State Pauses Coronavirus Updates, Citing Severe Weather Impacts

OLYMPIA, WA — Daily coronavirus updates stalled Tuesday after the Washington State Department of Health headquarters was impacted by a windstorm. Officials said nearby damage resulted in interruptions to internet and phone systems, which prevented them from updating the statewide COVID-19 data.

In a brief news release, DOH said it was working to restore all services as soon as possible. Since the department did not update death totals over the long holiday weekend, both metrics likely will be higher than usual once full reporting resumes.

Several wildfires burning in Western Washington

High winds fanned dozens of brush fires and wildfires across the state Monday and Tuesday, and a red flag warning remains in effect through at least Thursday night. A fire burning in Littlerock, about a dozen miles south of Tumwater, prompted evacuations on Tuesday afternoon. In neighboring Pierce County, several towns had some evacuations in place Tuesday night.

Smoke from nearby fires and those burning in Central and Eastern Washington has impacted air quality in many areas, which can cause irritation or present serious health concerns to sensitive groups.

State health officials provided the following tips to minimize exposure to smoke and improve indoor air quality:

• You can do this by improving filtration and creating a clean air room in your home. If you create a homemade box fan air filter, never leave it unattended. Left alone, it is a fire hazard.
• When the air quality is poor, don’t add to indoor air pollution by burning candles or incense, or smoking inside.
• Close windows and doors when it’s smoky outside but open windows and let in fresh air when there’s better air quality outside.
• Wear your cloth face covering to slow the spread of COVID-19, but don’t think it is protecting you from the smoke. It keeps droplets from spreading, but lets dangerous microscopic smoke particles right in.
• Stay informed about wildfire smoke on the Washington Smoke Information blog and your local clean air agency’s website.
• For more information to protect your health visit DOH's Smoke from Fires web page.

Governor urges students to exercise caution amid recent spikes

During a news conference about the wildfires Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee also touched on the continued impact of COVID-19 in Washington.

"We have some real concerns now that fall is upon us, and fall is when we tend to go inside," Inslee said. "We are closer to one another, which we know increases the risks."

Inslee pointed to a recent New York Times report that ranked Pullman, the home of Washington State University, as the number two hotspot in the nation for new coronavirus cases. In recent weeks, Whitman County has reported some of the highest case counts in the entire state. The governor pleaded with college students to exercise caution and avoid large gatherings.

"This is just not a moment where typical partying is safe," Inslee said. "We need a little more safety and a little less Animal House."

Inslee acknowledged signs of progress overall after the state reached the 11th lowest level of new case counts per 100,000 residents in the United States.

"I point this out to show that what we are doing is, to some degree, working," Inslee said. "The large number of people who are masking up, the businesses who are showing leadership protecting their patrons...the educators that are working so hard in such difficult circumstances. All this effort is actually saving lives in the state of Washington."