13 More Cases, 1 Death Due To Coronavirus In Pierce County Friday

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Officials with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported one additional death due to the coronavirus and 13 new cases of the virus Friday.

The health department says the death was a woman from the Puyallup area in her 90s who had underlying health conditions.

The numbers represent part of an ongoing decline in new cases. For the week ending last Friday, the county reported an average of 26 new cases a day. For the past seven days, the average has been 19 new cases a day. The county has not had an average that low since March 25, just before a large spike in cases almost two months ago.

The new numbers bring the total number of county-wide cases to 1,766 and 66 deaths since the outbreak began. Of those confirmed cases, the county estimates around 1,000 patients have recovered from the virus.

Statewide, Washington reported 178 new cases of the virus and 9 deaths. Friday's numbers bring the total to 17,951 Washingtonians infected and 992 killed. A total of 273,303 people have been tested for the virus statewide, meaning around 7 percent of tests come back positive.

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Catch up on the latest developments:

9th county approved to enter Phase 2

Whitman County has been approved to enter Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee's Safe Start plan early.

Whitman is the 9th county to get the go-ahead, following Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Wahkiakum, Skamania and Stevens counties. To enter Phase 2 early, all counties needed to have a population below 75,000, and no new coronavirus cases for at least the last three weeks.

Entering Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan brings a variety of benefits, reopening bars, restaurants, outdoor recreation, hair salons, retailers, manufacturers and more, albeit with new safety precautions for each of the reopened industries. It also allows for small gatherings and loosens restrictions on non-essential travel.

The rest of the state is expected to enter Phase 2 by June 1, but that could change if there any coronavirus flare-ups or further complications.

Read more: 9th Washington County Approved For Phase 2 Reopening

Coronavirus's toll on tourism

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact the state's tourism industries. As the Seattle Times reports, the Washington State Convention Center's $1.8 billion dollar expansion is in danger of running out of money thanks largely to the pandemic. If the expansion does fold, it'll put an estimated 1,000 people out of work.

The Times reports that project managers are seeking out federal aid to keep the expansion afloat. They're reportedly asking for a bridge loan or a federal grant to keep the project running for the next several years. If they can't, the center says the project will be out of money by next March.

The virus has also caused a host of other issues for various tourism-related industries. Downtown Seattle saw hotel revenue drop 96 percent compared with the same time last year.

Read the full report on the Seattle Times website.

Coronavirus sparks agriculture worker strike

Workers at seven produce warehouses in the Yakima area have banded together and walked off their jobs to protest a lack of protections against the coronavirus.

The striking workers are demanding new safety measures, including six feet of social distancing space in their workplaces. Some are also asking for a hazard pay raise of $2 an hour.

The organizers say they expect at least six more strikes to join their movement over the weekend.

Yakima County has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus in Washington state, with 2,100 cases and 73 deaths. The county has just 250,000 residents, making it the county with the highest rate of cases per capita on the whole west coast.

Agriculture is one of Yakima County's biggest industries. Yakima facilities produce much of America's apples, cherries, hops and other produce.

Read more: Yakima County Agriculture Workers Strike Over Coronavirus

Pierce County Fair moved online

Pierce County and the Pierce County Fair Association announced Friday that they have decided to cancel the 2020 Pierce County Fair's in-person events, and replace them with a virtual fair to be held online.

The fair had been scheduled for August 6 through 9 at Frontier Park in Graham. Organizers say they know its a disappointment, but that the move was necessary to make sure everyone was safe from the coronavirus pandemic.

The fair says it's still work-shopping how the virtual event will go: they want to include the same vendors, sponsors and community members who would be involved in a regular fair, and are trying to figure out the best way to do so.

Read more: Pierce County Fair Will Be Online-Only This Year

Emerald Queen Casino to reopen Monday

The Emerald Queen Casino in Fife will be reopening its doors to customers at 10 a.m. Monday, but with a variety of new coronavirus-related safety regulations.

When the casino opens, the floor will be limited to 30 percent of the building's max capacity, and customers will have their temperatures taken at the door and will be required to wear masks during their stay, among other changes.

The new Emerald Queen Casino along I-5 in Tacoma is also slated to open sometime next month, and the Angel Of The Winds Casino in Arlington opened their doors on Wednesday.

Read more: Emerald Queen Casino To Reopen Monday

Puyallup Farmers Market continues

After a test run last week to see if the market could comply with social distancing requirements, city leaders say the Puyallup Farmers Market is clear to return again this weekend.

The market is held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the South Hill Mall's southwest parking lot, outside the former Sears building.

Like last week, the number of visitors will be restricted to try and limit the spread of the coronavirus. Customers are asked to wear a face mask or other face covering when visiting the market and will also be asked to limit their time at the market.

Coronavirus cases by city:

Location	Confirmed Cases	Deaths
Bonney Lake	44	2
Central Pierce County	128	6
East Pierce County	47	2
Edgewood/Fife/Milton	85	9
Frederickson	59	2
Gig Harbor	52	1
Graham	53	0
Key Peninsula	7	1
Lake Tapps/Sumner	44	0
Lakewood	184	5
Parkland	94	1
Puyallup	120	6
South Hill	98	0
South Pierce County	38	0
Southwest Pierce County	21	2
Spanaway	59	4
Tacoma	567	24
University Place	58	1
Unknown	8	0
Total	1,766	66