1,025 New Coronavirus Cases In Washington

SEATTLE, WA — Testing has confirmed another 1,025 cases of the coronavirus in Washington state Saturday, bringing the state’s official total to 51,849 confirmed cases.

The percentage of tests coming back positive remains at about 5.7 percent, as the state has now tested at least 903,674 people for the virus.

Meanwhile, one death was removed Saturday from the state’s total, which now stands at 1,494. A Department of Health spokesman told the Seattle Times that “over time,” some deaths are found to have been unrelated to the coronavirus.

Catch up on other recent developments:

Expanded face mask mandate takes effect

Starting Saturday, face coverings are now required in all common spaces in Washington, including outdoor areas, as the state tries to get a handle on rising rates of coronavirus infections.

State Secretary of Health John Wiesman announced the expanded mask order on Thursday, the same day that Gov. Jay Inslee rolled out new restrictions on restaurants, bars, weddings and fitness centers.

The order includes elevators, shared spaces in apartment buildings, student houses and essentially any area outside the home where contact with others is likely.

Wiesman cited the early success seen in Yakima County, where mask rules were implemented amid a surge in cases, as a point of encouragement that face coverings can make a notable difference in curbing the virus’s transmission rate.

Read the full story here.

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Judge rejects challenge to Inslee’s emergency orders

A federal judge Friday denied a request for a preliminary injunction against Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency coronavirus orders that had been brought by some Republican state lawmakers.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in May, the legal challenge contended “the emergency has been contained” and that ongoing restrictions for businesses, workers and residents weren’t legally justified.

Judge Benjamin Settle wrote in a court order dated Friday that federal lawsuits against state officials are allowed in certain instances in which the state official has a connection with the enforcement of an allegedly unconstitutional act. However, Inslee’s lawyers persuasively argued that while the governor issues emergency orders, other officials actually enforce those orders, Settle wrote.

Since the pandemic began in March there has been little enforcement of Inslee’s emergency orders.

Read the full story here.

Total coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths by county:

The above numbers are provided by the state Department of Health, and some numbers differ from the totals provided separately by county health agencies.