Here’s what we know so far regarding the COVID-19 outbreak for Clallam and Jefferson counties, plus around the state, nationally and internationally:
The latest
Wednesday, June 3
• Via The Associated Press: What you need to know today about the virus outbreak.
• The 19th annual Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival has been canceled, board members announced Tuesday, as October’s annual crustacean celebration becomes the latest major event to feel the pinch of coronavirus-related uncertainty.
• Gov. Jay Inslee and the state’s Joint Information Center have launched an updated version of the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard. The updated dashboard provides researchers and the public a better ability to see what’s happening at the regional and county level when it comes to COVID-19 activity, testing and health care system readiness.
• In King County, which plans to apply to enter a modified Phase 1 of coronavirus recovery soon, health officials recommend that anyone who attends a group gathering should monitor their health for 14 days afterward. While they encouraged the public to continue staying home whenever possible, several top health officials said they understood the outrage communities of color are feeling and did not ask the public to refrain from attending protests.
• In Washington, state health officials confirmed 180 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, as well as five additional deaths. This brings the state’s totals to 22,157 cases and 1,129 deaths, according the state Department of Health’s (DOH) data dashboard.
• Gov. Jay Inslee has extended his emergency order halting evictions and freezing new rent hikes. He also handed down guidance on reopening libraries and drive-in theaters.
• Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport sprang back to life Wednesday as Italy opened regional and international borders in the final phase of easing its long coronavirus lockdown, but it was still an open question how other nations would accept Italian visitors.
• South Dakota’s public universities announced Wednesday they won’t have students return to campus after the Thanksgiving break in order to mitigate coronavirus infections.
• Wuhan, China, has tested nearly 10 million people for coronavirus in an unprecedented campaign to check an entire city. The results are encouraging.
The numbers
The count of cases and deaths is a moving target, with jurisdictions reporting sometimes-contradictory numbers. Ours might not match what other media are reporting.
• As of 7:30 p.m. June 2, 368,799 individuals have been tested in Washington state, with 22,157 confirmed cases (meaning the person has the virus) and 1,124 deaths, according to the state Department of Health.
• 1,129 deaths statewide.
• 8,177 cases in King County. 570 deaths.
• 2,987 cases in Snohomish County. 149 deaths.
• 1,950 cases in Pierce County. 81 deaths.
• 163 cases in Kitsap County. 2 deaths.
• 31 cases in Jefferson County. 0 deaths.
• 27 cases in Clallam County. 0 deaths.
• Other counties reporting cases: Adams (63), Asotin (19; 2 deaths); Benton (823; 63 deaths), Chelan (250; 6 deaths), Clark (546; 22 deaths), Columbia (1), Cowlitz (74), Douglas (172; 3 deaths), Ferry (1), Franklin (610; 20 deaths), Garfield (0), Grant (208; 4 deaths), Grays Harbor (17), Island (181; 11 deaths), Kittitas (89), Klickitat (28; 3 deaths), Lewis (37; 3 deaths), Lincoln (2), Mason (36; 1 death), Okanogan (50; 1 death), Pacific (9; 1 death); Pend Oreille (3); San Juan (15), Skagit (438; 15 deaths), Skamania (3), Spokane (612; 34 deaths), Stevens (11; 1 death), Thurston (152; 2 deaths), Wahkiakum (4); Walla Walla (110; 2 deaths), Whatcom (401; 37 deaths), Whitman (16) and Yakima (3,817; 96 deaths). (Unassigned: 27; 0)
On the Peninsula
• COVID-19: A Local Survival Guide
• Peninsula restaurants offer takeout, delivery options
• Virus prompts cancellations on the Peninsula
• How social distancing works and what it means for you
Resources
• Washington Drive-In WiFi Hotspot Location Finder
• Jefferson County Public Health
• Clallam County Department of Health and Human Services
• Washington State Department of Health
• Washington state coronavirus response
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
COVID-19 information & best practices
What is the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, known as SARS-CoV-2, is the virus strain identified in January that causes COVID-19, coronavirus disease, and is spreading from person to person.
While the virus has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia in some people, about 80 percent of cases are relatively mild.
• Key symptoms of COVID-19: shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, cough, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.
• Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure.
• Here are the symptoms of the virus compared with the common flu.
• COVID-19 is transmitted by being in close contact with someone who is coughing or sneezing for a long period of time.
• Exposure must occur >15 minutes, “which is still more than most casual contact but is quite a bit shorter than what we were initially told,” said Dr. Allison Unthank, Clallam County health officer, in an email. Transmission occurs from particulates from coughing and sneezing.
• People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
• Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
• It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, according to the CDC.
“That’s why we push the handwashing and surface cleaning so much,” Unthank said.
• Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness, according to the CDC. Please consult with your health care provider about additional steps you may be able to take to protect yourself.
What to do if you’re sick
• If you suspect you have COVID-19, isolate at home during illness. Restrict activities outside of the home except for getting medical care. Call ahead unless you are in crisis.
• Call your local physician or hospital: Olympic Medical Center: 360-417-7000; Jefferson Healthcare COVID-19 line: 360-344-3094; Forks Community Hospital: 360-374-6271.
• Call 360-417-2430, a hotline that provides local information on the infection.
How to prevent the spread of COVID-19
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.
As a reminder, according to the CDC, here are recommended everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases:
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.
For more information on using cloth face coverings and how to make your own, click here.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
• Once home from work, school, running errands, etc., immediately wash your hands.
• Consider purchasing the following supplies: extra fluids and hydrating drinks (Gatorade and Pedialyte); food for when you’re sick (soups, broths, crackers, honey, nonperishable items); pain and fever medications (acetaminophen or ibuprofen); cough drops and cough medications; prescription medications; tissues; household cleaners (bleach, alcohol, soap, disinfecting wipes).
• You should wash your phone, too. Here’s how.
Check out the World Health Organization’s website for COVID-19 myth busters.
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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