ONE
ONE OF
ONE OF SPOKANE'S BIGGEST EVENTS, BLOOMSDAY IS TWO MONTHS AWAY.
THIS MORNING WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT IF THE
CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK COULD HAVE AN
IMPACT ON RACEDAY.
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE HAS DECLARED A STATE
OF EMERGENCY FOR
COVID-19.
WE ARE HEARING FROM
GOVERNOR INSLEE AND HOW
HE IS PREPARING
THE STATE MOVING
FORWARD.
FORWARD.
FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
THIS MORNING. I'M JEN YORK.
AND I'M JOSHUA ROBINSON.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW THIS MORNING.
DOCTORS SAY THE NOVEL
CORONAVIRUS IS LINKED TO
SIX
DEATHS IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
A TOTAL OF 18 PEOPLE IN
KING AND SNOHOMISH
COUNTIES TESTED
POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
THE
THE COLVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CLOSED AGAIN TODAY AMID
CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS.
LEADERS ARE WAITING FOR
TEST RESULTS FOR ONE
PATIENT.
PATIENT. THEY SAY IT COULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO THREE DAYS.
YESTERDAY --
ADMINISTRATORS CLOSED
THE SCHOOLS AS A
PRECAUTION.
FOR NOW, ALL SPRING
SPORTS, FI T,
ZERO HOUR, PRE SCO
AND AFTER SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES ARE ALSO
CANCELLED. STUDENTS WILL RETURN TO
CLASS TODAY IN THE GENESEE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IN IDAHO.
LAST WEEKEND -- STUDENTS
FROM A WESTERN
WASHINGTON HIGH
SCHOOL STAYED AT THE
SCHOOL.
DOCTORS DIAGNOSED ONE OF
THEIR CLASSMATES WITH
THE
THE VIRUS
THE VIRUS ON THE WEST SIDE. THE DISTRICT CANCELLED
CLASSES YESTERDAY AS A
PRECAUTION.
PRECAUTION.
THIS
THIS MORNING-- GONZAGA UNIVERSITY LEADERS ARE AWAITING THE TEST
RESULTS-- OF A COMMUNITY
MEMBER WHO HAS
BEEN TESTED FOR
COVID-19.
A SPOKESPERSON FROM THE
SPOKANE REGIONAL HEALTH
DISTRICT
CONFIRMED THIS GONZAGA
COMMUNITY MEMBER-- "AND"
THE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED
SPOKANE COUNTY RESIDENT
BEING
TESTED-- ARE THE SAME
PERSON.
THE UNNAMED PERSON TOOK
THE TEST FOLLOWING
ADVICE FROM THEIR
MEDICAL PROVIDER.
IT IS UNCLEAR THIS
MORNING IF THE TESTED
PERSON IS A STUDENT OR
STAFF MEMBER.
STAFF MEMBER.
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE STRESSED THE PUBLIC
SHOULD NOT PANIC.
BUT RATHER -- SHOULD
HELP STOP THE SPREAD OF
CORONAVIRUS
YESTERDAY --- HE
ADDRESSED THE COVID-19
CONCERNS IN
WASHINGTON STATE.
WASHINGTON IS CURRENTLY
A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE GOVERNOR TALKED
ABOUT WAYS STATE LEADERS
ARE
WORKING TO CONTAIN THE
VIRUS
VIRUS
BEGIN
BEGIN TO
BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT AVOIDING LARGE EVENTS AND ASSEMBLIES.
>
GOVERNOR INSLEE IS
ASKING TO BE PROACTIVE
IS PROTECTING
THEMSELVES.
BUT HE STOPPED SHORT IN
ASKING FOR ORGANIZERS T
CANCEL LARGE
EVENTS.
EVENTS.
NEW
NEW THIS
NEW THIS MORNING. THIS HAS MANY ASKING ABOUT WHAT IS THE FATE
OF SPOKANE'S
MOST ICONIC EVENTS.
BLOOMSDAY IS ABOUT 60
DAYS AWAY-- ON MAY
THIRD.
NICOLE HERNADEZ TELLS US
WHAT RACE ORGANIZERS ARE
PREPARING
FOR.
PREPARING FOR. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD
GOOD MORNING JEN. NEW THIS MORNING BLOOMSDAY RACE LEADERS
SAY THEY ARE PLANNING TO
CONTINUE GETTING READY
FOR THE RACE LIKE
NORMAL. THE RACE IS TWO
MONTHS AWAY FROM TODAY.
THIS COMES AS GOVERNOR
JAY INSLEE SAID IN HIS
PRESS
CONFERENCE THAT THEY
COULD POTENTIALLY CANCEL
BIG EVENTS
IN THE FUTUTE.
BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE
NOT DOING THAT.
FOR NOW THEY'RE JUST
ASKING PEOPLE TO GET
MENTALLY
PREPARED FOR SOME OF THE
MORE DRAMATIC STEPS THAT
COULD COME
NEXT... IF SCIENTISTS
AND EXPERTS SAY THEY'RE
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. WE'VE HAD VIEWERS
SENDING US QUESTIONS ABOUT COVID-19.
ONE OF THOSE ASKING
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
BLOOMSDAY.
THIS VIEWER ASKED...
WHAT ABOUT BLOOMSDAY?
THOUSANDS FROM ALL OVER
THE WORLD COMING HERE.
WELL RIGHT NOW THE
RACE'S ORGANIZERS SAY
SAFETY IS THEIR
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
THEY
THEY HAVE
THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH LOCAL HEALTH LEADERS... WHICH
IS SOMETHING ORGANIZERS
DO FOR AN EVENT LIKE
THIS EITHER WAY.
BUT FOR NOW... THEY ARE
KEEPING AN EYE ON
CORONAVIRUS
HERE IN OUR AREA.
IF IT GETS TO THE POINT
OF BEING AN EPIDEMIC OR
PANDEMIC HERE...
IT'S POSSIBLE THEY WOULD
HAVE TO CANCEL.
BUT AS I MENTIONED...
FOR NOW RACE ORGANIZERS SAY
THEY ARE CONTINUING TO
PLAN LIKE NORMAL..
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE
TO ASK US THIS
MORNING ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS SEND THEM TO
US AT 509-448-2000. WE
WILL BE ANSWERING YOUR
QUTLRNG
LONG.
QUTLRNG LONG. IN THE NEWSROOM I'M
NICOLE HERNANDEZ.
NICOLE HERNANDEZ.
TAKING
TAKING A
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK NOW AT GONZAGA-- AS UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY MEMBER AWAITS
THEIR TEST RESULTS FOR
COVID-19.
THE UNIVERSITY SENT OUT
AN EMAIL YESTERDAY--
NOTIFYING THE
GONZAGA COMMUNITY OF
THAT TEST.
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
THAYNE MCCULLOH WROTE
THAT THE
COMMUNITY MEMBER IS
BEING ASKED TO STAY AWAY
FROM
OTHERS UNTIL THE TEST
RESULTS ARE FINALIZED.
GONZAGA IS RECEIVING
GUIDANCE FOR THEIR
COVID-19
RESPONSE FROM THE
SPOKANE REGIONAL HEALTH
DISTRICT.
THAT INCLUDES A PLAN FOR
MITIGATION, RESPONSE AND
RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR
CAMPUS.
MEANWHILE, THE
UNIVERSITY IS TELLING
161 STUDENTS
STUDYING ABROAD IN ITALY
TO COME HOME.
SOLEIL RAIN/GONZAGA
SOLEIL RAIN/GONZAGA STUDENT IN FLORENCE "THE SITUATION ESCALATED SO
QUICKLY AND EVERYBODY'S
JUST WORRIED ABOUT
GETTING HOME ON
TIME AND NOT GETTING
STUCK IN ITALY
WITHIN THE LAST WEEK--
THE STATE DEPARTMENT
RAISED ADVISORIES
FOR SEVERAL COUNTRIES
BECAUSE OF THE
CORONAVIRUS
OUTBREAK.
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK. THE COUNTRIES YOU SEE IN
RED ARE AT A "LEVEL 4"
MEANING DO NOT
TRAVEL-- WHILE THE
COUNTRIES IN ORANGE ARE
AT A "LEVEL 3" MEANING
YOU SHOULD RE-CONSIDER
YOUR
YOUR TRIP. ITALY IS AT A LEVEL 3-- WHICH IS WHY GONZAGA DECIDED TO PULL
THE PLUG
ON THEIR LARGEST AND
OLDEST PROGRAM ABROAD.
ONCE THOSE STUDENTS
RETURN TO THE U-S, THEY ARE BEING TOLD TO
STAY AWAY FROM CAMPUS.
THE SCHOOL SAYS STUDENTS
NEED TO SELF-QUARANTINE
AT HOME FOR AT
LEAST TWO WEEKS--
MONITOR THEMSELVES FOR
SYMPTOMS AND
TAKE THEIR TEMPERATURES
TWICE A DAY.
IF THEY DEVELOP ANY
SYMPTOMS SUCH AS A MILD
COUGH OR FEVER--
THEY SHOULD "REMAIN" AT
HOME.
THIS MEANS AVOIDING
CLOSE CONTACT WITH OTHER
PEOPLE--
INCLUDING FAMILY.
INCLUDING FAMILY.
WE
WE HAVE
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO GONZAGA FOR MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THESE RETURNING
STUDENTS-- INCLUDING
WHERE
THEY'RE FROM.
WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR
A RESPONSE FROM THE
UNIVERSITY.
STUDENTS ON THE TRIP SAY
MANY OF THEIR PEERS ARE
"NOT" FROM
SPOKANE-- MEANING THEY
WILL RETURN TO OTHER
COMMUNITIES
WHEN THEY LAND BACK IN
THE U-S.
ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST
WORRIES IS THAT "IF"
TREDOS
ITALY
TREDOS ITALY CHANGE TO LEVEL 4--
WHICH AGAIN MEANS "DO
NOT TRAVEL"--
STUDENTS COULD GET STUCK
IN ITALY BEFORE THEY'RE
ABLE TO MAKE IT
HOME.
HOME.
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY IS ASKING STUDY ABROAD STUDENT
IN ITALY TO COME HOME.
ITS PART OF THE
UNIVERSITY'S RESPONSE TO
THE CORONAVIRUS.
LEADERS SAY THEY WILL
HELP STUDENTS MAKE
TRAVEL
ARRANGEMENTS TO COME
HOME.
MEANWHILE -- THEY SAY A
STAFF MEMBER AT W-S-U
VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER IS IN SELF QUARANTINE. THEY SAY THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERIN
MONITORED FOR TS
THE FACULTY MEMBER WAS
NOT DIRECTLY EXPOSED.
AND THEY WILL NOT RETURN
TO WORK -- UNTIL THEIR
FAMILY
FAMILY MEMBER IS ALSO CLEARED TO RETURN TO WORK.
THEY ADD WORKERS ALREADY
DISINFECTED THE FACULTY
MEMBERS
OFFICE AND CLASSROOM.
SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ARE PREPARING TO COMBAT A POSSIBLE
COVID-19 OUTBREAK.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO
CONFIRMED CASES OF
COVID-19 IN SPOKANE
COUNTY.
IF A STAFF MEMBER SEES
SOMEONE WITH ANY
COVID-19 SYMPTOMS
FEVER, COUGH AND
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
THEY WILL SEND THEM TO
THE NURSE'S OFFICE
IMMEDIATELY. AND NOTIFY
SPOKANE REGIONAL HEALT
DISTRICT FOR FURTHER
INSTRUCTION.
INSTRUCTION. S-P-S LEADERS SAY THEY
WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE SPOKANE REGIONAL
HEALTH DISTRICT.
ONCE A DECISION IS MADE
-- FAMILIES IN AFFECTED
SCHOOLS WILL BE
IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED.
CRITICAL AREAS AND
HIGH-TOUCH AREAS LIKE
DOORKNOBS AND
FAUCETS AT THE SCHOOLS
ARE CLEANED ON A DAILY
BASIS. DISTRICT LEADERS
SAY THEY ARE PREPARED TO
HELP STUDENTS
ACADEMICALLY FOR LONG
PERIODS OF TIME.
WASHINGTON GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE CONTINUES TO SPREAD THE
MESSAGE OF-- "DON'T
PANIC, BUT DO YOUR PART
TO STOP THE SPREAD
OF THE CORONAVIRUS."
IN A PRESS CONFERENCE
YESTERDAY-- TALKED ABOUT
"HOW" HE AND STATE
LEADERS ARE WORKING TO
CONTAIN THE VIRUS.
INSLEE PLANS ON
EXPANDING THE CAPACITY
OF THE STATE'S LAB IN
SHORELINE TO TEST 100
PEOPLE PER DAY... AND
OPENING ANOTHER LAB THIS
WEEK.
OVER THE WEEKEND--
INSLEE ISSUED AN
EMERGENCY
DECLARATION OVER
COVID-19-- AFTER THE
FIRST U-S DEATH FROM THE
VIRUS HERE IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON.
THAT
THAT EMERGENCY DECLARATION ALLOWS E STATE TO STREAML
COORDINATION AND DIRECT
STATE RESOURCES TO
QUICKLY
QUICKLY RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES. INSLEE HAS ALSO
REQUESTED 100 M
DOLLARS FROM E
LEGISLATURE TO RESPOND
TO
TO THE
TO THE VIRUS THIS YEAR. WE CANT LET FINANCES BE
A PROBLEM, AND SOA THEY HAVE NOT BEEN.
INSLEE
INSLEE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE WAYS YOU CAN DO YOUR PART.
REGULAR-- EXTENSIVE
HANDWASHING... NO HAND
SHAKING...
AND SANITIZING
FREQUENTLY TOUCHED
SERVICES.
HE ALSO RECOMMENDED TO
GET PREPARED BY STOCKING
UP ON
SUPPLIES... THE SAME WAY
YOU WOULD FOR SAY A
SNOWSTORM.
ALSO... IF YOU'RE SICK
"AT ALL"... THE GOVERNOR
SAYS-- FOLLOW HIS
LEAD...
STAY HOME FROM WORK.
"I DIDN'T COME TO WORK
WEDNESDAY. I HAD A COUGH WEDNESDAY, AND I
DIDN'T COME TO WORK.
IT'S HARD TO DO, RIGHT?
WE'RE WRAPPED UP IN OUR
JOBS, OUR IDENTITY IS IN
OUR JOBS, SO IT'S HARD
TO DO. BUT, I CAN'
STRESS HOW
IMPORTANT THAT IS AND
WHY THAT'S KIND... IT
SOUNDS KIND OF WEIRD
BUT...
IT'S KIND OF A PATRIOTIC
ACT RIGHT NOW."
THE EMERGENCY
DECLARATION ALSO MEANS
THE STATE CAN USE THE
NATIONAL GUARD AS A
RESOURCE.
SO FAR... THE STATE HAS
"NOT" CALLED ON THE
NATIONAL GUARD.
TODAY AT 10 A-M-- WE
EXPECT TO HEAR FROM
GOVERNOR INSLEE
ABOUT THE STATE'S
EFFORTS TO EXPAND
HEALTHCARE
COVERAGE.
HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE. IDAHO GOVERNOR BRAD
LITTLE IS URGING IDAHOANS TO WASH THEIR
HANDS REGULARLY AND TAKE
PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID
SPREADING
DISEASE INCLUDING
STAYING HOME IF YOUR ARE
SICK.
HE POSTED A VIDEO TO
TWITTER SAYING IDAHO IS
CAREFULLY AND
CLOSELY MONITORING THE
CORONAVIRUS.
LITTLE SAYS HE IS
CREATING A WORKING GROUP
OF AGENCIES,
LEADERS IN HEALTH CARE,
EDUCATION, BUSINESS AND
LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE SURE
ALL IDAHO COMMUNITIES
ARE
PREPARED.
ARE PREPARED. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NO
REPORTED CASES OF THE
CORONAVIRUS IN IDAHO.
GOVERNOR LITTLE PLANS TO
HOST A PRESS CONFERENCE
ON
THE CORONAVIRUS TOMORROW
AT 11 A.M.
CORONAVIRUS IS A TOP CONCERN HERE IN WASHINGTON
STATE.
WASHINGTON STATE. NATIONALLY -- HEALTH
LEADERS DO NOT WA
PEOPLE TO PANIC.
THEY ARE NOW LOOKING AT
OUR PAST EPIDEMICS --
LIKE SARS, EBOLA,
AND SWINE FLU -- TO TELL
US ABOUT OUR FUTURE WITH
CORONAVIRUS.
LET'S CONNECTS THE DOTS.
<
<
THIS
THIS MORNING WE ARE FOCUSING ON FACTS NOT FEAR ABOUT THE
THIS
THIS MORNING WE ARE FOCUSING ON FACTS NOT FEAR ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS. WE HAVE BEEN RECIEVING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM
YOU ABOUT
CONCERNS YOU HAVE ABOUT
COVID-19. ONE OF THE
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
IS...
WHEN SHOULD I BE TESTED
IF I START SHOWING
SYMPTOMS FOR
SYMPTOMS FOR
THE
THE CORONAVIRUS? THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS ARE SIMILAR
TO THE FLU OR COLDS.
ACCORDING TO THE CEERS
CORONAVIRUS ARE SIMILAR TO THE FLU OR COLDS. RIO RDING TO THE CEERS
SYMPTOMS
INCLUDE FEVER, COUGH AND
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
THE
THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS SET UP A HOTLINE TO
ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT
CORONAVIRUS.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS
CALL 1-800- 525-0127 AND
PRESS POUND.
AND TO PROTECT YOURSELF
HEALTH OFFICIALS
RECOMEND...
RECOMEND...
FREQUENTLY WASHING YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WARM WATER
FOR 20 SECONDS.
DISENFECTING COMMONLY
USED SURFACES.
USED SURFACES. MANY OF YOU ARE ASKING
HOW THE CORONAVIRUS COMPARES TO THE
SEASONAL FLU.
ACCORDING TO THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANIZATION,
THERE ARE 62
TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES OF
THE CORONAVIRUS IN THE
UNITED STATES
AND SIX DEATHS.
SO FAR, ALL SIX OF THOSE
DEATHS HAPPENED IN
WASHINGTON
STATE.
WASHINGTON STATE.
STATE.
AS
AS FOR
AS FOR WASHINGTON'S CONFIRMED CASES, THE STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENT IS REPORTING
18.
BUT HOW DO THESE NUMBERS
COMPARE TO THE SEASONAL
FLU?
NATIONALLY, THE CDC
ESTIMATES BETWEEN 310
THOUSAND AND 560
THOUSAND FLU-RELATED
HOSPITALIZATIONS...
ALONG WITH A
DEATH RANGE OF 18
THOUSAND UP TO 46
THOUSAND.
THIS DATA IS FROM
OCTOBER 2019 THROUGH
FEBRUARY 22 OF
THIS YEAR.
IN WASHINGTON SO FAR
THIS SEASON, WE'VE HAD
74
74 FLU-RELATED DEATHS, AND 221 HOSPITALIZATIONS IN SPOKANE COUNTY.
ON AVERAGE, THE SEASONAL
FLU KILLSPOT
PERCENT OF
PERCENT OF
PEOPLE
PEOPLE WHO BECOME AFFECTED, WHILE THIS NOVEL CORONAVIRUS HAS
A DEATH RATE OF 1 POINT
4 PERCENT.
4 PERCENT.
AND
AND THIS
AND THIS MORNING WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. TEXT US AT 509-448-200
FOR ANY OF YOUR
CORONAVIRUS
QUESTIONS...
CORONAVIRUS QUESTIONS... WE WILL BE ANSWERING
THEM ALL MORNING LONG.
SPOKANE
SPOKANE PUBLIC SCHOOL LEADERS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO TACKLE A
BUDGET DEFICIT.
WE TELL YOU ABOUT THE
WAYS TO TACKLE A BUDGET DEFICIT. OAO ELL YOU ABOUT THE
WAYS TO TACKLE A BUDGET DEFICIT. OAO LOV YOU ABOUT THE
COSTS.
COSTS.