Coronavirus update: No Yakima cases, health insurance options, school meals

Mar. 10--Yakima County had no confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday, but the number statewide grew by more than 100.

The respiratory illness, caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, was first confirmed in Washington on Jan. 21. There were 162 cases statewide as of Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, there were 267 confirmed cases statewide, according to the state Department of Health.

King and Snohomish counties had the majority, with 190 and 54 confirmed cases, respectively. Pierce County had 16 confirmed cases, Kitsap County had two, and Clark, Grant, Jefferson, Kittitas and Skagit counties each had one confirmed case. The majority of confirmed cases are among adults 60 and older, amounting for 56%.

There have been at least 24 related deaths, including one in Grant County.

Statewide, 2,442 people have been tested for the coronavirus, with 2,175 negative results, according to the Department of Health.

Kittitas County Public Health Department spokeswoman Kasey Knutson said the county did not have a tally of how many community members had been tested for the virus. The district was "not always being notified (of tests) at this point because of increasing labs" helping to test throughout the county, she said.

Yakima Health District spokeswoman Lilián Bravo did not immediately respond to questions about the number of people tested in Yakima County.

Several people in Yakima County are in quarantine, including members of the local square dance group Yakima Gateswingers. The Yakima Health District reported possible exposure to the virus at Yakima Square and Round Dance Center at 207 East Charron Road in Moxee after a Kittitas County woman who teaches dance classes at the center was confirmed to have COVID-19.

Health officials encourage those who attended events at the center between Feb. 22 and March 7 to monitor themselves for symptoms and contact a doctor when necessary.

Neither the Kittitas nor Yakima health departments were recommending event cancellations as of Tuesday, but both said that could change.

The Yakima Health District recommends those in high risk groups, including those who are more than 60, pregnant or have underlying health conditions, stay away from large group events, Bravo said.

Everyone should continue basic virus prevention practices, such as frequent hand washing, staying home when sick and calling a primary care provider if symptoms consistent with the coronavirus arise, such as a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Physicians will determine if testing is necessary, as well as whether people should self-quarantine and manage symptoms at home, she said.

With increasing numbers of cases, efforts are underway to plan for the potential impact:

Health insurance

At the state level, Washington Health Benefit Exchange Tuesday opened enrollment Tuesday to help those without health insurance. Qualified individuals have until April 8 to select a plan through Washington Healthplanfinder.

Yakima County residents can enroll through the organization's call center between 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays at 1-855-923-4633 or through local certified brokers or navigators. Yakima Neighborhood Health Services is offering assistance in enrollment by calling 509-853-2377.

Insurance enrollment at this point in the year is otherwise restricted to people who experience qualifying events, like marriage, the birth of a child or a move.

School meal provisions

With the number of Washington schools closing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus growing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture enabled schools to continue providing meals to low-income students. A waiver eliminates a requirement to serve meals in a group setting.

It doesn't make sense to feed students in a group setting when schools close to limit the spread of illness, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said during a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee meeting Tuesday morning. "So we're waiving the congregate feeding activity (requirement) certainly in those low income areas."

The measure could help students throughout the Yakima Valley in the case of a closure, said Kevin Chase, superintendent of Educational Service District 105, an agency that provides supports for regional school districts. In some local districts, 85-90% of students rely on school breakfasts and lunches, he said.

When school is in session, all 16,000 Yakima School District students receive free breakfast and lunch, for example. Many schools also send students home with backpacks full of food for the weekend, Chase said.

"If they close schools, schools will figure out a way to make food available," he said. "We recognize that a lot of our students don't have access to healthy meals all the time. (School-provided) breakfasts and lunches are important to their nutrition."

Efforts might imitate summer lunch programs, distributing lunch sacks at parks or other centers accessible to the community, Chase said. But it would be up to local districts to determine the means of distribution.

SNAP rules

States also have the ability to continue providing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in the case that low-income workers can't work due to coronavirus closures or sickness, Perdue said. Yakima County had more than 57,000 SNAP recipients in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Half of families with children enrolled in Yakima School District and 46% in Sunnyside -- the second largest district in the county -- qualify for food stamps or SNAP benefits, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

illness caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2

Reach Janelle Retka at [email protected] or on Twitter: @janelleretka

___

(c)2020 Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.)

Visit Yakima Herald-Republic (Yakima, Wash.) at www.yakima-herald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.