Washington's Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses 600; 293 New Cases

SEATTLE, WA — The state department of health reported an additional 293 cases of the new coronavirus Friday, and another 20 people have died from complications linked to COVID-19.

Lab-testing has confirmed 11,445 illnesses since late February, and the virus has claimed the lives of at least 603 Washingtonians. King County, which was an early epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, accounts for more than half of the state's deaths.

Washington continues to ramp up its testing efforts and announced new options that will be available to the public beginning next week.

UW Virology to begin testing public for coronavirus antibodies

The University of Washington Virology Lab will begin processing thousands of tests for the presence of antibodies linked to the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers discussed their latest effort at a news conference Friday morning and said the lab would immediately be able to process about 4,000 tests per day. Within two weeks, the lab expects its capacity to grow to 15,000 daily tests.

The new tests will allow the state to identify previously undetected COVID-19 cases and develop a clearer picture of the virus's overall activity in Washington. Research into the exact level of protection the antibodies offer against re-infection is ongoing, but scientists said it was likely they would significantly lower the severity of future symptoms.

Researchers said treating sick patients with plasma that contains antibodies has been successful for other infections and identifying more people who have recovered from COVID-19 could provide a promising option for those who are ill.

Washington seeks plasma donations from recovered COVID-19 patients

The state department of health has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Bloodworks Northwest to solicit plasma donations from people who have recovered from COVID-19 illnesses in Washington.

Qualified donors must be free of symptoms for 28 days and have been previously diagnosed with a lab-confirmed COVID-19 case. Bloodworks said all applicants will undergo a health screening and be tested for the level of antibodies present in their blood.

Learn more about the program on the Bloodworks Northwest website.

King County SCAN program releases first testing results

A partnership between Seattle and King County Public Health and the Seattle Flu Study has successfully tested thousands of volunteers who received home kits in late March.

King County said SCAN processed more than 4,000 nasal swabs in the program's first 18 days, and 44 people tested positive for COVID-19.

"SCAN is a way for King County residents to help us better understand the true extent of the outbreak," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for King County. "As more representative samples from people all across the region are collected and tested, findings will become increasingly valuable."

The program was developed to help trace undetected infections across King County by providing simple test kits, without requiring potentially-ill people to leave their homes. Public health officials said first responders and health care workers who have not been able to access testing services can contact the county at 206-477-3977.

Learn more about the SCAN program here.

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Inslee slams Trump tweets for endorsing "illegal and dangerous acts"

Gov. Jay Inslee strongly condemned tweets by President Donald Trump Friday, which signaled support for pockets of protests against stay-at-home orders in several states.

The President posted a trio of all caps tweets, mentioning Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia, where protests have taken place throughout the week. A similar event was organized outside the Idaho state capitol Friday afternoon.

Inslee posted a seven-part Twitter thread Friday afternoon calling the President's remarks "unhinged rantings" and warned that his behavior could undo the coordinated work accomplished by state and federal leaders.

"His words are likely to cause COVID-19 infections to spike in places where social distancing is working — and if infections are increasing in those places, that will further postpone the 14 days of decline that his own guidance says is necessary before modifying any interventions," Inslee wrote. "I hope political leaders of all sorts will speak out firmly against the president's calls for rebellion."

Trump doubled down on his remarks during a news conference Friday evening.

Seattle parks will remain open this weekend — as long as everyone follows the rules

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Seattle's parks would stay open Saturday and Sunday, one week after the city shuttered 15 major parks and beaches.

The mayor's office said 60 "social distancing ambassadors" would be deployed to keep tabs on park use and remind people of the rules. If large groups of people arrive at a park, city staff will close the area. The city said all parking lots remain closed at major parks, and fire pits are not permitted at Alki Beach or Golden Gardens.

The Seattle Department of Transportation will also pilot a "Stay Healthy Streets" program over the weekend, closing off approximately 2.5 miles of neighborhood greenways to traffic in the Central District and West Seattle, allowing for pedestrians and cyclists to use the space to safely get outdoors. Transportation officials said the program is set to expand to 15 miles across the city in the coming weeks.

Two of Seattle's most popular farmers markets will also return with strict social distancing guidelines, according to the mayor's office. The University District Farmers Market will operate with up to 35 vendors and 15 staff on Saturday. The Ballard Farmers Market will open Sunday with 28 vendors and 12 staff. Residents are encouraged to limit shoppers to one per household and follow specific guidelines posted online.

In Snohomish County, farmers markets and produce stands are classified as essential businesses. The county posted updated guidance for vendors and shoppers Friday afternoon.

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

Total confirmed cases: 11,445 (603 deaths)

King: 4,865 cases (330 deaths)
Snohomish: 2,032 cases (89 deaths)
Pierce: 1,031 cases (30 deaths)
Yakima: 692 cases (34 deaths)
Benton: 293 cases (32 deaths)
Spokane: 290 cases (15 deaths)
Whatcom: 269 cases (25 deaths)
Clark: 246 cases (14 deaths)
Skagit: 222 cases (6 deaths)
Island: 157 cases (8 deaths)
Franklin: 167 cases (4 deaths)
Kitsap: 133 cases (1 death)
Grant: 132 cases (2 deaths)
Thurston: 89 cases (1 death)
Chelan: 64 cases (5 deaths)
Adams: 40 cases
Douglas: 30 cases (1 death)
Jefferson: 28 cases
Cowlitz: 27 cases
Walla Walla: 26 cases
Mason: 22 cases
Lewis: 19 cases (2 deaths)
Klickitat: 16 cases (3 deaths)
Clallam: 14 cases
Okanogan: 14 cases
Kittitas: 14 cases
San Juan: 13 cases
Grays Harbor: 12 cases
Whitman: 12 cases
Asotin: 11 cases
Stevens: 7 cases (1 death)
Skamania: 3 cases
Lincoln: 2 cases
Wahkiakum: 2 cases
Columbia: 1 case
Ferry: 1 case
Pacific: 1 case
Pend Oreille: 1 case

444 cases remain unassigned to any 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.