hospitality Association, urged lawmakers from both parties to begin figuring out ways to support restaurants as well as hotels and other hospitality businesses so they have a plan ready to go when the Legislature next meets.
“The hospitality industry has been hanging by a thread,” Anton told an online news conference. “This has been a tough, tough year for our main streets and our industry.”
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday an additional $70 million in grants for businesses, as well as $65 million for loans and other assistance — federal money appropriated through the CARES Act. Anton said that while anything helps, that would only cover about two days of losses.
Four lawmakers joined Anton at the news conference — Democratic Sen. Karen Keiser of Kent and Rep. Larry Springer of Kirkland, an Republican Sen. Shelly Short of Addy and Rep. Gina Mosbrucker of Goldendale. Mosbrucker runs a hotel in Goldendale, while Springer has run a wine shop and bar for decades.
“Tourism and hospitality, small businesses are the heartbeat of these communities, and these shutdowns have just destroyed them,” Mosbrucker said. “We’re very grateful that the governor expanded the amount of dollars he’s putting in, but it’s simply not enough.”
Likely relief for the industry could include reducing or suspending business and occupation taxes and the costs of unemployment insurance. But the most significant help will have to come from Congress, Springer said.
“There is no amount of state revenue that will come anywhere close to the kind of financial needs this industry has,” he said.
Seahawks make the COVID-19 obvious official: no fans at next two home games, either
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The sad reality of sports—and American life—in 2020 continues.
The Seahawks announced on Monday what had already been obvious: they will not have fans at their next two home games.
Just as they haven’t at the first five.
The spread of the coronavirus, and Washington and King County’s ongoing restrictions trying to slow COVID-19, will keep Lumen Field empty of fans well into December. And likely the rest of this season.
“Due to the current case counts of COVID-19 in our state, we will continue playing without fans in attendance at our home games on Dec. 6 (vs N.Y. Giants) and Dec. 13 (vs. N.Y. Jets),” the Seahawks said in a statement Monday afternoon. “We are continuing to work closely with local public health and government officials and are committed to following their lead to keep our community safe.”
The Seahawks have one more home game after those against the Giants and Jets to end the regular season: Dec. 27 against their NFC West-rival Los Angeles Rams.
There are no signs from Gov. Jay Inslee, local public-health official or trends in COVID-19 cases in Washington and King County that suggest conditions will improve enough that fans can watch sporting events in person in Seattle this year.
“We will keep fans informed as decisions are made for our Dec. 27 home game and beyond,” the team’s statement said. “We continue to urge all fans to remain vigilant with physical distancing, mask wearing and following all local guidelines.”
