CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 3/18 roundup

Here’s what happened today, 19 days after King County announced its first COVID-19 case:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the daily Seattle-King County Public Health update:

Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 3/17/20

562 confirmed cases (up 44 from yesterday)
56 confirmed deaths (up 10 from yesterday)

These additional deaths include:

A woman in her 90s, who died at Life Care Center on 3/6
A woman in her 60s, who died at Life Care on 3/16
A man ins 90s, who died at Life Care on 3/17
A man in his 70s, who died at Life Care on 3/17
A man in his 80s, who died at Life Care on 2/28
A man in his 90s, who died on 3/15
A woman in her 70s, who died at Overlake Medical Center on 3/16
A man in his 70s, who died at University of Washington Medical Center on 3/17
A man in his 60s, who died at Harborview Medical Center on 3/16
A man in his 70s, who died on 3/16

Of the 56 deaths reported, 35 are confirmed to be associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland.

For comparison, the King County numbers one week ago were 234 cases, 26 deaths.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: 1,187 cases, 66 deaths; other state stats here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them – nation by nation – here.

ANOTHER WEST SEATTLE CASE: Families at the Bridge Park senior-living complex in High Point have been told of a third case there. The notification said the patient is in a hospital.

GOVERNOR BRIEFING: This afternoon, Gov. Inslee briefed the media on another round of economic announcements – here’s what he published; below, our topline notes from monitoring via phone (which is how they’re handling all media briefings now):

*Statewide moratorium on evictions/rent-default notices for next 30 days
*Feds are suspending foreclosures for at least two months
*Waiving 1-week time period before unemployment $ kicks in
*Working with White House to develop “Disaster Unemployment Assistance” for those otherwise not covered. If President can’t do that, he’s asking for Congress to do it.
*DSHS will expand availability to emergency assistance to families without children
*Calling on all public utilities to expand bill assistance, waive late fees, etc.

For small businesses
*Congress OK’d SBA loans
*State making grants available to small businesses
*State cabinet agencies asked to support recovery
*State DOR suspending late fees and enforcement on tax payments for at least 30 days

Q&A touched mostly on non-economic topics. He was asked repeatedly if he’s going to announce further restrictions such as “shelter in place”; he did not rule anything out, but did not suggest anything was imminent – he’s making his decisions based on updates from health authorities.

QUARANTNE-FACILITY UPDATE: Another call we were on this afternoon – a new weekly community briefing on the Top Hat quarantine/isolation site east of White Center, still unoccupied, with early April the target date. Later, we went there to photograph the site, which is fully visible from the street:

A security guard tried to stop us, despite the fact that photographing something visible from a public street is fully within our rights and yours. We called it to the attention of elected officials via Twitter; County Councilmember Joe McDermotttagreed it shouldn’t have happened.

BUSINESS UPDATES: In our look at grocery-store hours today, we discovered at least five local stores now have special times for 60+/otherwise-at-risk people to shop … Pets gotta eat too! So we had an update on those stores …We continued updating the restaurant/beverage-business list (now 110+ businesses listed!) …

The Junction now has its own directory of who’s offering pickup/delivery (and some other business info, too).

YOU CAN HELP: More ways to help are emerging – like this blood drive next week. (We’ll have an ongoing list soon, but in the meantime, check our How To Help archive.)

FINAL WORDS: Seen in Seaview and called to our attention via Twitter:

(Added) We’ve since learned the author of that musing is Kitty O’Meara.

5 Replies to "CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 3/18 roundup"

    • Janelle March 19, 2020 (9:30 am)

      Thanks for sharing, good to see creative approaches like this

  • anonyme March 19, 2020 (7:58 am)

    As to the telephone pole poetry, I’ve been appreciating the new quiet.  Even the skies are less busy.  The air is fresher, and cleaner air and water are being reported worldwide.  I haven’t seen any reports on emissions, but those must be down as well (hence the cleaner air).  Earth is getting a little break, so there is an upside to all this.  I only wish it could last.

  • Kimbee March 19, 2020 (8:23 am)

    my deepest sympathy for those who have lost loved ones 

  • Janelle March 19, 2020 (10:09 am)

    For those who might be interested, there is a free online Mindfulness Summit starting today at 11am.  It’s an opportunity for people to learn about the practice and benefits mindfulness. There will be a number of known teachers and experts on the subject speaking. 

    You can check it out and sign up at: https://www.mindfullivingsummit.com/

    I’m not affiliated, just sharing with neighbors who may be home and have the time, and may enjoy and benefit from this opportunity during this stressful time :)

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