Coronavirus updates: State passes 10,000 cases; Pierce County passes 900
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Saturday, April 11.
WASHINGTON PASSES 10,000 COVID-19 CASES
Updated 5 p.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 337 new COVID-19 cases and 16 additional deaths Saturday.
Statewide case totals have passed 10,000, and are at 10,224 with 491 deaths, up from 9,887 cases and 475 deaths Friday.
King County continues to be the hardest hit with 4,241 cases and 282 deaths, while Snohomish County has 1,798 cases and 68 deaths and Pierce County has 922 cases and 19 deaths.
Of the state’s 39 counties, all but Garfield County have reported cases, with Benton (246), Clark (217), Franklin (112), Grant (111), Island (154), King (4,241), Kitsap (129), Pierce (922), Skagit (173), Snohomish (1,798), Spokane (247), Whatcom (252) and Yakima (296) all reporting more than 100 cases.
Seventeen counties have reported at least one virus-related death.
There are 764 cases that have not been assigned to a county.
Nearly 88,000 people in Washington have been tested, with the positive cases at 8.6%. Testing data has been updated through April 3.
The DOH is now also able to report COVID-19 data on hospitalization and race and ethnicity, according to a release.
“DOH is committed to promoting equity and social justice and is pleased to now have these data available for our collective understanding of the impacts to Washingtonians,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said in the release.
“Based on the available data at this time, it does not appear we have the same stark inequities in deaths experienced in other parts of the country. However, we are still working to get race and ethnicity data for a third of the deaths, so we can’t draw firm conclusions quite yet.”
PIERCE COUNTY REPORTS 48 NEW COVID-19 CASES
Updated 1:45 p.m.
Pierce County reported 48 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, bringing its total to 922 cases, up from 875 cases Friday.
The county did not report any additional deaths Saturday. It has 19 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began.
Saturday’s report also changed a death reported Friday that was not categorized correctly. It was changed from Gig Harbor to Tacoma. One positive case was also reassigned to another county.
Daily case totals can change as the county receives new information about cases or finds duplicate data. The health department has released a statement on delays in data posting.
Saturday’s geographical totals are listed below with Friday’s numbers in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 25 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 54 (50)
▪ East Pierce County: 27 (25)
▪ Edgwood/Fife/Milton: 52 (50)
▪ Frederickson: 30 (24)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 44 (no change)
▪ Graham: 35 (no change)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 6 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 21 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 73 (70)
▪ Parkland: 41 (39)
▪ Puyallup: 45 (43)
▪ South Hill: 56 (51)
▪ South Pierce County: 17 (16)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 8 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 30 (29)
▪ Tacoma: 324 (309)
▪ University Place: 32 (30)
▪ Unknown: 2 (0)
Daily reports include cases received by 11:59 p.m. the previous day.
CONGRESS CONSIDERING POSSIBILITY OF GUARANTEED INCOME
Updated 12 p.m.
While guaranteed income ideas are unlikely to be included in the next legislation, which could be considered as early as next week, congressional talks continue about the possibility of ongoing payments to those who have lost jobs or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who co-chairs the House Progressive Caucus, is leading an effort to have the federal government fund businesses so employees can be paid the equivalent of up to $100,000 of their annual salary for at least three months.
Jayapal’s proposal would also keep workers enrolled in employer-sponsored benefits, including health care, for that period, and self-employed workers and independent contractors would be eligible.
The program would be renewed each month the the economic downturn persists.
“A paycheck guarantee will enable a speedier recovery and reduce the ultimate cost of the crisis to taxpayers by keeping people employed,” Jayapal noted.
The plan would ease the problems caused by an overwhelmed unemployment benefit system, she said.
“Workers would not be forced to apply for unemployment insurance, overwhelm that system and then have to once again find a job,” she said. “Businesses of all sizes would be able to keep workers on payroll and benefits — and be able to quickly re-open — partially or fully — without having to rehire and retrain their workforce.”
Jayapal and others have argued that the one-time payment from the federal government beginning this month — $1,200 for most adults plus $500 for dependents — is not enough if the downtown continues.
Jayapal’s effort would include monthly payments of up to $2,000 per eligible adult plus $1,000 for families with children for up to six months, with the possibility of another six-month extension.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has proposed the federal government covers 80% of each worker’s payroll cost up to the national median wage — which was reported as $39,000 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in January — regardless of size.
Hawley’s plan would allow firms that re-hired laid-off workers to be eligible.
“The goal is to protect the job of every worker. The proposal does not call for size thresholds,” Hawley’s spokeswoman Kelli Ford told The Kansas City Star, referring to the restrictions on payroll aid in the law adopted last month.
“This is because a worker who is laid off from a mid-size firm of say 501 employees needs just as much help as a worker laid off by a small business. It’s also important to avoid complicated eligibility criteria that requires businesses to consult with lawyers and bankers to find out if they qualify,” she continued, noting the rocky roll-out of the paycheck protection program.
Hawley’s idea has been pitched to lawmakers in both parties and the White House, Ford said.
“Regarding cost, this program would stem layoffs and prevent workers from going on unemployment benefits in the first place,” she said. “With more workers on payroll and more firms staying in businesses, this also means the taxpayer does not need to spend money on future bailouts.
“All of these factors will help to offset the program’s cost. Instead of a patchwork-style process, this is a smarter use of resources — and better for workers and their families.”
Leaders are also discussing a new economic aid package that would focus on additional aid for businesses, hospitals and state and local governments.
PUYALLUP RESIDENT REMEMBERED FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY
Updated 11 a.m.
Puyallup resident Petra Karr will be remembered for promoting community involvement in Puyallup and Sumner.
She encouraged community members into participate in productions, shows and dances, and her authenticity kept people coming back.
Karr died Tuesday from complications related to COVID-19. She was 60.
Karr was hospitalized in March while continuing her fight against cancer with chemotherapy treatments, tested positive for the virus there, and passed a week later.
She was the artistic director of ACT 1 Theatre, had a bachelor’s degree in theater from Pacific Lutheran University and was a member of the Washington State Thespian Board, Washington Arts Alliance and the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce.
During Sumner’s Wine Walks, Karr choreographed a flash mob “Thriller” dance in scarecrow costumes during the fall, and a “sweetheart” dance for February.
One holiday season, she created Norman Rockwell-themed store fronts with community members doing their best to hold poses as people walked by.
She also incorporated a murder mystery-themed night for customers, getting people to guess who had stolen the Sumner rhubarb pie.
Sumner’s Mayor Bill Pugh said she will never be forgotten.
“She brought song, dance, drama and humor that added an extra spark to life in Sumner, especially in our downtown, through our parades and at her studio,” Pugh said. “We are going to miss her a lot, but we know that every time we have the courage to add a little music, she’ll always be a part of that.”
‘SLIGHTLY ILLEGAL’ BRIDGE BANNER BRINGS TACOMA TOGETHER DURING PANDEMIC
Updated 10 a.m.
The “Get well soon” banner that was hanging off the southern side of the Murray Morgan bridge in Tacoma has been removed — but for the 26-plus hours it was up, it was meant to send a message of solidarity and community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hanging the 70-foot long handmade banner from the bridge Sunday morning wasn’t exactly legal, but it remained there until Monday.
The idea was to “engage community, encourage people and remind them that they’re not alone,” said Lance Kagey, who didn’t directly admit involvement.
Kagey and Tom Llewellyn, the creative minds behind Tacoma’s long-running, well-known poster project Beautiful Angle, have been plastering the city with unique prints for nearly two decades.
Kagey and Llewellyn were only “allegedly” involved in the mission to engage the community through the “Get well soon” banner.
They put a call out on social media in March, and had 13 volunteers within minutes to construct one of the letter squares.
“The joy of this was just coordinating other people participating,” Llewellyn said, calling the response “astonishing and overwhelming.”
“People want to participate. They’re hungry to participate,” he said. “I think it means people are really looking for a way to help out, to share some light.”
The 13 sheets eventually stretched “half a city block,” Llewellyn estimated.
Online response suggests the mission to provide optimism and hope through art was accomplished.
“Lance and I are huge believers in the power of art. Words make worlds. They bring ideas to light,” Llewellyn said. “If the idea is just a message of hope and encouragement, I think this did that.”
COVID-19 CAN ‘REACTIVATE’ IN RECOVERED PATIENTS, EXPERTS SAY
Updated 9:30 a.m.
While South Korea reported nearly 7,000 recoveries from COVID-19, 91 patients tested again have received positive results, and officials are worried more relapses are coming, according to a Reuters report.
China also had more than 100 patients who were thought to have recovered test positive for the virus a second time, McClatchy reported last month.
A Bloomberg report says officials believe the virus likely “reactivated” in patients rather than infecting them a second time. Confirmed patients are considered recovered after testing negative for the virus twice in a 24-hour period.
“While we are putting more weight on reactivation as the possible cause, we are conducting a comprehensive study on this,” Jeong Eun-kyeong, director-general of the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Bloomberg. “There have been many cases when a patient during treatment will test negative one day and positive another.”
This trend was found in China last month, though officials believed the recurring positive tests were due to testing errors, a McClatchy report says.
“If you get an infection, your immune system is revved up against that virus,” Dr. Keiji Fukuda, director of Hong Kong University’s School of Public Health, told the Los Angeles Times. “To get re-infected again when you’re in that situation would be quite unusual unless your immune system was not functioning right.”
Which is why officials in South Korea believe reactivation is the key, according to the Reuters report.
MCMENAMINS JOINING EFFORT TO PROVIDE MASKS TO PUBLIC
Updated 9 a.m.
McMenamins Elk Temple in Tacoma is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its online store is open, and joining in on the effort to provide masks to the masses.
Cloth masks were recommended for use by the general public last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the featured offerings on McMenamins’ online store is its Elks Temple Star bandana, which is available for $7.95.
“A unique bandana sporting the star from Elks Temple in Tacoma,” the listing says. “Threads of art, history and elements of the local community are woven into the building, and now you can wear a piece of that art tied fashionably around your neck, as a head covering or, may we suggest, as the coolest mask ever?”
McMenamins closed its Washington and Oregon locations March 17, and has since shifted its focus to online sales.
HILLTOP’S JOHNSON CANDY COMPANY KEEPING EASTER TRADITION ALIVE
Updated 8:30 a.m.
Tacoma staple Johnson Candy Company is still arranging Easter baskets for customers — even if they can’t visit the shop during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Located at 924 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in the Hilltop neighborhood, the shop has been accepting orders over the phone since late March, organizing curbside pickup, and packaging and shipping boxes to its customers.
“There was a little business before the Easter excitement kind of started,” Bill Johnson, whose grandfather Russell opened the first iteration as a lunch counter down the street in 1925, told The News Tribune.
The candy shop opened in 1949 in its current building.
“The phone’s ringing constantly,” Johnson said.
Without customers in the shop admiring the cases of chocolate eggs, caramels and milk chocolate bunnies, and creating their own custom baskets, Johnson has created a singular basket for $25 for easy ordering, pickup and shipping.
Johnson, who has been posting product photos, prices and ordering information on Facebook and Instagram, said he hopes to have a website up soon.
“I’ve dragged my feet for the longest time, because it’s a lot more work,” he told The News Tribune Tuesday. “It takes away from making candy and doing other stuff, like being with my family. It’s a necessary thing — I know that.”
Johnson Candy Company is currently open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 253-272-8504 for curbside pickup or shipping.
SEVENTH INMATE AT MONROE PRISON TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
Updated 8 a.m.
A seventh inmate at the Monroe Correctional Center has tested positive for COVID-19 following a disturbance earlier this week related to fear of the virus spreading.
Gov. Jay Inslee has said the state is considering releasing nonviolent offenders early to free up space so inmates at higher risk of contracting the virus can be isolated.
The 67-year-old inmate who tested positive was housed in the Minimum Security Unit until April 5, and was transferred to medical isolation because he had contact with the first inmate who tested positive, according to the Department of Corrections.
The state Supreme Court directed Inslee and DOC Secretary Stephen Sinclair to “immediately exercise their authority to take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety” of inmates Friday.
The high court ordered a written report no later than noon Monday regarding the “steps that have been taken and will be taken.”
Former Tacoma resident George Pender, an inmate in the Minimum Security Unit, said by phone Friday inmates continue to play games, talk on the phone and use the JPay e-messaging service at a close distance, though the unit is supposed to be on quarantine.
“So what if one of us ain’t sick and one of them are sick, and we go out and we’re touching the same things?” asked Pender, who said he is one of the inmates eligible for early release under the state’s Graduated Reentry program.
“How do you prevent the spread? … You can’t do (social distancing) in prison.”
State Rep. Roger Goodman, who is also the chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, visited the unit Friday following Wednesday’s disturbance, when more than 100 inmates started a demonstration in the recreation yard after walking out of their units. Guards unsuccessfully tried to stop the demonstration. About 18 inmates were placed on “administrative segregation” Thursday pending investigation.
Goodman said he spoke to several inmates about what prompted the disturbance.
“They’re afraid of living in such close quarters,” he said. “They are confused because their routines have been changed. There’s a lot of uncertainty and a lot of fear.”
Goodman said the DOC is doing all it can to keep the incarcerated population safe during the pandemic, and the prison system has announced masks as a requirement for all staff and inmates across the state.
But, it’s still “almost impossible to practice the physical distancing that others can practice,” Goodman said.
OSPI LAUNCHES STUDENT WELLNESS AND SAFETY PAGE
Updated 8 a.m.
The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction announced Friday on Twitter it has launched a page on its website to support student well-being and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the long-term school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students, educators, and their families may need additional support,” the page reads. “The resources on this page are intended to support school districts, schools, students, parents, and families in recognizing and responding to signs of emotional and behavioral distress. OSPI content experts will continue to update and add resources over time.
“Please note that in many cases, these resources are free to use online but are not openly licensed for wide scale reuse and adaptation.”
The page includes the following four dropdown sections:
▪ Resources and supports for parents and caregivers: Includes contact information and links to several mental health and trauma services for children, teens and parents.
▪ Resources and supports for educators: Includes contact information and links for mental health, safety and cybersecurity resources for teachers.
▪ Community resources and supports: Includes contact information and links for crisis, substance abuse and domestic violence lifelines.
▪ OSPI safety and well-being program contacts: Includes contact information and links for further information on student behavioral health and school safety.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: State passes 10,000 cases; Pierce County passes 900."
