Coronavirus In Pierce County: 24 New Cases, 2 More Deaths

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Health officials for Pierce County reported 24 new cases of the coronavirus and two more deaths Tuesday afternoon.

The two dead have been identified as a Tacoma woman in her 80s, and a man from the Edgewood/Fife/Milton area in his 70s. Both victims reportedly had underlying health conditions which complicated treatment. Their deaths raise Pierce County's total death toll to 54. A total of 1,552 people in Pierce County have been infected with the coronavirus.

Meanwhile Washington state reported a total of 15,594 cases of the virus and 862 total deaths Tuesday, marking a growth of 132 new cases and 21 new deaths. The numbers mark a slight increase in deaths: the three days before saw 10 or fewer new deaths each.

Coronavirus may cost Washington billions

While Washington has outlined its latest four-step program to restart and reopen the economy, the months of business closures may end up costing the state billions of dollars with damage continuing through the next three years.

An unofficial revenue forecast by the state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council predicts a total loss of $3.8 billion by next June, and $7 billion through mid-2023. The losses mark a significant problem for the current $53 billion two-year-budget.

Lawmakers say they're hopeful that federal stimulus money will help mitigate the damage caused by the pandemic, but they also say they can't count on the federal government to help out just yet so they're preparing for the worst:

"Everything is on the table," says State Sen. Christine Rolfes, the Senate's chief budget writer. Rolfes says that includes anything from potential furloughs or pay freezes for government employees, to new taxes to make up for lost revenue.

Read more: Washington Forecasts Billions In Lost Revenue Due To Coronavirus

Washington begins planning next steps of reopening

Friday Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state's stay-at-home order through the end of March, but some provisions have been lifted: Tuesday dozens of parks across the state reopened to visitors.

Now that the state has entered the first phase of the reopening, Inslee says they're working to plan out the remaining three phases. Tuesday the governor announced the formation of three new advisory panels who will help guide the state's reopening process.

For the next phase, those boards will help make guidelines allowing landscaping businesses, car dealerships, car washes and other curbside retailers to reopen. That plan will be released sometime early next week according to Inslee.

Read more: Washington Reaches Phase 1 In Inslee's Reopening Plan

Parks in the south sound reopen to visitors

As part of the phase one reopening Tuesday more than 100 parks across the state reopened to visitors. Among the reopening parks are those managed by Metro Parks Tacoma, though their restrooms, playgrounds, sport courts and skate parks remain closed.

While fishing is now allowed again, the Point Defiance Marina also remains closed without an estimated date for when it may reopen. Similarly, golfing is now allowed across the state, but Meadow Park Golf Course remains closed to the public.

That said, nature lovers can finally enjoy all of Metro Parks Tacoma's regular parks for walking, running or cycling, as long as they follow a few safety guidelines. Visitors are still asked to practice safe social distancing, avoiding gathering in large groups and keeping a safe six foot space from everyone else. They're also asked to take all their belongings and trash home when they visit.

Read more: Sound Sound Parks: What's Open, What's Not

Flight planned to honor health care workers

The Air Force has announced a flyby above 30 hospitals across Washington Friday. The flight will take off after noon and will be composed of two massive C-17 Globemaster IIIs stationed at McChord Field at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Air Force has released a map of their flight path on Facebook.

To catch the show, a full itinerary of the flight, including where it can be seen and when, can be found right here: Air Force To Fly Over Puget Sound Hospitals Friday: How To Watch

Republicans file lawsuit over stay-at-home extension

Seven Republican lawmakers have filed a legal challenge to Gov. Inslee's stay-at-home order, arguing that the order's extension was made unconstitutionally.

In the suit the lawmakers point to lower death tolls than originally predicted, and say that extending the order further is not justified.

The governor condemned the lawsuit on Tuesday, arguing that the extension is necessary to save lives.

"If we stopped in our tracks, half-way through this effort or two-thirds through this effort, this virus will come back with a vengeance," Inslee said. "As far as I can tell, that doesn't bother them that much."

Fundraisers for local food banks

Tuesday and Wednesday GiveBIG WA is hosting fundraisers for all sorts of non-profits across Washington, including two for Pierce County food banks that have been slammed by the coronavirus outbreak.

The Bonney Lake Food Bank says, because of coronavirus-related layoffs and economic instability, they're expecting to feed up to six times the normal number of families over the coming months. They've set up a fundraiser with a goal of raising $25,000 to feed residents in their area.

Meanwhile Lakewood's Emergency Food Network has also set up a fundraiser to help get food to those in need. According to the Emergency Food Network, one in seven people in the county are food insecure, meaning they cannot guarantee where their next meal will come from. Worse, one in five children in Pierce County is also food insecure. In total 1.3 million people visit food pantries or meal sites in the county each year, and over half of those people are children or senior citizens.

Read more:

Bonney Lake Launches Fundraiser To Gather $25,000 For Food Bank

$11,000 Raised To Help Lakewood's Emergency Food Network

Coronavirus cases by city

The number of coronavirus cases in Pierce County can be broken down by area as follows: