Parents signing petitions to close schools

Nine people in Washington state have died from coronavirus and a case in North Carolina is linked to a long-term care facility in Kirkland. Parents in King and Snohomish Counties are demanding schools close until they have answers about the virus.

Read more about all of the cases in Washington state

Tuesday

10:27pm – An online petition to close schools in the Lake Washington School District has drawn nearly 14,000 signatures. The district has many schools in Kirkland, the same location of the Life Care Center, believed to be ground zero for the virus. There are 29 elementary schools within the district, eight middle schools, and four high schools. The district says custodial staff is cleaning daily “high frequency touch points” on campuses and on buses. Kirkland SDA/Puget Sound Adventist is closed Wednesday for cleaning.

A petition in Belleuvue has drawn 10K signatures, another 5,000 in Issaquah, and 4,500 in Edmonds.

Eastside Prep will close through its Spring Break and reopen April 13. Read more.

10:17pm – Governor Inlsee tweeted that he spoke with Vice President Pence and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC on Tuesday, asking them to remove restrictions on testing. “They have announced changes consistent with what I had asked for. I appreciate the responsiveness to state requests on COVID-19,” Inslee said.

8:28pm – Hundreds of parents are asking the Everett School District to close schools until “we understand the full impact of coronavirus.” As of Tuesday night, over 1,600 parents have signed the online petition. A Jackson High School student is at home recovering from coronavirus. Snohomish County has reported six cases of coronavirus, including one death. Parents in Mukilteo are passing around a similar petition for their district — with nearly 4,000 signatures.

6:11pm – Sea-Tac Airport has increased the frequency of cleaning “high touch point areas” and added 45 new hand sanitizer stations, with plans to add up to 100. The Port of Seattle released new protocols to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and other illnesses, supporting actions taken by maritime and airline partners and federal agencies. Read more.

5:40pm – In a memo passed around on Reddit and confirmed by MyNorthwest, Amazon is telling its employees that a fellow Amazonian has tested positive for coronavirus. The employee went home not feeling well on Feb. 25 and hasn’t been back since. The company says it has notified employees who it knows would have been in close contact (within 6 feet) with this person. Amazon is asking its employees to stay home if they experience symptoms. “Your health is our top priority and we are continuing with enhanced deep cleaning and sanitization in the office,” the memo reads.

5:28pm – Rep. Pramila Jayapal plans to press the Trump Administration Wednesday morning on the response to coronavirus in a House budget committee hearing. The Department of Health and Human Services hearing starts at 7am PST. You can watch live here. Senator Patty Murray questioned the response on Tuesday at the Senate health committee hearing. “To put it simply, if someone at the White House or in this Administration is actually in charge of responding to the coronavirus, it would be news to anyone in my state,” Murray said.

4:39pm – The Snohomish County Health District has updated its information about two new coronavirus cases reported earlier in the day. One is a male in his 40s, isolated at home. He worked at LifeCare in Kirkland. The second case is a female in her 60s, hospitalized with underlying health conditions. This brings the total number of cases in Snohomish County to six. One Snohomish County resident has died from coronavirus.

4:35pm – The House unanimously passed a bipartisan bill (HB-2965) on Tuesday in Olympia to put $100 million — from the state’s rainy day fund —  toward the coronavirus response.

4:26pm – Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a Proclamation of Civil Emergency on Tuesday, which grants her the ability to exercise emergency authority. It allows Durkan to bypass the steps normally required to contract and borrow and forgo permits to implement facilities. The proclamation also allows the mayor to close city facilities and shut down events.

3:33pm – The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a sizable half-percentage point Tuesday in an effort to support the economy in the face of the spreading coronavirus, the Associated Press reports.

2:25pm – Twelve first responders who were linked to responses to incidents at the Life Care Center in Kirkland are showing flu-like symptoms, and 19 have confirmed direct exposure, according to a press release from the city of Kirkland.

There are 26 firefighters and three police officers in quarantine or isolation either at home or at Fire Station 21. The Kirkland Fire and Police Departments remain fully staffed and are responding as normal.

1:40pm – King County is moving the first of 18 modular units today from storage to a site in White Center to house patients for treatment and isolation.

The county reported that Facilities Management Division staff have been cleaning and preparing the units for use, and no patients are currently occupying the units. Installation will be done in phases, with all units expected to be available by the end of the week. Portable hand-washing stations and restrooms will be provided until more permanent facilities are installed.

12:30pm – Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland announced that it will be implementing a “distance learning program” starting Monday, March 9, and extending through Monday, March 30.

“We do not feel it is prudent to wait until there is a known case to take action,” the school said in a statement posted to its website.

That will have students conducting school online rather than attending class in person. The school also canceled all international and domestic travel related to its “Education Beyond the Classroom” program.

12:24pm – The first confirmed case of coronavirus in North Carolina was identified Tuesday, from a person who had traveled to Washington through Sea-Tac Airport, and was exposed at LifeCare in Kirkland.

Health officials in the state are now working to identify close contacts “to monitor symptoms and contain spread.”

“I know that people are worried about this virus, and I want to assure North Carolinians our state is prepared,” said Gov. Roy Cooper.

The state is labeling this an isolated case, noting that coronavirus has not been widespread in North Carolina. Read more.

11:32am – King County Public Health is now confirming 8 deaths related to coronavirus in the county, raising the total to 9 in Washington state. There have now been 27 confirmed cases of coronavirus statewide.

One of the latest deaths reported was in a woman in her 70s who was previously hospitalized. The other was in another resident of LifeCare in Kirkland, who died in her family family home on Feb. 26.

11:00am – A seventh coronavirus death has now been confirmed in Washington state, this time in a patient who died six days ago at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Washington remains the only state in the U.S. with fatalities brought on by the virus, with this latest one first reported by The New York Times.

UW Medicine confirmed the patient was brought to Harborview from LifeCare Center in Kirkland on Feb. 24, and died two days later. That would technically make it the first coronavirus death in the United States. The first death was previously thought to have occurred on Feb. 29 at Evergreen Health in Kirkland.

The hospital also has determined that “some staff” may have been exposed while working in the intensive care unite where the Harborview patient was treated. Those employees are currently being monitored and screened daily.

10:24am – According to Washington Rep. Kim Schrier, the state will soon have the ability to test over 200 people a day for coronavirus.

“My understanding is that within a week, we will be in the realm of hundreds of thousands, if not a million tests across the country — many of those resources will come to Washington state,” Schrier told KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show.

This comes in the midst of concerns over a lack of infrastructure and resources to adequately test people. In terms of the criteria for testing, it’s been limited to those who have both been exhibiting symptoms, and have come into direct, confirmed contact with the virus either in the U.S., or in a country deemed a high risk by the CDC.

9:54am – The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services Seattle Field Office near Tukwila will be closed for the next two weeks due to concerns over coronavirus.

The decision was made after an employee visited the LifeCare Center in Kirkland, the nursing home where several people have already contracted the virus.

It came without notice to many today, who had hoped to complete their naturalization process at the office Tuesday.

“When we got to the front of the building, there was a notice posted just saying the offices were closed for the day with no explanation,” said Fiona Robertson, who had traveled over an hour to finish her year-long naturalization process, only to be turned away at the door.

8:59am – The University of Washington Medical Center is now offering testing for coronavirus.

“We are working very closely with our colleagues, both our local public health jurisdictions, the Department of Health, and the Northwest Health Care Response Network — we have been having almost daily phone calls,” said the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Tim Dellit.

UW is also joining the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine, although most agree that we’re at least a year out before it can be distributed.

7:28am – Washington Sen. Patty Murray addressed the U.S. Senate Health Committee Tuesday morning, detailing what she dubs an “unacceptable” lack of clarity surrounding testing for coronavirus.

Specifically, Murray pointed toward the ambiguous process for getting tested, and the lengthy wait times for results.

“The people across my state are really scared — I’m hearing from people who are sick, who want to get tested, and don’t know where to go,” she described. “It’s unacceptable that people in my state can’t even get an answer as to whether or not they are infected.”

“It’s only after a long frustrating delay that we’re able to test patients,” she added.

It’s unclear at this time when scaled-up testing will be available in Washington. In the days ahead, Murray intimated the need for more resources.

“We’ve got to provide adequate resources to meet needs,” she noted. “Resources are absolutely critical, but also were never envisioned to be sufficient to respond to a threat like this.”

6:25am – A handful of Seattle are companies are taking measures to curb the spread of coronavirus at the corporate level.

REI has closed its offices in Kent, Georgetown, and Bellevue for two days after being notified of two incidents of potential exposure. That has nearly 1,800 employees working remotely while offices are being scrubbed down.

T-Mobile is also restricting business travel, while encouraging workers to look into “alternative work options” if they’re feeling sick.

5:34am – Many grocery stores continue to report shortages of toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer, across Seattle, Kirkland, Lynnwood, and more. This is a trend that began over the weekend, when Costco locations across the region were flooded by shoppers.

Meanwhile, a lengthy story of one Seattle patient’s ultimately fruitless quest to get tested for coronavirus began to circulate around Twitter Monday night. The patient reported being put on hold for 40 minutes, further calls to two separate primary care doctors, and then a transfer to the COVID-19 hotline, where she was informed she did not qualify for testing despite exhibiting coronavirus symptoms.

“Even this early in the outbreak, our hospitals are feeling the strain,” Director of Public Health Patty Hayes said Monday.

Monday

10:35pm – Students at the University of Washington Seattle campus are asking the university president to cancel classes to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. As of Monday night, an online petition had 13,656 signatures.

“In classrooms, dining halls and during other crowded areas, the virus will inevitably infect people thus increasing the infection rate exponentially,” the petition states.

6:13pm – A handful of schools are closed for coronavirus precautions on Tuesday. Check here for updates.

5:55pm – Dr. Steve Weinrauch, the chief veterinary officer with Seattle-based pet insurance Trupanion, said animal lovers can rest assured — there is no reason to think Fluffy or Spot could catch coronavirus or spread the disease to you or other animals.

“There is no evidence to suggest that cats or other pets can contract or spread COVID-19 or the coronavirus,” Weinrauch said. Read more

5:11pm – Dr. Chris Spitters, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, said coronavirus is very much like the flu. He said the virus likely started in bats and eventually made its way to humans. Eight people are pending test  results in Snohomish County. Officials reported six deaths so far in Washington state.

Spitters said we all need to wash hands and stay home if we’re feeling sick, even if you’re unsure what you might be sick with.

“If you don’t need to go to a crowed place, think twice about that,” Spitters said.

“We’re going to continue all of our efforts to work with the local health care community,” said Shawn Frederick, administrative officer for the Snohomish Health District.

County Executive Dave Somers said they’re drafting an emergency declaration to help streamline resources.

Somers said he spoke with Senator Patty Murray Monday morning about mobilizing federal resources. They’re also working closely with the state, other counties, and cities across Snohomish County.

“We’re trying to make sure our response is appropriate and effective,” Somers said.

Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said they’re focused on prevention. She emphasized hand washing and staying home if you feel sick.

School closures to date have been at the discretion of each district, Dr. Spitters said.

4:39pm – Health officials in Snohomish County will hold a news conference at 5pm on the status of coronavirus in the county. Currently, there are four reported cases of the virus, including one death and one recovery.

3:07pm- Gov. Inslee announces the state is increasing its capacity to test patients for coronavirus. “Our priority now is to slow the spread of this virus,” Inslee said in a news conference on Monday. The governor said we all have a responsibility to take precautions, such as washing hands, avoiding handshakes, and staying home from work if you feel sick.

He then addressed people who may have gone to work on Monday despite feeling under the weather.

“Go home and take care of yourself and try not to put others at risk. This is the hardest thing to do, I understand that,” Inslee said. “It’s perhaps the single most important thing we can do.”

The governor said the state is looking at more potential locations for quarantine sites, and is working on budgeting $100 million this year for the coronavirus response.

Inslee said we should be thinking about canceling large-scale events.

“We’re not making a formal request for events to be canceled,” the governor said.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said school closures are a district decision and so far, he’s very satisfied with efforts from the districts.

“To date, not a single department of health has called for a school closure,” Reykdal explained. “School districts have made that decision.”

2:00pm – Life Care Center of Kirkland, where an outbreak of coronavirus has affected residents and staff, issued the following statement:

“At Life Care Center of Kirkland, we have had several confirmed cases of COVID-19. Testing, confirmation and treatment of the virus is handled by local hospitals after patients who exhibit certain symptoms are sent from our facility to acute care centers. As such, we will defer to the local health authorities for official totals regarding COVID-19.

Current residents and associates continue to be monitored closely, specifically for an elevated temperature, cough and/or shortness of breath. Any resident displaying these symptoms is placed in isolation. Associates are screened prior to beginning work and upon leaving. We are also following infection control recommendations, including proper hand-washing techniques and wearing masks, gowns and gloves when caring for any symptomatic patients. All of these decisions have been made based on recommendations from the state health department and the CDC.

In addition to the above infection control strategies, all visits to the facility from families, volunteers or vendors are not allowed. The facility has also placed a hold on admissions, to fully focus on our current residents and associates. We encourage family members to call the facility if they have specific questions regarding their loved ones. … Our Life Care associates continue to focus on resident care, and we would like to acknowledge how dedicated they have been throughout this entire situation.”

1:39pm – King County plans to purchase of a motel to house coronavirus patients in isolation. Read more

11:36 – Health officials announce four more deaths due to coronavirus. The sixth death was at Evergreen Hospital in King County, but was a Snohomish County resident.

Also in King County, a woman in her 70s with underlying conditions died on Sunday. Another woman in her 80s was previously in critical condition, and also died Sunday. Details on the fifth death have not yet been released.

On Sunday evening, health officials announced the second death. The first death was reported on Friday.

11:30am – Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued a letter to Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine Monday, pushing for free medical care for any patients with coronavirus symptoms. Read more

10:24am- Despite ongoing concerns related to the spread of coronavirus, Emerald City Comic Con will go forward as planned this year in downtown Seattle. Read more

10:05am – Several schools around the Puget Sound region closed on Monday while crews cleaned campuses. All schools in the Northshore School District will close on Tuesday for cleaning. Read more

8am: COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, may have been spreading in Washington state for weeks undetected, according to researchers at the Seattle Flu Study. Read more

7:14am – KTTH’s Jason Rantz says it’s clear that we’re not ready for how Seattle’s out-of-control homelessness will worsen the crisis. Read more

6:03am – Shoppers are stocking up on supplies to prepare for the potential spread of coronavirus. At a Costco in South Seattle on Saturday, customers bought up hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Read more

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