Washington sees increase of 441 covid cases

The state Department of Health (DOH) reports over 73,800 cases of covid in Washington state, 1,905 people have died from the virus. If you have recovered from covid, Vitalant Washington and Idaho is looking for plasma donations. Your plasma contains the ability to help put patients fighting covid on a path to recovery. The covid has upended everyday life in ways big and small.

There are now 74,320 total covid cases in Washington, a single day increase of 441 cases. On Saturday August 29th 2020, the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac says it has a cluster of covid infections among inmates and staff. Public health officials have warned of a substantial increase in covid cases involving Washington State University students.

The number of covid cases in Whitman County has nearly tripled, one of the highest growth rates in the nation. Whitman County’s covid case count rose to 422. Pullman city in Whitman County ranks fifth in the United States for metro areas where new cases are rising the fastest, on a population-adjusted basis. There are now 73,879 total covid cases in Washington, a single-day increase of 578.

The Department of Health is no longer releasing updates on deaths.

On Friday August 28th 2020, Stevens Pass is preparing to reopen this winter with new covid safety restrictions in place. Vail Resorts, which operates Stevens Pass, announced it will require reservations in advance. As part of the new expectations, skiers and snowboarders will have to wear masks and social distance on chairlifts. There have been 73,301 positive cases of covid in Washington state, and 1,905 deaths due to the virus.

The DOH reports 1,423,771 tests have been conducted, which would indicate the rate of positive cases in Washington state is 5.12%. The first two days of in-person school went off without a hitch in the Clarkston School District. There appears to be no end-of-summer blues among the kids who are back in the school buildings, adding that students were giddy to be back in-person with their classmates for the first time in half a year.

Seattle’s fourth free covid community testing site opens at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle. Testing sites are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., unless stated otherwise. The Washington DOH announced that regular publishing of covid death counts will occur only between Monday and Friday. All counts generated over weekends will be added to Monday and Tuesday reports.

The latest estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predict that United States could see as many as 317,000 covid deaths by December 2020.

That being so, the IHME also notes that over 67,000 lives could be saved if 95% of people wear masks in public. On Thursday August 27th 2020, after a visit to Bremerton’s St. Michael Medical Center, Washington DOH is now formally investigating how the covid outbreak there is being handled. There are 45 cases of covid connected to the hospital in patients and staff.

The DOH has already recommended additional infection control measures, and will decide if the medical center needs to do more. A group of workers at St. Michael Medical Center say the covid outbreak there might have been prevented if they had better protective gear and were notified sooner. The early economic relief is not enough to sustain the downtown core.

Over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that the covid outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market, auto sales, and other segments of the economy rebound from a collapse. The Labor Department reported that the number of people seeking jobless aid dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million. Men and women respond differently to covid.

University of Washington Public Health says it may help explain why men are more susceptible to severe outcomes from covid.

In Washington state, 49% of all cases are among females, 46% among males, and 4% unknown. However, males make up 53% of hospitalizations and 54% of deaths due to covid. It is important people get a flu shot this fall, especially if you are at high risk. It would be great for as many people as possible to get a flu shot as a preventative way to keep people out of hospitals.

Washington’s Employment Security Department reported 18,389 initial unemployment claims for the week of August 16th-22nd 2020. That is a drop from 21,942 the week prior. That is a major drop from the week of March 22nd-28th 2020 when initial claims were 181,975. Health officials say there have been 72,703 positive cases of covid in Washington state, and 1,890 deaths.

That is out of 1,408,164 total tests. Washington reports there have been 6,674 people hospitalized since the outbreak began. On Wednesday August 26th 2020, Clarkston School District in southeast Washington is welcoming students back to campus. Older students are divided in half, one group will come in Tuesdays and Fridays, the other will come in Mondays and Thursdays.

Younger students either come in the mornings or afternoons.

Wednesdays are at-home days, with the exception for kids who may want or need extra help from a teacher on site. At school, masks are required at all times, desks and chairs will be cleaned before each class, and high-touch spots will be wiped down frequently. Case counts have been low overall since March 2020, and Asotin County is already in Phase 3.

95 percent of staff and 85 percent of community members wanted in-person classes. Students are able to opt for an all-remote model. The current plan is intended to be in place for 4-6 weeks, as trends allow. There is a modified plan in the event that cases rise in the schools that involves having fewer students on campus or shifting to an entirely remote model.

The Olympia Harbor Days festival, held every Labor Day weekend, will look a bit different. It will be a virtual event with at-home community participation activities, including a self-guided tour along the Percival Landing Boardwalk, links to a decade of Olympia Harbor Days videos, Lego tugboat building at home, and more family friendly activities. While Washington wants to continue its 47-year-long Harbor Days legacy, the state is also aware that it needs to offer a safe event for the public in this covid pandemic era.

Grays Harbor County Public Health and Grays Harbor Emergency Operations Center have identified 74 new laboratory-confirmed cases of covid among people who reside in the county since August 17th 2020.

At least half of the new cases have been linked to separate outbreaks identified at two private businesses. Investigations are still pending, but approximately 10% of the 74 cases so far have no known source of exposure. Washington State Department of Commerce worries that the covid crisis could soon stress the state’s already strained child care system.

Traditional farm visits may be sidelined as the restrictions included in the new state guidelines for counties in Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan to reduce covid exposure could be too costly for the agritourism industry. Restrictions include wagon rides, haunted houses, petting areas, animal viewing, and campfires, which are activities that many farms were depending on to help recover from the loss of revenue due to the pandemic. Any farms that violate the guidelines will be fined $10,000.

In response to the isolation, loneliness, uncertainty, and stress many are experiencing during quarantine, the state launched Washington Listens, an anonymous phone line people can call to get emotional support and coping strategies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new covid testing standards, advising against testing for people not presenting with symptoms of the virus, even if they have been previously exposed. In the wake of that decision, health experts both in Washington and across the United States have spoken out.

New cases at college campuses in Washington are not surprising, but they are preventable.

Be diligent about this. This is not a part-time job, this is full time. Abbott has launched a $5 covid test that gives results in 15 minutes, without needing a laboratory setting. 50 million tests per month are expected. The tests include a nasal swab and drops. Washington now has 72,161 total covid cases, a single day increase of 456 cases. Washington’s total death rose to 1,880, for an increase of 4.

Out of nearly 1.4 million tests run, 5.47% have been positive. On Tuesday August 25th 2020, at Bremerton’s St. Michael Medical Center, there are 45 patients and employees who have tested positive for covid since August 4th 2020. A staff screening showed the first known case, but state epidemiologist Scott Lindquist says it is not certain how the outbreak started.

St. Michael managers say the sick patients are in three units that are not currently accepting new patients. Visitor restrictions and other safety measures are in place. There is another mask distribution event for King County residents at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah. Each resident may receive two cloth reusable masks per household member, up to six household members.

The National Nordic Museum is set to reopen on September 4th 2020 with two visiting exhibitions from Sweden.

Advance tickets will be required to visit the museum, available online. All museum visitors must wear masks and follow a directional pathway that allows for proper social distancing, and gallery capacity will be limited to 25% until further notice. The National Nordic Museum will be opened Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bloodworks Northwest announced that they will be testing all blood donations for covid antibodies now through September 30th 2020.

The testing can help identify people who may be able to donate to the convalescent plasma program and help covid patients directly. Test results will be mailed to blood donors within two weeks of their donation. The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is now offering curbside pickup at seven locations for books and materials by appointment. The locations open from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday include: Central Library, Broadview, High Point, Lake City, Ballard, Douglass-Truth, and Rainier Beach branches.

Patrons with existing holds are receiving emails about the process for picking up holds, including how to schedule an appointment for pickup. Patrons who requested items for pickup at a branch not offering curbside service have been notified of a default pickup location at this time. The SPL is currently operating under Phase 2 of Governor Inslee’s plan for reopening services in Washington state.

Libraries are not allowed to open their buildings to the public until Phase 3.

King County Safeway locations will be giving free face masks to customers with their groceries thanks to a new partnership between King County, Safeway, and UFCW Local 21. According to a release from the King County Executive’s Office, the county purchased more than 25 million face masks for county residents, and has distributed more than 14 million reusable and disposable masks to date through direct distribution and partnerships with local chambers of commerce and community organizations. If your child is working with a team or a group, Seahawks team doctor and director of the UW Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology, Jonathan Drezner, said each group should have a clear covid procedure and plan.

There has been a rise in confirmed cases of covid in Whitman County that has been linked to parties held by students returning to campus at Washington State University (WSU). Nearly 70 new cases were confirmed over the weekend, all among young people. As kids go back to school remotely, experts say that it is more important than ever to talk to them about how they are feeling.

That is the advice of the director of Spokane’s Frontier Behavioral Health program, Aly Gibson, who emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where children are comfortable sharing their feelings. Health officials say there have been 71,705 cases of covid in Washington state, and 1,876 people have died from the virus. Nearly 6,600 people have been hospitalized since the outbreak.

On Monday August 24th 2020, health officials are investigating two recent outbreaks of covid in Washington.

Parties on Greek Row at Washington State University are being blamed for a spike in cases in Whitman County where health officials recorded 30 new cases, all aged 20-39, and most linked to gatherings around campus. At the St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton, more than 30 cases have been reported in patients and staff. The Quinault Indian Reservation is closed to visitors due to a recent outbreak of covid.

The reservation saw its first positive tests last week and quarantined several households. The annual Christmas Lighting Festival in Leavenworth has been postponed for 2020, but the Village of Lights holiday light display will shine from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day. In addition to the lighting ceremony and countdown, also on hold are other festival activities, including carolers, chestnut roasting, live entertainment, the Gluhwein tent, and the children’s Cookie Crawl.

Front Street in Leavenworth has been closed to vehicle traffic since July 2020 to allow for social distancing, and masks and sanitizing stations are being made readily available. After months of lighter rush hour traffic during the pandemic, congestion levels are starting to rise back to normal levels across Washington. The Seattle Art Museum will reopen to the general public on Friday September 11th 2020.

The museum in downtown Seattle will initially be open at a limited capacity Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Timed tickets will be sold online only beginning September 4th 2020. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given an emergency use authorization (EUA) to plasma treatment for covid. Health officials say there have been 71,371 positive cases of covid in Washington state, and there have been 1,867 deaths due to the virus since the outbreak began.