Coronavirus updates: State has administered 500K doses of vaccine
This page includes coronavirus developments around Washington state for Tuesday, Jan. 26.
State DOH has added more staff to hotline
Updated 10 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health has added “more staff and capacity” to its COVID-19 information hotline, per its Twitter account.
“Lines are open and we’re here to help,” the department tweeted Tuesday morning. “Thanks for your patience as we make sure that folks have the information they need to stay healthy.”
The hotline can be reached at 1-800-525-1027.
State has administered more than 500K doses of vaccine
Updated 9 a.m.
Washington state has administered more than 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, according to the state Department of Health.
That accounts for 57.4% of the doses provided to the state by the federal government, per a release from Gov. Jay Inslee’s office.
The current seven-day average of doses administered in the state is 23,960. The state has set a goal of 45,000 doses per day.
Inslee also announced a record number of vaccines given in a 24-hour period at about 40,000 reported Monday.
“We have taken action, we expanded our distribution and infrastructure and it is working,” Inslee said in a release. “We still have a long way to go, but if Washingtonians have proven anything throughout this pandemic, it is that we are up to the task. We have taken action, and we will continue to improve until we meet and exceed our goals.”
Per the state DOH, there are 1.7 million Washingtonians eligible in Tier 1 of Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout plan and about 100,000 doses being administered per week.
Tier 1 of Phase 1B includes all people 65 or older and people 50 or older in multigenerational households.
Those in Phase 1A, which includes high-risk health care workers in health care settings, high-risk first responders, long-term care facility residents and all other workers at risk in health care settings, are also still eligible.
The state’s Phase Finder can determine current eligibility.
State reports 947 new cases, 34 deaths
Updated 9 a.m.
The Washington State Department of Health reported 947 new cases of COVID-19 and 34 additional deaths Monday.
The state no longer reports updated case counts on Sundays and deaths are no longer reported on weekends.
Statewide case totals have reached 302,141 cases and 4,148 deaths, up from 301,194 cases Saturday and 4,114 deaths Friday. The new case total includes 13,193 cases that are listed as probable.
Previous case and death counts are revised daily by the state DOH.
The department noted on its dashboard Monday that the day’s case counts were incomplete “due to an interruption in DOH’s data processes.”
King County continues to report the state’s highest counts for total cases (75,903), hospitalizations (4,754), deaths (1,219) and vaccine doses distributed (183,313).
Pierce County reported 198 new COVID-19 cases Monday. The county’s totals are now at 31,724 cases and 382 deaths since the first confirmed case was reported in March.
Spokane County (32,047 cases, 445 deaths) and Snohomish County (27,069 cases, 471 deaths) have each reported more than 400 deaths, while Yakima County has reported 23,797 cases and 362 deaths.
Each of the state’s 39 counties have reported positive cases and all but three have reported more than 100. Only two counties have not reported a virus-related death.
More than 4.4 million tests have been administered in the state since the pandemic began.
The state had distributed 500,015 doses of vaccine as of Monday, with its current seven-day average at 23,964. The state’s average daily goal is 45,000.
Pierce County reports 198 new cases, 3 deaths
Updated 9 a.m.
Pierce County reported 198 new COVID-19 cases Monday.
Three additional deaths — a Tacoma man in his 70s, a Central Pierce County man in his 50s and a South Pierce County woman in her 100s — were reported.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is no longer assigning underlying condition status to individual cases.
The county’s totals are now at 31,724 cases and 382 deaths since the first confirmed case was reported in March.
The county has reported 3,159 cases in the past 14 days and its 14-day case rate per 100,000 is now 350.2. Average cases per day in the past 14 days are at 225.6.
There are an estimated 7,703 confirmed cases still active in the county.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. More information on testing sites is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Monday’s geographic case totals for Pierce County are listed below with Sunday’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 880 (no change)
▪ Central Pierce County: 1,485 (1,484)
▪ East Pierce County: 1,357 (no change)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 1,316 (1,315)
▪ Frederickson: 1,213 (no change)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 995 (no change)
▪ Graham: 1,077 (no change)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 291 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 1,109 (no change)
▪ Lakewood: 2,566 (2,564)
▪ Parkland: 1,531 (no change)
▪ Puyallup: 1,858 (1,856)
▪ South Hill: 1,831 (no change)
▪ South Pierce County: 966 (964)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 435 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 1,491 (no change)
▪ Tacoma: 8,984 (8,982)
▪ University Place: 1,075 (no change)
▪ Unknown: 1,264 (1,076)
Cactus League, Arizona officials ask MLB to delay start of spring training
Updated 9 a.m.
Monday, the Cactus League, which hosts the Seattle Mariners and 14 other major league teams each spring in the greater Phoenix area, sent a letter to Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred stating it would be “wise to delay the start of spring training” due to the COVID-19 situation in Maricopa County.
The letter, which has been widely shared on social media, was signed by the league’s executive director Bridget Binsbacher, the leaders of all eight Cactus League cities — including Phoenix city manager Ed Zuercher, Mesa Mayor John Giles, Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, Tempe Mayor Andrew Ching, Surprise Mayor Skip Hall, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers, Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord and Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat — and Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community president Martin Harvier.
The full text of the letter is below:
“Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Cactus League has formed a task force to ensure that our 10 spring training facilities are prepared to host the 2021 spring training season in a manner that is safe for all involved. We stand ready to work with you on the final preparation and outcome to begin the season.
“Last week, leaders of all eight Cactus League cities and the tribal community had the opportunity to meet with Major League Baseball representatives and provide an update on our efforts as the February reporting date for Major League Baseball players approaches.
“We are grateful to MLB for its partnership and unified in our commitment to provide a safe, secure environment; to that end, the task force has worked to ensure that ballparks are able to meet COVID-19 protocols such as pod seating, social distancing and contactless transactions. But in view of the current state of the pandemic in Maricopa County — with one of the nation’s highest infection rates — we believe it is wise to delay the start of spring training to allow for the COVID-19 situation to improve here. This position is based on public data from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which projects a sharp decline in infections in Arizona by mid-March (an estimated 9,712 daily infections on Feb. 15 and 3,072 daily infections on March 15).
“We understand that any decision to delay spring training cannot be made unilaterally by MLB. As leaders charged with protecting public health, and as committed, longtime partners in the spring training industry, we want you to know that we stand united on this point.
“We appreciate the opportunity to offer input and thank MLB for its collaboration in assisting our facilities as they prepare for the 2021 spring training season. We welcome further discussions as needed.”
Per the Arizona Department of Health Services website, the state has reported 727,895 cases and 12,239 deaths since the pandemic began. Maricopa County’s cases (452,925) and deaths (6,951) account for more than half of the state’s totals, according to the state DOH’s data dashboard.
The county reported 3,763 of the state’s 5,321 new cases in the most recent update Monday.
Arizona’s 95.1 average daily cases per 100,000 in the past seven days are the highest in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Major League Baseball Players Association responded to the Cactus League letter with its own statement just before noon Monday.
“Although we have not received any communication directly, the MLBPA is aware of a letter that has been distributed today by the Cactus League Association,” the statement says.
“The letter states that after meeting with Major League Baseball, the Cactus League Association ‘believes it is wise’ to delay the start of Spring Training in Arizona. The letter correctly notes that MLB does not have the ability to unilaterally make this decision.
“While we, of course, share the goals of a safe Spring Training and regular season, MLB has repeatedly assured us that it has instructed its teams to be prepared for an on time start to Spring Training and the Regular Season and we continue to devote all our efforts to making sure that takes place as safely as possible.”
Debbie Cockrell and Craig Sailor contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 9:05 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: State has administered 500K doses of vaccine."
