— from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray —
Numbers: As of 11:59 p.m. on April 26, there are 13,686 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 165 cases in the last 24 hours. Visit the Department of Health’s website for cases by county, demographics, and more.
Statewide response updates
Epidemiology summary: DOH continues to receive about 200-250 new reports of COVID-19 per day. Case counts decreased in early April but then plateaued in mid-April. Hospitalizations, which are a more reliable indicator of disease activity, have decreased throughout the month of April, however. Case counts can be difficult to interpret because that number is dependent on the number of tests performed and who is being tested in the population. The number of outbreaks at long term care facilities has also decreased throughout the month of April.
Testing update: Testing numbers appear stable. A new ordering process that includes a tracking and reporting dashboard is planned for implementation this week. An update in testing guidance including the recent expansion of symptoms that identify infection with COVID-19 is set to be released this week as well. There continues to be high interest in expanding access to high quality antibody testing which shows whether or not a person has been exposed to COVID-19. What we are waiting for the research to tell us is whether or not a past exposure prevents reinfection.
Some outdoor activities can resume starting May 5: Gov. Inslee announced Monday, April 27, that on May 5 residents can resume fishing, hunting, playing golf and day use of state parks and public lands. Participants must still follow social distancing and other precautions to protect public health. Restrictions on other outdoor activities, including camping and team sports remain unchanged.
$300 million in federal funds for state’s local governments: Gov. Inslee announced Monday, April 27, that nearly $300 million will be awarded from the state’s federal stimulus funding to local governments that did not receive direct distributions under the federal CARES Act. Funds can be used to cover critical expenses arising from the COVID-19 emergency, including isolation and quarantine sites, staffing and the procurement of medical supplies and equipment for health care providers and first responders. Funds will be provided to cities and counties with populations under 500,000 that were ineligible to receive direct funding under the CARES Act. Specific allocations will be released in the coming days. Each county will receive a minimum distribution of $250,000 and each city will receive a minimum distribution of $25,000 from the state.
Colorado and Nevada join Western States Pact: Gov. Inslee announced the two states have joined Washington, Oregon and California in developing a shared vision for modifying stay at home orders and other shared goals.
Statewide news items
Emergency plans for people with disabilities: A Department of Health blog lists tips for how those with disabilities and their caregivers can prepare for emergencies, including a COVID-19 diagnosis.
I am proud of our community’s responses to this pandemic. I do know someone who is very ill with likely covid-19, but who has not been given the opportunity to be tested because, presumably, of their age. We must not become complacent because our county’s number of positive tests has been at 14 for a long time. It is now confirmed that significant numbers of people without symptoms are found to be positive for covid-19 when groups, such as on the aircraft carrier, in nursing homes, in homeless shelters, in prisons, and in meat-packing plants are tested. People without symptoms can spread the virus. Keep wearing those face coverings when you are outside your home.