COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)

2020 coronavirus pandemic in Washington
Map of the outbreak in Washington (as of March 16):   Confirmed cases
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Washington, U.S.
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Everett
Arrival date	January 21, 2020 (4 years, 8 months, 2 weeks and 4 days)
Confirmed cases	904
Recovered	1
Deaths	48

The state of Washington announced the first confirmed case of the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States on January 21, 2020. Washington has the highest number of cases and deaths of any state in the country, with 904 confirmed cases and 48 deaths linked to the disease, as of 3:00 p.m. March 15, 2020. The majority of the deaths are of residents of a nursing home in Kirkland, an Eastside suburb of Seattle in King County.

Public health experts agree that the true number of cases in the state is much greater than the number that have been confirmed by laboratory tests. It is very difficult to know the true number since most people experience mild illness and testing is still not widely available.

Cases by county

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Washington Updated March 16, 2020
County	Confirmed cases	Deceased	Notes
Clark	4	0
Columbia	1	0
Grant	3	1
Grays Harbor	1	0
Island	7	0
Jefferson	3	0
King	488	43	29 deaths associated with LifeCare Kirkland
Kitsap	7	0
Kittitas	3	0
Lewis	1	0
Lincoln	1	0
Pierce	38	0
Skagit	7	0
Snohomish	200	4
Spokane	3	0
Thurston	4	0
Whatcom	3	0
Yakima	4	0
(Unassigned)	126	0	Cases with no assigned county
Total	904	48

Timeline

See also: Life Care Centers of America § Kirkland, Washington COVID-19 outbreak

January: first case

On January 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first U.S. case in a 35-year-old man living in Snohomish County. He had returned from Wuhan, China, to the U.S., landing at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on January 15, without any symptoms. He reported to an urgent care clinic with symptoms of pneumonia on January 19 and was transported to Everett's Providence Regional Medical Center the following day. He was released from the hospital on February 3 after two weeks of treatment, including the use of the anti-viral drug remdesivir, and went into isolation at home.

February: first deaths

EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington, where the first six U.S. deaths were reported

On February 19, 2020, a resident of a Life Care Centers of America nursing home in Kirkland, an Eastside King County suburb of Seattle, was transferred to a local hospital and later tested positive for COVID-19. On February 24, a 54-year-old man was transferred from the Life Care Center of Kirkland to Harborview Medical Center and died there on February 26. Also on the 26th, a woman in her 80s from the Center died at her family home. Both were found to have had COVID-19 and in one case this was discovered in post-mortem testing. The two deaths were announced on March 3.

On February 28, a high school student in Everett was confirmed as having the virus. The following day, researchers confirmed the coronavirus strain in the student's case may be related to the coronavirus strain in the first confirmed U.S. case from January 19, suggesting that the virus may have been spreading in the area for up to six weeks. Also on February 28, a woman in her 50s who had recently returned from South Korea and who was an employee of the United States Postal Service at its network distribution center facility in Federal Way, King County, tested positive.

Life Care Center of Kirkland in 2020

On February 29, Washington health officials made the first announcement of a death from COVID-19 in the United States. A man in his late 50s with pre-existing chronic illness died at EvergreenHealth's hospital in Kirkland. He was not associated with the Life Care Center and although patients from the Center were also in the hospital, it was not believed that any patients contracted the virus at the hospital. Officials said there was no evidence he contracted the virus through travel and they suspected community spread of the disease in King County. The man had not been tested for the virus until February 28, partly because the lab in Washington had only recently become able to conduct tests, and partly because until late February the CDC had been recommending testing only for those with COVID-19 symptoms who had recently traveled to China. Public health officials also reported two confirmed cases in the Life Care Center nursing home, including a woman in her 40s who was a health care worker at the facility.

March

March 1–3

On March 1, state public health officials confirmed two new cases in King County, both men in their 60s. One was hospitalized in critical condition at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle; the other was hospitalized in "critical but stable" condition at the Valley Medical Center in Renton. Those two cases were not linked to the cases in the nursing facility that were reported on February 29. Later the same day, officials reported four new cases associated with the Life Care long-term care facility: a woman in her 80s, a woman in her 90s, a man aged 70s who had died, and a man in his 70s in critical condition. Washington reported one additional case: a man in his 40s in critical condition, bringing the state's total to seven new cases reported on this day. The second death from coronavirus in the U.S. was reported at EvergreenHealth Kirkland.

On March 2, officials announced another four deaths in the state, bringing the U.S. death toll to six. They also announced four new infections, bringing the state's caseload to 18, and the country's to 96. The total number of deaths in the state rose to nine on March 3. Additionally, Amazon.com confirmed that one of its Seattle employees had tested positive for coronavirus.

March 4–5

On March 4, officials reported the tenth death in the U.S. attributable to coronavirus. King County Public Health Department reported 10 new cases, including one death. All but one case were associated with the Life Care Centers facility. In the evening, Facebook announced that a contractor at its Stadium East office in Seattle was diagnosed with the virus; the office was shut down until March 9 and employees were encouraged to work from home.

On March 5, the Washington State Department of Health reported 31 new cases with the first new case reported outside of Snohomish and King counties. County case totals were Snohomish County 18, including 1 death; King County 51, including 9 deaths; Grant County 1 case. Later, public health officials reported an additional death on March 4, bringing the state total deaths to 11.

March 6–7

On March 6, Microsoft announced that two of its employees in Seattle, including one working remotely for subsidiary LinkedIn, tested positive. Three new deaths were reported in King County; all died at the EvergreenHealth Medical Center. In addition, public health officials in Seattle announced that a part-time concessions employee at CenturyLink Field tested positive and may have exposed attendees of a February 22 Seattle Dragons game. The stadium, home to the Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, and Seattle Dragons, can seat up to 72,000 people. The University of Washington reported that a staff member in an office away from the main campus tested positive. Classes were to be held online starting March 9, until March 20. The suburban Northshore School District confirmed classes for its 23,000 students were suspended for up to two weeks. Starbucks closed one of its downtown Seattle locations after an employee tested positive. On March 7, the Department of Health confirmed 102 cases and 16 deaths. EvergreenHealth announced its 13th coronavirus death, bringing the total in Washington State to 17 deaths. Clark County announced its first positive test of the coronavirus in a man in his 70s.

March 8–9

On March 8, the Washington state department of health confirmed 136 cases and 18 deaths, mainly in King County. Later in the day, after the department of health report, an additional death was reported in Grant County. In the Seattle area, a staff member of the Aegis Living Marymoor assisted living facility in Redmond tested positive. The staff member has been isolated since February 28 after reporting symptoms. All Aegis Living communities are limiting non-essential visits. This is the fourth senior living facility in the Seattle area to report staff members who test positive. Kitsap County reported its first positive test, a Bainbridge Island resident in their 60s who was being kept in isolation.

On March 9, the Washington State Department of Health reported 26 new cases and 3 new deaths as cases continued to appear in new counties. This brought the total deaths in Washington to 22. Life Care Center of Kirkland reported that 31 of its patients had tested positive. (City of) Snohomish schools would be closed beginning March 10 after a transportation employee was tested positive.

March 10–11

On March 10, the Washington Department of Health reported an additional 105 cases, a 62% increase. Two additional deaths were reported in King County, in two separate nursing homes unconnected to the Life Care Center nursing home where most deaths have been reported. This brought the state total deaths to 24 with the majority, 22, in King County. Whatcom County declared a public health emergency after it reported its first case of the virus. The female patient self-isolated at home after receiving treatment at a local Bellingham medical center. Island County reported its first positive test. Skagit County reported its first positive test.

On March 11, five new deaths were reported, bringing the total to 29. Thurston County reported its first confirmed case.

March 12–13

Columbia County and Yakima County reported first cases on March 12.

On March 13, Governor Inslee ordered all public and private schools closed for six weeks.

March 14–15

On March 14, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed three cases in Spokane County residents.

On March 15 the American College of Emergency Physicians announced that an emergency physician at EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland was in critical condition with COVID-19.

March 16

On March 16, a Seattle resident was the first U.S. volunteer to receive a vaccine for the virus that causes COVID-19.

Government response

United States Vice President Mike Pence at Washington State Emergency Operations Center

On February 29, Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency after the first US death attributable to COVID-19 occurred in a man in his 50s with an underlying chronic health condition who had been admitted to EvergreenHealth Medical Center after complaining of severe breathing problems. In a statement, Inslee said, "It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to their family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus." A second man in his 70s died at the same hospital a day later, the second US death attributable to COVID-19. By March 2, the death toll in the Seattle area had risen to six, nine by March 3 11 by March 5, and 18 by March 8.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington analyzed the genomes of the first reported case in Snohomish County from January 20 and a more recent case on February 28, and determined that the virus strain was related. Their findings indicate that the virus may have been spreading through the community for close to six weeks. A drive-through testing facility was opened by the University of Washington Medical Center in North Seattle, which as of March 10 is only open to students and employees.

Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan has declared a civil emergency. On March 5, United States Vice President Mike Pence visited the state governor at Washington State Emergency Operations Center on Camp Murray, north of the state capital Olympia, to discuss the crisis. On March 5, the number of confirmed cases jumped from 39 the previous day to 70, of which 51 are in King County and 18 in Snohomish County. On March 5, Inslee announced that the state will cover the costs of testing for Washington residents without health insurance. At a news briefing with Inslee, Vice President Pence said that Air Force Two delivered 100,000 air-filtering N95 respirators, 100,000 surgical masks and 2,500 face shields to Washington. The same day, Washington's insurance commissioner, Mike Kreidler issued an emergency order to state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring coronavirus testing, effective until May 4.

On March 9, Governor Inslee announced new rules—including mandatory screening for visitors and staff—for nursing homes to slow the spread of the virus. The state is also considering mandatory measures of social distancing to prevent spread. The governor's office announced that workers who have reduced hours or temporary unemployment due to the outbreak are eligible for unemployment benefits.

On March 11, Governor Inslee invoked emergency powers and banned "social, spiritual, and recreational gatherings" of over 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties (including the core of the Seattle metropolitan area) for at least the month of March. The order included provisions for its enforcement by the Washington Military Department.

On March 12, Governor Inslee announced closures for all public and private K-12 schools in King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties beginning from March 17 through at least April 24. Later, on March 13, Inslee announced K-12 closures until at least April 24 throughout the state.

Local transit agencies in the Seattle area, including King County Metro and Sound Transit, announced more frequent deep cleanings of their vehicles and facilities. Within the first week of widespread work-from-home policies from local employers, Sound Transit ridership dropped 25 percent and Metro reported a 13 percent decrease compared to March 2019. Metro and Sound Transit also announced the temporary suspension of fare enforcement on buses and trains to reduce person-to-person contact.

On March 15, Governor Inslee announced the closing of all sit-down restaurants statewide, noting that "very strong measures are necessary to slow the spread of the disease". Restaurants are still allowed to offer takeout and drive through options. The governor also announced that he would issue an emergency proclamation ordering all entertainment and recreation facilities to temporarily close. The same order banned gatherings of groups of 50 or more statewide.

Economic and social effects

The marquee of the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, announcing postponement of all events

Several national media outlets reported that fewer Seattle residents were observed outside in public places in early March. Local businesses, especially in tourist areas, reported fewer customers and sales.

On March 10, Seattle-based Alaska Airlines announced the company was preparing to cut its flight schedule and freeze hiring due to the sharp drop in airline bookings because of the pandemic.

On March 12, the city of Seattle announced that the public library system, community centers, and other recreation facilities would be closed until at least April 13. Other libraries in the state followed suit, including Sno-Isle Libraries, the King County Library System, the Pierce County Library System, and the North Central Regional Library.

School closures

The two largest state universities, University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) curtailed on-campus classes during the pandemic. UW announced its closure on March 6; and on March 11, WSU announced the closure would begin after its spring break, on March 23.

On March 11, school districts in the Greater Seattle area, including Seattle Public Schools, Lake Washington School District, and Bellevue School District, announced their closures shortly after Governor Jay Inslee's social distancing proclamation in the morning. Many school districts in Snohomish County announced closures starting March 13, including Snohomish School District, Monroe School District, and Marysville School District. Others announced closures for 14 days or more starting on March 16 including Everett School District and Edmonds School District.

On March 12, the governor invoked his emergency power and mandated the closure of all private and public schools in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties, through April 24 or later.

All Thurston County schools, and Shelton School District (the largest district in Mason County) announced their closures beginning March 16, through at least April 24.

Sports

Many scheduled public events went on as planned, including a Major League Soccer fixture between the Seattle Sounders FC and Columbus Crew SC at CenturyLink Field on March 7. It was played in front of a crowd of 33,080, making it the smallest crowd to ever attend a regular season MLS match in Sounders history. Pundits attributed the lower attendance to the coronavirus as immunocompromized fans and others who did not want to attend the match due to the outbreak were offered full refunds. ESPN noted the effect the governor's ban on gatherings in Puget Sound area would have on sports, especially if it should be expanded to Eastern Washington; the first round of the 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was scheduled to be held in Spokane in March. NCAA basketball was subsequently cancelled altogether.

Arts and media

Seattle Artists Relief Fund was established to help artists, especially in the performing arts, cope with the loss of patrons due to the pandemic-related shutdowns. Included in the closures were the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Symphony.

Most of the state's newspapers removed paywalls for COVID-19 information, including The Seattle Times, the Tacoma News Tribune, Bellingham Herald, Peninsula Daily News, The Olympian, Tri City Herald, Wenatchee World, The Columbian, The Spokesman-Review, and the Yakima Herald-Republic. The Seattle Times was praised for its early coverage of the outbreak, including public service announcements and question-and-answer sessions with readers. The Stranger, an alt-weekly newspaper in Seattle, announced a temporary layoff of 18 employees to offset ad revenue losses due to the closure of restaurants and entertainment venues.

Tourism

The economic loss to the region due to canceled cruise ship visitors to Seattle was unknown as of mid March, with the Port of Seattle "exploring options." The industry brings in nearly one billion dollars annually to the Puget Sound area, with the Alaska cruise season considered to start April 1. On March 11, 2020, the Port of Seattle announced the cancellations of April 1 and April 5 planned cruise ship sailings. On March 13, 2020, the Government of Canada deferred the start of their cruise ship season to July 1, 2020. As noted by the Port of Seattle , "United States maritime laws require foreign flagged vessels, which include many cruise ships, to stop at a foreign port on a U.S. port to U.S. port itinerary. This is why most Seattle to Alaska cruise itineraries visit Victoria, and changes in Canada can impact Seattle-based cruises."

The landmark Space Needle closed on March 13 through March 31.

Pike Place Market remained open as of March 13.

Further reading

• Paige Cornwell (March 16, 2020). "How a Seattle suburb responded after becoming the epicenter of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak". The Seattle Times.

External links

• 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19), Washington State Department of Health