Coronavirus In Washington: What To Know Monday, April 6

Lucas Combos
Updated ·2 min read

SEATTLE, WA — At least 7,984 have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Washington, and 338 people have died from complications linked to COVID-19, according to the state department of health.

Numbers released Sunday afternoon included 28 additional deaths, including the first patient from Tacoma to die from the illness.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 330,000 cases have been confirmed across the United States, and the country's death toll is fast approaching 10,000 people.

Catch up on the latest developments:

  • The Seattle Times reports Washington schools are likely to remain closed through the end of the school year, beyond the initial reopening date of April 27. Gov. Jay Inslee is scheduled to address the media with State Superintendent Chris Reykdal on Monday at 2:30 p.m.

  • Federal officials are warning that the week ahead could prove to be the deadliest since the outbreak began. "This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it's not going to be localized, it's going to be happening all over the country, and I want America to understand that," U.S. Surgeon Jerome Adams said on "Fox News Sunday."

  • According to the New York Times, public health experts say the official number of deaths related to the COVID-19 outbreak may be an undercount, due to some cases misidentified earlier in the outbreak and a lack of testing in some areas.

  • Washington will return more than 400 ventilators to the federal stockpile to help other states fight more severe outbreaks, Gov. Jay Inslee announced Sunday. The state received 500 ventilators last month after requesting 1,000, according to the Seattle Times.

  • The Washington Nurses Association is urging the state department of health to begin collecting and reporting information on confirmed COVID-19 cases among health care workers. The Associated Press reports experts believe the more specific data will allow for better models to determine the severity of the impact to hospitals and predict staffing needs.

  • Boeing has extended its suspension of all production in Puget Sound indefinitely, affecting approximately 30,000 employees, the Seattle Times reported. According to the newspaper, the state's largest private employer will pay impacted employees regularly until Tuesday, then they must use vacation or sick leave, or apply for unemployment benefits.

  • A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City tested positive for COVID-19, officials announced Sunday. According to the zoo, three other tigers and three lions also developed a dry cough. Officials said it was believed a caretaker who contracted the virus and did not have symptoms infected the animals. "We tested the cat out of an abundance of caution and will ensure any knowledge we gain about COVID-19 will contribute to the world's continuing understanding of this novel coronavirus," the zoo wrote.

This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch