Coronavirus updates: State passes 294k cases
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The Washington state Department of Health reported 2041 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. No deaths were reported due to data processing issues, DOH said.
Pierce County reported 302 cases Wednesday and no new deaths. Pierce County has a total of 365 deaths likely caused by COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
Statewide totals from the illness caused by the coronavirus are 294,017 cases and 3,940 deaths. Those numbers are up from 291,976 cases Tuesday. The case total includes 12,759 cases listed as probable. DOH revises previous case and death counts daily.
Washington’s population is estimated at about 7.6 million, according to U.S. Census figures from July 2019.
As of Jan. 1, the date with the most recent complete data, 131 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were admitted to Washington state hospitals.
Preliminary reports indicate average daily hospital admissions were 112 in early January.
Out of the state’s total staffed intensive care unit beds (1,192), approximately 78.7% (938) were occupied by patients Wednesday. Of those staffed ICU beds, 20.4% (243) held suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Restaurants hit with $780,000 in fines over COVID rules, Washington officials say
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
The decision by two Washington restaurants to defy COVID-19 restrictions is getting expensive.
They have racked up nearly $780,000 in fines — and that amount grows every day they continue to offer indoor dining, according to the Department of Labor and Industries.
Both restaurants chose to open for indoor dining despite Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 order, which went into effect Nov. 18, prohibiting the practice, McClatchy News previously reported.
Spiffy’s, in Lewis County, started offering indoor seating in early December, which then inspired the Farm Boy Drive In in Thurston County to do so.
Since then, it has become a contentious legal battle between the state and these businesses.
The fines Farm Boy has accrued are two-fold:
The Department of Labor and Industries has fined the restaurant a total of $337,365 for violations from Dec. 22 through Jan. 11.
After being held in contempt by a Thurston County judge Farm Boy was fined $42,000, from Dec. 18 through Jan. 7.
All of the fines against Spiffy’s have come from the Department of Labor and Industries:
- Spiffy’s was fined $202,419 for indoor-dining violations starting on Dec. 7.
- An additional $198,000 in fines were levied against Spiffy’s from Dec. 22 through Jan. 3.
WA teachers, school staff could be eligible for COVID-19 vaccine earlier than expected
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
Teachers and other school staff returning to in-person school in Washington state could be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine earlier than expected.
Changes to the state Department of Health vaccination plan by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday moved the state into Phase 1B of the plan, allowing everyone over the age of 65 to receive the vaccine.
The changes also created flexibility for providers administering the vaccine starting in Phase 1B Tier 2. Prior to the changes, only teachers 50 and older were eligible to receive the vaccine, and all other teachers had to wait until Tier 4. Now, providers can combine Tiers 2 and 4, making all school staff eligible for the vaccine regardless of age.
Health officials hope to transition to Tiers 2-4 in late winter or early spring.
The changes are alleviating some concerns from district officials and educators around returning to school, but worries about supply of vaccines remain.
“This is an important step in our efforts to make in-person learning as safe as possible,” Larry Delaney, president of the Washington Education Association, told The News Tribune in an email. “Still, the timeline for educators to get access to the vaccine remains unclear because of ongoing supply problems. The vaccine is a key piece of a school safety plan that must include full implementation of Labor & Industries requirements and Department of Health guidelines.”
Amazon ‘ready to assist’ Biden administration with COVID vaccine, company says. How?
Updated at 9:30 a.m.
Amazon wants to help President Joe Biden’s administration vaccinate millions of Americans — but how?
The Biden administration has a goal of administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccines in his first 100 days in office, McClatchy News reported. Amazon is offering up its thousands of employees and facilities to help administer the vaccines, Amazon CEO Dave Clark said Wednesday in a letter to Biden.
“We have an agreement in place with a licensed third-party occupational health care provider to administer vaccines on-site at our Amazon facilities,” Clark wrote in the letter. “We are prepared to move quickly once vaccines are available.”
The Biden administration has not yet commented on the Amazon letter or on whether officials will take the company up on the offer.
Amazon said it could also use its operations and technology to help the Biden administration in “vaccination efforts.” Amazon has more than 800,000 employees in the U.S., many of whom are essential workers and cannot work from home.
“Our scale allows us to make a meaningful impact immediately in the fight against COVID-19, and we stand ready to assist you in this effort,” the Seattle-based company said.
Biden has already directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start putting together “first federally-supported community vaccination centers” and have 100 centers open in the next month, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 9:28 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: State passes 294k cases."
