2 More Coronavirus Deaths In Pierce County; 25 New Cases Thursday

TACOMA, WA — Pierce County health officials reported 25 new coronavirus cases and two additional deaths linked to COVID-19 Thursday afternoon.

New cases reported Tuesday included residents from Bonney Lake, central Pierce County, Lakewood, South Hill, Graham, Tacoma and University Place.

Health officials said the latest patients to die from complications related to the disease were a Tacoma man in his 70s, and a central Pierce County man in his 50s. According to the health department, both men had existing health conditions.

Lab tests have confirmed 1,754 illnesses and 65 deaths linked to COVID-19 in Pierce County since early March. Approximately 1,000 patients are classified as recovered, while 749 cases remain active.

Across the state, the Department of Health added 261 new coronavirus cases and eight additional deaths to its count Thursday, bringing the official state tally to 17,773 illnesses and 983 deaths. According to the state data, 6.6 percent of tests have returned positive among 267,931 Washingtonians tested since February.

---

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Washington. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

---

Catch up on the latest developments:

National Guard distributes free potatoes at Tacoma Dome

The first large potato giveaway is in the books, as the state's farmers look to donate 1 million pounds of unsold food directly to those in need.

Members of the Washington National Guard loaded free bags of potatoes into a long line of cars outside the Tacoma Dome Thursday, handing out an estimated 200,000 pounds of food. Earlier giveaways have taken place in Auburn, Ritzville and Moses Lake. Farmers also plan to send large shipments to food banks around the state.

Wahington's potato industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with approximately 10 percent of last year's crop unsold amid plummeting global demands for french fries, tater tots.

"Ninety percent of all potatoes grown in Washington State are sold to restaurants and other food service establishments," the Washington Potato Commission wrote in a blog post. "With so many restaurants closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, our potato farmers have lost most of their customers."

Learn more about the "Road To 1 Million Pounds" here, or donate to help cover the farmers' donation costs via GoFundMe.

Inslee releases updated rules on outdoor recreation under phase 1 and phase 2

More recreational activities will soon be allowed in Washington after Gov. Jay Inslee released updated rules under the first and second phases of the state's Safe Start reopening plan.

The governor's latest memo covers several specific activities, including tennis, paddle sports, horseback riding and go-cart tracks. Under the first phase, where most of the state remains, activities are still limited to members of the same household, but the second phase allows for more recreation among small groups of friends.

So far, eight Washington counties have been approved to begin phase 2 early, while the rest of the state is tentatively expected to reach the second step by June 1.

Read more about the updated rules here.

UW Medicine staff rally outside Harborview, protesting layoffs and seeking better protections

Health care workers employed at University of Washington Medicine facilities participated in an afternoon demonstration outside Harborview Medical Center Thursday, protesting planned job cuts and demanding better protections.

Earlier this week, UW Medicine estimated $500 million in losses by the end of summer, due to the coronavirus response. Dr. Paul Ramsey, CEO of UW Medicine, said the hospital system would be forced to take several cost-saving measures, including staff reductions and salary cuts for senior leadership across all its hospitals, clinics, and other services.

According to the Associated Press, organizers of Thursday rally said UW Medicine has failed to fully implement public health guidance, including notifying staff regarding of potential expsoure, installing sneeze guards, and providing sufficient personal protective equipment.

Fire season outlook complicated by the coronavirus

Washington's wildland firefighters are preparing for a potentially active fire season, and this year crews will have to contend an added health risk: the coronavirus.

The Department of Natural Resources said firefighters are at a heightened risk for outbreaks, since they fight flames in close groups, and many have had lungs compromised by conditions on the job. Crews typically move around between camps as new fires appear, which could easily spread any potential infection.

DNR has implemented a series of new safety protocols to help minimize risks and developed a contact tracing system to track potential exposures should a firefighter become infected.

Read more about the fire season outlook, and the challenges firefighters could face here.

New unemployment claims rise as Washington pauses payments over fraud concerns

New jobless claims rose by more than 8 percent last week, as another 109,425 workers filed for unemployment benefits. According to the Employment Security Department, more than 1.77 million initial claims have been filed since the pandemic began.

Despite the growing need for assistance, the state announced Thursday it would halt payments for one or two days while investigators looked into a sharp increase in imposters filing claims using stolen identities.

Another issue the Employment Security Department hopes to correct in the days ahead is a backlog of nearly 57,000 claims that are still awaiting resolution. As a result, the state is limiting inbound calls until May 20, so staff can focus on applicants who have waited the longest to receive benefits.

Read more about the state's latest challenges here.

Seattle-based cruise line announces mass layoffs

Holland America, a Seattle-based cruise line, will cut hours, reduce pay or furlough all of its office employees — both in Seattle and California — the company announced Thursday. According to the Seattle Times, nearly 2,000 people face layoffs.

Last week, Holland announced the cancellation of all planned cruises in Alaska, Europe, Canada and New England for the rest of the year.

UW begins second study to determine the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine

The University of Washington is looking to enroll 2,000 COVID-19 patients in a second clinical trial, examining how useful hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are as potential early treatments for the disease.

In late April, researchers announced a smaller study, seeking 630 patients across the U.S. to test the effectiveness of the two drug regimens. As the first study trial gets underway, the university has received funding from the National Institutes of Health to begin a larger, complementary study.

"Their study was designed to be relatively fast, to be done relatively small, and to be able to answer a question quickly about whether these drugs have efficacy in terms of suppressing the SARS-CoV-2 virus," said Dr. Ann Collier, a professor of medicine at UW. "Our study is larger and is designed to answer a clinically relevant question: does this combination prevent hospitalization and death?"

According to the university, researchers hope to definitively clear up whether hydroxychloroquine is effective, amid some conflicting evidence and public confusion with chloroquine, a separate drug that was stopped during treatment trials in Brazil.

Collier said research committees worked with the Food and Drug Administration to determine a safe dose, to help alleviate potential side effects. Volunteers will participate from home and be provided with devices to measure oxygen levels in their blood and monitor heart rhythms.

Patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and interested in joining the trial can contact the university by calling or texting 206-773-7129.

Coronavirus cases by city:

Location	Confirmed Cases	Deaths
Bonney Lake	41	2
Central Pierce County	128	6
East Pierce County	48	2
Edgewood/Fife/Milton	84	9
Frederickson	59	2
Gig Harbor	52	1
Graham	53	0
Key Peninsula	7	1
Lake Tapps/Sumner	42	0
Lakewood	183	5
Parkland	94	1
Puyallup	120	5
South Hill	98	0
South Pierce County	37	0
Southwest Pierce County	21	2
Spanaway	58	4
Tacoma	565	24
University Place	57	1
Unknown	7	0
Total	1,730	63