Coronavirus updates: King County reaches 4,300, deployment of field hospital at CenturyLink Field

2. Scientists have figured out how the novel coronavirus breaks into human cells, which will help significantly in developing treatments

After scientists revealed the first picture of how the novel coronavirus binds with human respiratory cells to produce more viruses, researchers in China have solidified images all the way down to the level of the atoms at the binding points, according to Live Science. With this news, understanding how the virus enters cells will significantly aid researchers in finding drugs and vaccines to fight the virus. less 2. Scientists have figured out how the novel coronavirus breaks into human cells, which will help significantly in developing treatments

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As more and more tests were made available and completed, the number of cases of COVID-19 in Washington steadily grew. By Saturday, the number of confirmed cases statewide jumped up to 4,300, including 189 deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

There were 2,077 reported cases in King County alone, with 136 deaths.

The outbreak had reached 34 of Washington's counties by Friday, the majority of which were still in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Okanogan, Ferry and Skamania counties were the latest to report their first cases.

To read the latest updates about the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington state and the U.S. at large, scroll down.

March 28

Seattle Seahawks field to host military hospital amid virus

A military field hospital for people with medical issues that are not related to the coronavirus outbreak is under construction at CenturyLink Field Event Center, which is home to the Seattle Seahawks football team.

Three hundred soldiers from the 627th Army Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado, have deployed to Seattle to staff the hospital, which is expected to create at least 150 hospital beds for non-COVID-19 cases. The facility, described as a life-saving Army medical hospital, will be ready to start seeing patients in just a few days, officials said.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine, along with FEMA Region 10 Administrator Mike O’Hare and Brigadier General Doug Cherry and others discussed the plans Saturday afternoon at a news conference.

“We know that this Army field hospital will be critical and will reduce the burden on hospitals here," Durkan said. ”The military is here to help, not take over. They are here to help because they know Seattle needs it."

Also on Saturday, Inslee released a letter to tribes that confirms his emergency proclamations do not pertain to their sovereign nations and additionally issued refined guidelines for funerals and real estate transactions.

Funeral homes had largely stopped holding services but Inslee said Saturday that licensed funeral homes and cemeteries may conduct funeral services in a funeral home or graveside as long as they are only attended by immediate family members and maintain social distancing measures.

Real estate transactions and mortgage lending, which were deemed essential activities under the governor's statewide stay-at-home order, can continue with in-person meetings only as necessary for a customer to view a property or to sign documents, Inslee said.

To read the full story, click here.

March 27

Washington closes all recreational fishing until April 8

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced on March 25 that all recreational fishing in the state will be closed under Governor Jay Inslee's orders that all residents stay at home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“This is not a decision we take lightly, but it’s the right thing to do for the health and well-being of Washington’s families,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “Monday’s extraordinary order for the residents of our state to stay home requires all of us to work together to ensure these measures have the intended effect.”

To read the full story from reporter Callie Craighead, click here.

Seattle Public Schools moves forward with plans for remote learning

About two weeks after schools across Washington state closed amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Seattle Public Schools officials say the district is continuing to move forward with remote learning plans for its students.

But many questions still remain about what remote learning will include and what exactly is expected of teachers and students, including graduating seniors.

SPS Superintendent Denise Juneau said earlier this week the district's goal is for "educators to deliver educational services to our students to the greatest degree reasonably possible." The state's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said this week that "education must continue."

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

Seattle baker creates delivery, take-out site for small businesses

One Seattle small business owner is making an unprecedented move during unprecedented times in wake of the novel coronavirus.

Piroshky Piroshky owner, Olga Sagan, is out making deliveries.

After developing a new free site for small businesses by the name of Catch22Delivery, the website has been growing by the minute with sign-ups and users, and with requests from around the country to develop this platform for other small businesses to connect with their customers.

To ready the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.

Vulcan Real Estate won't collect April rent from small businesses due to COVID-19

Seattle-based Vulcan Real Estate announced its small business and nonprofit tenants would not have to pay rent in April as they continue to feel the impacts of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The move will help 40 tenants in the region, including restaurants, hair salons and nonprofits, Vulcan Real Estate said.

“As a long-standing Seattle-based developer, we are part of the community that is navigating this extraordinarily difficult time,” said Ada M. Healey, chief real estate officer of Vulcan Inc. “We hope this action will help these small businesses weather the next phase of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.”

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

March 26

Grants awarded to dentists impacted during pandemic:

A total of $10 million in grants will be provided to independent dental practices in Washington that have been impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Delta Dental of Washington announced the availability of the grants, in addition to advance payments for its in-network dentists, to help them stay afloat amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Dentists are a critical part of our healthcare system and many are independent small business owners, employing thousands of hygienists, dental assistants and office staff statewide,” Delta Dental of Washington CEO Mark Mitchke said in a statement.

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

Salt and Straw closes shops down temporarily:

Once just a humble Northeast Portland food cart, and now an ice cream metropolis down the West Coast and Miami, small-batch ice creamery, Salt and Straw, has temporarily closed its doors like many other small businesses across the nation in wake of the novel coronavirus.

"This is not goodbye," Founder and CEO Kim Malek stated in a press release this week. "The company we've built and communities we love have not gone away. We will reopen and hope to bring our team and customers back together as soon as possible. We hope you will stay strong, healthy, and help one another stay positive."

To read the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.

Sounders start relief fund:

The Seattle Sounders announced this week that the club is launching a relief effort to help the local community amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The ‘Seattle Sounders FC Relief Fund’ will target the individuals, nonprofits and small businesses in the neighborhoods surrounding CenturyLink Field -- the club’s home arena -- that have been “adversely impacted” by the postponement of the 2020 MLS season.

That umbrella includes SoDo, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District.

To read the full story from reporter Ben Arthur, click here.

UW Medicine surge plan begins:

UW Medicine is beginning to put into place its surge plans as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to put a strain on hospitals across the country.

The plan, which is expected to be in place by April 1, involves separating "low acuity ambulatory patients with respiratory illness symptoms" from other patients. When patients exhibiting those symptoms get to UW Medicine hospitals’ emergency departments, they will be directed to a tent outside of the emergency department.

In the expanded area, these patients will receive an evaluation and will then be treated, discharged or sent to either another site or a place in the hospital. Each hospital is also "developing architectural plans to modify interior spaces in the emergency departments to provide safe care for patients with respiratory illnesses," UW Medicine said in a news release.

"We are confident that our surge plans will enable us to scale up our capacity to treat increasing numbers of patients with COVID-19 symptoms while also preserving our resources to care for patients with other critical injuries or illnesses in our emergency departments."

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

March 25

Some grocery stores and pharmacies giving bonuses to employees:

Companies including Fred Meyer and CVS have announced plans to give bonuses to employees continuing to work amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has forced many businesses to shut down and employees who can have been asked to work from home, but grocery stores and pharmacies are essential businesses that will remain open.

CVS Health announced this week it would give bonuses of between $150 to $500 to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, store associates, managers and other employees who need to be on site at the stores.

“Our colleagues have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to providing essential goods and services at a time when they’re needed most,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health, in a statement. “As they continue to be there for the individuals and families we serve, we’re taking extra steps to provide some peace of mind and help them navigate these uncertain times.”

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

An organization raises almost $30 million to help people affected by the outbreak:

A local initiative has raised more than $27 million to help people and businesses in the Seattle area impacted by the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The initiative, All In Seattle, was formed last week by a group of Seattle area residents who were concerned about the toll the spread of the virus was taking on local businesses and people in the region. Earlier this week, All In Seattle launched with more than $27 million in pledged donations "from individuals and entities to local organizations that are directly working with people affected by the COVID-19 crisis."

“The most notable and inspiring result of this grassroots effort is both the number of people and organizations who have stepped forward to help their local community, and the generosity of their contributions. To raise $27 million in just 72 hours is staggering,” said Rajeev Singh, CEO of healthcare company Accolade, in a statement.

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

Seattle grocery stores transform to meet social distance guidelines:

Next time you make a quick trip to the grocery store, don’t be alarmed if things seem a little different than usual.

Safeway and Albertsons are making big changes around the Emerald City to comply with the new stay-at-home order to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Checkout lane Plexiglas, at-risk shopping hours, taped floors for social distancing, and same-day pharmaceutical delivery, to name just a few.

“As we all continue to navigate through this public health crisis together, Safeway and Albertsons is continuing to do everything we can to prioritize the health and safety of our customers, our communities, and our associates, and to ensure our customers have access to the food, medications, and other essential goods they need during the 'Stay at Home' time frame,” the grocery chain stated in a press release.

To read the full story from reporter Christina Ausley, click here.

Starbucks offers free coffee to frontline workers:

As communities across the globe are rallying together to support one another during the COVID-19 pandemic, Starbucks is ensuring that the people working on the front lines to keep communities safe and informed remain caffeinated and in high spirits. The Seattle-based global coffee chain announced that it will be offering free drip coffee to all front-line responders through May 3.

Since the start of the pandemic, the company has had to make significant changes in its business model, including the recent move to only operate drive-thru locations temporarily. However, stores located near hospitals and other health care facilities remained open to serve workers.

To read the full story from reporter Callie Craighead, click here.

App gives states scorecards on social distancing:

State and local Seattle officials have been urging people to stay home as much as possible to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But have people really been following the social distancing guidelines?

A new report takes a look at just how much people are actually staying inside.

The report analyzes location data from tens of millions of phones to see whether people are reducing their movement by looking at the change in average distance traveled. The report then gives each state and county a grade, determined by the percentage they have reduced their distance traveled.

To read the full story from reporter Becca Savransky, click here.

This story will be updated regularly as more information and news becomes available about the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington. To read more coverage, click here.

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