89 New Coronavirus Cases In Washington; 26 More Dead

SEATTLE, WA — Lab testing confirmed an additional 89 cases of the new coronavirus in Washington, and another 26 people have died from complications linked to COVID-19, according to the state department of health.

At least 124,283 people have been tested for the virus across the state, with a positivity rate of 8.7 percent. The number of people hospitalized with symptoms similar to COVID-19 has continued to decrease, according to the latest available data.

In King County, which has remained the epicenter of the outbreak in Washington, new infections have continued a downward trend, with 77 cases and 9 additional deaths confirmed Wednesday.

Inslee says it is still too early to relax social distancing mandates

During a press conference Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee said the state has not reached a "transition point" to begin relaxing strict social distancing measures in Washington, despite some hopeful signs of progress in containing the virus's spread.

Before the state can consider easing existing bans, the governor said two key things need to happen. First, public health officials need to see evidence that the rate of new infections has been driven down far enough that the virus will not rebound. Second, the state must have the ability to rapidly test, isolate and treat any person who exhibits symptoms and quickly perform contact tracing.

"We need to build the equivalent of a fire brigade," Inslee said.

When the time arrives to begin the transition, Inslee said it would be done in phases, similar to how current measures were enacted incrementally in March.

On Tuesday, Health Secretary John Wiesman said some precautions, including physical distancing, increased teleworking and mask-wearing, could remain necessary for several months, even after widespread restrictions are lifted.

Sen. Patty Murray leads effort to rapidly expand testing nationwide

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is leading an effort to secure $30 billion in funding for the rapid expansion of COVID-19 testing across the United States.

"Health experts have made clear if we want to end social distancing & safely get people back to work, back to school, & back to some semblance of normal life we will need hundreds of millions of tests," Murray wrote on social media. "We need to make sure testing is fast, free, & everywhere."

Murray outlined a "roadmap to reopening" in a white paper published Wednesday, seeking an overhaul of testing operations at the federal, state and local levels to quickly build scale to meet demand.

Economic impact payments begin to arrive; IRS launches new portal

The first group of one-time stimulus payments were sent to taxpayers Wednesday, starting with those who filed tax returns with direct deposit information in 2018 or 2019. A second round of deposits is expected next week for those who receive Social Security benefits, but do not typically file tax returns.

USA Today reports the first round of paper checks are scheduled to be mailed by late April or early May, beginning with households in the lowest income categories.

The IRS has launched an online "Get My Payment" tool to help Americans track their payment status and update addresses or bank account information.

Inslee signs order to reduce prison populations

The governor signed a new proclamation Wednesday afternoon authorizing the Department of Corrections to expedite the release certain inmates in groups most at-risk for COVID-19 complications, due to age or pre-existing health conditions.

The governor's order follows a ruling by the state Supreme Court Friday requiring the state to develop and enact an emergency plan to ensure the safety and health of all inmates. The state must submit a progress report to the court by April 17.

On Monday, the governor said his plan would allow for the release of up to 950 people to reduce the overall prison population and allow for better social distancing practices within correctional facilities.

Inslee said Wednesday that many of the inmates released under his proclamation would be within months of their scheduled release date.

A petition before the state Supreme Court is seeking the release of thousands of inmates, including those over the age of 50, inmates with health concerns and all prisoners with fewer than 18 months remaining on their sentence. Oral arguments are set to begin on April 23.

Read the governor's full proclamation here.

King County receives large shipment of protective equipment

A large order of personal protective equipment arrived in King County this week, providing tens of thousands of masks, face shields and coveralls for front-line health workers. County officials said the shipment was the first of several planned and will help provide first responders, long-term care facilities and hospitals with critical items to ensure their safety.

Some Seattle farmers markets to reopen this weekend

The Seattle Times reports farmers markets in Seattle's University District and Ballard neighborhoods will reopen this weekend, with new safety precautions in place to ensure proper distance between vendors and limit foot traffic.

According to the Times, shoppers will be asked to sign an oath, promising to follow each rule, including wearing a face covering and limiting shoppers to one per household.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases by county (from the Washington Department of Health*)

Total confirmed cases: 10,783 (567 deaths)

King: 4,676 cases (312 deaths)
Snohomish: 1,972 cases (81 deaths)
Pierce: 988 cases (28 deaths)
Yakima: 627 cases (29 deaths)
Spokane: 274 cases (15 deaths)
Benton: 272 cases (30 deaths)
Whatcom: 263 cases (25 deaths)
Clark: 232 cases (14 deaths)
Skagit: 207 cases (6 deaths)
Island: 159 cases (8 deaths)
Franklin: 142 cases (4 deaths)
Kitsap: 131 cases (1 death)
Grant: 121 cases (2 deaths)
Thurston: 81 cases (1 death)
Chelan: 58 cases (5 deaths)
Adams: 39 cases
Douglas: 34 cases (1 death)
Jefferson: 28 cases
Cowlitz: 25 cases
Walla Walla: 24 cases
Mason: 20 cases
Lewis: 19 cases (2 deaths)
Okanogan: 15 cases
Klickitat: 14 cases (2 deaths)
Kittitas: 14 cases
San Juan: 13 cases
Clallam: 13 cases
Grays Harbor: 12 cases
Whitman: 11 cases
Asotin: 8 cases
Stevens: 7 cases (1 death)
Skamania: 3 cases
Lincoln: 2 cases
Wahkiakum: 2 cases
Columbia: 1 case
Ferry: 1 case
Pacific: 1 case
Pend Oreille: 1 case

273 cases remain unassigned to any individual counties. The state is still determining how to sort the hundreds of cases with no definite origin.

*Some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.