6,585 Coronavirus Cases In Washington; Stay Home Order Extended

OLYMPIA, WA — Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday his "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order will remain in place through at least May 4, extending widespread restrictions on non-essential businesses and public activities amid the coronavirus outbreak in Washington.

"[That is] absolutely the soonest we could achieve our ends to keep our loved ones safe," Inslee said.

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The governor's original order, which went into full effect March 25, mandated sweeping business closures and imposed further limitations on most activities outside the home. Inslee said the extension would not include additional restrictions.

While social distancing efforts appear to be working as intended in some areas, the governor pointed to recent data showing a higher percentage of tests returning positive for the virus in Washington.

Another 601 lab-confirmed cases of the new coronavirus were added to the official state count Thursday, bringing the total to 6,585 COVID-19 illnesses and 262 deaths.

A model produced by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says the illness will peak on April 9, with 22 daily deaths projected between that date and April 16. The model indicates nearly 1,000 people could die from complications related to the illness by June.

"We have, unfortunately yet to see the full weight of this virus in our state," Inslee said. "Science is clear — more people will die if we stop now."

"We will not accept unnecessary deaths in our state," Inslee said.

The governor said his order could be extended further, but he was hopeful it would not be necessary if everyone adheres to social distancing mandates and prevents further spread of the virus.

What does the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order mean for you?

Washington new unemployment claims surge 44 percent

Numbers released by the U.S. Department of Labor Thursday morning showed soaring unemployment claims in Washington and across the United States last week. In Washington, 187,501 people filed new jobless claims for the week ending March 28 — an increase of 44 percent from the week prior.

Inslee said the state's Employment Security Department was working to hire hundreds of workers to help process the influx of claims and upgrade the state's systems to handle the volume. Emergency rules allow more people to qualify for benefits, extend the time for coverage and will add an additional $600 in weekly payments for eligible workers in April.

Learn more about filing for unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis here.

Report maps significant drops in public movements since the outbreak began

A New York Times analysis tracked the effectiveness of social distancing efforts across the nation, measuring the change in overall distance traveled between Feb. 28 and March 27. Researchers analyzed anonymous cellphone data from 15 million Americans and found the average person went from traveling about five miles per day down about one mile.

In Seattle, the report noted a more dramatic drop, with average travel falling from 3.8 miles on Feb. 28 to an average of 61 feet on March 27.

Read the full report here.

Related Coverage:

King County Adds 175 Coronavirus Cases; 11 More Dead

Pierce County Confirms 80 New Coronavirus Cases Thursday

Kirkland Nursing Home Faces Fines Over Coronavirus Outbreak

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

Total confirmed cases: 6,585 (262 deaths)

King: 2,609 cases (175 deaths)
Snohomish: 1,266 cases (38 deaths)
Unassigned: 920 cases (1 death)
Pierce: 368 cases (7 deaths)
Yakima: 216 cases (6 deaths)
Spokane: 167 cases (5 deaths)
Skagit: 148 cases (4 deaths)
Benton: 133 cases (4 deaths)
Whatcom: 124 cases (8 deaths)
Island: 114 cases (3 deaths)
Clark: 112 cases (7 deaths)
Kitsap: 85 cases
Grant: 68 cases (1 death)
Thurston: 49 cases
Franklin: 43 cases
Adams: 20 cases
Jefferson: 19 cases
Chelan: 18 cases (2 deaths)
Cowlitz: 16 cases
Lewis: 12 cases
Klickitat: 8 cases (1 death)
Whitman: 10 cases
Mason: 10 cases
Walla Walla: 8 cases
Clallam: 7 cases
Kittitas: 7 cases
Douglas: 6 cases
San Juan: 5 cases
Stevens: 5 cases
Okanogan: 4 cases
Grays Harbor: 2 cases
Columbia: 1 case
Ferry: 1 case
Lincoln: 1 case
Skamania: 1 case

Total tests: 79,418
Percent positive: 8.3%

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

Read the department of health's COVID-19 myth-buster blog here.