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  • caption: Young adults gather on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at Montlake Cut in Seattle.

    Blog: Continuing Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state

    This post will be updated with information about the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of Sunday, July 26, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,494 Covid-19 related deaths; 51,849 confirmed cases (5.7% positive rate among those tested, and 3% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. The most heavily hit Western Washington counties have been King, Snohomish, and Pierce. A cluster of Central Washington counties are getting hit particularly hard. Yakima County has a 25% positive rate among those tested (in contrast, King County has a roughly 5% positive rate); Franklin County is 26%; Benton County is 17%; and Grant County is 11%. Compared to white people, the rate of Covid cases is three times higher for Black people, five times higher for Latinx people, and six times higher for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. While the pandemic initially struck older populations hard, more recent surges in case numbers (June/July) have been driven by younger people -- ages 40 and below. Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish

  • caption: A banner with artwork created by Stat The Artist was recently defaced at the intersection of Yesler Way and 2nd Avenue in Pioneer Square. The artwork, shown here on Sunday, August 2, 2020, previously included the words 'Defund The Police.' Local community organizers are demanding that the city of Seattle defund the police department by at least 50% and reallocate those funds to investing in black and brown communities.

    Updates on protests for racial justice in the Seattle area

    Demonstrations and protests for racial justice continue in Western Washington. What to know: The back story: After weeks of protests, Seattle police retreated from the East Precinct at 11th and Pine on Capitol Hill, leaving it empty and boarded up. Protesters began blocking off an area around it on Capitol Hill, first naming it CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), and then renaming it CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest). Around 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, Seattle police began to clear people from the CHOP zone. The rallying cry has been to defund the police. Here's what that means. Deaths and injuries: There have been four shootings, resulting in two deaths, that occurred in or near the CHOP. It is unclear whether the shooters have a connection to the protest. On Saturday, July 4, a motorist sped through a protest on Interstate 5, killing Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old demonstrator, and seriously harming Diaz Love, also part of the demonstration.

  • caption: Nurse Leah Silver tends to her patient on the Covid ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle on April 24, 2020.

    Updates: Continuing Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state (July 13-26)

    This post will be updated with information about the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of July 8, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,438 Covid-19 related deaths; 40,656 confirmed cases (5.9% positive rate among those tested, and 3.5% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. The most heavily hit Western Washington counties have been King, Snohomish, and Pierce. A cluster of Central Washington counties are getting hit particularly hard. Yakima County has a 26% positive rate among those tested (in contrast, King County has 5.8%); Franklin County is 28%; Benton County is 17%; and Grant County is 11%. Compared to white people, the rate of Covid cases is three times higher for Black people, five times higher for Latinx people, and six times higher for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. While the pandemic initially struck older populations hard, more recent surges in case numbers (June/July) have been driven by younger people -- ages 40 and below. Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish

  • caption: A monument for Confederate soldiers is shown toppled on Sunday, July 12, 2020, at Lake View Cemetery in Seattle. The memorial, erected in 1926, was built by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
    Seattle Protests for Civil Rights

    Updates on protests and demonstrations in the Seattle area (July 6-10)

    Demonstrations and protests for racial justice continue in Western Washington. What to know: The back story: After weeks of protests, Seattle police retreated from the East Precinct at 11th and Pine on Capitol Hill, leaving it empty and boarded up. Protesters began blocking off an area around it on Capitol Hill, first naming it CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), and then renaming it CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest). Around 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 1, Seattle police began efforts to clear people from the CHOP zone. Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an emergency order to vacate the area. The rallying cry has been to defund the police. Here's what that means. Deaths and injuries: There have been four shootings, resulting in two deaths, that occurred in or near the CHOP. It is unclear whether the shooters have a connection to the protest. On Saturday, July 4, a motorist sped through a protest on Interstate 5, killing Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old demonstrator, and seriously harming Diaz Love, also part of the demonstration.

  • caption: Erin Olanrewaju, nurse practitioner at International Community Health Services, stands for a portrait on Thursday, April 16, 2020, at the ICHS testing area in Shoreline.
    Coronavirus In Seattle

    News and updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in Washington state (June 26-July 5)

    This post will be updated with information about the coronavirus pandemic in Washington state. Scroll down for older information. As of Sunday, June 28, the Washington State Department of Health reports: 1,310 Covid-19 related deaths; 31,752 confirmed cases (5.9% positive rate among those tested, and 4.1% death rate among positive cases). Note that tests have been limited, so there are likely more unreported cases. The most heavily hit counties have been King (586 deaths), Snohomish (165 deaths), Yakima (149 deaths), and Pierce (87 deaths). Versión en español aquí / Read KUOW's coronavirus coverage in Spanish

  • caption: Racial justice activist Tealshawn Turner addresses Seattle Police Department officers at the intersection of Broadway and East Pine Street after they cleared the Capitol Hill Organized Protest Zone, CHOP, early on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, in Seattle. "I don't get it," said Tuner. "Why is it so hard to just acknowledge basic human rights? Why is it so hard to hold your fellow officers accountable?"
    Seattle Protests for Civil Rights

    Updates: Protests for racial justice in the Seattle area

    Demonstrations and protests for racial justice continue in Western Washington. After Seattle police retreated from the East Precinct, leaving it empty and boarded up, protesters began blocking off an area around it on Capitol Hill, first naming it CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), and then renaming it CHOP (Capitol Hill Organized Protest). The rallying cry has been to defund the police. Here's what that means. Multiple shootings have occurred in or near the CHOP. There were two shootings over the weekend of June 20-21 resulting in one death, one man hospitalized, and a teenager treated for a gunshot wound. Another occurred shortly before 5 am. on Tuesday, June 23; a victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Another shooting happened early Monday morning, June 29 after a car reportedly drove through the CHOP; two people inside the car were reportedly shot and transported to a hospital. One died, and the other was in critical condition.