CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 6/17 roundup

No decision yet on moving to Phase 2. Here are the other virus-crisis headlines from today:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*8,893 people have tested positive, 38 more than yesterday’s total

*575 people have died, 1 fewer than yesterday’s total++

*1,531 people have been hospitalized, 1 fewer than yesterday’s total++

*130,354 people have been tested, 2,738 more than yesterday’s total

++The county cites “data corrections” for the death/hospitalization numbers dropping

One week ago, the four totals were 8,559/570/1,505/111,291.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.

‘ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WE HAVE TO INCREASE MASK USAGE’: So said the governor during his briefing today, reiterating that it’s crucial to keeping the virus under control. “We have to step up our game … we’re not even at halftime yet.” Video of his briefing, covering a wide range of virus and non-virus topics, is here.

TEST-TOTALS ERROR: The state Health Department announced today that it’s been over-reporting negative test results.

DEATH-TOTALS CHANGE: Also from the DOH’s daily bulletin:

DOH announces changes in how it reports COVID-19 death data: Until now, when a death is reported as a COVID-19 death, it is because the person who passed away also tested positive for COVID-19. However, this method doesn’t reflect the number of deaths caused by COVID-19; it can include someone who may have died of other causes. DOH is changing its reporting to provide better data about deaths associated with COVID-19. Beginning today, June 17, DOH will remove deaths where COVID-19 did not contribute to death. For Phase 1, this will result in seven deaths being removed from the state’s death count, including two suicides, three homicides, and two overdose deaths. Over the next several weeks, DOH will expand their reporting to identify whether they can confirm or rule-out COVID-19 as a contributing cause of death, or if COVID-19 probably or may have contributed to death. A short Q&A about these changes is available on the DOH website.

Sound Transit is planning a July 1 resumption of fares on ST Express bus routes that have returned to front-door boarding with the installation of health barriers and other protections for operator safety. A new system-wide flat fare will align with other regional agencies, irrespective of trip distances.

That flat fare will be $3.25. ST’s announcement notes, “The Sound Transit Board approved the move to the adult flat fare in April 2018, with an implementation date of July 2020.”

THEY HELPED – CAN YOU HELP THEM? The food-truck and catering businesses based at Delridge’s KBM Seattle Commissary are grateful for community support of their free-meal program. Now they need your help – don’t let the Delridge road work keep you away from their takeout window!

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

9 Replies to "CORONAVIRUS: Wednesday 6/17 roundup"

  • pilsner June 17, 2020 (10:39 pm)

    One fewer?

    • HS June 18, 2020 (7:54 am)

      Continue reading. The “DEATH-TOTALS CHANGE“ paragraph explains changes in reporting. 

  • J June 18, 2020 (6:53 am)

    Yup. He rose from the dead I guess. All this “correction” of data should help with the reopening pushes. 

    • Sir Ryan of Reddstone June 18, 2020 (11:08 am)

      Only for folks that don’t understand data and analysis. 

      • Anon June 18, 2020 (2:53 pm)

        The politically powerful are often not data literate. Let’s hope Washington does better than average.

  • J June 18, 2020 (6:59 am)

    Next they’ll be removing all the heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, and respiratory failure deaths and claim that the COVID infections were incidental. That seems to be the strategy in other countries to get the numbers down.

    • brian June 18, 2020 (9:50 am)

      You have to admit that listing a homicide as a COVID death is pretty suspect and it’s wild that the DOH even did that sort of data tabulation in the first place.     

      • J June 18, 2020 (2:45 pm)

        Yeah. The cases mentioned sound pretty legit to remove. I just wonder if this is a slippery slope to “reporting” like Russia’s “reporting”. We already have an undercounting with lack of testing and comfort care in facilities, and false negatives on tests, and lack of testing in general, and there is an economic motivation to push numbers even lower for “optics”… so…

  • AT June 18, 2020 (9:18 am)

    Oh great, zombies are the last thing we need.  Beware the un-masked un-dead ;) Thanks to the microbiologists at the WA Public Health Lab for tirelessly processing over a thousand tests a day!

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