Key Facts:
- 372 coronavirus deaths among 8,384 cases in Washington
- 87,902 people in Washington have tested for coronavirus. That means 8.6% of the cases tested positive.
- 13 coronavirus deaths among 227 cases in Spokane County
- Gov. Jay Inslee announced the cancellation of all in-person K-12 classes statewide for the remainder of the school year
Tuesday, April 7
6:30 p.m:
The Washington State Department of Corrections lists one case of coronavirus among staff at the Airway Heights Corrections Center.
According to the site, it is a self-reported case.
1 p.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced several new programs to assist people and businesses that have been hit economically by the coronavirus crisis.
Inslee announced the following for businesses:
- Emergency $5 million grant program to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and the stay home order. Busineses with fewer than 10 employees may qualify for $10,000, he said.
- Business resiliency program partnering with multiple groups throughout the state, including translation services.
- Help businesses access federal assistance through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Local banks are taking the SBA applications.
"We know we have a long economic recovery ahead of us," he said. "We are going to roll out every tool at our disposal."
More information on the programs is available at the state's coronavirus response page.
He also said that the state and leading nonprofits launched a new fund to help the state's food banks. He said that 1.6 million Washingtonians will seek help from food banks, doubling demand from past years.
The state has disbursed $120 million of the $200 million emergency coronavirus response spending that the state legislature approved earlier this year and lawmakers may be called back to Olympia if more money is needed before next January, Inslee said.
Suzi Levine, the Washington Employment Security Department Commissioner, said that call volume in the department had dropped 10 to 15 percent, which she said is an encouraging sign. She also said people should expect a wait time of 5 to 7 days for their unemployment benefits after their claim is approved.
Inslee added that a second line is being created specifically for people with questions in order to free up more phone lines for those wanting to file an unemployment claim.
The governor also said that the state will likely have to take aggressive actions to help aid the economy in light of the pandemic.
"These are relatively small things given the mountain we have to climb," Inslee said.
Regarding the small business loans of $10,000 being offered, Inslee said it may not seem like much, but it could help some businesses make it through the current economic troubles.
"These are small numbers, but to these mom and pop restaurants, when they can stay in business, it won't be small to them" Inslee said.
Inslee also briefly addressed the importance of faith-based asssembles to people in Washington, but also said that they have to avoid these large gatherings to avoid deaths.
Inslee was joined by state Commerce Director Lisa Brown and Commission of Asian Pacific American Affairs Executive Director Toshiko Hasegawa via WebEx.
12:10 p.m.
The Spokane County Board of Commissioners is calling on Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to reconsider his recent moratorium on home construction.
Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy order,” which was recently extended until May 4, shuts down non-essential businesses.
Commercial and residential construction has been deemed non-essential during Governor Inslee's stay home order.
In a letter to Inslee dated Monday, April 6, the county commissioners assert their belief that construction of single-family homes should remain an essential function
7:40 a.m.
Gov. Jay Inslee took action to allow the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) to temporarily extend the expiration dates of driver licenses.
The DOL said letters will be sent to residents whose driver license expired after March 1 and have not already renewed, and to residents whose licenses will expire before June 30. Driver licenses that expire between these dates will be extended by 90 days.
The extended expiration date will appear on your driving record if it is pulled up by law enforcement. The DOL said drivers will not receive a new card.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also granted an extension for commercial driver licenses (CDL) and commercial learner’s permits (CLP) that were valid on Feb. 29 and expire on or after March 1, 2020. The DOL said letters will be sent to impacted CDL and CLP holders notifying them their license is extended to June 30, 2020.
DOL driver licensing offices are temporarily closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most Washington residents can renew their driver licenses, identification cards, or vehicle registration online.
7:05 a.m.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced the cancellation of the spring sports season after Governor Jay Inslee announced that the rest of the school year would be carried out through distance learning.
The WIAA announced the cancellation after previously stating that it was seeking clarification from Gov. Inslee.
"The WIAA has received clarification that the order issued by Governor Inslee on Monday includes the cancellation of all in-person extracurricular athletics and activities through the end of the school year," a statement from the WIAA reads.
5:30 a.m.
Fred Meyer will start limiting how many customers are allowed in store at one time, Tuesday.
One customer will be allowed in store per 120 square feet, and stores will limit the number of customers to 50% of the building's calculated capacity, to allow for enough physical distance between people inside. They will allow 1 person per 120 square feet.
4:25 a.m.
REI said it will keep its 162 retail locations closed and furlough some of its roughly 14,000 employees without pay for 90 days as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to halt much of the retail industry.
CEO Eric Artz announced the decision Monday in a blog post. He said he and the board of the company based in Washington state will go without compensation for six months. Other senior executives and corporate staff will see their pay cut.
The company said furloughed employees will continue to receive health benefits during the 90 days.
On March 15, REI announced it was closing retail locations and putting employees on paid leave through April 15.