25 New Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In Pierce County; 3 More Dead

TACOMA, WA — The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department on Friday reported 25 new coronavirus cases and three more deaths linked to COVID-19. The county's case total stands at 1,287, and 47 people have died since early March.

Pierce County has the third-highest number of lab-confirmed cases in Washington, behind King and Snohomish counties.

Related: Washington's Coronavirus Case Count Nears 13,000; 723 Dead

According to the health department, 28 hospital stays related to COVID-19 were recorded last week, which was down from the previous two weeks.

Updated hospitalization numbers for this week have not been released. An upgraded map on the health department website allows residents to track cases more closely, and sort confirmed illnesses by neighborhood.

The deaths announced Friday were among a Tacoma man in his 60s, a Tacoma woman in her 70s and a southwest Pierce County man in his 80s. Health officials said all three patients had existing health concerns.

Coronavirus cases near your Patch:

Lakewood: 117 cases (5 deaths)
Puyallup: 62 cases (4 deaths)
Gig Harbor area: 50 cases (1 death)
Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 35 cases
Bonney Lake: 33 cases (2 deaths)
University Place: 44 cases

Find a complete list of confirmed infections in Pierce County here.

Tacoma will grade students on an A-to-C scale for the school year

The News Tribune reports all Tacoma high school students will receive letter grades between A and C for the modified school year. The school board's vote follows earlier guidance from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, which allowed districts leeway to determine grading during the coronavirus crisis, without allowing for failing grades.

Schools across the state of Washington were closed by the governor's order in late March, and students have different kinds of distance learning options, depending on each district. Tacoma provides digital learning packets for students on the district's website.

Earlier this week, Seattle's school board voted to institute a temporary "A or Incomplete" policy.

Pierce Transit deploys mobile Wi-Fi for students

Pierce Transit has begun a pilot program to provide Wi-Fi for students in need via free mobile hotspots. The program, which began Thursday, allows students and caregivers to park near the bus and connect to the internet to do research, complete assignments and interact with teachers.

The pilot program will run through May 1 but could be extended.

The buses can be found in Lakewood and Spanaway:
-Lakewood Towne Center, in the parking area behind Target and Barnes and Noble.
-Roy "Y" Park & Ride (SR 507 and Pacific Avenue South)

Buses are parked at both locations on weekdays between 8 a.m and 3 p.m. Pierce Transit said buses may be added in additional locations in the future.