2,787 Coronavirus Cases In King County; 186 Dead

Lucas Combos
Updated ·3 min read

SEATTLE, WA — Testing has confirmed another 131 cases of the new coronavirus and 11 additional deaths linked to COVID-19 in King County, according to data released Friday afternoon.

Results for nearly 1,000 King County residents were processed since the last update was released Thursday. Close to 21,000 people have been tested in the country to date, with 86.7 percent of tests returning negative for the virus.

King County shares guidance on homemade medical masks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now recommending Americans wear cloth or fabric face coverings in public spaces, like grocery stores, to help prevent the spread of coronavirus from people who may not know they are infected.

Seattle and King County Public Health shared a guide Friday, detailing the best practices to ensure masks are well constructed and properly maintained for maximum effectiveness.

Public health officials note cloth or fabric masks do not protect the wearer from infection and adhering to stay-at-home orders and social distancing measures remain the best way to prevent illness. Instead, cloth masks can keep wearers from unknowingly spreading the virus through respiratory droplets, which are produced when people cough, sneeze or even speak.

Medical-grade masks, including N95 respirators, should be reserved for health care providers.

Learn more on the Public Health Insider blog and find instructions to make homemade masks here.

More regional transit cuts as ridership continues to drop

Sound Transit, Pierce Transit and King County Metro will further reduce trips, affecting bus service, commuter trains and light rail service until further notice.

Metro said it would operate with approximately 37 percent fewer buses, 30 percent fewer drivers and 19 percent fewer trips compared to standard weekday service. The transit agency said drivers, mechanics and front-line staff who cannot report to work will receive paid leave.

Sound Transit will run Seattle Link light rail trains every 20 minutes, and Tacoma Link will operate regularly. Sounder trains are operating on reduced schedules on the north and south lines, and ST Express buses are largely operating on reduced schedules, with some routes temporarily canceled.

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Coronavirus cases in your Patch:

Seattle:
906 confirmed cases (10.7% positivity rate)
39 deaths (4.3% of cases)

Kirkland:
221 confirmed cases (23.3% positivity rate)
49 deaths (22.2% of cases)

Bellevue:
159 confirmed cases (14.5% positivity rate)
5 deaths (3.1% of cases)

Redmond:
140 confirmed cases (20.4% positivity rate)
23 deaths (16.4% of cases)

Renton:
162 confirmed cases (14.3% positivity rate)
6 deaths (3.7% of cases)

Mercer Island:
50 confirmed cases (19.8% positivity rate)
1 death (2% of cases)

Shoreline:
134 confirmed cases (15.6% positivity rate)
13 deaths (9.7% of cases)

Lake Forest Park:
16 confirmed cases (10.3% positivity rate)
1 death (6.3% of cases)

Woodinville:
51 confirmed cases (14.2% positivity rate)
4 deaths (7.8% of cases)

Issaquah:
98 confirmed cases (19.4% positivity rate)
16 deaths (16.3% of cases)

Sammamish:
47 confirmed cases (12.8% positivity rate)
0 deaths

Enumclaw:
21 confirmed cases (10.9% positivity rate)
2 deaths (9.5% of cases)

Total tested in King County: 20,898
Negative results: 18,111 (86.7%)

View data on more King County cities, or sort results by zip code here.


This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch