They say that the second vaccine shot for COVID-19 is rougher than the first one — and we’re not just talking about the side effects. As a newly double-vaccinated member… Read More
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is giving an additional $1.4 million in relief funds to aid underserved populations across Washington state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation, originally founded… Read More
Trying to get an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine on the day that eligibility was expanded to new age groups in Washington state would be a familiar experience to anyone… Read More
Nearly 10 months after being the first person to receive a shot in the first U.S. clinical trial of a vaccine for coronavirus, Seattle’s Jennifer Haller is concerned less about… Read More
As coronavirus vaccines are distributed throughout the country, a big question remains: Even though the vaccines reduce symptomatic COVID-19, can vaccinated individuals still transmit the virus? The answer could significantly… Read More
Jeff Bezos is doubling his contribution to All in Washington, a statewide effort to provide COVID-19 relief funds. The Amazon CEO pledged $25 million in matching funds on Monday, equaling… Read More
Microsoft announced Thursday that it is committing more than $110 million in additional funds to help Washington state continue to deal with and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Microsoft President… Read More
With a resume that includes Microsoft, Amazon and the shipping powerhouse Convoy, Seattle’s Greg Akselrod is hardwired for data. And the numbers around the support for the COVID-19 vaccine troubled… Read More
It’s not easy to put on a happy face, or any face, really, during a pandemic in which face masks and frowns are kind of the norm. But a Seattle… Read More
As the first vaccines for COVID-19 are being administered in the U.S. this week, Amazon is asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to take care of some of… Read More
A new app from RealNetworks can detect whether people are wearing facemasks in public, seeking to help businesses, schools and others monitor compliance with public health guidelines designed to prevent… Read More
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committing an additional $250 million in the fight against COVID-19, with funds going to support research, development, and equitable delivery of lifesaving tools,… Read More
Washington state unveiled a new app to inform residents if they’ve been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, as infection rates in the state soar to an average of 2,700… Read More
As Thanksgiving draws closer, COVID-19 infections are surging and virus testing is hitting capacity, leaving health experts and elected officials imploring the public to stay home, stay safe and save… Read More
Bill Gates expressed optimism about the potential effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine candidates, pointing to evidence from Pfizer’s trial suggesting that only a “modest level of antibodies” will be required to… Read More
Avi Schiffmann, the Seattle-area teen who built a website to track the early and ongoing spread of coronavirus, has tested positive for COVID-19. Schiffmann, 18, tweeted about his diagnosis on… Read More
Adaptive Biotechnologies says it’s proceeding with plans to launch a new type of test to determine if someone was previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, after a… Read More
Microsoft says it has detected cyberattacks by hackers operating in Russia and North Korea against seven companies working on COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. The tech giant described the cyberattacks in… Read More
Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has its finger on the pulse of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the home of top researchers in the field of infectious disease — which… Read More
The rate of new COVID-19 infections continues to rise in Seattle and the rest of King County, with more than 300 new cases reported each day last week. In the… Read More
Gov. Jay Inslee is using $24 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds to purchase approximately 64,000 computing devices to help more students in Washington state get connected during remote learning. Inslee’s… Read More
Membrion, the Seattle startup that spun out of the University of Washington four years ago, is working on new technology that could make face masks even more protective in the… Read More
The pandemic and remote work are wearing on the tech workforce, with 68% of respondents to a new survey saying they are more burned out than when they worked in… Read More
Remote teaching is about to get a little bit easier for thousands of teachers in Seattle Public Schools. The nonprofit organization “Two Screens for Teachers” announced Tuesday that it’s purchasing… Read More
Microsoft has released new “hybrid workplace” guidance that lays out how employees can have a more flexible remote work schedule and even relocate elsewhere in the country as the tech… Read More
Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is opening a new facility dedicated to testing treatments for people who have tested positive for COVID-19. The COVID-19 Clinical Research Center, or CCRC… Read More
Amazon is donating more than $2.5 million to bolster its commitment to students from underserved communities in the Seattle region and help meet their needs during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,… Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered life as we know it in Seattle, and a team from the University of Washington is conducting research using images from around the city to… Read More
An international research team led by University of Washington scientists has identified two kinds of “ultrapotent human antibodies” that could go into a drug cocktail for guarding against COVID-19. UW’s… Read More
Detailed genetic analyses of the strains of virus that cause COVID-19 suggest that the outbreak took hold in Washington state in late January or early February, but went undetected for… Read More
Imagine being able to ward off COVID-19 just by spritzing a nasal spray into your nostrils. It may not be just your imagination: Researchers at the University of Washington have… Read More
In addition to the thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer being dispensed around Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Port of Seattle is turning to a few new high-tech approaches to cleaning… Read More
The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle will reopen to the public on Sept. 18 with new safety measures in place, six months after closing because of the coronavirus pandemic.… Read More
As the vast majority of Washington’s kids are returning to school this month via Zoom conferences and online assignments, a statewide effort called the Digital Equity Initiative is launching Wednesday… Read More
Sensoria Health, makers of wearable technology designed to improve healthcare, has a new Smart Band that tracks key vitals and could help detect potential COVID-19 symptoms. Redmond, Wash.-based Sensoria Health… Read More
A team including researchers from Seattle’s Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason has identified a new pathway for protecting cells from deadly viruses — including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19… Read More
Three Seattle software engineers who set out to build a COVID-19 tracing app back in March are finally seeing the results of their hard work as the state of Nevada… Read More
With all of the pandemic-related concerns around how children, parents and educators will deal with in-person or remote learning this fall, Bill Gates says it is important to look ahead,… Read More
New research led by Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center outlines the steps needed to safely reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Widespread testing, contact tracing and case isolation would… Read More
Many researchers have been seeking to better understand COVID-19 by investigating severe cases of the disease, but a new study launched by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Allen… Read More
It’s 8:20 a.m. at the corner of Second Avenue and Union Street in downtown Seattle. The buzz of the city is noticeably absent. A few construction workers stand idly by,… Read More
As part of a pivot during the pandemic, to ensure that it could avoid major layoffs and stay in business, Seattle sock company Strideline turned to making masks. Since the… Read More
As negotiations to reach a deal on a coronavirus aid package stall and restart in Washington, D.C., more than 100 leaders of businesses big and small are urging politicians to… Read More
Last fall, Zipwhip employees were settling into a sprawling new office space with sunset views of the Seattle waterfront and Olympic Mountains. The 75,000-square-foot space provided the startup a chance… Read More
Zillow Group introduced a new policy on Wednesday allowing about 90% of its employees the option of working from home, at least some of the time, indefinitely. It significantly extends… Read More
Public sector employees throughout the Seattle region who have the ability to do their jobs remotely will be able to continue doing so until January 2021 to help prevent the… Read More
A protective face shield made by 3D printing enthusiasts in Washington state, with the help of Amazon Prime Air drone engineers, is now for sale on Amazon.com. Amazon is selling… Read More
BlackSky, a satellite data venture with offices in Seattle, says it’s won a U.S. Air Force contract to track the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on military interests worldwide. The… Read More
The University of Washington will test a random sample of 7,000 people across Washington state for COVID-19 and related antibodies multiple times over eight months in a new effort to… Read More
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Washington state rose 71% over the past week, reaching a new weekly high of more than 6,800 reported cases, according to GeekWire’s calculations… Read More
The bar for reopening businesses and attractions to the public during the coronavirus pandemic has been set — and it’s 600 feet high. Seattle’s iconic Space Needle has invested $1… Read More
The University of Washington’s leaders — and their colleagues across the country — are walking a tightrope as they plan for the fall term amid rising coronavirus cases and controversial… Read More
Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas is closing down two of his restaurants in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, home to Amazon and thousands of tech workers, as the prolonged effects of… Read More
Washington state is seeing a continued resurgence of COVID-19, reporting a record 728 confirmed cases on Thursday, the highest daily total yet in the state that was the first known… Read More
Amazon is once again postponing Prime Day, the company’s annual sales event, due to the coronavirus. Amazon informed sellers of the delay this week, according to reports from Business Insider… Read More
FlixBus, the tech friendly bus service that can connect riders between Seattle and Portland for just $14.99, is returning to service after suspending operations in the U.S. because of the… Read More
Billionaire Elon Musk knows his stuff when it comes to rockets or electric cars. But does that translate into epidemiological expertise? Not completely, according to Washington state’s coronavirus trackers. Musk… Read More
Tech leaders typically use their TED talks to sketch out an optimistic vision of the future, but today Bill Gates used his to warn about a rough autumn ahead due… Read More
Amazon will pay $500 million in bonuses to frontline workers and delivery partners confronting risks and high demand during the pandemic. Dave Clark, head of Amazon’s worldwide operations business, announced… Read More
A total of 3,180 cases of COVID-19 were reported across Washington state in the past seven days, approaching the weekly totals seen at the previous height of the outbreak in… Read More
As concerns about a resurgence of the coronavirus outbreak are widening, so is the reach of the COVID-19 tracking platform created by Sentinel Healthcare, a Seattle-based medical data startup. The… Read More
Pressure is building on Amazon to release data on the prevalence of COVID-19 among its employees as new cases come to light among warehouse workers. Since the beginning of the… Read More
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has added mask-on and mask-off options to its computer-based projections for the course of the coronavirus pandemic — and estimates… Read More
Speaker-maker Sonos, which has a large presence in downtown Seattle, announced Tuesday that it is cutting 12 percent of its global workforce due to uncertainty and challenges stemming from the… Read More
Washington state will require all residents to wear face coverings in public to slow the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Tuesday. The mask mandate takes effect Friday and… Read More
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has shut down a clinical trial to see if a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin can prevent hospitalization and death due to… Read More
More than 400 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Seattle and King County in the past week, up nearly 70% from the week before, according to GeekWire’s calculations from… Read More
Comcast will offer 60 days of free broadband service to low-income customers in Washington state through the rest of the year as the coronavirus pandemic forces many families to rely… Read More
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation announced two contributions to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington state, adding up to $2.2 million. The foundation is contributing $1… Read More
When NASA’s Perseverance rover lands in Mars’ Jezero Crater next February, it’ll be carrying a tribute to the medical community and their work to quell the coronavirus pandemic. A 3-by-5-inch… Read More
Scientists from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington say the search for COVID-19 treatments should widen its focus from hospitalized patients to people who are… Read More
A study involving thousands of COVID-19 patients in Britain suggests that a low-cost steroid drug known as dexamethasone could significantly reduce the death rate for those sick enough to require… Read More
Amazon is rolling out a system that uses sensors and a large-screen display to let workers see, in real time, if they’re maintaining proper social distancing. The “Distance Assistant,” unveiled… Read More
The latest projections for the course of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. suggest that there’s going to be an upswing in the daily death toll, but they differ in… Read More
A Seattle-based industrial design company has come up with a 3-D-printed ventilation system that it says can create invisible curtains of air around airplane passengers, reducing the risk of coronavirus… Read More
The Food and Drug Administration today revoked its emergency authorization for two related antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, to be used for treating COVID-19. Citing emerging scientific data, the FDA… Read More
Transmission of COVID-19 is back on the rise in the Seattle region and other parts of Washington state, again exceeding the threshold needed to further stem the spread of the… Read More
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office says it’s seeing no evidence so far that protesters are testing positive for COVID-19 at higher rates than normal after attending protests. In an online… Read More
KENT, Wash. — So long, door desk. Hello, plexiglass-enclosed roaming human help desk. Not far from where hundreds of robots were buzzing about the floor of Amazon’s sprawling BFI4 fulfillment… Read More
From the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, genetic sleuths have been at the forefront in the global effort to monitor SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. By comparing the… Read More
Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies and Microsoft have launched an open-access database called ImmuneCODE to catalog the many ways in which our immune systems fight off a coronavirus infection. The project leverages… Read More
The Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network today resumed its at-home COVID-19 testing campaign, nearly a month after the program was suspended due to regulatory snags. Public Health – Seattle & King… Read More
Dueling projections for the course of the COVID-19 pandemic are converging on a narrower range of estimates for this summer, as expected, but the longer-term outlook doesn’t call for coronavirus… Read More
Epidemiologists say the crowding conditions associated with mass protests over police violence seem likely to add dozens of people, or perhaps even hundreds, to the daily death toll from coronavirus… Read More
A public-private partnership called Operation Warp Speed is aiming to get multiple vaccines approved by the end of the year to protect against COVID-19 — but two veterans of the… Read More
Barbara Chandler believes she contracted COVID-19 in March at her job, working in an Amazon warehouse in New York where she experienced “a culture of workplace fear reinforced by constant… Read More
Seattle’s Infectious Disease Research Institute is working with Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine to multiply the doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine by 30 to 100 times. Other partners in… Read More
Two months after President Donald Trump tapped a little-known Seattle-area medical device startup called Ventec Life Systems and automotive giant General Motors to help solve the nation’s ventilator shortage, the… Read More
Drivers for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub, and other delivery services will soon be eligible for paid sick time off in Seattle while the city remains in a state of emergency… Read More
Two newly published studies shed light on the origins and spread of the coronavirus pandemic, starting with bats and pangolins in China and ending up with New York’s dramatically deadly… Read More
Counties across Washington state will enter a phased re-opening program Monday as Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay-home” order expires. Inslee announced new rules Friday that will replace the shutdown order with… Read More
Epidemiologists are coming around to the view that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S., involving a Snohomish County traveler who got sick in mid-January, may not have… Read More
Amazon is planning to offer permanent roles to 70% of the 175,000 temporary workers the company brought on to deal with surging demand driven by the coronavirus pandemic. The company… Read More
Update, June 4, 4:25 p.m. PT: All in Wa announced on Thursday that it was moving a virtual benefit concert for coronavirus relief to June 24 in recognition of events… Read More
A coalition of institutions from life sciences, technology and philanthropy launched a new campaign called “The Fight Is In Us,” seeking COVID-19 survivors to donate plasma containing antibodies for transfusions… Read More
Seattle and King County reported 15 deaths from COVID-19 during the past week, down 40% from the week before, while the number of confirmed cases in the region fell to… Read More
Ten days after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee took the Trump administration to task for failing to send enough supplies for coronavirus test kits, public health officials say the gap is… Read More
The Washington State Department of Health is in the early stages of a massive effort to interview COVID-19 patients and track down those who might have been infected by those… Read More
Update for 12:30 p.m. PT June 4: The study in The Lancet has been retracted by three of its authors due to doubts about the veracity of the underlying data.… Read More
Fifty percent of Facebook’s workforce could permanently shift to remote work in the next 5-10 years, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees on Thursday. It’s a staggering statistic for a company… Read More
Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center already has dozens of scientists working on infectious diseases, including COVID-19 — but the center’s president and director, Thomas Lynch, says the research community… Read More
Rad Power Bikes is fielding a 297% increase in demand as the pandemic changes consumer transportation and exercise habits. The Seattle e-bike startup disclosed the number Tuesday in a letter… Read More
Amazon has delivered more than 100 million pieces of personal protective gear and other supplies to healthcare organizations and governments in the U.S., the company said Tuesday. The items were… Read More
President Donald Trump said today that he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that’s being tested as a COVID-19 treatment at the University of Washington and dozens of other sites across… Read More
The search for COVID-19 therapies has turned to an antibody that was first identified back in 2003, in a blood sample from a patient who recovered from a similar coronavirus-based… Read More
Massachusetts-based Moderna’s share price — and the stock market as a whole — were lifted today by the company’s encouraging report about a coronavirus vaccine trial that got its start… Read More
At first glance, Iceland’s COVID-19 statistics might seem contradictory. The Nordic island nation, perched in the North Atlantic, has reported more than 500 confirmed cases for every 100,000 people —… Read More
Seattle and King County reported 420 new COVID-19 cases and 30 deaths during the past week, the lowest weekly totals in two months, according to GeekWire’s calculations from Public Health… Read More
Microsoft is not taking the same financial beating as many of its peers due to the pandemic. Revenue jumped 15% in the first quarter of 2020, Microsoft Teams users increased… Read More
One of the treatments that’s been talked up by President Donald Trump for COVID-19 — a combination of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, an antibiotic — is the subject… Read More
Alexa, do I need a coronavirus test? That’s a query that almost certainly was not in the repertoire for Amazon’s voice assistant six months ago. But the ins and outs… Read More
Amazon’s hourly wage increases and hazard pay will expire in June, a company executive confirmed to Recode this week. Amazon hiked hourly pay for warehouse and delivery workers by $2… Read More
Amazon is manufacturing hundreds of thousands of face shields to sell to healthcare professionals battling COVID-19 and eventually offer to all customers on the company’s marketplace. Amazon says that its… Read More
The organizers of the Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network, a virus-tracking project supported by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, say their efforts are being paused while they deal with concerns raised by… Read More
Washington state public health officials have broadened their guidance to say that anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms, or has been in close contact with a person who has the disease,… Read More
The coronavirus vaccine trial that started out in Seattle is progressing well enough to get onto Food and Drug Administration’s fast track for development, with planning well underway for the… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Tuesday that the state’s contact tracing team will be in place by the end of the week and revealed other details of the program, which… Read More
The top government lawyers in 13 states are calling on Amazon to release data on the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among the tech giant’s workforce. The attorneys general… Read More
Adaptive Biotechnologies, which is working with Microsoft and Amgen to fight COVID-19 using its technology for sequencing the human immune system, reported a 65% increase in first quarter revenue, to… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “will end up spending a lot more” than the $305 million it has pledged so far to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill Gates tells… Read More
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s dispute with county authorities over the reopening of the company’s California car factory was injected into President Donald Trump’s Twitterstream today. Musk has been warring with… Read More
Boeing’s president and CEO, David Calhoun, acknowledged during an NBC News interview with “Today” host Savannah Guthrie that a major U.S. airline will “most likely” go out of business due… Read More
A new directive from Public Health – Seattle & King County is strongly urging residents to wear face coverings when in public and a social distance of at least six… Read More
Unprecedented collaborations involving the biotech industry and government agencies are urgently needed to develop and produce the billions of doses of vaccine that will be needed to stop the coronavirus… Read More
Amazon is developing a robot that would roll through grocery stores and distribution centers, using banks of ultraviolet light to kill viruses on surfaces. The company provided “60 Minutes” with… Read More
In a newly published study, a University of Washington researcher argues that the eventual death toll from COVID-19 could be more than twice as high as the figures currently being… Read More
Washington state is deploying more than 300 “drive-in” WiFi hotspots to help residents who are unable to access the internet due to the stay-home order. Microsoft and Avista Foundation helped… Read More
For years, Amazon Prime Air has been working on drones that can deliver packages to customers, but now it’s also working on projects to help Amazon itself deal with the… Read More
The last time Dan Levitan worked on a project with his two brothers, Richard and Robert, they were in high school. In the time since, on opposite sides of the… Read More
The CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is disappointed that the United States isn’t on the same page with other nations when it comes to fighting the coronavirus… Read More
Healthcare workers at Seattle’s Virginia Medical Center will be the first to receive respirators built by Ford Motors, which pivoted in March to begin developing personal protective equipment as COVID-19… Read More
Is the coronavirus behind COVID-19 turning into a more insidious pathogen? Or are such claims overblown? A fast-moving debate over virus evolution illustrates how not-yet-vetted reports about the course of… Read More
Microsoft is giving employees the option to work remotely through October after revising its WFH policy this week. “On May 4th we confirmed that when restrictions lift, working from home… Read More
A former Amazon employee is suing the company, claiming she was wrongfully terminated after taking time off to recover from COVID-19-like symptoms and sounding the alarm about safety concerns inside… Read More
Microsoft and Seattle’s Adaptive Biotechnologies are seeking 1,000 people across the country for a “virtual clinical study” designed to better understand how the human immune system responds to COVID-19. Their… Read More
The latest projection from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Modeling and Evaluation says the coronavirus pandemic will claim nearly 135,000 lives in the U.S. by August, in part… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed an additional $50 million in funding for the GAVI vaccine alliance to address issues related to COVID-19, focusing on efforts to distribute future… Read More
A total of 92 people died from COVID-19 in the past week in Washington state, about half the number at the peak three weeks ago, the latest official numbers show.… Read More
Everything is in readiness for the first mission to send humans into orbit from U.S. soil since NASA retired the space shuttle fleet in 2011 – from the SpaceX Crew… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is extending the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order for another month, through May 31, pointing to progress in combating COVID-19 but warning that the disease… Read More
The Food and Drug Administration today authorized emergency use of the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir for treating COVID-19 in the wake of encouraging results from a federally backed clinical trial.… Read More
Amazon will give employees the option to do their jobs from home until at least early October — extending its remote work guidance by several months. The move by the… Read More
Bill Gates has been big on vaccines since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but in a new blog posting, the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist says the only… Read More
Washington state jobless claims surged last week as federally backed, expanded unemployment benefits became available for the first time. Some 145,757 Washington residents filed for unemployment, an increase of more… Read More
An antiviral drug called remdesivir got a strong vote of confidence today from one of the most prominent figures in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak. “The data shows that… Read More
A growing coalition of workers and government officials is putting pressure on Amazon to reform its COVID-19 policies ahead of the biggest labor organizing day of the year. The latest:… Read More
More than 600 people signed up to hear guidance on reopening their workplaces during a Madrona Venture Group virtual event Monday afternoon, a sign of the growing interest in returning… Read More
The timeline has slipped to the right and the projected death toll has trended upward in a new projection from the creators of a closely watched computer model for the… Read More
Although many states are starting to relax restrictions on business activity and contacts, Seattle-area epidemiologists say such restrictions will need to be tightened up to reduce the spread of coronavirus… Read More
UPS’ drone subsidiary and the CVS pharmacy chain say they’ll start delivering prescription medicines to the nation’s largest retirement community next month, using Matternet’s M2 drone delivery system. The service,… Read More
COVID-19 knows no borders, and as several US states start to reopen their economies following extended shutdowns, officials in Seattle and Washington state are concerned that the disease could spread… Read More
The latest computer projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation deliver a double dose of discouragement about the course of the coronavirus outbreak, especially for… Read More
The University of Washington School of Medicine is looking for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to participate in a clinical trial aimed at finding out whether a controversial… Read More
When the first COVID-19 case in the U.S. was discovered in Seattle, officials in Washington state quickly realized they would have to design their own response to the crisis. From… Read More
One month after the debut of the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, or CORD-19, the database of coronavirus-related research papers has doubled in size – and has given rise to more… Read More
There were 82,435 new claims for unemployment benefits in Washington state last week, a 42% decline from the week prior. Total claims for unemployment benefits in the state now exceed… Read More
The coronavirus crisis quickly became an unexpected life raft for the technology industry’s image as even its biggest critics enlist Big Tech’s help. The scale of large technology companies —… Read More
Bill Gates, who predicted this pandemic five years ago, is now turning his attention to what’s next — and the simplest way to describe it, he says, is “semi-normal.” People… Read More
Last Friday night, on the eve of what was to be their wedding day, Zac Simon and Nora Downs of Seattle were lamenting the cancellation of their special day due… Read More
Teams across the National Football League, familiar with the dreaded prospect of dropped passes or fumbled handoffs, are hoping dropped calls and missed connections over the internet aren’t the norm… Read More
Like many people working from home these days, Bill Gates hopped on a Zoom call Wednesday morning. The Microsoft co-founder just happened to be joining thousands of students from across… Read More
Buyers, seek opportunity. Sellers, hold off. That’s the advice from Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman as questions swirl about the real estate market amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with… Read More
Microsoft and University of Washington researchers have teamed up on a new app that promises to alert people automatically if they’ve been in close proximity to someone infected by COVID-19,… Read More
Washington state plans to have 1,500 people conducting contact tracing by mid-May in an effort to map and control the spread of COVID-19 as the economy re-opens. Washington Gov. Jay… Read More
In a strongly worded letter, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told Vice President Mike Pence today that the state has “nowhere near” the coronavirus testing capability needed to begin initiating pandemic… Read More
RealSelf is the latest tech startup to cut staff as the COVID-19 crisis forces businesses across various industries to slash expenses in order to survive. The company did not say… Read More
Congressional lawmakers agreed Tuesday to provide $484 billion to refill the coffers of a small business relief fund, expand testing for COVID-19, and send money to hospitals. The bill is… Read More
Sales of the Nintendo Switch console doubled year-over-year in March, according to the latest U.S. numbers from The NPD Group. The data confirms spiking interest and time spent playing with… Read More
The University of Washington School of Medicine has alerted Seattle-King County public health officials and other partners to stop using a donated supply of specimen collection kits for coronavirus testing,… Read More
When Tarryn Marcus set out to create a comprehensive database of COVID-19 testing centers across the United States, her call for volunteers to help build it drew more than 120… Read More
Microsoft Bing on Monday rolled out new COVID-19 data features and a partnership with GoFundMe. Last month Bing debuted a COVID-19 info hub and map tracker. Now it is making… Read More
Microsoft is teaming up with the world’s leading plasma companies to streamline the process of developing an antibody-based therapy for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. The Seattle-area software giant’s… Read More
Out of work Washingtonians reported frustrating delays over the weekend as they sought to file jobless claims. Washington state opened applications for new federally financed unemployment programs Saturday night, but… Read More
Rita Hansen was losing sleep and grappling with anxiety. Like many small business owners and startup CEOs, she spent the past several weeks submitting applications and waiting nervously for federal… Read More
The University of Washington epidemiologists who set up a widely watched model projecting the future course of the coronavirus outbreak have translated those projections into suggested time frames for loosening… Read More
Are you at risk of getting COVID-19? You may be just the kind of person researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is looking for, to help them learn… Read More
The University of Washington School of Medicine’s Virology Lab is reporting encouraging results from trial runs of a new test from Abbott Laboratories that detects the antibodies created by people… Read More
Updated below with details from news conference. Early results from a first-of-its-kind at-home testing program for COVID-19, analyzing more than 4,000 nasal samples sent in from across the Seattle region,… Read More
Loopie launched two years ago as way to connect people who don’t want to do their own laundry with people who will do it for a fee. Now the people… Read More
Current and former Amazon employees are encouraging tech workers at the company to participate in a “virtual walkout” next week to protest recent firings and conditions inside fulfillment centers. The… Read More
Code.org, the non-profit whose goal is to teach computer science to every child in America, is bringing an especially computer savvy guest to “Code Break,” which it calls the world’s… Read More
Boeing says it’s planning to resume all commercial airplane production in the Seattle region starting next week, more than three weeks after operations were shut down due to the coronavirus… Read More
Checking back to see who’s been in contact with newly identified patients with an infectious disease is a standard technique for containing an epidemic, but experts argue that it’s particularly… Read More
If you’ve been stuck at home consuming all manner of media during the COVID-19 pandemic, add a virtual podcast festival to your list of what to listen to next. Podapalooza… Read More
Starbucks is entering a “monitor and adapt” stage as it aims to reopen stores in the U.S. The company will open a “significant” number of coffee shops next month, Starbucks… Read More
It’s impossible to mask our appreciation for the stories of people and companies across Seattle and the Pacific Northwest going out of their way to help in any way possible… Read More
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says that testing everyone regularly for COVID-19 — not just his own employees — will be key to helping the world bounce back from the novel… Read More
Seattle’s Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is in the public health spotlight, thanks to its efforts to head off just the sort of global pandemic we’re now experiencing — but… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is designating an additional $150 million to the global fight against COVID-19, bringing its total funding to more than $250 million, and promising to… Read More
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and President Donald Trump aren’t exactly the best of friends, but that didn’t stop the White House from including the world’s richest individual on a list… Read More
Here’s a news tip for you: restaurant servers, bartenders, baristas and other service industry workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could really use your help during the closure of the… Read More
Bill Gates joined the chorus of people expressing shock and disappointment in President Trump’s announcement Tuesday that he would freeze U.S. funding for the World Health Organization. In a tweet… Read More
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and nine other air carriers plan to participate in a $25 billion payroll assistance program that’s part of the coronavirus relief package signed into law last month,… Read More
The first known COVID-19 death among Amazon’s workforce occurred two weeks ago, the company said Tuesday. An operations manager at a fulfillment center in Southern California died from the virus… Read More
An updated analysis of COVID-19 case data and Facebook mobility data suggests that Seattle and King County are “on the cusp” between wider spread of the epidemic and a gradual… Read More
Many tech startups are laying off employees and facing steep revenue declines due to the COVID-19 crisis. That’s not the case for Remitly, a Seattle company that helps people send… Read More
Jane Park’s vision for wrapping gifts in eco-friendly fabrics with a digital twist has shifted to wrapping the faces of those looking to stay protected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just… Read More
Based on simulations of the coronavirus outbreak’s future course, Harvard scientists say prolonged or intermittent social distancing may be necessary into 2022 — but they stress that research into how… Read More
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is playing a leading role in focusing the power of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and other high-tech tools on the fight… Read More
Can a daily dose of tips sent to your smartphone help you stay sane during a pandemic? That’s what a study planned by the University of Washington’s Center for the… Read More
The University of Washington’s medical system says it’s begun testing all patients admitted to its hospitals for coronavirus. The change in policy recognizes the fact that some patients may carry… Read More
That desire you have to get together with just one friend, and break the social distancing barrier which has kept us all apart during the coronavirus outbreak, may seem like… Read More
West Coast states unveiled a unified approach to lifting lockdown orders and combating COVID-19 on Monday. The governors of Washington, Oregon, and California said they will only re-open their economies… Read More
Amazon added 100,000 new warehouse workers over the past month to help fulfill the surge in orders by customers sheltering at home. Amazon announced the newly filled positions Monday and… Read More
As we’re wading through the flood of information about the novel coronavirus, it’s difficult for even the most skeptical among us to sniff out truth from fiction 100% of the… Read More
The pathways and parking lots are empty. No one is seated at the outdoor tables or playing on the soccer field. Life on Microsoft’s sprawling Redmond, Wash., campus has all… Read More
Boeing says it will bring about 2,500 employees back to its facilities in the Puget Sound region and Moses Lake, Wash., starting as early as Monday, for limited operations that… Read More
Tanner Swanson was a week away from starting his first full season in the Major Leagues as a member of the New York Yankees coaching staff. As the COVID-19 pandemic… Read More
Boeing has shut down airplane production until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it’s pushing forward with production of medical equipment to shut down the virus’ spread. The… Read More
Chinese researchers say they’ve mapped out a key protein structure in the virus that causes COVID-19, including the likeliest target for the antiviral drug remdesivir. What’s more, they say that… Read More
Buildings and landmarks across Seattle and the U.S. were awash in blue light on Thursday night as part of another campaign to show support for health care professionals and essential… Read More
To address a worrisome gap in testing for coronavirus, Seattle-King County public health officials say they’ll be distributing more than 20,000 test kits, prioritized for first responders, health care workers… Read More
With thousands of its own workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic as warehouse workers, delivery personnel, grocery workers and more, Amazon isn’t waiting around for testing to… Read More
Seattle-based Rebellyous Foods says it has raised $6 million in investment for a production operation that turns a blend of wheat, soy and other plant products into nuggets that taste… Read More
Microsoft says it’s immediately putting $20 million from its AI for Health program toward analytical tools that can help researchers and public health officials get a handle on the coronavirus… Read More
Seattle’s famously gooey Gum Wall tourist attraction was scrubbed of an estimated 1 million pieces of chewing gum back in 2015. In 2020, visitors to a new website called Gumwall… Read More
Reflecting a sentiment being conveyed in some COVID-19 hotspots, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey tweeted this week that the “curve is flattening” in the state’s COVID-19 crisis. But he… Read More
Bill Gates’ 1995 book “The Road Ahead” forecast the way personal computing and the internet would change everything about life as we knew it. On Wednesday, the Microsoft co-founder was… Read More
Artificial intelligence is playing a part in each stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, from predicting the spread of the novel coronavirus to powering robots that can replace humans in hospital… Read More
Talk about going viral. Avi Schiffmann, the 17-year-old high school student from Mercer Island, Wash., just outside Seattle, started working on his coronavirus information website — ncov2019.live — in early… Read More
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture isn’t just turning out parts for rocket ships nowadays: It’s also using 25 of its additive manufacturing machines to turn out 3-D… Read More
Microsoft is halting new hires for specific roles due to the novel coronavirus crisis. Business Insider first reported the news. “We continue to seek industry-leading talent in a range of… Read More
Can a smartphone app generate an early warning for an outbreak of coronavirus, flu, colds or other infections? A project funded by the Pentagon with an assist from the University… Read More
More people are ordering groceries online due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, leading to a permanent consumer purchasing shift — and a giant revenue boost for Amazon. That’s according to… Read More
Washington rolled out a $5 million emergency grant program Tuesday to help small businesses in the state that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and related shutdown orders.… Read More
The CEOs of Amazon and Microsoft are among thousands of people contributing to cover the $50 million in private support that the University of Washington School of Medicine expects to… Read More
Redfin will cut 7% of its staff and furlough hundreds of agents due to decreased housing demand amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Seattle real estate giant will slash 41% of… Read More
Although more than 40 organizations are developing the COVID-19 vaccine, only three have made it to human testing. Leading the way is Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle, which began… Read More
In his day job as the director of learning programs for Minecraft Education, Adam Tratt is out to inspire students and make sure they have the online tools to become… Read More
Three employees at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture have tested positive for coronavirus and are now in quarantine, a spokeswoman for the company says. One case came… Read More
Along with the health care workers, delivery drivers, grocery store employees and many others being celebrated for their efforts on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, save some applause… Read More
Seattle-area residents are taking Washington state’s social distancing mandate seriously. They have dramatically reduced trips to work, retail and restaurants, and transit stations, according to Google data. But Seattleites love… Read More
As painful as it is to witness the empty streets and boarded up storefronts in downtown Seattle and throughout the city, it’s helpful to understand that that emptiness is what… Read More
Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, appeared on CNBC this morning to discuss the Schultz Family Foundation’s role in launching a new $4 million fund to provide cash payments to… Read More
A dreaded “reply all” on an email featuring hundreds of people is usually enough to leave you with an upset stomach. But one customer’s message back to Seattle fine dining… Read More
Bill Gates continued his media interviews this weekend, appearing on CBS This Morning and FOX News Sunday to talk about the COVID-19 outbreak that has killed nearly 70,000 worldwide and… Read More
[Editor’s Note: This guest post by Lucas Dickey, co-founder of Fernish, appeared originally on tech news site dot.LA and is published on GeekWire as part of a partnership between our… Read More
Boeing says its 14-day suspension of operations at its Puget Sound airplane factories, as well as at its maintenance site at Moses Lake in central Washington state, will be extended… Read More
Despite a potential vaccine, the novel coronavirus could return on a seasonal basis, much like the flu, according to Seattle-based company Adaptive Biotechnologies. That’s one of the reasons Adaptive is… Read More
It turns out that two weeks of self isolation and social distancing is a good amount of time to build an app — especially if that app’s intention is to… Read More
Seattle Impact Hall is shutting down in a potential warning sign for other co-working operators amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Formerly known as Impact Hub Seattle, the company launched back in… Read More
Bill Gates continues to speak out on the COVID-19 crisis. The Microsoft co-founder on Thursday appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, temporarily renamed The Daily Social Distancing Show.… Read More
Amazon Web Services and two tech industry groups have created a new online resource that lists dozens of digital health products, tools and services to help the health care industry… Read More
Amazon’s logistics chief penned a blog post Thursday, hours after a leaked memo revealed an unflattering glimpse into the company’s PR strategy toward a fired warehouse worker who organized a… Read More
Seattle’s Tableau Software is helping companies gauge the impact of the pandemic on their businesses with its new interactive COVID-19 Data Hub dashboard. Companies can download free customized dashboards with… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order for an additional month Thursday. The rules, which shutter all non-essential businesses and forbid people from leaving their… Read More
Seattle’s Infectious Disease Research Institute and a New Jersey company called Celularity have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to start trials of an experimental cell-based therapy for… Read More
Discussions about future launch plans for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture have reportedly generated internal acrimony due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak — and that, in… Read More
The coronavirus outbreak has moved quickly, and now the government and small businesses are working to do the same. Join GeekWire on Friday, April 3, at 11 a.m. for a… Read More
At least 30 of the fulfillment centers that power Amazon’s e-commerce business have outbreaks of COVID-19, according to local news reports and employee accounts. The mounting cases are sparking walkouts, frustration,… Read More
Boeing CEO David Calhoun says the company is preparing a voluntary layoff program that’s aimed at reducing the need for “other workforce actions” as it deals with the economic repercussions… Read More
Rob Sinclair was excited to be taking time off from work and the corporate world to go back to school. With a desire to learn more about building a startup… Read More
Pharmaceutical giant Amgen is aiming to develop a new drug to treat and prevent COVID-19, using insights from Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies’ system for sequencing the human immune system, under an… Read More
Who would have thought a video game could identify potential treatments for COVID-19? Researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design certainly thought so, and so far the… Read More
My startups seem to be timed with market collapses and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia sharing some kind of “end of days” message. Last time it was the Great… Read More
The layoffs continue hitting tech companies. Seattle marketing software startup Usermind said today it let go of 15 employees due to economic impact from the COVID-19 crisis. The cuts affected… Read More
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Bloodworks Northwest are putting out the call for people who have recovered from confirmed cases of COVID-19 to donate blood… Read More
Microsoft and Swedish Health Services joined forces over the past two weeks to build an app that helps hospital staff monitor resources for COVID-19-related care. Swedish, the largest nonprofit health… Read More
The researchers who helped track down the origins of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. are now launching an effort to help contain it, using location data from patients’ mobile… Read More
When Ayan Gupta and his classmates at Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Wash., started throwing around ideas for lending a hand during the coronavirus crisis, someone suggested they make… Read More
To cope with the global coronavirus outbreak, Microsoft is bringing out the bots — and that’s just the beginning. Software developers are also working on software tools to trace the… Read More
Shut down the country. Step up testing. Develop treatments and a vaccine using data. Bill Gates laid out a 3-step process the U.S. government must take to help curb the… Read More
It’s unclear how the COVID-19 outbreak will change the way we travel. Will consumers be more wary of getting on a plane or staying in a hotel? Will remote work… Read More
While efforts to limit movement and interaction in Washington state appear to be slowing the novel coronavirus outbreak in the region, the mandate is hammering local businesses whose sales have… Read More
Burnaby, B.C.-based D-Wave Systems says it’s providing free access to its Leap hybrid quantum cloud service to anyone who’s working on responses to the coronavirus outbreak. But wait … there’s… Read More
Zenoti, a 9-year-old Seattle startup that makes enterprise software for businesses in the beauty and wellness industry, has made a 3.5-percent cut to its worldwide staff of 500. CEO Sudheer… Read More
Seattle-based startup Rover laid off 41% of its workforce today due to the economic impact and uncertainty from the COVID-19 outbreak. Rover put an additional 9% of staff on standby.… Read More
When Dan Price announced his plan five years ago to raise the minimum wage at his company to $70,000, the Gravity Payments CEO made international headlines as he became an… Read More
An expert on infectious diseases at the University of Washington School of Medicine is involved in not just one, but two studies that are focusing on potential therapies to nip… Read More
Companies in Washington state that fail to comply with Gov. Jay Inslee’s “stay home” order could lose their business licenses. Inslee announced a range of new enforcement measures to compel… Read More
As residents continue to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus, the City of Seattle is hoping to ease some of that burden by connecting locals with businesses trying to… Read More
Seattle startup Tomorrow is seeing a surge in activity with its legal will-creating app amid the novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 770,000 globally. The company helps make… Read More
A technology veteran and a 3D-printing “savant” have teamed with other members of industry, health care and government to launch Maker Mask, a Seattle nonprofit creating medically endorsed, reusable protective… Read More
Citing fresh statistics, public health officials today confirmed that social distancing measures “appear to be making a difference in slowing the spread of COVID-19” in Seattle and King County. But… Read More
Amazon will begin screening employee temperatures at warehouses in New York and Seattle this week amid growing unrest about workers’ exposure to COVID-19. Those concerns reached a boiling point Monday… Read More
University of Washington researchers are among the leaders of a newly announced clinical trial investigating whether hydroxychloroquine, a drug that’s commonly used to counter malaria and autoimmune disease, can prevent… Read More
Police in Bellevue, Wash., are asking residents to report violations of the state’s “stay home” order online in an effort to clear up 911 lines for emergencies. Suspected violations are… Read More
Redfin is getting some financial support as the Seattle real estate company navigates through the COVID-19 crisis. The company sold $110 million of stock to Durable Capital Partners, a year-old… Read More
Editor’s note: Consulting firm Curinos acquired the assets of Amplero, and reintroduced it as a financial services product. The future was bright for Amplero. The Seattle marketing tech startup entered… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning, called for better federal coordination to stem the COVID-19 pandemic, and said he doesn’t believe President… Read More
Update, March 31: Microsoft clarified this statistic, noting that the 775% increase was specifically an increase in Teams calling and meeting monthly users in a one month period in Italy. … Read More
A worker at Amazon’s Seattle-area warehouse in Kent, Wash. tested positive for COVID-19. This is the first known COVID-19 case at an Amazon warehouse in Washington state. The news was first… Read More
Two University of Washington students just released a SMS COVID-19 tracker and have plans for a coronavirus screening tool. Nikolas Ioannou and Sage Khanuja are the teenagers behind Spira, which… Read More
Textio, the Seattle startup whose augmented writing platform helps companies use language that attracts the right job candidates, laid off 30 employees on Friday, or 20 percent of its team.… Read More
Bright.md raised more money for its AI-powered virtual healthcare service as the Portland, Ore.-based startup helps screen patients with COVID-19-like symptoms. B Capital and Seven Peaks Ventures led an $8… Read More
We heard you, Seattle. From balconies and windows and front porches across the city on Thursday night, people cheered, hollered, whistled, banged pots and pans together, played an instrument and… Read More
There is no coronavirus playbook. Company leaders are facing an unprecedented crisis as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads worldwide and impacts businesses across multiple industries. Seattle was the initial epicenter of… Read More
The Northshore School District, located north of Seattle, plans to relaunch its online learning platform after pausing the initial program earlier this month due to equity issues. According to an email to… Read More
Bill Gates cautioned Thursday night that “there is no middle ground” in the fight against the novel coronavirus, calling for a coordinated effort to effectively shut down normal life across… Read More
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and the World Health Organization’s director-general are trading ideas on how to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control, using tools ranging from Amazon Web Services’ firepower… Read More
Plenty of work experiences have moved from in-office settings to virtual connections in the weeks since many of us were told to do our jobs remotely because of the coronavirus… Read More
The U.S. Senate passed the largest stimulus package in American history on Wednesday to cushion the economy from impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation carves out special relief programs… Read More
If you’ve retreated to your basement gym or the floor in front of your television to get some exercise while sheltering in place, Russell Wilson and his friends at TruFusion… Read More
If gaps in health care resources aren’t filled, more than 80,000 Americans will die over the next four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, epidemiologists at the University of Washington… Read More
A Portland, Ore.-area firm with data on tens of millions of credit and debit card transactions flowing into its system each day published a new report this week that reveals… Read More
Redfin is making adjustments amid the COVID-19 crisis and uncertainty surrounding the real estate market. The Seattle real estate company wrote a letter to shareholders Thursday outlining cost-cutting moves and… Read More
Washington state has seen an unprecedented spike in unemployment applications amid an order for all non-essential workers to remain in their homes to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. Applications for unemployment… Read More
Toilet paper is a popular item these days, as the coronavirus outbreak has created a run on the household staple and led to empty store shelves across the country. Cloud… Read More
It’s critical for doctors and other health care providers to see the underlying trends in COVID-19 cases, to understand what’s working and what isn’t in the fight against the pandemic. Two… Read More
Masses of location data gathered in China show that intensive testing, tracking and restrictions on mobility are effective strategies for fighting a coronavirus outbreak. They also show that the strategies… Read More
UW Medicine is implementing its plan to deal with a surge of patients with COVID-19 respiratory symptoms, including the erection of tents outside hospital emergency departments for initial screening. The… Read More
Are you looking for educational activities to occupy the kids while you’re cooped up due to the coronavirus outbreak? One option is to make space postcards for the Club for… Read More
King County has unveiled a new dashboard for tracking coronavirus stats, including a chart for cases and deaths as well as trends by zip code, including individual communities in Seattle… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will give $3.7 million to a Seattle-area public health agency; several local foundations; homeless service providers; and more in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.… Read More
“You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.” Warren Buffett uses this phrase in shareholder letters to describe how companies get exposed during less-than-ideal circumstances.… Read More
Should you be worried about transmitting COVID-19 from packages that arrive at your doorstep? As people rely more heavily on e-commerce companies such as Amazon amid the novel coronavirus outbreak,… Read More
Putting food on the table and supporting hard-hit restaurants and small businesses at the same time may be one of the bigger concerns of the coronavirus outbreak. As restaurants have… Read More
Researchers at the University of Washington are launching a study aimed at answering the question that’s on a lot of people’s minds as the coronavirus epidemic spreads through the Seattle… Read More
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said Tuesday morning that the U.S. acted too slowly and missed its chance to avoid mandatory stay-at-home orders to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, saying that… Read More
One impact from the sudden change to remote work amid the COVID-19 crisis: Satya Nadella is no longer working from his bed at home. “Sharing the office with my daughters… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday ordered all residents except essential workers to stay at home for at least two weeks, the strictest measure to combat the COVID-19 outbreak in… Read More
Ridwell, the Seattle startup that picks up hard-to-dispose-of household items for reuse or responsible recycling, has turned its attention to collecting supplies that are needed by those who are especially… Read More
The scientific sleuths who tracked down the origins of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area have announced a new initiative to crack the case wide-open — and they’re… Read More
In the wake of the first reported death of an employee in Puget Sound due to COVID-19, Boeing announced today that it’s begun the process of shutting down production operations… Read More
Zillow Group announced Monday that it will temporarily pause home buying through its Zillow Offers business in response to stay-at-home directives from various locales related to the coronavirus crisis and… Read More
A coalition of tech, business, and sports leaders from across the Puget Sound region has raised $27 million to help people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak — and it is… Read More
Seattle-area residents have significantly reduced their movement around the city as state and local officials have urged citizens to stay home to limit the spread of COVID-19. However, the decrease… Read More
Less than a week after the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy organized a consortium to focus the power of artificial intelligence on addressing the coronavirus outbreak, another… Read More
Update, June 3, 2020: Follow ongoing coverage via our Coronavirus Outbreak special coverage section. Follow @geekwire for updates. Send us a news tip. Subscribe to our newsletter.
Sam Eitzen’s Seattle-based photo and video booth startup The SnapBar is in the business of making people smile for the camera at hundreds of events and parties. As that industry… Read More
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella thanked employees for their hard work and said the company has a key role to play amid the COVID-19 pandemic in a company-wide email sent Saturday.… Read More
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he has turned all of his attention to the impact of COVID-19, the tech giant’s response to the spread of the disease, and its role… Read More
GM and Bothell, Wash.-based Ventec Life Systems say they’re collaborating to increase production of Ventec’s next-generation ventilators, which will be sorely needed to serve waves of patients during the coronavirus… Read More
For a lot of workers of varying stripes, coffee is an essential part of what it means to go to work, especially in Seattle. Whether it’s the morning cup for… Read More
The Pacific Science Center, a storied Seattle institution that hosts educational events and operates two IMAX theaters, laid off more than 300 people as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.… Read More
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about unauthorized kits that are being marketed to test for coronavirus in the home. “At this time, the FDA has not authorized… Read More
U.S. senators are scrutinizing Amazon’s handling of its warehouse workers amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Four legislators sent a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Friday outlining their concern for the… Read More
Editor’s note: On Monday, March 23, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all residents except essential workers to stay at home for at least two weeks. Read the story. Washington Gov.… Read More
Boeing says its CEO and its chairman will forgo all pay until the end of the year — and that’s just one of the steps the company is taking to… Read More
With reduced revenue and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Seattle tech startups are temporarily letting go of workers to help keep their businesses afloat during an unprecedented economic period.… Read More
The Khan Academy math instructor has a soothing deep voice. It comes to you disembodied, a Wizard-of-Oz-like presence behind the cursor. He tees up fractions, changing colors as he switches… Read More
Amazon is pledging $20 million to accelerate diagnostics, research and testing in the fight against COVID-19. The company announced the new Amazon Web Services (AWS) Diagnostic Development Initiative on Friday… Read More
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and two other members of Congress are sounding an alarm over the prospect of using location data to track the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter to… Read More
When Uber announced this week it will provide cash assistance to drivers diagnosed with COVID-19, Vasil Denev considered whether getting sick was his best option. “Uber offered to pay me… Read More
More people may be turning to virtual experiences when it comes to buying and selling homes during the coronavirus outbreak, and on Thursday, Seattle-based real estate company Redfin hosted a… Read More
With more people staying indoors due to quarantines, lockdowns, and voluntary isolation, livestreamed programming has grown in popularity. Globally, the weekend of March 14 saw a big increase in streaming… Read More
Social distancing and self-quarantine measures have impacted foot traffic at movie theaters, airports, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, warehouse stores and just about everywhere else during the coronavirus outbreak according to… Read More
Uber has seen a 60% to 70% decline in bookings in Seattle in the past few days and is preparing for an “absolute lockdown/shutdown” of the city lasting at least… Read More
The scientists running Seattle-based Oceans Initiative more typically apply their marine mammal expertise to research on endangered orcas or conservation of white-sided dolphins in Washington’s Puget Sound. But the upside-down… Read More
Amazon said it is taking proactive measures to protect employees at its fulfillment centers after a worker at a facility in Queens, N.Y., tested positive for COVID-19. The first known… Read More
Mystery has built a business around getting people out. The coronavirus is doing its best to keep us all in. Now the Seattle startup, which normally helps facilitate a surprise… Read More
A Seattle epidemiologist who warned about the threat posed by novel coronavirus when it was a novelty now says he sees a path to stopping the pandemic. But it’ll take… Read More
Smartsheet is responding to requests from global healthcare customers and rolling out free templates as it adjusts to demand caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Bellevue, Wash.-based collaboration work management… Read More
There can no longer be doubt: the majority of people in advanced economies are living through the most life-altering event of the last 40 years. Natural disasters, wars, economic turmoil,… Read More
Seattle-based real estate company Redfin announced Wednesday that RedfinNow, an arm of its business that buys homes directly from homeowners and resells them to homebuyers, will temporarily pause making offers on… Read More
How’s everybody doing? That seems to be the question of the moment as we check in with one another via Slack, Zoom, Teams, Google Hangouts and more from the kitchen… Read More
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, a leading philanthropist on global public health, offered predictions and advice for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday during a Reddit AMA. He urged everyone who… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says state officials are making joint preparations with the Defense Department to get more hospital beds and medical supplies ready for an expected rise in coronavirus… Read More
Bill Gates saw the COVID-19 outbreak coming — and he knew we weren’t prepared for it. The Microsoft co-founder on multiple occasions over the past decade talked about the potential… Read More
The number of airline passengers taking off from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has fallen by two-thirds, due to the coronavirus outbreak and its effect on air travel, officials at the Port… Read More
Lime is pausing its e-scooter and e-bike services in California, Washington, Italy, France, and Spain, starting Tuesday. The company said the closures are intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.… Read More
Amazon told third-party sellers Tuesday that it will temporarily bar shipments of non-essential items to warehouses so that the company can prioritize medical supplies and household goods. The moratorium will… Read More
T-Mobile is the latest retailer to close physical stores amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless carrier will close about 80% of its company-owned retail stores starting March 17… Read More
Microsoft announced late Monday that it will close all Microsoft Store retail locations due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The decision follows other companies including Apple and Nike that have closed… Read More
Social distancing mandates across the world due to the COVID-19 outbreak are leaving big city roadways eerily bare during normally-treacherous morning and evening commutes. New data from INRIX, the Kirkland,… Read More
Seattle’s tech community is well-represented in the first group of participants to get their shots in the first U.S. clinical trial of a vaccine for coronavirus. The first volunteer in… Read More
GeekWire is fortunate to report from one of the most dynamic and innovative places in the world: Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. What happens here matters everywhere, as we like… Read More
The U.S. stock market continued its plunge Monday amid fears of a global recession due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Dow Jones closed down nearly 3,000 points, or 12.9%,… Read More
Amazon is planning to hire an additional 100,000 warehouse workers to keep up with the volume of orders placed by customers amid a global COVID-19 outbreak. Amazon said Monday it… Read More
A consortium of tech leaders — including Seattle’s Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s charity — today unveiled an AI-enabled database that’s meant to give… Read More
Computer modeling of the coronavirus outbreak’s course in China, in the weeks before a travel shutdown was imposed on Jan. 23, suggest that 86% of the infections went undocumented. Those… Read More
With thousands of Americans telecommuting and self-isolating to slow the spread of COVID-19, Amazon’s Prime and Fresh delivery services are grappling with high demand and inventory issues, as warehouse workers… Read More
The coronavirus outbreak is already taking a huge economic toll on businesses across the Seattle region according to data from Gravity Payments, the credit card processing and financial services company.… Read More
Washington state will temporarily close restaurants, bars, and entertainment/recreational facilities statewide starting Monday, March 16 in the latest move to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Jay Inslee made… Read More
Federal public health officials say they’ll start setting up an expanded system of coronavirus test centers this week, but acknowledge that pent-up demand could overwhelm them. “We will have a… Read More
Starbucks will shift entirely to a “to-go” model at its company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada for at least two weeks, asking its customers to refrain from using seats… Read More
President Donald Trump famously downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak at first, but now he’s been tested to see if he’s carrying the virus – and the results show… Read More
In response to the coronavirus outbreak, restrictions on European travel will be extended to Britain and Ireland on Monday – and President Donald Trump said today that limits on travel… Read More
The Trump administration says it will set up a nationwide screening and testing system for coronavirus that relies upon online self-screening and drive-through sampling stations in store parking lots. Lots… Read More
Sentinel Healthcare, a Seattle health tech startup founded by a doctor seeking a better way to monitor his patients’ condition remotely, has quickly switched up its product roadmap in the… Read More
Science advisers for the White House and 11 other national governments are asking publishers around the world to provide free and open access to all research relating to coronaviruses. The… Read More
Microsoft Build will be an online-only event this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The annual developer event draws about 5,000 people and was scheduled for May 19-21 in Seattle.… Read More
On a normal weekday in the South Lake Union neighborhood, Seattle’s busiest tech hub is bustling with foot, bike and car traffic as workers shuffle between buildings at Amazon, Facebook,… Read More
A fresh analysis of the numbers behind the coronavirus outbreak suggests that it’s reached the point where more intensive testing and social distancing will help far more than bans on… Read More
Amazon’s annual shareholder meeting will be held exclusively online this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak that is rocking the world and financial markets. The Seattle event has become a… Read More
Strix Leviathan operates a quantitative digital asset fund taking systematic long and short positions in large-cap digital currencies including bitcoin and ethereum, so our perspective on the global economy doesn’t… Read More
On a typical day, Pathable, the Seattle-based company that normally produces mobile apps for conferences and events, might get three to five inquiries on its website from people interested in… Read More
Packing the backpack is a thing of the past — at least for the next few weeks. My daughter is a second-grade student in the Northshore School District, which closed… Read More
Amazon Care is offering assistance to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a plan to deliver coronavirus test kits to Seattle homes, CNBC reports. The plan as described hints… Read More
Amazon on Wednesday announced it will donate $25 million to help its network of independent delivery drivers, Amazon Flex workers, and seasonal employees deal with disruptions caused by the COVID-19… Read More
Seattle Public Schools will close for at least two weeks starting Thursday, the latest in a series of dramatic measures intended to help stem the tide of the novel coronavirus… Read More
The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy and other federal agencies today met with Amazon, Microsoft and other tech industry leaders to kick off a campaign aimed at… Read More
Washington state is canceling events with more than 250 attendees in three counties through the end of March, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday at a press conference. The moratorium is… Read More
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, Seattle burger institution Dick’s Drive-In is asking customers to avoid handing over cash and to pay for food instead with credit or debit… Read More
Regulators have blocked the Seattle Flu Study’s guerrilla effort to trace the spread of novel coronavirus, citing ethical concerns, but leaders of the effort say they’re working out an alternate… Read More
K-12 schools and universities are moving to online instruction to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Seattle Public Schools announced today that it would close schools starting tomorrow for two… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee plans to announce new restrictions on large events in the state to curb the spread of novel coronavirus, banning gatherings of more than 250 people, according… Read More
Citing the uncertainty in global travel amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, a veteran Wall Street analyst issued lower estimates for Expedia Group’s key financial results, predicting a decline of 18… Read More
Fresh projections suggest that 1,100 people in Washington state have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and that the outbreak could be due for a rapid rise. What to do… Read More
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, investors are telling startup founders to look closely at sales forecasts, hiring plans, expenses and every other assumption about their business. Turmoil can also present opportunity,… Read More
Amazon pledged Tuesday to donate $5 million to small businesses around its Seattle headquarters that will be impacted by thousands of tech workers telecommuting in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.… Read More
Update, March 11: Washington state bans large events in three counties to slow spread of COVID-19, governor calls pandemic ‘extremely dangerous’ Public officials are weighing the mandatory cancellation of large… Read More
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is teaming up with Wellcome and Mastercard to form the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, a $125 million effort to help find potential treatments for the… Read More
A drive-through coronavirus testing site set up at a University of Washington hospital could serve as the model for more such facilities around the Seattle area — and perhaps around… Read More
Fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak and an oil price war led to the worst day for U.S. stocks since 2008 and a 15-minute halt in trading Monday. The Dow… Read More
A team of Seattle entrepreneurs looking for some kind of answer to slow the spread of novel coronavirus has developed a smart wristband that vibrates if the person wearing it… Read More
Microsoft, Amazon, and other Seattle-area companies are partnering with nonprofits and governments to launch a relief fund in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 Response Fund will provide grants… Read More
A report says the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is preparing to fund at-home testing kits for the novel coronavirus in Seattle. However, the Gates Foundation cautions that the plans… Read More
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan thinks the response to the coronavirus outbreak could lead to a fundamental, permanent shift in how people work. “Given this coronavirus, I think overnight, almost everybody… Read More
Seattle’s largest technology companies plan to pay their hourly workers normal wages even as their need for support staff diminishes due to telecommuting policies that employers are pushing to stem… Read More
Comparisons of the real-world spread of the COV-19 coronavirus with computer models indicate that the travel restrictions imposed by authorities in China and other nations have delayed the progress of… Read More
The University of Washington School of Medicine says its virology lab is now capable of performing 1,000 genetic tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus every day — but all that capacity… Read More
Since the 1973 oil embargo, and the nearly concurrent coining of the term “gridlock,” Americans have mused about telecommuting as the solution to many modern ills. When high-speed Internet began… Read More
Facing an increasingly vocal public backlash, Emerald City Comic Con says it will postpone the giant Seattle fan convention to the summer amid growing public concern about the spread of… Read More
Average speeds on major roadways in the Seattle region were more than 10 mph faster than normal on Thursday morning, the first full workday after Microsoft, Amazon and other major… Read More
The University of Washington is suspending in-person classes starting Monday as the Seattle region grapples with an outbreak of COVID-19. It is the first American university to shut down in… Read More
Two Microsoft workers based in the Seattle area have contracted the novel coronavirus, the company said. One of the employees works out of Microsoft’s Redmond, Wash. headquarters campus and came… Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and other state officials say they’re acting to reduce medical costs for people who have to be tested or treated for the COVID-19 coronavirus. The state… Read More
It’s the beginning of prime house-hunting season in Seattle, but a cloud of uncertainty sits over the market due to the spread of coronavirus across the region. On Wednesday, Glenn… Read More
Tech companies in the Seattle region have gone to great lengths in recent years to build fancy offices full of a variety of perks to entice people to come work… Read More
The work-from-home guidance from Seattle’s largest employers in response to the coronavirus outbreak is already affecting the city’s normally treacherous morning traffic. Amazon, Microsoft, and a flurry of other companies… Read More
As the U.S. struggles to contain coronavirus infections, one of the lessons from China — where the disease originated and infection rates surged, but are now in decline — is… Read More
Amazon is now asking all of its Seattle-area employees who can do their jobs from home to do so until the end of March amid an ongoing coronavirus outbreak in… Read More
Online learning will be put to the test for a Seattle area school district as it shuts down for two weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak. Northshore School District Superintendent… Read More
A Facebook contractor based in Seattle tested positive for coronavirus, the company confirmed Wednesday. The person was last in the Stadium East office on Feb. 21. Facebook closed its Stadium… Read More
Microsoft is recommending that all of its Seattle-area employees who can do their jobs from home do so for the next three weeks, through March 25, in the latest effort… Read More
As the coronavirus epidemic widens, public health officials in Seattle-King County are recommending that people work at home if possible — and that large gatherings of people should be postponed… Read More
Update, Friday March 6: Emerald City Comic Con finally postpones event, relenting to backlash amid coronavirus outbreak Emerald City Comic Con organizer Reedpop has relaxed its typical no-refunds policy for… Read More
The University of Washington School of Medicine is moving forward with a new clinical lab test for the COVID-19 coronavirus, and plans to be able to test up to 1,500… Read More
Update: Google took a step beyond allowing employees to work from home Wednesday evening as the coronavirus outbreak continued to develop. Google is now asking all employees who can work remotely… Read More
An Amazon employee at the company’s Seattle headquarters has tested positive for the novel coronavirus spreading across the country, according to an internal email obtained by GeekWire. The employee went… Read More
Along with his concern for the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Avi Schiffmann was concerned about the spread of misinformation. So the 17-year-old from just outside Seattle set out to… Read More
Update for 5:50 p.m. PT May 28: An updated analysis proposes a different scenario for the origins of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak. An evolutionary analysis based on the genome sequences… Read More
The company behind the Emerald City Comic Con announced that the convention will go ahead as scheduled despite rising fears over the spread of coronavirus. Event organizer ReedPOP announced Monday that… Read More
Microsoft is canceling its Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Summit and moving the event online due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. The company has been notifying attendees that the event, which was… Read More
F5 Networks closed its downtown Seattle office building on Monday for cleaning after an employee came in contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. The network infrastructure and… Read More
The University of Washington is taking a novel approach to combat the spread of coronavirus around the world. A new puzzle game from the university challenges scientists and the public… Read More
Amazon is asking its employees to defer all “non-essential” travel across the U.S. and abroad in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that is spreading globally. Amazon started restricting business… Read More
While governments and citizens across the globe prepare and react in assorted way to various stages of the coronavirus pandemic, Bill Gates says there “is no time to waste” and… Read More
Matt McCormick always plans for the Chinese New Year. As the owner of Jet City Device Repair in Seattle, he knows there will be two weeks in winter when the… Read More
Microsoft said it will not attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco due to the coronavirus outbreak. Sony, Facebook, Unity, and other gaming giants previously said they would not… Read More
Microsoft said Wednesday it will miss quarterly revenue guidance for its “More Personal Computing” business segment due to the coronavirus outbreak. “Although we see strong Windows demand in line with… Read More
Amazon is removing products for sale in its marketplace that claim to treat or protect against coronavirus, according to an email obtained by CNBC. The company told merchants who sell… Read More
Biochemists have created the first 3-D, atomic-scale map of key proteins in the killer coronavirus, opening up new possibilities for developing treatments and a vaccine. Researchers at the University of… Read More
Payments technology company Stripe closed its Seattle engineering office for two days this week as a precaution after learning Wednesday that an employee visiting from Singapore had contact, before arriving… Read More
Bill Gates spoke with broad optimism about the potential for technology to address some of the globe’s biggest challenges, but struck an ominous tone Friday in discussing the threat posed… Read More
Mobile World Congress, the giant mobile phone event slated to kick off in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 24, has been canceled due to fears around coronavirus after numerous companies pulled… Read More
Amazon is the latest tech giant to pull out of the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona later this month due to the coronavirus outbreak. The tech giant has… Read More
Nintendo has already reported production delays from the outbreak of coronavirus in China, and a Wall Street firm thinks the upcoming Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 could be next.… Read More
Production of Nintendo Switch consoles and several accessories has been delayed due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, the company said Thursday. Nintendo Switch shipments to Japan and China… Read More
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to spend up to $100 million to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected thousands of people in China and… Read More
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — One of Boeing’s top market analysts says the concerns stirred up by China’s Wuhan coronavirus outbreak will affect airline profitability, passenger air traffic — and the economy… Read More
Amazon, Microsoft and other tech giants are restricting employee travel to and from China in the wake of concern over the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than… Read More
The man being treated for what was initially the first known case of coronavirus in the United States is being cared for in a specially designed room at Providence Regional… Read More