coronavirus Archives - Page 14 of 14 - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Coronavirus Prompts New Mandatory Work Measures At Washington State Agencies

By Austin Jenkins March 16, 2020

Visitors to Western State Hospital and other state facililties are being screened for coronavirus before they are allowed to enter. CREDIT: PHIL THOMAS / ASYLUMPROJECTS.ORG - TINYURL.COM/J28OGDB

Even as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee uses his emergency powers to restrict gatherings of more than 50 people and orders the closure of bars, restaurants and other gathering spaces for at least the next two weeks, state agencies are scrambling to implement emergency measures to protect their employees and those they serve from the rapid spread of coronavirus. Read More

Stocks Go Into Shock. Dow Plunges Nearly 3,000 Points

By NPR News March 16, 2020

Markets are falling sharply, even after the Federal Reserve aggressively cut interest rates to near zero. CREDIT: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. stock indexes fell sharply Monday, a day after the Federal Reserve aggressively cut interest rates to near zero in a bid to stop the economy from crashing. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,997.20 points, or about 13%, as coronavirus measures rapidly expanded. The S&P 500 index lost nearly 12%.Read More

President Trump Says Coronavirus Guidance Includes Avoiding Gatherings Of More Than 10 People

By NPR News March 16, 2020

President Trump arrives to speak at a news briefing with the coronavirus task force on Monday in the White House press briefing room. Evan Vucci/AP

The White House task force announced stricter recommendations for at least the next 15 days to stop the spread of the pandemic.Read More

Rural Hospitals Brace For Coronavirus Impacts. Here’s How Grangeville, Idaho Is Preparing

By NPR News March 16, 2020

Michelle Schaeffer, director of Syringa Clinics in Idaho, says her facility and an adjoining hospital have about a month's supply of masks left. CREDIT: Kirk Siegler/NPR

There is no intensive care unit at Grangeville, Idaho's Syringa Hospital. So when they do get a critically ill patient or trauma victims, it's standard protocol to stabilize and transfer them to a large regional hospital in western Montana or Spokane, Wash. But what if ICUs in those places become overwhelmed with coronavirus patients?Read More

Coronavirus Hit Kirkland Long-Term Care Facility Hard. It Shows How Moving Residents Isn’t Easy

By NPR News March 15, 2020

Tim Killian, a spokesman for Life Care Center in Kirkland, Wash., prepares to give a daily briefing to reporters on Wednesday. CREDIT: Ted S. Warren/AP

As more nursing facilities in Washington report cases of coronavirus, the death toll at Life Care serves as an example of the vulnerability of the elderly in the growing pandemic.Read More

President Trump Declares National Emergency In Response To Coronavirus Pandemic

By NPR News March 13, 2020

President Trump holds a news conference about the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic in the Rose Garden at the White House on Friday. CREDIT: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In a largely unprecedented move for a public health crisis, President Trump is declaring a national emergency to free up as much as $50 billion in federal assistance to state and local governments overwhelmed by coronavirus, and to lower regulatory barriers to surge medical resources to areas that need them most.Read More

What Passed, What Didn’t In 2020 Washington Legislature (Hint: Coronavirus Changed Plans)

By Austin Jenkins March 13, 2020

As the Legislature adjourned Thursday, 60 days felt like a lifetime ago. A surreal “new normal” had taken hold as Washington finds itself in the grips of a global coronavirus pandemic -- which poses a threat not just to the public, but also to the economy and to state revenues.Read More

Dow Plunges 2,300 Points, Market Moves Into Bear Territory With Biggest One-Day Drop Since ’87

By Scott Leadingham March 12, 2020

After weeks of turmoil over the economic toll of the coronavirus, U.S. stock indexes entered a bear market, signaling an end to their 11-year winning streak. CREDIT: Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 10% — its biggest one-day drop since 1987 — as the coronavirus pandemic continued to rattle markets. Trading was temporarily halted earlier in the day.Read More

Schools Close, Colleges Go Online, Pullman Declares Emergency As COVID-19 Response Ramps Up

By NWPB News March 12, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee announces a ban on large events and gatherings of more than 250 people in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. CREDIT: King County TV

Pullman and Yakima County declare emergencies. And events with more than 250 people are prohibited in Washington's King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. That's among many updates this week to the expanding COVID-19 outbreak in the Northwest.Read More

Coronavirus: COVID-19 Is Now Officially A Pandemic, WHO Says

By NPR News March 11, 2020

The World Health Organization called the COVID-19 viral disease a pandemic Wednesday. Here, workers in Spain place a medical mask on a figure that was to be part of the Fallas festival in Valencia. The festival has been canceled over the coronavirus outbreak. Alberto Saiz/AP

It's the first time the WHO has called an outbreak a pandemic since the H1N1 "swine flu" in 2009.Read More

Jay Inslee Orders Nursing Homes To Limit Visitors, Signals Social-Distancing Measures Are Next

By Austin Jenkins March 10, 2020

Warning that the number of coronavirus cases in Washington could double weekly, Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday indicated that mandatory social-distancing measures could be announced this week and, in the meantime, imposed new restrictions on nursing homes.Read More

Colleges In Washington And Across U.S. Cancel In-Person Classes In Response To Coronavirus

By NPR News March 9, 2020

Many schools paused in-person classes after students or staff members tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Others say the cancellations are a precaution.Read More

Tri-Cities Couple Share Their Experience With Self-Quarantine

By Sueann Ramella March 9, 2020

Bruce Bjornstad and Diana Moeller of the Tri Cities. hed a self-quarantine. They shared their experience and offer advice.

A couple from the Tri Cities shares their experience with self-quarantine and offer advice. Read More

Grant County Case First COVID-19 Death In Eastern Washington; Inslee Hints At Crowd Restrictions

By Austin Jenkins March 8, 2020

On CBS' 'Face the Nation' Gov. Jay Inslee hinted that he may soon order mandatory social distancing measures to stem the spread of coronavirus.

"We are contemplating some next steps, particularly to protect our vulnerable populations and our nursing homes and [the] like and we are looking to determine whether mandatory measures are required," Inslee said in an interview Sunday morning with CBS's "Face the Nation."Read More

WATCH: Answering Your Questions About Coronavirus

By PBS Newshour March 7, 2020

PBS NewsHour - Answering your questions about coronavirus

As the number of cases in the U.S. continues to rise, so too do questions about how the virus spreads and how the average person can protect themselves. Health officials are simultaneously trying to understand the virus while improving they way they identify cases and contain those that are known — and encouraging people to just practice good hygiene (and to be cautious, Read More

Where That $8.3 Billion In U.S. Coronavirus Funding Will And Won’t Go

By NPR News March 7, 2020

President Trump signs an $8.3 billion emergency spending bill in the White House Friday. That's significantly more than he originally requested from Congress. CREDIT: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump and Congress Friday authorized a package of emergency funding to help and treat and slow the spread of COVID-19. About $950 million is designated for state and local response.Read More

Vice President Pence Visits Washington State As Coronavirus Outbreak Grows

By Austin Jenkins March 6, 2020

Vice President Mike Pence, at podium, speaks as Gov. Jay Inslee, left, and other officials look on during a news conference, March 5, 2020, at Camp Murray in Washington state. Pence was in the state to discuss the state's efforts to fight the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. CREDIT Ted S. Warren/AP

As the death toll climbs and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Washington tops 70, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the state Thursday to tour the Military Department’s Emergency Operations Center, meet with Gov. Jay Inslee and other elected leaders and announce the arrival of a shipment of supplies for healthcare workers from the Strategic National Stockpile Read More

Restrictive Coronavirus Testing To Be Relaxed Amid Widening Washington Outbreak

By Tom Banse March 4, 2020

Testing capacity for novel coronavirus in Washington increased significantly on Tuesday once a University of Washington virology lab began accepting samples. UW MEDICINE

As the death toll from the novel coronavirus continues to rise, many people who feel sick are naturally concerned they might have the infection. Until now, a coronavirus test has been difficult to get locally because of limited capacity and strict rules for who qualifies. However, both of those restrictions may relax soon.Read More

Jay Inslee Says Washingtonians ‘Should Begin To Think About Avoiding’ Large Crowds And Gatherings

By Tom Banse March 3, 2020

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is flanked, from left, by state Secretary of Health John Wiesman, Emergency Management Director Robert Ezelle and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal during a coronavirus briefing Monday in Olympia.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday that his emergency powers would allow him to order the cancellation of large public gatherings to control the growing coronavirus outbreak in his state. However, he told reporters during a briefing in Olympia that he does not plan to use that authority at this time.Read More

Washington Heath Department Requests Legislators Allocate $100M For Coronavirus Response

By Austin Jenkins March 2, 2020

Washington Sec. of Health John Wiesman testifies before the Senate Ways and Means Committee about the coronavirus outbreak and associated costs.

“We know we’ve got the coronavirus in our community, we know that we’re having some community spread, we know that the risk is increasing,” Sec. of Health John Wiesman told the Senate Ways and Means Committee Monday morning.Read More

UPDATE: At Least 6 People In Puget Sound Region Have Died From COVID-19 Coronavirus

By NWPB News March 1, 2020

EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington, where a person died of COVID-19. State health officials announced the death Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, marking the first such reported death in the U.S. CREDIT: Elaine Thompson/AP

A patient in King County who tested positive for coronavirus has died, according to state and local public health officials. It's believed to be the first coronavirus death in the U.S. The news prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency. Read More

How A Coronavirus Blood Test Could Solve Some Medical Mysteries

By NPR News February 29, 2020

As the coronavirus spreads more widely around the globe, scientists are starting to use a powerful new tool: a blood test that identifies people who have previously been exposed to the virus.Read More

UPDATE: Seattle-Area Coronavirus Patient Dies, First In U.S.; CDC Looks At More Possible Cases In State

By NPR News February 29, 2020

A face mask adorns a statue of St. Francis of Assisi in the town of San Fiorano, one of the places in Italy on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The picture was taken by schoolteacher Marzio Toniolo. Marzio Toniolo/via Reuters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Friday that it is "aware of four new presumptive cases of COVID-19" in Washington, Oregon and California.Read More

Olympic Officials Dismiss ‘Speculation’ That Coronavirus Could Disrupt Tokyo Games

By NPR News February 27, 2020

A tourist wearing a mask poses for a photo with the Olympic rings in the background, at Tokyo's Odaiba district, in a photo taken last month. Jae C. Hong/AP

The statement comes in response to remarks made earlier this week by a longtime International Olympic Committee member who suggested a late May deadline to decide the fate of the Tokyo Games.Read More

President Trump Appoints Mike Pence To Lead Government’s Coronavirus Response

By NPR News February 26, 2020

President Trump speaks as Vice President Pence listens during a Wednesday news conference about the U.S. response to the new coronavirus. CREDIT: Evan Vucci/AP

"Mike is going to be in charge," Trump said in an evening news conference, as officials said a case in the U.S. may have been transmitted within the community.Read More

Spokane Hospital Treating Out-Of-Area Coronavirus Patients In Specialized Unit

By NWPB News February 20, 2020

Up to four people who contracted the novel coronavirus are or will be recovering in an isolation unit at Sacred Heart.

The patients were transferred from Travis Air Force Base in California and are part of repatriation efforts, meaning they contracted the virus outside of the country. Bob Lutz, health officer for the Spokane Regional Health District, says their arrival shouldn’t worry the city’s residents.Read More

Ah, Shuck: Oysters, Cherries, Other Northwest Ag Products Back Up As Coronavirus Quarantines Trade

By Anna King February 18, 2020

Amy Skillings of Oysterville, Washington, wheels the day's shucked oysters into a large cooler to await pickup. The oysters will be flown quickly across the country and to China.

Right now, all sorts of products aren’t reaching the U.S. because of the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. Reciprocally, many U.S. agricultural and forestry products aren’t shipping back into China and other Pacific Rim countries. Global trade watchers say backed-up trade is building up on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Read More

Why The World Seemingly Cares More About The New Coronavirus Than The Flu

By NPR News February 3, 2020

Employees of the Egyptian Quarantine Authority prepare to scan the body temperature of incoming travelers at Cairo International Airport. AFP via Getty Images

Every year, viruses like influenza kill hundreds of thousands worldwide — yet countries don't respond with lockdowns or airport screenings. Here's why they're doing so over the coronavirus outbreak.Read More

U.S. Restricts Travelers From China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

By PBS Newshour February 1, 2020

The U.S. airlifted 195 Americans from Wuhan, China, after a spike in reported deaths and illnesses were linked to the virus. CREDIT: Mike Blake/Reuters

The U.S. declared the novel coronavirus a public health emergency Friday, banning non-U.S. citizens who traveled to China from entering the country and imposing new screenings and quarantine on U.S. citizens flying back from China.Read More

Face Masks: What Doctors Say About Their Role In Containing Coronavirus

By NPR News January 29, 2020

A surgical mask and an N95 respirator. Officials in China are urging citizens to wear masks in public to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But can a mask really keep you from catching the virus? Science Photo Library/ Getty Images; South China Morning Post/Getty Images

Can a mask really keep you from catching the virus? To answer that, it helps to clarify which kinds of masks we're talking about.Read More

Washington State Response To 1st Coronavirus Case In U.S. Draws On Lessons From Measles Outbreak

By NPR News January 29, 2020

Tove Skaftun, the chief nursing officer for the Community Health Center of Snohomish County, points out a sign warning people who could have been exposed to the new coronavirus from China to identify themselves. CREDIT: Will Stone for NPR

When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019.Read More

1st Case Of New Coronavirus In U.S. Found In Everett Man Who Traveled Through Sea-Tac Airport

By Paige Browning January 21, 2020

Staff in biohazard suits hold a metal stretcher on Tuesday by the inpatient department of Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some people infected with a novel coronavirus are being treated in China. CREDIT: Dake Kang/AP

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that a patient in Washington state is the first U.S. case of a new strain of coronavirus. The virus has already prompted concerns with health officials after an outbreak in Wuhan, China.Read More

CDC To Screen For New Strain Of Coronavirus At 3 U.S. Airports

By NPR News January 17, 2020

The strain, discovered in China, has been reported in the city of Wuhan and in two other countries. On Friday, the CDC announced plans to screen passengers at N.Y., L.A. and San Francisco airports.Read More