Live updates: 22 coronavirus deaths; cases run spectrum of age groups in Washington state
Updated: 6:00 p.m.
The number of presumed positive coronavirus COVID-19 cases in Pierce County rose from four to seven on Monday.
The number of tests run for Pierce County patients so far is nearly 200, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in a Monday blog post on its website.
“As of March 9, we have tested almost 200 Pierce County residents and have confirmed 7 positive cases. The good news is about 80% of people who get the virus will have mild symptoms and can easily recover at home.”
The three new patients include a woman in her 60s from the Gig Harbor area, a Puyallup woman in her 50s, and a Tacoma woman in her 80s.
Pierce County’s four earlier presumed positive cases include the following: a Lakewood woman in her 30s, a Tacoma woman also in her 30s, a Tacoma man in his 40s and the county’s first case: a Puyallup man in his 50s.
According to figures from the state Department of Health, the confirmed cases listed on the state database appear spread across all age groups, though the smallest percentage so far is among those younger than 30.
As of Monday afternoon, 162 confirmed cases have been logged from eight counties.
King County still has the most reported positive COVID-19 cases at 116, followed by Snohomish at 37.
The state’s death toll rose Monday to 22.
The state also noted on its list of daily totals that there had been 1,149 tests come back negative as of Monday.
Also Monday, A Clover Park Technical College student who was quarantined after exhibiting symptoms similar to coronavirus has been cleared to leave the hospital and can return to campus. School officials were notified Monday morning.
The South Hill and Lakewood campuses were closed March 4 to undergo a sanitizing process. The campuses are now back open.
The city of Tacoma announced Monday that its South Sound Sustainability Expo, scheduled for March 14 and T-Town City Services Expo on March 28 will be rescheduled for dates to be announced later.
On Monday, The News Tribune reported that a city of Tacoma employee in the city’s Environmental Services Solid Waste Division tested presumed positive for COVID-19, coronavirus.
— Allison Needles contributed to this report
INFO SOUGHT ON ANTI-COMPETITIVE PRACTICES, PRICE FIXING OF PRODUCTS
10:30 a.m.
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said anyone caught price-fixing or rigging bids for personal health protection products such as gloves and face masks could face criminal prosecution.
“The department’s recently announced Procurement Collusion Strike Force will also be on high alert for collusive practices in the sale of such products to federal, state, and local agencies,” it said in a news release Monday.
Anyone with information on price fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation schemes, or other anticompetitive conduct should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center: 888-647-3258, or go to http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The announcement follows last week’s move by Washington state’s attorney general also calling on consumers to alert them of any potential price gouging as a result of the state’s current health crisis.
Reports in recent weeks surfaced of high prices charged for face masks and hand sanitizer on sites such Amazon by third-party vendors.
Information on filing a complaint at the state level is available here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint
FIRST WHATCOM COUNTY SCHOOL CLOSURE
10:21 a.m.
In response to the spread of new coronavirus across Washington state, Lummi Nation School announced Sunday it will be closed Tuesday, March 10, to allow staff members a chance to receive training and for the sanitation of the school.
“While there is no current cause for concern, staff members will spend the day training as well as sanitizing equipment and furniture ensuring a safe and healthy environment for our students, their families and our staff,” the school said in an online statement about the closure.
— David Rasbach, The Bellingham Herald
GREEN RIVER COLLEGE SWITCHES TO ALTERNATIVE CLASS FORMATS
10:00 a.m.
Green River College is the latest college to alter activities amid the state’s coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement issued Monday, the college said day and evening classes for Monday, March 9, were canceled “as we prepare to move courses to alternative formats starting Tuesday (March 10).
“The remainder of winter quarter classes will be completed in a manner that reduces face-to-face meetings.”
However, “All GRC offices will remain open during this time to provide key services to our community.”
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 11:31 AM.
