52 New Coronavirus Cases In King County; 3 More Deaths

SEATTLE, WA — King County public health officials reported 52 new cases of the coronavirus and three more deaths linked to COVID-19 Friday afternoon.

The new numbers bring King County's total death toll to 537, or about 7 percent of all patients who had the virus. Lab tests have confirmed 7,697 infections in King County since the crisis began.

The latest deaths related to the virus in King County were reported in Seattle and Kent.

Across the state, the Department of Health added 148 new coronavirus cases and six additional deaths to its count Friday, bringing the official tally to 19,265 illnesses and 1,050 deaths.

According to the state data, 6.2 percent of tests have returned positive among 308,358 Washingtonians tested. State health officials said approximately 11,000 negative lab results have yet to be added to the system, and 27 percent of negative test results do not have an assigned county, which may temporarily inflate positive percentages reflected in certain counties.

Catch up on the latest developments:

14 Washington counties now in second reopening phase

Adams, Grays Harbor, Lewis and Spokane counties joined a growing list of places approved by state officials to move into phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee's Safe Start reopening plan.

According to the governor's office, approximately one-third of Washington has moved to the second phase, which allows for restaurants, retail stores, salons and other businesses to resume limited in-person services, with several added health precautions.

Earlier this month, Washington's secretary of health provided a tentative timeline of June 1 for the rest of the state to reach phase 2. On Friday, Inslee reiterated that any decision will be based on evolving data, and some counties will not be ready to move forward until a later date.

"Counties that continue to have large numbers of infections are not in a position to open up stores, restaurants and services safely," Inslee said.

Read more about the latest reopening news here.

Free coronavirus testing options expand next week

Public health officials in Washington unveiled several new options for residents to seek free coronavirus testing next week. Patients with any potential COVID-19 symptoms, including coughing, breathing difficulties, fever, chills and muscle pain should get tested as soon as possible, officials said.

Several testing sites are available in King County next week, including at T-Mobile Park, and the Tacoma Dome will host another round of drive-thru testing beginning Tuesday.

Find more information about expanding testing options in Washington here.

Inslee asks White House to extend National Guard's mission

Washington's governor sent a letter to the White House this week, asking the Trump administration to authorize an extension of the National Guard's coronavirus response.

Inslee noted several ways National Guard members continue to assist in the state's efforts, including oversight of community testing tests, distributing food to those in need and helping operate community testing sites.

The governor said more than 1,200 soldiers and airmen have helped deliver more than 1 million meals, test 2,300 people and assembled more than 30,000 coronavirus test kits.

Read more about Inslee's letter to Trump here.

Second Washington child diagnosed with rare COVID-linked illness

A second child in Washington has been diagnosed with a rare disorder with links to COVID-19, state health officials confirmed Friday.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrom in Children, or MIS-C, was first identified in April by health care workers in the United Kingdom. Earlier this month, a Snohomish County child became the first patient diagnosed with the illness in the Pacific Northwest. The latest case was identified in a King County child.

Symptoms of the disease present similarly to "Kawasaki's disease," but health experts are still working to learn more about how it works. Most cases of MIS-C confirmed in the United States were reported in New York, where some children have died.

Read more: 2nd Washington Child Diagnosed With Disorder Linked To COVID-19

Coronavirus cases by city:

View the daily summary of cases, review infections at long-term care facilities, or explore other details about the virus's impact on the King County coronavirus website.