Today’s COVID-19 news, updates

— from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray —

NOTICE: Beginning next week, the Joint Information Center will shift from a daily to biweekly bulletin schedule. Check your inbox for a summary of the latest news every Tuesday and Thursday.

Statewide Response Updates

Newest numbers. The Department of Health reported 835 new cases in the past day for a total of 66,139 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on August 13. There have been 1,755 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.

For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health’s dashboard and the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard.

New report and media briefing gives insight into tradeoffs associated with opening schools for in-person learning. Today, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Public Health – Seattle & King County released a new report by the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) that measures the tradeoffs between minimizing COVID-19 related health risks and maximizing educational benefits for students when Washington’s K-12 schools resume instruction. While the educational benefits of in-person learning are well established, the report shows there are still significant risks associated with returning to in-person instruction.

Officials from the department hosted a press briefing to discuss the modeling. The report modeled the health risks of resuming in-person instruction assuming a slowly declining epidemic (0.9 effective rate) and using three hypothetical COVID-19 incidence scenarios:

• A low incidence of 20 cases per 100,000 residents in the 14 days prior to school reopening (20/100,000),
• A medium incidence of 50/100,000, and
• A high incidence of 110/100,000.

These scenarios correspond to the low-, medium- and high risk scenarios outlined in the Decision Tree framework for schools released by DOH last week.

DOH’s press release outlines key takeaways from the report. You can read the full report here. The media briefing is available on TVW.

This week’s statewide report highlights COVID-19 cases are plateauing. Today DOH released the latest statewide situation report, which reflects the flattening of new case counts in most counties in western and eastern Washington.

Report findings include:

• The reproductive number is hovering around one. The best estimate of the reproductive number (the estimated number of new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) in western WA was likely between 0.79 and 1.15 on July 26, with a best estimate of 0.97. In eastern WA, the best estimate on July 25 was likely between 0.82 and 1.13, with a best estimate of 0.98. The goal is a reproductive number well below one, which would mean the number of people getting COVID-19 is declining.
• We’re starting to see the impacts of people using face coverings across the state. This report suggests that reductions in the reproductive number are attributable to statewide policy changes like the June 23 and July 7 mask mandates and pausing county movement with the Safe Start plan.
• Case counts are plateauing or declining across age groups in King and Yakima counties. Pierce County case counts may be starting to decline after alarmingly high growth in June and July. Spokane County cases started to decline in 0-39 year olds, but are on the rise again due to a sharp uptick in the 40-69 and 70+ age groups.

Read the release here.

Inslee issues proclamation for Washington COVID-19 Food Production Paid Leave Program. Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday issued a proclamation that sets forth the parameters for the Washington COVID-19 Food Production Paid Leave Program. The proclamation follows the governor’s announcement on Monday, and will go into effect on August 18, 2020. 

The program provides a $3 million fund to support workers in the food production industry who are unable to obtain leave through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. These workers are often ineligible for other forms of paid leave, even when exposed to COVID-19. 

Further details of the reimbursement program will be issued by Washington’s Department of Commerce within the coming days. Read the full proclamation here. 

Inslee also announced the extension of proclamation 20-22, which waives/suspends restrictions on truck driver hours. The original proclamation was issued on March 18, and is now extended through September 14, 2020. Read the full proclamation here. 

Kreidler extends emergency order on telehealth for 30 days. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler extended his emergency order again, directing all state-regulated health insurers to make additional coverage changes to aid consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. His order is in effect until Sept. 15 and requires health insurers to:

• Continue coverage for providing telehealth via methods including telephone and video chat tools such as Facetime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangout video, Skype and Go-to-Meeting. 
• Cover all medically necessary diagnostic testing for flu and certain other viral respiratory illnesses billed during a provider visit for COVID-19 with no copay, coinsurance or deductible. 
• Treat drive-up testing sites for COVID-19 as provider visit with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.