Editor’s note: This story shows updates about the coronavirus outbreak in Washington state from June 15-16, 2020.
Key facts:
- Gov. Inslee calls Yakima Valley the 'epicenter' of Washington cases.
- 10 new deaths among 373 new cases reported Tuesday in Washington.
- TOTAL: 1,231 deaths among 26,531 overall cases in Washington state.
- 480,026 people in Washington have taken a test for coronavirus and 5.6% of those tests have been positive, according to the state Department of Health.
Tuesday, June 16:
Fremont Brewing halts service after employee tests positive for coronavirus
Seattle's Fremont Brewing announced their Urban Beer Garden and production facility was closing after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.
The company posted that, "This employee is asymptomatic (e.g., has no symptoms), immediately notified us, and has placed themselves in self-quarantine. We know our employee’s last shift at the Urban Beer Garden was on Tuesday, June 9th and our employee showed no COVID-19 symptoms, had an acceptable temperature when they reported for their shift and wore PPE including a mask and gloves; and used social distancing and sanitation best practices while working their shift."
Fremont Brewing said they would reopen when deemed safe and would ensure all employees be tested before returning to work.
New Washington cases reported
- 10 new deaths among 373 new cases reported Tuesday in Washington.
- TOTAL: 1,231 deaths among 26,531 overall cases in Washington state.
- 480,026 people in Washington have taken a test for coronavirus and 5.6% of those tests have been positive, according to the state Department of Health.
Gov. Jay Inslee calls Yakima Valley 'epicenter' of state's current outbreak
Gov. Jay Inslee briefed the media on the state’s COVID-19 response, focusing on the outbreak in Yakima Valley.
"Right now the valley is, unfortunately, the epicenter of this earthquake of this virus." Inslee said.
Yakima County has 250,000 residents, but has recorded more than 5,700 cases of COVID-19, the second-highest total in the state after the much larger King County.
"The hospitalization rate in Yakima Valley per capita is 8 times higher than it is in King County," he said. "The infection rate of the number of people infected per 100,000 is 28 times higher than it is in King County in the last few days."
A big reason why the valley has so many cases is that too many people are refusing the wear masks. Inslee cited a recent finding that only about 35% of Yakima County residents would wear masks when patronizing a business.
Watch the briefing here:
Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con canceled
Emerald City Comic Con organizers said they've come to the "excruciating yet necessary decision" to cancel this year's event.
Organizers said a digital event would be held in August to support exhibitors and connect fans with "as much of the content you love as possible."
The event was rescheduled to Summer 2020 in March due to the pandemic. All tickets that were transferred from March 2020 to August will be refunded by June 29.
The next Emerald City Comic Con is scheduled for March 4-7, 2021.
UW model projects 200,000 COVID-19 deaths in the US by Oct. 1
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) released an updated projection for the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
The IHME model now projects there will be 201,129 deaths in the U.S. by October 1, 2020.
The model shows that Florida could be among the hardest-hit states. Compared to the rest of the U.S., Washington state is projected to be well below the national average of coronavirus deaths by Oct.
Pacific County approved for Phase 3 of reopening
Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved Pacific County’s application to move into Phase 3 of the state’s “Safe Start” plan to reopen the economy.
As of Tuesday morning, three counties are in Phase 1, three counties are in a modified version of Phase 1, 22 counties are in Phase 2, and 11 counties are in Phase 3.
The state Department of Health (DOH) said Grays Harbor and Lewis counties have applied to move from Phase 2 to Phase 3, and King County applied to move from a modified Phase 1 to Phase 2. Those applications are currently under review.
Benton and Franklin counties applied to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, but the DOH said those applications are currently on pause.
Kitsap County seeks public comment on possible move to Phase 3
Kitsap County is expected to be able to apply to move into Phase 3 of the state’s “Safe Start” plan on Thursday, but first, they want to hear from residents.
If you live in Kitsap County, you have until Wednesday, June 17, at 10 p.m. to fill out an online questionnaire that asks several questions, including if you feel comfortable with the country moving to Phase 3.
A special meeting will be held on June 19 to review and consider the application to move to the next phase of reopening.
Free COVID-19 testing offered in south King County
Free, no appointment COVID-19 testing is being offered in south King County.
Two mobile UW Medicine vans will be offering the tests in communities that have “disproportionately high rates of COVID-19, specifically our Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, and limited-English-proficiency communities,” according to a press release.
Residents will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and will receive a nasal swab test if they are a candidate.
The times and locations of the location sites are below:
- Auburn City Adventist Church: Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Rainier Beach High School: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Kent Public Health Center: Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- South Seattle College: Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tests are free and no appointment is necessary.
Gov. Inslee requests federal COVID-19 aviation safety measures
Governor Jay Inslee is urging the Trump administration to implement a nationwide COVID-19 screening system for domestic and international travelers and aviation workers.
In a letter, Gov. Inslee called for the federal government to provide protective gear for domestic airlines, passenger temperature and COVID-19 symptom checks, a mask requirement for passengers and workers, and to collect contact tracing information.
"The science is clear that airplanes, and mass transit in general, present greater risk of transmission because of the confined spaces where safe distancing may not be possible. Our nation’s current approach improperly places the burden for protecting the public on state and local governments, leaves millions of passengers at risk, and fails to instill public confidence. It achieves neither our economic nor our public health goals,” the letter reads.
Gov. Inslee said in the letter that state and local governments can’t do it alone and that it’s “clear that we need a federal approach to aviation screening to instill public confidence in the safety of travel and prevent a viral resurgence due to interstate and international travel.”
Red Cross begins testing blood donations for coronavirus antibodies
The American Red Cross says it will now test all blood donations for coronavirus antibodies.
All blood, platelet and plasma donations occurring after June 15 will undergo free antibody testing. The worldwide organization said it plans to offer antibody testing throughout the summer months.
The test will look for antibodies in a person's blood, which typically forms while fighting an infection like COVID-19. The test determines if your body has previously responded to the infection, not if the virus is currently present. A positive antibody test does not confirm infection or immunity, but rather indicates that a person has been potentially exposed to the virus.
First drug proves able to improve survival from COVID-19
Researchers in England say they have the first evidence that a drug can improve survival from COVID-19.
A steroid called dexamethasone reduced deaths by up to one third in severely ill hospitalized patients, according to results released Tuesday. The study was led by the University of Oxford and involved thousands of patients randomly assigned to get the drug or just usual care.
Dexamethasone reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those only needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.
Monday, June 15:
King County applies for Phase 2 of reopening
King County submitted an application to the state Department of Health to move into Phase 2 of the “Safe Start” recovery plan. The King County Board of Health approved a motion to submit the application on Monday.
King County has been in a modified Phase 1 of reopening, considered 1.5, while other major counties such as Pierce and Snohomish have advanced to Phase 2 already.
Phase 2 increases outdoor recreational activities, such as camping, allows small group gatherings of five people or less, opens barbershops and salons, opens restaurants at 50% capacity and tables of five people or less. Pet services, including grooming, could resume. Teleworking will still be encouraged.
Ten Washington counties are in Phase 3.
New Washington cases reported
- 4 new deaths among 324 new cases reported Monday in Washington.
- TOTAL: 1,221 deaths among 26,158 overall cases in Washington state.
- 471.265 people in Washington have taken a test for coronavirus and 5.6% of those tests have been positive, according to the state Department of Health.
$3.6 million in CARES funding to COVID-19 public health response in Pierce County
Of the $4.6 million in new funding for Pierce County through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, $3.6 million will be directed to the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The impact of the pandemic on our residents has been catastrophic in many ways,” said Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive. “Our county’s ability to move forward into Phase 3 depends on rapidly ramping up comprehensive testing and contact notification. With more than $16 million in total public health emergency CARES Act funds allocated to date, we are doing what’s necessary to reopen safely.”
The other $1 million is being used to support up to 12 affordable housing projects and funding to help domestic violence providers respond to increased needs.
A total of $158 million in federal funding has been provided to Pierce County so far.
Free drive-through COVID-19 testing at Bellevue College
Free drive-through COVID-19 testing is being offered this week at Bellevue College. The free testing is due to a partnership between QFC, Fred Meter, and Bellevue College.
The free testing is available by appointment only between June 16-19 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and will be located in the Bellevue College parking garage, located at 3000 Landerholm Circle SE.
Residents must register online or by calling 1-888-852-2567 (select option 1, then option 3).
Click here to register or for more information.
Kitsap Public Health likely to consider Phase 3 application
Kitsap County health officials will consider whether or not to apply for Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee's recovery plan this week.
Kitsap County becomes eligible to apply for Phase 3 beginning June 18.
The Kitsap Public Health Board will consider a Phase 3 application during a special meeting June 19, followed by a Kitsap County Board of Commissioners' meeting.
Under Phase 3 of the recovery plan, non-essential travel can fully resume, gatherings of up to 50 people will be allowed, and businesses can increase capacity or reopen if they haven't already.
The following counties are currently in Phase 3:
- Asotin
- Columbia
- Ferry
- Garfield
- Lincoln
- Pend Oreille
- Skamania
- Stevens
- Wahkiakum
- Whitman
There are no counties in Phase 4.
Food banks preparing for significant gap in volunteers
Food banks in King County may see a significant gap in its volunteer force when more than 100 National Guard members end their assignments on June 24.
Around 330 National Guard members were deployed to help at food banks in the county during the pandemic. Of those, the assignments for 116 of those members are coming to an end.
Because other volunteers - especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19 - have followed Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-home order and are expected to continue to do so, food banks are now scrambling to find new volunteers.
“We’re working with the state to put volunteers into food banks so the Guard can be released,” said Jennifer Rosenberger, senior manager with King County Emergency Management. “We really need to try to get help. We’re hoping for high school students who need community service hours, or teachers, or others who aren’t working right now.”
As unemployment hovers around 15% in the county, approximately 10,000 more households received food assistance benefits in April than January.
More information can be found here.
Lyme disease symptoms can be mistaken for COVID-19
With more people outside enjoying nature and possibly exposing themselves to ticks, health experts are warning of possible overlap between the symptoms of COVID-19 and Lyme Disease.
But can you get diagnosed with COVID-19 instead of Lyme disease and vice versa?
Experts say, yes, you could, as both have similar symptoms. Evidence and experts suggest patients should get tested for other conditions when presenting any of the symptoms. The experts that the VERIFY team contacted said getting the correct diagnosis in a timely manner is important as Lyme Disease can have serious effects if it's not caught early on.
A spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained to the VERIFY team that Lyme disease shares some general “flu-like” symptoms with COVID-19 including "fever, chills, fatigue, body aches and headaches"
“But," they added, "there are key symptoms of Lyme disease that help distinguish it from other illnesses, most commonly the erythema migrans rash (commonly known as a bull’s-eye rash) which occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of people with Lyme disease.”
The CDC representative explained that other Lyme Disease symptoms include facial palsy, arthritis in large joints and irregular heartbeat. “Tick-born diseases are not likely to cause the type of respiratory symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as cough, congestion, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell,” they wrote.
According to Dr. John Aucott, Director of the John Hopkins Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center, the overlap of Lyme Disease season with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could lead people to self-diagnose incorrectly. “We’re currently on tick season," he said, "which means that Lyme being also a seasonal disease is currently overlapping COVID-19. Testing is fundamental, especially when Lyme usually tests positive later than the incubation period for COVID-19.”
While some COVID-19 cases can be mild, it's important to get checked out if you think there's a chance it could be Lyme Disease instead.
Southcenter Mall in Tukwila opens Monday
Westfield Southcenter Mall in Tukwila will reopen with modified hours on Monday, June 15.
The mall will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Shoppers must wear masks and the mall will follow social distancing protocols.
Report: COVID-19 cases on the rise in Washington state
The Washington Department of Health said coronavirus infections are on the increase on both sides of the Cascades.
The situation report says state epidemiologists have seen a particularly large increases in Benton, Yakima, Spokane and Franklin counties, but said the latest data through the end of May indicates likely increases in infections across the state.
The results, the report says, includes increases in coronavirus transmission over Memorial Day weekend, but not infections that may have occurred during recent protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people together in cities and towns across the state.
Over 100 COVID-19 cases reported at Washington state prison
The Washington State Department of Corrections said a prison is restricting movement at its medium-security unit after more than 100 officers and inmates tested positive for COVID-19.
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center has confirmed more than half of its inmates at the facility are in quarantine because of potential exposure. Department officials say the announcement came after 30 corrections officers and 71 inmates tested positive. Another 33 people exhibited potential symptoms.
The Connell-based prison has minimum and medium-security units but only the medium-security unit is on restricted movement.
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