Coronavirus updates: UW outbreak grows; funds help affordable housing operators
Updated at 9 a.m.
The state Department of Health had data processing issues again on Monday. The result: Washington COVID-19 case and death numbers will be not be updated for Oct. 12.
“We have identified the data issues, but it will take until tomorrow to fully test and implement required revisions,” DOH said on its website Monday.
The department said it expects to report updated coronavirus data Tuesday.
Data on the COVID-19 data dashboard Monday was current up to Oct. 10, DOH said.
Coronavirus survives on phone screen, cash and other surfaces for 28 days, study says
Updated at 9 a.m.
A new study out of Australia found that the coronavirus can survive on common surfaces such as money, phone screens and stainless steel for about a month in room temperature conditions — a time frame that surpasses those from other studies.
The coronavirus was also found to last 10 days longer on some surfaces than influenza, the virus that causes the seasonal flu.
Researchers from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, said their findings add more evidence to the importance of washing your hands and properly disinfecting surfaces to prevent further spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The study was published Oct. 7 in the Virology Journal.
“While the precise role of surface transmission, the degree of surface contact and the amount of virus required for infection is yet to be determined, establishing how long this virus remains viable on surfaces is critical for developing risk mitigation strategies in high contact areas,” study co-author Dr. Debbie Eagles, deputy director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), said in a news release.
Past research has shown that the coronavirus can live on copper for up to four hours, cardboard for about one day and plastic and stainless steel for about two to three days, according to an April letter to the editor published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A separate paper from Japan showed that SARS-CoV-2 can remain infectious on human skin for up to nine hours, while the influenza A virus survived for just under two hours on skin.
The researchers note that so far, the primary way the coronavirus spreads appears to be through the air in tiny respiratory droplets, and less so through contaminated surfaces, also known as fomite transmission.
CARES Act funds help affordable housing operators maintain stability
Updated at 9 a.m.
Pierce County Human Services has $1.45 million in federal CARES Act dollars available to assist owners and operators of affordable housing projects experiencing financial loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
County-wide, there are over 10,000 units of deed-restricted affordable housing units. Due to the pandemic, many affordable housing operators have incurred increased costs in expanded technology demands, overtime pay, personal protective equipment (PPE) and more.
To ensure these projects remain financially viable to maintain housing stability, funds will be awarded to qualified applicants in the form of a grant. These grants range from $25,000 to $75,000, depending on the number of rent restricted units. All projects must meet the following requirements:
▪ Located in Pierce County
▪ Deed-restricted to 50% AMI (Area Median Income)
▪ COVID-related expenses must not be budgeted for in 2020
▪ Have a Federal Tax No. (EIN) and Unified Business Identifier No. (UBI)
Interested owners or operators of affordable housing projects can print, sign and email their application, along with supporting documentation, to HSCaresAct@piercecountywa.gov.
University of Washington virus outbreak continues to grow
Updated at 9 a.m.
A COVID-19 outbreak involving students at the University of Washington’s fraternities and sororities continues to grow with 238 positive cases as of Monday morning.
University spokesperson Victor Balta said Monday the cases were spread among 16 sororities and fraternities in the 45-chapter system, which is north of the university campus in Seattle.
The numbers are up from 179 cases as of Tuesday last week, and 227 cases on Friday.
Students who have tested positive or have COVID-like symptoms are being told to isolate in their current place of residence, according to the university. At a press conference Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee expressed frustration about the behavior on Greek Row “that is exposing all of us to great risk.”
“They’ve got to step up and take responsibility for this because these things can just blow up, and frankly they are,” he said last week.
Inslee said his office planned to make it clear that there needs to be leadership from the sororities and fraternities on this issue. On Monday, Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk told The Associated Press in an email that the governor’s policy staff has been working on recommendations related to higher education to further mitigate COVID spread. The recommendations are still being developed for the governor’s review, he wrote.
An outbreak in June infected 154 students in 15 fraternity houses at the university.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Coronavirus updates: UW outbreak grows; funds help affordable housing operators."
