598 new cases, 15 new deaths

Kevin and Laurie Callahan (L) say goodbye after visiting with Laurie’s mother at the Life Care Center of Kirkland on August 24, 2020. This is the first time they’ve seen each other in person since February when COVID-19 raced through the facility. Recently, Gov. Inslee issued a directive to allow visitors to long-term care facilities. The families cannot touch, must visit outside and stay socially distant. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

The state Department of Health reports over 73,000 cases of coronavirus in Washington state. The DOH says 1,905 people have died from the virus. Check below for more updates.

Confirmed coronavirus cases across Washington state

Friday, Aug. 28

4:20pm – Health officials say there have been 73,301 positive cases of coronavirus in Washington state, and 1,905 deaths due to the virus. The DOH reports 1,423,771 tests have been conducted, which would indicate the rate of positive cases in Washington state is 5.12%.

3:38pm – In June, word began to circulate about the small Thurston County town of Tenino, Washington printing its own wooden money to help out businesses struggling amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Over two months later, it’s become clear that the unconventional idea has been a hit. Read more. 

1:20pm – The latest estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predict that the U.S. could see as many as 317,000 COVID-19 deaths by December. That being so, the IHME also notes that over 67,000 lives could be saved if 95% of people wear masks in public.

11:14am – The Washington Department of Health announced Friday that it will no longer be posting COVID-19 death totals on weekends. Regular publishing of COVID death counts will occur only between Monday and Friday. All counts generated over weekends will be added to Monday and Tuesday reports.

9:26am – Seattle’s fourth free COVID-19 community testing site opens Friday at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle. Testing sites are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., unless stated otherwise. Schedule an appointment online here.

7:40am – The first two days of in-person school went off without a hitch in the Clarkston School District. Superintendent Thaynan Knowlton said there appears to be no end-of-summer blues among the kids who are back in the school buildings, adding that students were “giddy” to be back in-person with their classmates for the first time in half a year. Read more.

5:37am – Stevens Pass is preparing to reopen this winter with new COVID-19 safety restrictions in place. Vail Resorts, which operates the ski resort, announced it will require reservations in advance. As part of the new expectations, skiers and snowboarders will have to wear masks and social distance on chairlifts.

Thursday, Aug. 27

5:07pm – Health officials say there have been 72,703 positive cases of coronavirus in Washington state, and 1,890 deaths. That’s out of 1,408,164 total tests. The state reports there have been 6,674 people hospitalized since the outbreak began.

3:19pm – The state’s Employment Security Department on Thursday reported 18,389 initial unemployment claims for the week of Aug. 16-22. That’s a drop from 21,942 the week prior. That’s a major drop from the week of March 22-28 when initial claims were 181,975.

2:11pm – King County Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin tells KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross and Aaron Granillo that it’s important people get a flu shot this fall, especially if you’re at high risk. He said they’d love for as many people as possible to get a flu shot as a preventative way to keep people out of hospitals. Read more. 

11:32am – A study published on nature.com explains that men and women respond differently to COVID-19. University of Washington Public Health says it may help explain why men are more susceptible to severe outcomes from the virus. In Washington state, 49% of all cases are among females and 46% among males (4% unknown). However, males make up 53% of hospitalizations and 54% of deaths due to the virus.

9:22am – Just over 1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the coronavirus outbreak continues to threaten jobs even as the housing market, auto sales and other segments of the economy rebound from a springtime collapse.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that the number of people seeking jobless aid last week dropped by 98,000 from 1.1 million the week before. Read more.

7:16am – How have businesses in Seattle been coping as the pandemic and riots stretch on? Jon Scholes, President of the Downtown Seattle Association, joined KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula…