Pierce, Cowlitz and Whitman counties will roll back to the second phase of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington plan. As part of the rollback, they will have to lower capacity limits for indoor spaces like restaurants and fitness centers to 25% occupancy, down from the current 50% cap. The increased restrictions, which take effect Friday, will cover more than 1 million Washingtonians, most of them in Pierce County.
Just past the stroke of midnight Monday, a few select establishments in England served their first drinks since being forced to close in January, and more than a year after the first of three national lockdowns was imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, The New York Times reports. Later in the morning, thousands of gyms, salons and retail stores opened their doors for the first time in months and thousands more pubs resumed business at noon, though they were limited to outdoor service.
We’re updating this page with the latest news about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Seattle area, the U.S. and the world.
Click here to see previous days’ live updates and all our other coronavirus coverage, and here to see how we track the daily spread across Washington and the world.
The WA Department of Health has scheduled a media availability today at 10 a.m. to discuss its decision to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine. Watch here:
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EXPLAINER: What’s known about COVID vaccines and rare clots
A rare, rogue immune response is the main suspect as authorities investigate highly unusual blood clots following use of two similar COVID-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
The U.S. recommended that states pause giving the J&J vaccine on Tuesday while authorities examine six reports of the unusual clots, including a death, out of more than 6.8 million Americans given the one-dose vaccination so far.
But the small number of cases sparked concern because just last week, European authorities said similar clots were possibly linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet OK’d in the U.S. That led some countries to limit its use to certain age groups. Also Tuesday, J&J delayed its imminent European rollout.
These are not typical blood clots. They’re weird in two ways.
First, they’re occurring in unusual parts of the body, such as veins that drain blood from the brain. Second, those patients also have abnormally low levels of platelets — cells that help form clots — a condition normally linked to bleeding, not clotting.
Seahawks players say they will not attend in-person, voluntary offseason workouts due to COVID-19 concerns
Wide receiver Tyler Lockett #16 of the Seattle Seahawks catches the game winning touchdown over cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Seattle Seahawks players said in a statement released through the NFL Players Association Tuesday they will not attend voluntary in-person workouts due to continuing concerns about COVID-19. The offseason program is scheduled to begin Monday.
“For the protection of everyone’s safety, we the Seattle Seahawks are deciding to exercise our CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) right to not participate in voluntary in-person workouts,’’ the statement read. “While many states in this country are still seeing rising COVID-19 numbers, we believe that a virtual offseason is best for everyone’s protection. Our hope is that we will see a positive shift in the COVID-19 data that will allow for a safe return for players when mandatory workouts are set to begin.’’
NFL teams are set to begin Phase One of the three-phase offseason program on Monday. Phase One consists of strength and conditioning and meetings. Phases Two and Three can include some on-field work, building up to a mandatory minicamp in June, which includes three on-field practices.
The NFL had not yet set the exact schedule for this year’s offseason program other than to say that Phase One would begin Monday, with teams able to welcome players to their facilities. Players, in fact, have already been allowed into team facilities during the offseason.
What you should do if you’ve received the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine
The medical issues that led to Tuesday’s recommended pause in administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are exceedingly rare, government health officials said at a news conference.
Six women who received the vaccine are known to have suffered cerebral venous sinus thrombosis — a rare form of stroke — also had low platelet counts in their blood. Platelets help your blood clot to stop bleeding.
But the illness is severe. One of the six women has died, authorities said, and another is in critical condition. All the known cases are among women between the ages of 18 and 48.
So what should you look for if you are one of the 6.8 million people who have received Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine, or are scheduled to receive it soon?
First, health officials said the women’s symptoms appeared to begin between six and 13 days after vaccination, with a median of nine days. That’s important because the vaccine commonly causes some flu-like symptoms — including headache, body aches and fatigue — within 24 to 36 hours. Those common symptoms do not appear to signal a clotting issue.
But if severe headache, leg pain, abdominal pain or shortness of breath crop up in the week or two after receiving the vaccine, the recipient should consult a doctor to determine whether he or she has a low platelet count. At this point, government health experts do not have a probable cause but speculated that in very rare cases the Johnson & Johnson vaccine activates platelets in some way, leading to harmful blood clots that can cause strokes.
—Lenny Bernstein and Allyson Chiu, The Washington Post
US intel report: Virus impact to cause global ‘aftershocks’
FILE – This April 26, 2020, file photo shows empty lanes of the 110 Arroyo Seco Parkway that leads to downtown Los Angeles during the coronavirus outbreak in Los Angeles, Calif. A U.S. intelligence community report says the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to contribute over the next year to “humanitarian and economic crises, political unrest, and geopolitical competition.” The U.S. government’s annual assessment of worldwide threats was released Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic are expected to contribute over the next year to “humanitarian and economic crises, political unrest, and geopolitical competition,” according to a new intelligence report that also warns about the threats from foreign adversaries and from violent extremists inside the United States.
The U.S. government’s annual assessment of worldwide threats, released Tuesday ahead of congressional hearings expected to cover similar territory, charts a broad array of potential dangers anticipated by the intelligence community over the coming year. Its grim assessment of diverse threats echoes in some ways the conclusions of a separate intelligence report from last week that examined likely global challenges, including related to the pandemic, over the next 20 years.
The report singles out for concern the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 3 million people worldwide, warning of the ways in which the recovery will “strain governments and societies.” The pandemic has already disrupted health services in certain areas of the world and will lead to continued health emergencies, according to the report, and has raised tensions as countries compete for advantage. The economic fallout in developing countries has been especially severe, with food insecurity worldwide at its highest point in more than a decade, intelligence officials say.
“No country has been completely spared, and even when a vaccine is widely distributed globally, the economic and political aftershocks will be felt for years,” the report says.
India reels amid virus surge, affecting world vaccine supply
The Indian city of Pune is running out of ventilators as gasping coronavirus patients crowd its hospitals. Social media is full of people searching for beds, while relatives throng pharmacies looking for antiviral medicines that hospitals ran out of long ago.
The surge, which can be seen across India, is particularly alarming because the country is a major vaccine producer and a critical supplier to the U.N.-backed COVAX initiative. That program aims to bring shots to some of the world’s poorest countries. Already the rise in cases has forced India to focus on satisfying its domestic demand — and delay deliveries to COVAX and elsewhere, including the United Kingdom and Canada.
India said Tuesday that it would authorize a slew of new vaccines, but experts said that the decision was unlikely to have any immediate impact on supplies available in the country. For now, its focus on domestic needs “means there is very little, if anything, left for COVAX and everybody else,” said Brook Baker, a vaccines expert at Northeastern University.
Michigan at ‘record high’ for COVID-19 hospitalizations of children
DETROIT – Children aren’t immune to COVID-19. They can get sick, just like adults do. They can be hospitalized, the same as adults. And rarely, they can even die.
That’s the message doctors at several of Michigan’s children’s hospitals want people to hear as the state confronts yet another massive surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, which reached 3,953 Monday, surpassing the state’s November/December spike.
“The state is at a record high for hospitalizations for pediatrics during the entire pandemic and our hospital reflects that,” said Dr. Rudolph Valentini, a pediatric nephrologist at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and group chief medical officer for the Detroit Medical Center.
Statewide, 49 children were hospitalized Monday with either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, according to state data.
With Michigan’s case rate of 515.8 per 100,000 people over the last week — the worst in the nation and four times higher than the rate in neighboring Ohio, according to data from the CDC — more people in general are going to get sick. And that includes kids.
—Christina Hall and Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press
Muslims mark Ramadan amid virus surge and new restrictions
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslims in many parts of the world marked the start of Ramadan on Tuesday, but a spike in coronavirus cases in several countries has once again put curbs on the holy month’s signature feasts and lengthy prayers in mosques.
Still, there were glimmers that Ramadan 2021 could feel less restricted than last year, when Islam’s holiest period coincided with the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Mosques have since reopened and limits on movement have eased as vaccine rollouts continue in Muslim-majority nations. Clerics in such places as Indonesia have issued assurances the vaccine does not break one’s daytime fast.
Ramadan is marked by longer prayers, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts with family and friends, though crowded shoulder-to-shoulder gatherings in mosques and large gatherings for meals remain prohibited due to the continued spread of coronavirus globally.
Throughout Ramadan, Muslims abstain from any food or drink — including water — from morning to night. The monthlong practice is aimed at heightening remembrance of God, curbing unhealthy habits and deepening gratitude.
Washington state suspends rollout of Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine as feds review clotting
Washington state on Tuesday paused the administration of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses in Washington state.
"Use of that vaccine will be put on hold until we receive further recommendations from our federal partners about how best to move forward. Safety is the highest priority when it comes to all COVID-19 vaccines," the Washington State Department of Health said in a statement on Tuesday.
The vaccine's pause follows the appearance of a rare but serious side effect of blood clots in six women, all under age 50.
Washington officials aren’t aware of any instances of blood clots associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccines here, according to Gov. Jay Inslee’s office.
“There are no incidents that we are aware of with blood clots here,” wrote Inslee spokesperson Tara Lee in an email, adding later: “Hopefully people are aware that it is six people out of 6 million doses total nationwide.”
Federal health agencies called for an immediate pause in administration of the vaccine after six women who had received it developed a rare condition involving blood clots.
About 149,000 doses of J & J vaccine have been administered in Washington so far, out of more than four million doses total. At this time, we have no knowledge of the six patients who experienced these blood clots being Washington residents.
"For those who got the vaccine more than a month ago, the risk of this complication is very low at this time," the Washington State Department of Health said.
Mayor Jenny Durkan said on Twitter on Tuesday that appointments are not being canceled. People scheduled to get the J&J vaccine will instead get the Pfizer shot, she said.
We know vaccines are safe and effective and are saving lives. As recommended by @CDCgov, the @CityofSeattle is pausing our administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further review of the six cases.
"If you had an appointment with the @CityofSeattle for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, your appointment remains and you will receive the Pfizer vaccine," she wrote. "Nationwide, nearly 200 million Pfizer and Moderna shots have occurred – let’s keep it up!"
—Christine Clarridge
Washington officials aren’t aware of blood clot instances in Washington from vaccine
OLYMPIA – Washington officials aren’t aware of any instances of blood clots associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccines here, according to Gov. Jay Inslee’s office.
“There are no incidents that we are aware of with blood clots here,” wrote Inslee spokesperson Tara Lee in an email, adding later: “Hopefully people are aware that it is six people out of 6 million doses total nationwide.”
Inslee and State Health Secretary Umair Shah spoke this morning about the issue, which has prompted several states to pause use of the vaccine. The state Department of Health will be releasing a statement shortly, Lee added.
—Joseph O'Sullivan
UK hits vaccine target; Johnson warns of more virus deaths
A woman takes a phone picture of her drink in Soho, London, on the day some of England’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased by the British government, Monday, April 12, 2021. People across England can get their hair cut, eat and drink outside at restaurants and browse for clothes, books and other “non-essential” items as shops and gyms reopened Monday after months of lockdown. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Britain began offering coronavirus vaccinations to anyone over 45 on Tuesday after hitting its target of giving at least one dose to everyone over 50 by the middle of April.
Despite the good news, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the U.K. would inevitably see “more hospitalization and deaths” as it emerges from lockdown. On Monday, non-essential shops, hairdressers, gyms, restaurant patios and beer gardens reopened in England.
Days before its self-imposed April 15 deadline, the government said everyone in its top priority groups — over 50s, health care workers and people with serious medical conditions — had been offered a jab, and about 95% of them received one. More than 32 million people, over 60% of the country’s adults, have had a first shot and almost 15% of adults have gotten both doses.
France suspends all Brazil flights due to virus variants
France suspended all flights from Brazil on Tuesday amid mounting fears over the particularly contagious coronavirus variant that has been sweeping the South American country.
Although France has seen comparatively few known cases of the P.1 variant striking Brazil, the ravages it is causing in Latin America’s largest nation are increasingly raising alarm bells in France. The government faced mounting calls from health experts for a flight suspension to further limit potential spread.
They tested negative for COVID. Still, they have long COVID symptoms
Long after their initial coronavirus infections, patients with a malady known as “long COVID” continue to struggle with varied symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal problems, muscle and joint pain, and neurological issues. Some despite testing negative for COVID-19.
The haphazard protocols for testing people in the United States, the delays and difficulties accessing tests and the poor quality of many of the tests left many people without proof they were infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
People who didn’t test positive for COVID — due either to a lack of access to testing or a false-negative result — face difficulty getting treatment and disability benefits. Their cases are not always included in studies of long COVID despite their lingering symptoms. And, sometimes as aggravating, many find that family, friends or even doctors have doubts they contracted COVID at all.
Use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be "paused"while reports of blood clots are investigated, the U.S. recommended this morning. More than 6.8 million doses have been given in the U.S., the vast majority with no serious side effects.
Three Washington counties have been sent back to the second phase of reopening because of rising COVID-19 cases. Residents of Pierce, Cowlitz and Whitman counties will see tighter restrictions on restaurants, fitness centers and more, leaving one county's leader quite displeased with the state. We've updated our guide to the activities you can and can't do in each county.
One shot of a two-dose vaccine may be enough to protect COVID-19 survivors from getting infected again, scientists in Seattle and elsewhere are finding. But if that's you, don't cancel your second appointment just yet.
COVID-19 has 200,000 merchant sailors still stuck at sea. Some have been out there for as long as 20 months, with little hope in sight. This is a window into their invisible, isolated world.
Less urgent, but still meaningful: In the privacy of quarantine, some young women let their hair go gray and silver — and found that they love it.
