95 dead, nearly 2,000 coronavirus cases reported in Washington state



One new COVID-19 death was reported Sunday in Washington state as the total number of cases approaches 2,000, according to the state Department of Health.

Of the 95 deaths reported, 75 are in King County. The newest death reported Sunday was a man in his 80s who died at Overlake Medical Center. Of the 75 deaths reported, 35 are linked to the Life Care Center of Kirkland.

Here's a breakdown of where the deaths have been reported: 2 in Benton County, 3 in Clark County, 1 in Grant County, 1 in Island County, 75 in King County, 1 in Pierce County, 10 in Snohomish County, and 2 in Whatcom County.

As of Sunday, 30,875 people had been tested for the new virus. Of those, 28,879 were negative and 1,996 were positive (6 percent). Thirty percent of the people who died were between 70 and 80 years old. Fifty percent of the people who have died were older than 80, according to the state.

Nationwide, 254,000 people have been tested, Vice President Mike Pence said.

Gov. Jay Inslee announced on Sunday that he's hired retired Navy Vice Admiral Raquel C. Bono as the director for the state’s COVID-19 Health System Response Management.


She is currently a senior fellow with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. As the former chief executive officer and director for the Defense Health Agency, Bono led a joint, integrated support agency that enabled all branches of the U.S. military medical services to provide health care to people in combat. Inslee’s appointment was effective immediately.

“Vice Admiral Bono will help bolster our existing coordinated response to the COVID-19 pandemic across our state’s health care system,” Inslee said.



He reiterated that message Saturday during a telephone town hall with some 14,000 seniors from around the state, urging them to use the power of peer pressure to get people to stay home.

His cries for cooperation have not worked. Coastal towns were packed with out-of-towners flocking to crowded beaches, prompting at least one community, Westport, to close all hotels and vacation rentals in an effort to keep people away.

Residents who live in tiny towns along the coast said the crowds were cleaning out their grocery stores, which are already limited in supplies.

This is what Green Lake looked like in Seattle on Saturday:



The state has closed all state-owned campgrounds through April 30, but day-use areas and trails remain open, despite the crowds.

President Trump approved Washington's request for a major disaster declaration Sunday, a move that will provide federal assistance for both emergency protective measures and crisis counseling, the White House said.

He also said Sunday that the federal government has activated US National Guard units for three of the states hardest hit by the novel coronavirus -- New York, California and Washington state.

Several media outlets reported Friday that the USS Mercy, a Navy hospital ship with 1,000 beds, would be deployed to Washington, but Trump said Sunday that it will be going to Los Angeles.



Trump described the federal government as a "backup" to the state leaders, underscoring the importance of keeping governors "in command."

"We'll be following them and we hope they can do the job and I think they will. I spoke with all three of the governors today, just a little while ago and they're very happy with what we're going to be doing." Trump said.

There are at least 32,149 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country, according to CNN Health's tally of American cases that are detected and tested in the United States through US public health systems. At least 400 people have died.

He said at the briefing that in addition to supplies, he had instructed FEMA to provide:


    The Department of Corrections announced Saturday that within the next few days, inmates in its Corrections Industries program at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell will begin making protective gowns in response to a nationwide shortage. Production will then expand to textiles shops at Airway Heights Corrections Center, Clallam Bay Corrections Center and Washington Corrections Center. Eventually 12 Corrections staff and 160 incarcerated workers are expected to make up to 6,000 gowns per day, the department said.

    For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death. The vast majority of people recover.