Tri-Cities health board official questions COVID death count
A Franklin County commissioner who sits on the county health board says he believes the number of COVID-19 deaths is inflated.
Clint Didier says he believes he was sickened by the new coronavirus in February but doesn’t think the death toll from it is as high as reported, though it wasn’t clear if he was referring to local or national deaths.
State and local health officials are reporting nearly 50 Tri-Citians have died of the respiratory illness and its complications.
And medical officials with the Benton Franklin Health District where Didier is a board member said they only count deaths where COVID-19 is listed as one of the causes or contributing factors on the death certificate.
“We will not report a death unless it’s on the death certificate,” said Kathleen Clary-Cooke, a district spokeswoman.
On Friday, Didier is going to Tacoma to file a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Inslee aimed at ending the governor’s stay-at-home order, claiming it’s unconstitutional.
He expects to be joined by anti-tax activist and gubernatorial candidate Tim Eyman and others.
Didier had raised more than $21,000 through GoFundMe by Thursday to pay for a lawyer. Most of it came from supporters in the last day.
As a Franklin County commissioner, Didier voted to reopen the county against the state’s stay-home order.
His two fellow commissioners initially agreed but voted to rescind the decision the next day after deciding Inslee had the proper legal authority.
Didier refused to change his vote, vowing instead to sue Inslee in federal court.
Across the river, a group of Republican precinct committee officers from the 16th Legislative District were frustrated that the Benton County Commission had taken no public stance.
They posted an open letter on Facebook calling the three Republicans on the county board “submissive toadies” for refusing to stand up to Inslee.
“The working people of Benton County know what is best for them, not the Governor’s boot-licking Commissioners, whose income rolls in whether they work or not,” said the post. “It’s time the Commissioners earn their paycheck and protect the good and hard working people of Benton County from the bureaucratic double speak of Olympia.”
Mounting Pressures
Other Eastern Washington Republicans and business groups are pressing the state for relief from the stay-at-home order.
This week, 16th District Rep. Bill Jenkin, R-Prosser, posted a statement and Pasco Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Colin Hastings sent letters asking the governor to start working to ease the restrictions on small businesses and individuals.
Jenkin asked the governor to work with local governments to find a way for businesses to open safely. He believes the 39 counties can be trusted to judge when it’s safe to open again.
“Restarting our economy is not a one-size-fits-all approach as each county has a differing set of circumstances,” he wrote. “Small businesses are suffering immensely. Many of them will never recover if these restrictions remain in place for much longer.
Hastings made a similar plea to the governor, pointing out the state could adopt similar standards that were granted to private construction companies that allowed them to go back to work.
Businesses aren’t looking to return to “normal,” but they want to return to work using appropriate social distancing, protection equipment, and hygiene procedures, he said in the letter.
Many of these businesses don’t have a way to replace their business, and aren’t able to get government help, he said.
“This leaves them, their employees and their families vulnerable to food and housing insecurity and a host of other social risks,” Hastings wrote. “Your action to help our local businesses reopen in a safe and responsible manner is crucial to fulfilling our mission.”