904 Coronavirus Cases In Washington, 6 More Dead In King County

SEATTLE, WA — State health officials confirmed 135 additional cases of the new coronavirus in Washington Monday afternoon, pushing the total number of lab-confirmed illnesses above 900 as the disease's death toll grew to 48.

Latest: Coronavirus Cases Cross 1,000 In Washington; 55 Dead

Among the most recent deaths were another six people in King County, all over the age of 50. None of the new deaths reported Monday were linked to the Life Care Center in Kirkland, where 29 residents have died from complications related to COVID-19.

Snohomish County has confirmed another two dozen cases since Sunday and Pierce County added nine.

43 dead in King County, six more deaths announced Monday:

• A man in his 80s, who died on March 15
• A woman in her 70s, who died on March 15
• A woman in her 70s, who died on March 14 at Northwest Hospital
• A woman her 90s, a resident of Redmond Care & Rehab, who died on March 12
• A man in his 80s, who died on March 11
• A woman in her 50s, who died on March 8 at Harborview Medical Center

New restrictions on bars, restaurants and group gatherings:

Gov. Jay Inslee was joined by public health leaders Monday morning to outline new restrictions on bars, restaurants and recreational facilities, as part of a rapidly evolving effort to slow the virus's spread in our region and save lives.

"Today we know we are doing this for a simple reason: to save the lives of our loved ones in Washington," Inslee said. "This is our only weapon available to us right now."

Under the new restrictions, restaurants are limited to take-out and delivery service, while bars, clubs, gyms, theaters and similar establishments must close until at least March 31.

Inslee also expanded his mandate on large gatherings, prohibiting all events with 50 or more people, and strongly discouraging gatherings of any number.

"If you're thinking about having a group with 49 people in the same room: think again," Inslee said.

An additional public health order in King County requires any gathering with fewer than 50 people to take specific prevention measures:

• Older adults and individuals with underlying medical conditions that are at increased risk of serious COVID-19 are encouraged not to attend (including employees);
• Social distancing recommendations must be met (i.e., limit contact of people within 6 feet from each other for 10 minutes or longer);
• Employees must be screened for coronavirus symptoms each day and excluded if symptomatic;
• Proper hand hygiene and sanitation must be readily available to all attendees and employees; and
• Environmental cleaning guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are followed (e.g., clean and disinfect high touch surfaces daily or more frequently).

The health order has no end date specified.

"We expect the case count to double every 5-7 days unless these orders to stay away from others are followed diligently," public health officials wrote in a news release. "Already, we can expect that anyone we come into contact with may be infected because there is wide-spread infection in our community."

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According to public health officials, the virus is not especially dangerous to people under 60, or those with no underlying health conditions, but people in low-risk groups are just as likely to be infected and spread the disease, which will have deadly results.

"These orders are essential to protect our whole community from an unprecedented outbreak, especially the most vulnerable people and our health care system,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, the King Couny health officer. “For the younger and healthy adults, please understand your actions have consequences beyond your personal health."

Total cases by county:

King: 488 cases (43 deaths)
Snohomish: 200 cases (4 deaths)
Pierce: 38 cases
Clark: 4
Columbia: 1 case
Grant: 3 cases (1 death)
Grays Habor: 1 case
Island: 7 cases
Jefferson: 3 cases
Kitsap: 7 cases
Kittitas: 3 cases
Lewis: 1 case
Lincoln: 1 case
Skagit: 7 cases
Spokane: 3 cases
Thurston: 4 cases
Whatcom: 3 cases
Yakima: 4 cases
Unassigned: 126 cases*

Total Tested: 12,486
Negative: 11,582

*Health agencies are still working to determine the appropriate jurisdiction for cases marked "unassigned."

Review the latest information from Seattle and King County Public Health.

From the Department of Health:

• Novel Coronavirus Fact Sheet - Available in multiple languages
• Frequently Asked Questions
• COVID-19 Education Materials - Available in multiple languages
• Stigma Reduction

Guidance for people who think they may have COVID-19:

• What to do if you have confirmed or suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF)
• What to do if you were potentially exposed to someone with confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) (PDF)
• What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and have not been around anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (PDF)