Recap of today’s COVID-19 news and updates

— from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray —

Numbers: As of 11:59 p.m. on May 4, there are 15,594 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Washington state, an increase of 132 cases in the last 24 hours. Visit the Department of Health’s website for cases by county, demographics, and more.  

Statewide Response Updates 

Safe Start advisory groups: Gov. Jay Inslee today announced members of Safe Start advisory groups on health systems and public health, social supports and economic readiness. Each advisory group will consult with the governor’s office and state agencies on next steps as Washington moves forward. The members of these community leader groups are in touch with communities around the state and will inform decision-making.  

Proclamations extended: Gov. Inslee announced the extension of 12 proclamations today in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Read the news release. 

New webinar: The Joint Information Center’s Economic Resiliency Team holds a weekly webinar with the Association of Washington Business. The audience includes hundreds of Washington businesses and industry associations. In the most recent webinar, Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine, Department of Commerce Assistant Director Chris Green and Department of Labor and Industries Director Joel Sacks discuss the state’s latest efforts to help employers and workers. All the episodes are archived online. 

Business Response Center Update: The Economic Resiliency Team’s Business Response Center has answered nearly 2,000 general business inquiries reopening, health and safety concerns and available grants, loans and other business assistance since coming online April 8.  If you’re a business owner or operator with a question, you can fill out a form that goes to the center for response. 

Career Connected Learning opportunities: This week, Gov. Jay Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal kicked off Career Connected Learning Month in Washington and as part of that effort, CareerConnect@Home will bring daily learning opportunities to students across the state. Now, every school day at 3:30 PM, students can hear from real people doing real jobs in Washington. Through a secure link, students can log on to participate in conversations with real professionals about their job and the future of their industries. These programs will help students explore a range of education and career pathways. 

Statewide news items  

New credit scoring protections during coronavirus pandemic: Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is reminding consumers of a new federal protection that applies to how insurance companies use a consumer’s credit history. The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act and protects consumers during the coronavirus pandemic from any negative credit reporting as long as their accounts were in good standing before the pandemic started. This protection also applies to how insurers use credit history to calculate how much consumers pay for auto and homeowners insurance.