Coronavirus Death Toll Nears 700 In Washington; 212 New Cases

SEATTLE, WA — Lab tests have confirmed an additional 212 coronavirus cases in Washington, and another 10 people have died from complications linked to COVID-19, according to the latest data from the state Department of Health.

The number of daily hospitalizations related to the coronavirus has continued to trend downward, along with the overall number of new illnesses reported.

Nearly 46,400 people have died in the United States, and updated modeling suggests that number may surpass 65,000 by August.

Catch up on the latest developments in Washington and across the nation:

Oral arguments begin Thursday in lawsuit seeking emergency releases for thousands of inmates

The state's highest court will hear oral arguments Thursday morning in a petition seeking the release of thousands of inmates who are most at-risk for COVID-19. The Associated Press reports the hearing will be held remotely, using the video conferencing app Zoom.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of a group of inmates, seeks emergency releases for all prisoners over 50, those with serious health concerns, and people within 18 months of the end of their sentence, to drastically reduce the prison population and ensure social distancing inside correctional facilities is possible.

According to the Department of Corrections, at least 13 Washington inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 among the 303 who received tests.

An emergency motion granted earlier in the month compelled the state to develop a plan to protect inmates' health. According to the Associated Press, Gov. Jay Inslee authorized commutations for 293 prisoners whose release dates were within 60 days, and 41 inmates have received work release furloughs. Several hundred inmates are being considered for release with electronic monitoring. The governor said all planned releases were among non-violent offenders.

Columbia Legal Services, the firm representing the inmates, says the state's plan does not go far enough to protect prisoners from contracting the virus.

"While the Governor has ordered some limited releases, these are insufficient to achieve the level of reducted population necessary," the group said. "Public health and corrections experts agree that in congregate settings such as prisons, depopulation is critical to allow for social distancing and, therefore, to mitigate spread."

The hearing is scheduled to begin Thursday at 9 a.m. and will be streamed online.

Inslee defends stay-at-home order after some public officials voice opposition

Inslee held a news conference in Olympia Wednesday afternoon, standing firm in his commitment to the state's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order following remarks this week from sheriffs in Snohomish and Franklin Counties.

In Franklin County, lab tests have confirmed 212 COVID-19 cases among 815 people tested, and four patients have died, according to state data. In Snohomish County, where the first known U.S. case was detected in January, at least 2,188 cases have been confirmed, and 100 people have died from complications linked to the illness.

The governor said his office had seen overwhelming, voluntary compliance since the order went into effect in March, and encouraged Washingtonians to remain committed until the state meets the threshold needed to begin reopening.

Inslee said he expected updated modeling to be available Thursday, which could allow the state to move quickly in relaxing a few measures, allowing for elective surgeries to resume, more construction jobs to return and further outdoor recreation.

Many restrictions are likely to remain in place until Washington has obtained enough kits to drastically increase testing, and a rapid response contact-tracing team system is ready. The governor said the state is awaiting an order of one million test swabs, and the new team should be ready to deploy by the second week of May.

State releases new guidance for K-12 grading during school closures

The Superintendent of Public Instruction posted updated guidance for schools Wednesday, recommending letter grades over a pass/fail system, while avoiding "F" grades. The superintendent's office said each schools goal should be to "do no harm," and each student should be given an opporunity to improve their grades, using their status on March 17 as the baseline.

Earlier in the week, Seattle Public Schools announced all students would receive an "A or Incomplete."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of potential 'second wave'

CDC Director Robert Redfield said the virus could potentially return in the the fall or winter, presenting new challenges for the nation's health care system.

"There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in an interview with the Washington Post on Tuesday. "We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time."

Redfield clarified those comments Wednesday, saying that the second wave "could be more difficult, more complicated," but not necessarily "worse," though he said he was not misquoted. He tweeted a link to the article Tuesday night.

"When I commented yesterday that there was a possibility of the fall or winter — next fall and winter it could be more difficult, more complicated," Redfield said at the White House briefing. "When we have two respiratory illnesses circulating at the same time, influenza and the coronavirus, but I think it's really important to emphasize what I didn't say. I didn't say this was going to be more worse."

Patch reporter Gus Saltonstall contributed to this report.

Dr. Anthony Fauci urges 'measured' reopening of states

During the White House's daily coronavirus news conference, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectous disease, expert urged leaders in every state to take a measured, phased-in approach in reopening their states when it is safe to do so.

"The problem is if we don't do that, there is a likelihood that we'll have a rebound," Fauci said. "And the one way not to reopen the economy is to have a rebound that we can't take care of."

Fauci said he also believed there would be some coronavirus activity in the fall, but preventative measures would help lessen the severity of any outbreak.

"We will have coronavirus in the fall, I am convinced of that," Fauci said. "In the fall, we will be much, much better prepared.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases by county (from the Washington Department of Health*)

Total confirmed cases: 12,494 (692 deaths)

King: 5,427 cases (379 deaths)
Snohomish: 2,188 cases (100 deaths)
Pierce: 1,176 cases (37 deaths)
Yakima: 851 cases (39 deaths)
Benton: 348 cases (35 deaths)
Spokane: 317 cases (19 deaths)
Clark: 284 cases (15 deaths)
Whatcom: 280 cases (27 deaths)
Skagit: 271 cases (9 deaths)
Franklin: 212 cases (4 deaths)
Island: 160 cases (9 deaths)
Grant: 144 cases (2 deaths)
Kitsap: 140 cases (2 deaths)
Thurston: 95 cases (1 death)
Chelan: 87 cases (5 deaths)
Douglas: 61 cases (1 death)
Adams: 43 cases
Walla Walla: 35 cases
Cowlitz: 35 cases
Jefferson: 28 cases
Mason: 22 cases
Lewis: 22 cases (2 deaths)
Klickitat: 16 cases (3 deaths)
Okanogan: 16 cases
Asotin: 14 cases (1 death)
San Juan: 14 cases
Clallam: 14 cases
Kittitas: 14 cases
Whitman: 13 cases
Grays Harbor: 12 cases
Stevens: 8 cases (1 death)
Skamania: 3 cases
Pacific: 3 cases
Lincoln: 2 cases
Pend Oreille: 2 cases
Wahkiakum: 2 cases
Columbia: 1 case
Ferry: 1 case

133 cases and one death remain unassigned to individual counties. The state is still determining how to sort the hundreds of cases with no definite origin.

*Some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.