More restrictions coming to Washington as COVID cases soar
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has scheduled a news conference for Sunday morning as COVID-19 case numbers soar throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Inslee’s office said he would discuss actions to combat the crisis. For the second day in a row Saturday, Washington state health officials reported a record number of daily cases, with 2,233 new cases as of 11:59 p.m. Friday. That brought the state’s totals to 127,731 cases and 2,519 deaths.
Inslee will announce sweeping new restrictions to curb surging COVID-19 cases, including a ban on indoor social gatherings and indoor service at restaurants and bars, and sharp occupancy limits for retailers, the Seattle Times reported Saturday.
Western restrictions
In Oregon, officials on Saturday reported a third straight day with more than 1,000 new COVID infections. That brought Oregon’s total to 56,018 cases. The Oregon Health Authority also reported six more deaths, pushing the state’s death toll to 759.
Idaho also has been setting records for new cases and hospitalizations, adding 1,331 new cases Friday.
On Friday, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington issued travel advisories Friday urging people entering or returning to their states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the coronavirus as infections spike across the U.S.
The advisories stopped short of stricter rules imposed by other governors and instead said people should avoid non-essential out-of-state travel and quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country.
