Coronavirus daily news updates, April 27: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation

As corporate America itches to reopen, company leaders are scrambling to install fever-screening stations, digital trackers and other security systems as part of a vast experiment designed to flag the potential risks of the coronavirus’ spread.

They range from standard thermometer guns to more sophisticated social-distancing and heat-detection cameras, some of which are paired with facial-recognition software that security officials can use to track and identify the suspected unwell.

Public-health experts expect that temperature-scanning systems, like metal detectors and security pat-downs before them, will become a widespread staple of public life. In the weeks to come, they could be installed not only at airports and arenas but workplaces, schools, housing complexes and anywhere else Americans gather en masse.

Banks may be essential businesses in Washington state, but that hasn’t stopped them from temporarily closing scores of Seattle-area branches as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend an industry that already was in the midst of a major change.

Industry officials say the closures have been driven largely by concerns for employee and customer safety, as banks try to minimize the face-to-face interactions that can spread the novel coronavirus.

Many banks that continue to allow in-person activity in their branches have shifted to appointment-only operations and reduced hours, and most were actively encouraging customers to bank by phone or online.

Chase Bank has confirmed it has closed 38 branches in the Puget Sound region since the start of the pandemic. Seattle-based WaFd Bank said it had closed eight Seattle-area locations, and U.S. Bank said 13 of its Seattle-area locations were closed. Wells Fargo has temporarily shuttered nine of 25 locations in King County, and Bank of America has closed 13 of roughly 40 King County locations, according to their websites.

Read the full story here.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told shareholders Monday the impact of the staggering business downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic is likely to affect the company through 2023 and beyond.

Speaking at the company’s annual meeting of shareholders, which was held virtually because of the pandemic, he added that when the commercial airline market stabilizes, it “will be smaller and our customers’ needs will be different.”

As an initial step in its plan to reduce the size of its workforce, Boeing separately told U.S. employees Monday what it’s offering to those willing to take a voluntary layoff — which starting in early June will bring a first wave of “several thousand” job cuts.

Read the full story here.

The spreading specter of the new coronavirus is shaking Latin America’s notoriously overcrowded, unruly prisons, threatening to turn them into infernos.

The Puente Alto prison in downtown Santiago, Chile, had the largest of Latin America’s largest prison virus outbreaks so far, with more than 300 reported cases. The prison’s 1,100 inmates are terrified. Social distancing is hard to practice in jail.

Latin America’s prisons hold 1.5 million inmates, and the facilities are often quasi-ruled by prisoners themselves because of corruption, intimidation and inadequate guard staffs. Low budgets also create ideal conditions for the virus to spread: There is often little soap and water and cell blocks are crowded.

So far, national officials have reported close to 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff.

Read the full story here.

Between overcrowding and sweeping closures due to the coronavirus outbreak, the 2019-2020 ski season was a bust for skiers who bought season passes only to use them a handful of times — if they were used at all.

Now, Vail Resorts, the parent company of Stevens Pass, among other ski areas, is addressing that situation, crediting 2019-2020 season pass holders according to a tiered system based on skiers and snowboarders’ actual pass usage for the season.

The company is also implementing a new pass insurance program for the upcoming ski season that will refund passes in the event of closures like the ones seen this year.

Read the full story here.

The Alaska ferry system is expected to receive an initial injection of $10 million in federal coronavirus recovery funding, officials said.

The allocation for the Alaska Marine Highway System is part of $29 million in funding that the state received for rural transit needs from the Federal Transit Administration, CoastAlaska reported Saturday.

The state had initially said the amount was $5 million but corrected the figure to $10 million on Monday without providing further details.

It’s 2:48 on a Monday afternoon and Trent Von is just getting his day started.

“That’s the life of a DJ,” he said laughing. “Thankfully, I’m still at it.”

The coronavirus pandemic that’s put a pause on almost everything hasn’t stopped the music — his music — that made him a staple in Seattle’s nightclubs since the early ’90s.

Before COVID-19, the 52-year-old Von made a living spinning vinyl records and supplying the soundtrack for dance parties at Tulalip Resort Casino, Emerald Downs and local nightclubs. These days, Von continues to broadcast a radio show three times a week at C89.5 FM, the longest-running dance station in the nation, run by students and volunteers at Nathan Hale High and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

But rather than spend his nights in clubs, Von works from his Everett home, where he set up a studio in the basement complete with turntables, mixers, volumes of vinyl records, speakers, strobe lights and webcams. Three days a week, Von live streams a 3-hour set for virtual partygoers — and he’s loving it.

Read the full story here.

The Washington State Department of Health confirmed Monday an additional 165 cases — 3.9% of all test results received within the past day — and 16 deaths from COVID-19.

The newly released numbers bring the state's totals to 13,686 cases and 765 deaths.

So far, 179,679 tests for the illness have been conducted in Washington, the department said Monday. Of those, 92% have come back negative.

King County remains the state's epicenter of the virus, with 5,945 positive test results and 416 deaths, accounting for 54% of the state's death toll. New deaths were also reported in Benton, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Whatcom and Yakima counties.

Washington will soon begin distributing nearly $300 million in federal aid for small city and county governments that have seen tax revenues plummet during the coronavirus epidemic, Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday.

Inslee said the specific allocation of the money would be announced in the coming days. The money comes from the CARES Act, the emergency aid package passed by Congress in late March. Money will go to cities and counties with populations under 500,000 that were ineligible to receive direct funding under the CARES Act, Inslee's office said. Each city and county will receive at least $250,000 from the state, Inslee's office said. Inslee stressed that more aid would be needed.

"This is a good start," he said. "But we have to realize that the needs of these communities are much greater than will be satisfied by this additional act of Congress."

Inslee called the suggestion by Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, that states should file for bankruptcy "the most wrong -headed ludicrous idea I’ve heard in a long, long time."

"We are hopeful that Congress will give another large infusion to the states," Inslee said. 

In King County, transmission of the coronavirus has likely plateaued, according to a new report from Bellevue-based Institute for Disease Modeling.

Using data gathered through April 4, the researchers estimate each person infected with COVID-19 will infect one other person, down from three in early March.

The report predicts the transmission rate will stay the same or only slowly decline without more significant intervention such as widespread testing and aggressive tracing of contacts of those infected.

If social distancing is relaxed without new strategies to combat the virus' spread, the research predicts "a rapid rise in the rate of cases that would likely exceed recent peak levels by the end of the month," according to a press release from King County health officials. 

Washington golf courses will be allowed to reopen May 5 as long as course officials and golfers follow specific guidelines, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday.

Inslee also outlined the partial reopening of other recreational activities, including hunting and fishing, during a news conference Monday. They have been shut down to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Read the story here.

In the worldwide race for a vaccine to stop the coronavirus, the laboratory sprinting fastest is at Oxford University.

Most other teams have had to start with small clinical trials of a few hundred participants to demonstrate safety. But scientists at the university’s Jenner Institute had a head start on a vaccine, having proved in previous trials that similar inoculations — including one last year against an earlier coronavirus — were harmless to humans.

Read the story here.

Comcast announced Monday that it would continue offering free public Wi-Fi hotspots, waiving late fees and eliminating data caps for its customers until June 30, according to a press release.

Last month, the company announced these measures as part of its response to the coronavirus, which has forced schools systems and entire industries to move online. The measures were originally set to expire after 60 days, on May 12.

But with continued school building closures and stay-at-home orders in Washington state and other regions of the country, the company decided to extend the timeline, the press release said.

Lack of reliable internet access at home has been a major barrier to education for scores of kids in the Seattle area and beyond. Among other commitments, the company promises to offer complimentary service for low-income households through June 30. It also promises to not cut service for those with late fees.

Meat isn’t going to disappear from supermarkets because of outbreaks of the coronavirus among workers at U.S. slaughterhouses. But as the meat plants struggle to remain open, consumers could face less selection and slightly higher prices.

Industry leaders acknowledge that the U.S. food chain has rarely been so stressed and that no one is sure about the future, even as they try to dispel concerns about shortages.

Meat-packing plants in Washington state have seen severe outbreaks of the virus, according to The Seattle Times. In Walla Walla County, more than 100 Tyson Fresh Meats workers and their families were sickened, causing many employees to stay at home to quarantine or avoid exposure. In Yakima County, the Washington Beef plant has had 38 cases of COVID-19, including one death and two hospitalizations.

Read the story here.

Six staffers at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, according to Public Health - Seattle & King County.

As a result, the public health agency said it will provide free volunteer testing to staff at the county's jail in Kent on Saturday and Sunday and limited testing next week to staff unable to make the weekend tests.

Inmates are already being tested if they show symptoms of COVID-19, the agency said.

In addition, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention is "thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the areas where each staff member worked, in addition to the enhanced cleaning they are conducting throughout all correctional facilities," the public health announcement said.

Any King County employees who work in a courthouse and develop COVID-19 symptoms can be tested for free by Public Health, according to a copy of an internal county email provided to The Seattle Times.

Pacific Northwest Ballet, faced with the double blow of losing income from both ticket receipts and PNB School tuition due to coronavirus cancellations, has received some help: The company said it has received $3 million from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which will be used to cover lost wages.

“We had furloughed dancers, musicians, staff, faculty, costume, wardrobe, and production teams, although we committed to maintaining the healthcare coverage for everyone enrolled in PNB-sponsored plans regardless of their employment status. This loan covers eight weeks of pay, to June 14,” said executive director Ellen Walker in a statement. “We continue to conserve resources, because despite this oasis of good news, PNB will almost certainly need to consider future furloughs and wage reductions as implications of the pandemic continue to unfold for organizations like ours.”

The company has established an Emergency Relief Fund to help offset losses and fund an eventual return to the stage.

The Navy reported Monday that the number of cases of COVID-19 aboard the Everett-based USS Kidd has risen to 47, or nearly a seventh of the crew of 350.

On Saturday, the Navy reported that 33 sailors aboard the Kidd had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, up from the 18 cases announced a day earlier, and that the ship was returning to port for further cleaning and disinfecting, according the Navy’s COVID-19 news site.

The destroyer had been off the Pacific coast of South America on a mission related to U.S. counter-drug activities. The Kidd is based at the Naval Station in Everett, but Navy officials did not disclose which port the ship was headed toward.

Since the outbreak aboard the Kidd was reported, two sailors from the vessel have been medically evacuated to the United States and 15 others have been transferred to the USS Makin Island, which has intensive-care capacity, for monitoring due to persistent symptoms, the Navy reported Monday on its COVID-19 update site. None of the sailors are in the ICU or on ventilators, the Navy reported. Sailors aboard the Kidd are wearing N95 masks and other personal protective equipment, the Navy said.

As of Monday, 45% of USS Kidd crewmembers have been tested for COVID-19, the Navy said.

In a Saturday statement on the ship’s Facebook page, Cmdr. Matt Noland, the ship’s executive officer, said the Kidd was “navigating safely to port under our own power and under the watchful eyes of our own deck officers, CIC teams, and Engineers. Our priority is to get this team to port safely, get ourselves a clean bill of health, and get right back into the mix at sea.”

The Trump administration is reviewing proposed new guidelines for how restaurants, schools, churches and businesses can safely reopen as states look to gradually lift their coronavirus restrictions.

The draft guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been sent to Washington but still could be revised before being released to the public. The recommendations were obtained from a federal official who was not authorized to release them publicly.

The guidelines include suggestions such as closing break rooms at offices, using disposable menus in restaurants and having students eat lunch in their classrooms.

The CDC put together so-called “decision trees” for at least seven types of organizations: schools, camps, childcare centers, religious facilities, mass transit systems, workplaces, and bars/restaurants.

White House officials previously released a three-phase reopening plan for the nation that mentioned schools and other organizations that come back online at different points. But it hadn’t previously offered more specific how-to guidelines for each kind of entity with specific steps they can take.

Read the full story.

Colorado and Nevada have joined the Western States Pact created by Washington, California and Oregon to coordinate how they phase down their "stay home" orders and reopen their economies.

The original pact, announced two weeks ago, is largely aimed at making sure the region has enough coronavirus test kits and the ability to trace the contacts of people who have been infected in order to closely monitor and contain outbreaks as society opens back up, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee previously said.

By joining the pact, states commit to a loose set of guidelines as they ease back on restrictions and shutdowns: prioritize health outcomes, protect vulnerable populations and follow data before lifting "stay home" orders.

"In Washington state, our decisions are guided by public health data and science and this is a principle we share up and down the West Coast," Inslee said in a prepared statement. Adding Nevada and Colorado "will strengthen this regional partnership and save lives."

All five states are led by Democratic governors.

Older adults with COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, have several “atypical” symptoms, complicating efforts to ensure they get timely and appropriate treatment, according to physicians.

COVID-19 is typically signaled by three symptoms: a fever, an insistent cough and shortness of breath. But older adults — the age group most at risk of severe complications or death from this condition — may have none of these characteristics.

Instead, seniors may seem “off” — not acting like themselves — early on after being infected by the coronavirus. They may sleep more than usual or stop eating. They may seem unusually apathetic or confused, losing orientation to their surroundings. They may become dizzy and fall. Sometimes, seniors stop speaking or simply collapse.

Recognizing danger signs is important: If early signs of COVID-19 are missed, seniors may deteriorate before getting needed care. And people may go in and out of their homes without adequate protective measures, risking the spread of infection.

Read the full story.

Gov. Jay Inslee will re-open state boat ramps on May 5, and begin slowly re-opening Washington’s recreational fishing seasons shortly after that, the lobbying group that represents recreational boating in Washington said.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife closed all its public water access points, including boat ramps and state parks, in late March, and a few days later delayed fishing season when Inslee first issued his “stay home” order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Inslee extended the “stay home” order through May 4, but state Republicans have been pushing for some parts of the state’s economy re-open. Inslee last week allowed residential construction to resume, provided construction sites meet safety and social distancing requirements.

The governor has called a press conference for 2:30 Monday afternoon, where he’ll be joined by state officials involved in outdoor recreation: Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz; Kelly Susewind, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Don Hoch, director of the state Parks and Recreation Commission.

Inslee’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the full story here.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” will begin streaming on Disney Plus on May 4, about two months earlier than scheduled.

The Walt Disney Co. said Monday that “The Rise of Skywalker” will land on the streaming service timed to what’s referred to as “Star Wars Day” after the slogan of “May the Fourth be with you.” The release will give fans the option of streaming the full nine-part saga on the annual “Star Wars” holiday.

During the pandemic, Disney has diverted several of its titles to its streaming service early for housebound viewers. It also sent “Frozen 2” and “Onward” to Disney Plus early, and plans to premiere “Artemis Fowl” on the streaming platform in May in place of a theatrical release. Disney Plus has accrued about 50 million subscribers since launching late last year.

Read the full story here.

In an unprecedented move, New York has canceled its Democratic presidential primary originally scheduled for June 23 amid the coronavirus epidemic.

The Democratic members of the State’s Board of Elections voted Monday to nix the primary. New York will still hold its congressional and state-level primaries on June 23.

New York Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs has said that the cancellation of the state’s presidential primary would mean a lower expected turnout and a reduced need for polling places.

“It just makes so much sense given the extraordinary nature of the challenge,” Jacobs said last week.

Read the full story here.

After slashing bus service in response to low ridership and staffing issues, King County Metro will allow essential workers whose bus routes have been cut to sign up for vanpools.

Workers can sign up if their usual bus routes have been reduced, eliminated or designated by Metro as likely to reach new passenger limits, including the RapidRide A, C, D, E and F lines and other routes.

Instead of traditional bus service, the vanpool program operates like a carpool. Riders determine their route, meet-up location and other details. The group designates a driver, who keeps the van at their house.

Metro will require a minimum of two people to participate, down from the usual five. Those interested in applying can find more details in this post from Metro. Approval can take seven to 10 days, Metro said.

Metro has cut bus service, stopped collecting fares and placed new passenger limits on buses for better social distancing.

Riders are encouraged to wear masks. The union representing Metro's frontline employees has called for a security presence on buses to tell riders "no mask, no ride." Metro said it provided cloth masks for drivers. King County Executive Dow Constantine has said N95 masks are not available for bus drivers because they are being prioritized for health care workers.

Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, drivers have grappled with their designation as "first responders." Nationwide, dozens of transit workers have died after contracting the virus. Operator Samina Hameed this month became the first King County Metro driver to die after contracting the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added six novel coronavirus symptoms to its list, suggesting that health experts are learning more about the growing number of ways physicians see the virus affecting patients.

Echoing the observations of doctors treating thousands of patients in the pandemic, the federal health agency this month changed its website to cite the following symptoms as possible indicators of COVID-19, the infection caused by the coronavirus: chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

Previously it had listed just three symptoms: fever, cough and shortness of breath.

Read the story here.

Americans’ support for mail-in voting has jumped amid concerns about the safety of polling places during the coronavirus pandemic, but a wide partisan divide suggests President Donald Trump’s public campaign against vote by mail may be resonating with his Republican backers.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Democrats are now much more likely than Republicans to support their state conducting elections exclusively by mail, 47% to 29%.

In 2018, about half as many Democrats were in favor, and there was little difference in the views of Democrats and Republicans on the question.

The survey also found a partisan divide on support for no-excuse absentee voting, the system in place in most states, including almost all the top presidential battlegrounds, even as a majority of Americans say they favor that practice.

The increased partisanship in the debate over how America votes comes just as that question has been thrust into the forefront of American politics. As health officials warn about the risk of spreading the coronavirus at polling places, some in the Republican Party have tried to limit the expansion of mail voting, with Trump and others openly fretting that it may enable too many people to cast their ballots for the GOP to win in November.

Read the story here.

The fizz added to your bubbly drinks is becoming harder to come by, sparking concerns about flat beer and soda.

That’s because the coronavirus pandemic is putting a strain on supplies used in carbonation, experts say.

Fizzy drinks require carbon dioxide, which is often captured during the production of ethanol for gasoline, Reuters reports. But the virus has lowered the demand for fuel, leading to closures at some ethanol plants, according to the news outlet.

“The supply is rapidly deteriorating,” Geoff Cooper of the ethanol industry’s Renewable Fuels Association told Forbes magazine. “Absent of some intervention to keep these facilities running, it will further deteriorate. We’re on the verge of something fairly disruptive. It’s going to be hard to come by.”

Read the story here.

Brad Pitt's newest role is Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious-disease czar. Watch Pitt, all stately and bespectacled, in this clip from the second at-home episode of "Saturday Night Live."

If your kids are climbing the walls, maybe they could climb El Capitan instead — virtually. Here are five things to enjoy with your kids this week, from that towering feat to a Harry Potter escape room.

Need workout ideas? Use these common household items, or find workout routines online from many Seattle-area gyms.

How to stock your medicine cabinet: Doctors and pharmacists are sharing recommendations for meds and equipment to have on hand during the pandemic.

Should kids wear face masks when they go outside? A pediatrician offers answers and tips in this Q&A.

If you need a coronavirus test, check our updating list of places to get it and people who are eligible.

Who owes you a refund — and should you even ask? Millions of people are navigating the complications of stalled-out travel, concerts, classes, camps and more. Here are some things to consider.

Distancing measures could last through the summer. A top White House coronavirus official's prediction on Sunday came amid conflicting signals from state and federal leaders: In Washington, Gov. Jay Inslee is being tested on this like never before, and his toughest challenges may lie ahead. In Georgia, restaurants open today with new limits. And in California, thousands of people are flocking to beaches despite the stay-home order.

"I've been exposed to it." When James Simpson learned of an outbreak among the teens he counseled at a Burien mental-health center, he was nervous about how his employer was handling it. Before long, more than half of the teenage residents had tested positive, and Simpson was dead at age 28. Read the Times Watchdog story.

With May rent looming, some Seattle tenants are eyeing 'rent strikes' if their landlords don't negotiate. But a rent strike comes with risks, and even some of those who believe in the concept are scared. So are small-time landlords.

President Donald Trump is changing tactics, calling the daily news briefings where he's often clashed with scientists "not worth the time." Aides say he'll appear in more tightly controlled settings. Here's a fact check on his recent statements, including one idea that prompted public health warnings.

One big company got a $1.4 million federal loan to help it through the coronavirus crisis — then paid its CEO $1.7 million. The Paycheck Protection Program was meant to help small businesses, but its payouts are sparking outrage.

Will South King County's mom-and-pop shops and restaurants vanish? Residents are fearing the loss of their communities' unique flavor as the pandemic threatens independent businesses.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is back at work today after becoming dangerously ill with COVID-19. Britain is at its moment of "maximum risk," he says.

Sorry, beer and soda fans. The pandemic could make your drinks flat. It all has to do with the lower demand for gas.

A Navy ship is heading home to Everett with nearly three dozen COVID-19 cases. Navy officials are vowing to keep the outbreak aboard the destroyer USS Kidd from spreading.