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Coronavirus canceled his Mount Everest climb, so this Seattle man will climb his porch steps 5,683 times to ‘summit’ #AtHomeEverest


Coronavirus canceled their mountain climbing trips and adventure runs, so these Seattleites found creative ways to stay fit, stay sane and conquer their lofty goals — all while maintaining social distancing.




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Mask or no mask? New social tension splits Seattle-area residents in coronavirus era


Since health officials began recommending (but not requiring) that everyone cover their faces in public to reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new divide has emerged over who wears a mask and who doesn't.




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Rant & Rave: Reader encourages shoppers to wear masks


RAVE to the Washington State Employment Security Department. I had never submitted an unemployment claim before and wasn’t sure what to expect, particularly as I am self-employed. The process was explained clearly and took about 25 minutes. The money was in my account in two days. I am so grateful that I plan to contribute […]




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What’s bringing you joy amid the coronavirus crisis? Washingtonians share what’s getting them through the pandemic.


From an unexpected friendship across species, to a cluster of clay llamas, to finding a way to remotely produce a song featuring multiple collaborators, people across Washington state have found ways to stay connected to their artistic communities, their jobs and their routines — or to find beauty in the changes themselves. 




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Seattle expert estimates 20,000 novel coronavirus infections in the U.S. now


A Seattle expert is estimating about 20,000 people in the U.S. are now infected with the new coronavirus, nearly 10 times more than the roughly 2,300 confirmed cases. Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, posted his estimates in a series of 13 tweets Friday night. “I could easily be […]




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How big will the coronavirus outbreak get? This Bellevue scientist is figuring that out


Staff at Bellevue's Institute for Disease Modeling estimate that social distancing measures aimed at cutting the transmission rate in half could reduce the number of infections in the Seattle area in early April by a factor of five — from roughly 25,000 to 4,800. Deaths would be reduced from 400 down to 100.




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‘We’re in this human experiment’: UW researchers study effects of coronavirus social isolation


The study will add a "real-time" element to what UW researchers already know about social isolation, loneliness and their related health risks.




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Mapping a pandemic: Track the spread of coronavirus across Washington and the world


COVID-19 has spread across Washington, the U.S. and the world at staggering speeds. Here's what we know so far about the spread of coronavirus and its global impacts.




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More than 250 people in Washington hospitalized last week with coronavirus symptoms; state data shows upward trend


Hospital admissions tracked by the state Department of Health offer a window into the pandemic's impact on the health care system. Right now, officials are not seeing a surge of patients, but worry one could still be coming.




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Not everyone changed behavior because of coronavirus; here are a Seattle poll’s findings


"It's not insignificant," said Michael Simon, co-founder & CEO of Elucd, a Brooklyn-based public-sentiment polling firm that conducted the surveys over a 10-day period.




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UW model says social distancing is starting to work — but still projects 1,400 coronavirus deaths in Washington state


Modeling from the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) forecasts that hospitalizations will generally peak in mid-April, with 64,000 more patients than licensed beds nationwide.




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King County had decade’s third-largest population growth among U.S. counties


King County added more people than only two other U.S. counties, which are located in the Sunbelt.




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People of color hard hit by coronavirus in King County, but numbers are incomplete


Public health officials warned against drawing conclusions from the demographic breakdown, because race and ethnicity data was known for only about 51% of confirmed cases in King County.




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Coronavirus flight: As the affluent head to Washington vacation homes, some year-rounders worry


In King and Snohomish counties, one in 10 households own a second home or real-estate property elsewhere. Many are fleeing to those vacation homes to hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic.




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What’s the true state of our state’s coronavirus fight? These charts explain.


How many people will die? How many jobs will be lost? All around us, the coronavirus pandemic has caused an immense human tragedy in Washington. Here’s what we know and don’t know right now. How this all ends is still anyone’s guess.




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What U.S. leaders say affects whether Americans stay home during coronavirus pandemic, CDC data suggests


The decision by Americans to hunker down during the coronavirus pandemic has been heavily influenced by pronouncements from national and local leaders, according to data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report offers the most robust information to date showing the relationship between people’s behavior and official policies announced by […]




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Washington young adults are getting slammed financially by coronavirus crisis, new survey shows


Among those 18 to 29 years old, more than one out of three say that they have, or someone in their household has, lost a job or been laid off because of the coronavirus outbreak. And nearly half have taken a pay cut or had their hours reduced.




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King County has big racial disparities in coronavirus cases and deaths, according to public-health data


Hispanic people in King County are dying from COVID-19 at much higher rates than white people, according to a new study. The insight into the coronavirus’ uneven impact in King County comes into focus as people of color represent an increasing percentage of the county's COVID-19 cases. 




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Seattle residents will continue social distancing long after coronavirus stay-at-home order is lifted, survey shows


When asked what changes they anticipate making for the next year or longer after the lockdown is lifted, a majority of Seattle residents say they will continue to avoid social gatherings and physical contact — in other words, people.




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Washington seems to be avoiding the dramatic nationwide spike in deaths during coronavirus pandemic


As the nation’s overall death toll soared past historical averages, preliminary data shows a less dramatic trend in Washington during the first months of the novel coronavirus outbreak. 




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.




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The Korean Baseball Organization is back from the coronavirus shutdown. Is this what Mariners games will look like?


The quality of the games, which include a handful of former big-league players, isn’t great. But it’s real, live baseball being broadcast by ESPN. Beyond the joy of watching baseball, these games provide a glimpse of what Mariners games and other MLB matchups might look like if/when they return.




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Colleges thrown for big losses in sports budget crunch


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — With the end of this virus-disrupted school year drawing nearer, a predictably bleak financial outlook for major college sports has emerged from the budgeting process. The West Virginia athletic department announced Friday a projected $5 million shortfall, with pay cuts for coaches and staffers queued up in response. There’s a $4 million […]




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AOC’s John Coates: Tokyo could be the greatest Olympics ever


SYDNEY (AP) — Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates has predicted that next year’s coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games “may ultimately be amongst the great games ever, if not the greatest.” The Sydney-born Coates, who oversees planning for the Tokyo Olympics for the International Olympic Committee, told the AOC’s annual general meeting on Saturday that he would […]




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Remote control: Tech support staffers star in NFL offseason


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Like a principal walking through a hushed hallway on the first day of school, Cheryl Nygaard felt the emotional surge of relief and pride last week as the Minnesota Vikings director of information technology peeked in on the video conference sessions set up for this most unusual NFL offseason. “We had all […]




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Lyon men’s and women’s teams test negative for coronavirus


PARIS (AP) — All players in Lyon men’s and women’s teams have tested negative for the coronavirus, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said. The French soccer club’s squads were tested by team doctors at Lyon’s training center. “The men’s and women’s squads were tested on Thursday on site. There were no positive cases,” Aulas told regional […]




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Falcons’ Allen says idea of practice is ‘nerve-racking’


ATLANTA (AP) — Ricardo Allen didn’t budge when Georgia was one of the first states to open businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta Falcons safety believes it is smart to stay home. He says he worries about the time when teams across the league open for practice. Restaurants, barber shops and other businesses were […]




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Crash Course: Steelers rookies adapting to “virtual” path


PITTSBURGH (AP) — This isn’t quite the way Anthony McFarland expected his NFL career to begin. Then again, the rookie running back knows he’s not the only one whose first taste of the pros is coming via conference calls with members of the coaching staff followed by self-administered tests in a nearby park to see […]




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Many businesses may follow Amazon in stretching out work-from-home policies, crimping downtown recovery


Business and government insiders say other companies and organizations are contemplating similarly extended time frames as they consider the new realities of the workplace in the COVID-19 era.




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Coronavirus recession ends the golden age for tech workers | Commentary


The economic shock caused by the coronavirus is accelerating a tech-industry shift from prioritizing growth to profitability, meaning rank-and-file workers will no longer be immune to the forces confronting so many workers throughout America.




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Coronavirus Economy daily chart: Health sectors register most first-time unemployment claims


This series of charts provides weekly data on how the Seattle-area economy is doing during the coronavirus crisis.




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Unofficial numbers show $7 billion hit to Washington state revenue through 2023 from coronavirus downturn


In the unofficial forecast numbers, Washington would lose $3.8 billion in revenue this current budget cycle. An additional $3.27 billion would be sheared off the 2021-23 budget cycle.




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Proposal to tax big businesses will be shelved by Seattle City Council during coronavirus emergency


The decision by Council President M. Lorena González and Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda will stall the big-business tax championed by Councilmembers Kshama Sawant and Tammy Morales, which already faced opposition from Mayor Jenny Durkan.




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Coronavirus unemployment: Bartenders, dental assistants top list of Washington’s hardest-hit jobs


About 14,800 initial unemployment claims by bartenders were filed from March 8 through April 25, which closely matches the number of people estimated to work as bartenders in Washington in the second quarter of 2020.




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Fraudsters are faking Washington unemployment claims amid coronavirus joblessness surge


As Washington grapples with a tsunami of legitimate unemployment claims — more than 100,000 last week — the state also is seeing a rise in attempts by fraudsters to siphon off a portion of the benefits.




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Small businesses band together to sue insurers over coronavirus damage


In many cases, the response from insurers has been: We don't cover viruses.




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Anderson Cooper is a father; gives infant son a special name


NEW YORK (AP) — Anderson Cooper is a father, a milestone the CNN anchor says for a while he didn’t believe would ever happen. Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt, Thursday evening on his show and in a lengthy Instagram post. His son was born on Monday via a surrogate, the newsman said, […]




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Need a laugh? Some comfort? Seattle Times features staffers pick TV shows to fit your mood


Here are our features staffers’ recommendations for shows to check out if you’re craving comfort or nostalgia, want to feel inspired or empowered, or simply need a good laugh.




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What’s in the water in Maple Valley? ‘The Voice’ contestant Zan Fiskum follows in musical footsteps of Brandi Carlile and Benicio Bryant


When Maple Valley's Zan Fiskum appears on “The Voice” Monday night, she'll be continuing a growing tradition started by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, and continued by wunderkind musician Benicio Bryant.




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Review: Michelle Obama, unplugged (kinda) in ‘Becoming’ doc


In the lovely new Netflix documentary “Becoming,” set around Michelle Obama’s book tour for her memoir, the former first lady makes a comment about the massive venues she’s speaking to. “What I experience in these big arenas is the power of gathering,” she says. “The shared experiences.” Not everything in film has me reflecting on […]




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Tom Hanks, who survived COVID-19, calls graduates ‘the chosen’


DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Tom Hanks says graduates of an Ohio university that named a film center after him are “the chosen ones.” The Oscar-winning actor delivered a surprise virtual speech Saturday to the graduates of Wright State University’s Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures. The video was posted shortly before the ceremony began. […]




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U District, Ballard farmers markets will reopen this weekend despite coronavirus


The markets, which had been closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, will open with new rules.




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Farm unions sue Washington state in push for safer work conditions amid coronavirus pandemic


The suit, filed Thursday in Skagit County Superior Court, seeks an injunction requiring state agencies to expedite and toughen their oversight through emergency rulemaking.




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As coronavirus cases in Yakima Valley agriculture spike, advocates for growers and workers react differently to new state guidelines


Yakima County health officials said they have identified 70 COVID-19 cases among farm and fruit-packing workers. Growers consider new state safety guidelines reasonable but unions say they give employers an easy out.




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Severe coronavirus outbreaks stagger some meat-packing plants in Washington


The toll on the meat processing industry has stunned some of industry's biggest players, and prompted an urgent push to redefine workplace protections needed to keep products flowing into grocery stores amid the global pandemic.




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Through coronavirus pandemic and two world wars, this Des Moines nursery keeps people planting and believing


Zenith Holland Nursery has seen times like this before — and survived. The Des Moines nursery opened in 1907, survived two world wars and remains open during the coronavirus shutdown.




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Inslee: Washington state parks, recreational fishing, golf courses to reopen May 5, amid coronavirus outbreak


Gov. Inslee announced Monday that golf and recreational fishing could resume on May 5 and many state parks and public lands will reopen as well.




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Early test results suggest widespread coronavirus infections at Washington state’s largest beef plant, Tyson


The plant, located in Walla Walla County, largely shut down last week amid a major outbreak that already had resulted in more than 125 workers sickened, including one who died. Since then, 56 more have tested positive, with more test results to come.




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In french fry heartland, spring turns bitter as coronavirus cuts into global demand


As global demand for french fries has slumped, potato farmers in Washington state are trying to figure out what to do with millions of pounds of tubers and avoid financial disaster.




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County has highest rate of COVID-19 cases on West Coast


SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The highest rate of coronavirus cases of any county on the U.S. West Coast is in Washington state’s Yakima County. Health experts point to a large number of essential workers, a large number of cases in long-term care facilities and a large agricultural workforce living and working in close quarters as […]