Here are the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak and response around the Seattle region, Capitol Hill, and the Central District. See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt (206) 399-5959.

• Latest numbers: 19 people are now reported dead in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington — 17 of those in King County. Most of the county’s deadly cases can be traced to Eastside nursing facilities, per King County Health.
• Symptoms? Call the King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center at 206-477-3977 at between 8 AM and 7 PM if you are experiencing “fever, cough, and shortness of breath.” You can also call the state hotline at 800-525-0127 for general questions. More on progress on testing and small business loans in this previous update. “As much as possible remain separate from other family members, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions,” health officials advise.
• Seattle Central campus closure: Capitol Hill’s Seattle Central became the latest college and university campus to announce it is canceling classes and moving instruction online this month. “After carefully assessing the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Seattle, we have decided to suspend in-person classroom instruction at Seattle Central College, starting on Monday, March 9. The suspension is planned through at least March 25,” the update reads. The University of Washington and 12th Ave’s Seattle University announced similar measures last week. While many of the UW and SU students live in the area and will still likely be a presence. SCC students tend to live away from the campus’s Broadway core meaning the closure will add to already quieter Capitol Hill streets. Seattle Public Schools and many of the city’s private elementary, middle, and high schools remain open as officials have opted not to recommend education officials close campuses.
• Nightlife, restaurants, and coffee shops: Reports of canceled reservations and half empty restaurants across the Hill continue, dotted by the occasional anecdote of a crowded karaoke night or performance. Shows at venues like Neumos and performances at joints like R Place continue in front of reportedly lighter than normal crowds. Coffee shops, on the other hand, feel a little busier. Many of the region’s employers have asked employees not to come in and to “work from home.”
• Election Night: Tuesday brings Election Night for Washington’s presidential primary. The local Bernie Sanders teams are sticking to their plans and will hold a party Tuesday night at the Central District’s Washington Hall. The Biden campaign is not holding an event. UPDATE: The Sanders campaign says its Washington Hall event is canceled.
• Economic help: A coalition of Seattle “philanthropic groups and major corporations” COVID-19 Response Fund that aims “to rapidly send grants to organizations with “deep roots” within vulnerable populations, including people who lack access to health insurance or sick leave, residents with limited English proficiency, communities of color, and health care and gig economy workers,” the Seattle Times reports. Funded organizations haven’t been announced but, according to the Times, “organizers say it will help community organizations connect with vulnerable workers and residents to help them get through an economic slowdown.” Initial donors include Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks. CHS reported here on the small business impact and issues including sick leave, insurance, and federal loans.
• Health insurance help: State officials are acting to try to help blunt the financial impact in Washington. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has issued an emergency order to Washington state health insurers requiring them to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing. Insurers also must “allow a one-time early refill for prescription drugs” and “suspend any prior authorization requirement for treatment or testing of COVID-19.”
• First responders: We’ve touched on this in earlier updates but here is a good reminder from Seattle Fire about the use of protective gear by first responders including firefighters and police officers. Right now, it’s protocol:

In response to #COVID19Seattle we are following a number of protocols to help protect both our personnel and the patients we respond to. Please know this is out of an abundance of caution to keep you safe. Don't assume the patient we are treating has COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/VWvLpCHrPf

— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) March 8, 2020

• More testing progress: Our recent updates have included news on efforts to increase the amount of testing being done in the Seattle area and across the state. Local work has made it possible to begin ramping up testing capacity from 100 to around 1,000 people a day. UW Medicine has also started offering its employees drive-thru testing. The Gates Foundation is also funding an effort offering home-testing kits beginning later this month “that will allow people who fear they may be infected to swab their noses and send the samples back for analysis.” — When the system is up and running, people in the Seattle area who think they might be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the scientific name for the new coronavirus, can fill out a questionnaire online. If their symptoms are consistent, they can request a test kit, which will be delivered to their home within two hours. The swabs will be collected and delivered to a lab for processing.
• Homeless help: The City of Seattle is adding shelter capacity for “3,558 people are homeless and sleeping outside in tents, parks, and on the streets on any given night” as part of its COVID-19 response. The expansion will take two to three weeks to get up and running. In the meantime, organizations including Capitol Hill’s Be:Seattle are collecting donations like hand sanitizer and soap to distribute to those who need it. You can learn more about how to donate on the Be:Seattle Facebook page.
• Social distancing: We can all still show a little bit of love:

Virtual cocktail hour and dinner with loved ones while practicing #SocialDistancing. We are on Queen Anne, they are on Capitol Hill in #Seattle. Maybe it looks differently for your situation? #lovewillfindaway #CoronaVirusSeattle #coronavirus #FlattenTheCurve #civicduty pic.twitter.com/TQRtAOVEua

— Lauren Owen (@centropycoach) March 8, 2020

CHS COVID-19 Coverage

• 3/7/20: COVID-19 updates: New senior facility cases, cancellations grow, strange days in Seattle include new ‘6-foot’ options for delivery apps
• 3/6/20: Despite COVID-19 shadow, Capitol Hill Farmers Market going on as scheduled for shoppers — and vendors
• 3/5/20: COVID-19 updates: King County Novel Coronavirus Call Center, increased testing, and why Seattle Schools isn’t canceling
• 3/5/20: ‘EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS’ — Capitol Hill’s restaurant and nightlife economy grapples with COVID-19 worries
• 3/3/20: COVID-19 updates: Seattle ‘Civil Emergency,’ city council briefing, ‘real-time outbreak response for the Seattle epidemic’ job listings
• 3/2/20: COVID-19 updates: Weekend grocery run, county’s emergency response, patient isolation motel
• 2/29/20: With first ‘presumptive positive’ COVID-19 case in King County, here’s what officials are saying about spread and preparation — UPDATE: First U.S. death here
• More…

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