Key Facts:
- There are 351 coronavirus cases, and 20 deaths in Spokane County. Twelve people are currently hospitalized
- There are 65 cases in North Idaho, 61 in Kootenai County and four in Bonner County.
- TOTAL: 786 deaths and 13,842 overall cases in Washington.
- 182,515 people in Washington have taken a test for coronavirus and 7.6% of those cases have been positive.
- Fishing, golfing and some state land use can resume by May 5, Gov. Inslee announced Monday.
Tuesday, April 28
Washington reports 21 new deaths, 156 new cases
The Washington State Department of Health reported 21 new deaths and 156 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday.
There are now 786 deaths and 13,842 overall cases in Washington among 182,515 people tested in the state. Of all tests, 7.6% have been positive.
New data raises US death toll projections
The latest projection from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) shows more people could die from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States than previously thought.
A previous projection from April 22 showed the pandemic’s first wave could cause approximately 67,600 deaths in the U.S. Based on the latest report from Monday, the U.S. death toll increased by more than 6,400 to 74,073.
Researchers said the increase is due, in part, “to many states experiencing flatter and thus longer epidemic peaks.”
“Further, updated data indicate that daily COVID-19 deaths are not falling very quickly after the peak, leading to longer tails for many states’ epidemic curves. In combination – less abrupt peaks and slower declines in daily COVID-19 deaths following the peak – many places in the US could have higher cumulative deaths from the novel coronavirus.”
Click here to see the IHME model for the U.S. and Washington state.
COVID-19 cases in the US, Washington state
There were more than 988,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of 5 a.m. PDT Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and is likely to reach 1 million by the end of the day. There have been more than 56,000 deaths and more than 111,000 recoveries in the U.S.
There is a total of 765 deaths among 13,686 COVID-19 cases in Washington, according to the state Department of Health.
The global total of confirmed cases is more than 3 million, with 211,000 deaths and nearly 900,000 recovered.
For most, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.
Cost makes 1 in 10 hesitate to seek cornavirus care
With some states gearing up to lift coronavirus restrictions, a new poll finds a potential obstacle to keeping new infections tamped down.
Nearly 1 in 10 adults say cost would keep them from seeking treatment if they thought they were infected. The Gallup-West Health Healthcare Costs Survey out Tuesday found that younger people, members of minority groups, people with less than a college degree, and those making less than $40,000 a year were more likely to say they would avoid seeking treatment.
That could create a blind spot for governors trying to calibrate economic reopening plans to keep watch for potential virus flare-ups.
Trump urges states to consider opening schools before summer
President Donald Trump says states should “seriously consider” reopening their public schools before the end of the academic year, even though dozens already have said it would be unsafe for students to return until the summer or fall.
Trump made the comments Monday in a call with governors discussing how to reopen their economies, among other topics.
“Some of you might start thinking about school openings, because a lot of people are wanting to have the school openings. It’s not a big subject, young children have done very well in this disaster that we’ve all gone through," he said. While addressing Vice President Mike Pence, Trump added that it's something "they can seriously consider, and maybe get going on.”
None of the governors on the call responded to the suggestion, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press.
Reopening schools is considered key to getting the economy moving again. Without a safe place for their kids, many parents would have difficulty returning to work.