They are protecting all of us at the risk of their own health right now. And in our own lives, as we struggle with the challenges we have, i hope we can keep in mind all of the people that are protecting us around the state. We appreciate their heroism and hope to match it with our commitment to stay home and healthy. Ago, thenight 11 years order was completely in effect. We are convinced over the next two weeks it will help us tremendously in lowering the trajectory of the covid19 infection rate in our state. 4 millionthan registered businesses in our state and even more workers in various industries, my office and agencies have received requests for guidance from people that want to be in compliance with his order. I am pleased at the response so far people want to be part of Team Washington in this mission. We appreciate that. If people have questions, we direct them to the coronavirus website. It is my intention and direction to agencies to be helpful and patient with anyone trying to comply with this order. Asoffice and other agencies well as stakeholders are partnering and we want to make sure we communicate with everyone in this regard. As ive said, so far, we have seen overwhelming compliance. That is to be expected because washingtonians know what it is to Work Together and overcome challenges and to take a little hardship for a gain over the long run. Giving exceptions to those so they can stay connected. Religious institutions can have a certain number of people present at the places of worship to ensure online Remote Services can be afforded to their flocks. Rate, we may be hunkered down, but we are not locked down. You can leave your house for a walk. You can go for a drive. You can do things essential to be your likelihood for these industries. We do want to to limit those activities in ways that make sense. It is not a good time to be driving across the state. It is time to hunker down closer to our neighborhoods. In this effort. We are fighting the same pandemic in every corner of our state. It is being felt in different ways. Questions from some residents that are not in the county. Those are the states hit the first with this virus. Is noty think action necessary outside of those counties. Todayfortunate reality is this virus is spreading across the entire state. Is method of transmission persontoperson. Todayer we see in seattle could be in walla walla shortly. And port angeles. And so it is very clear all of bend our need to shoulders to this task to save the state of washington. Devastation is what were are trying to halt. It is crucial each and everyone one of us across the state maintains the social distancing we know is our only weapon against this scourge. We are only in the first two weeks and people need to understand this order may need to be extended. The reason is, we cannot allow this virus to be slowed and spring back upon us. Weve got to pound it until it is done. Im glad washingtonians are pitching in to a warfare against a fatal disease. Allows a pause that will us to evaluate the progress we are making and determine next steps. Now we believe we are seeing in thecouraging signs puget sound area including progress on those experiencing homelessness. Me fema region has told additional facilities in the way of field hospitals are on the our hospitaling capacity as a number of patients increases. The army corps of engineers told me they were looking at sites in the state to add additional Hospital Capacity. Thise appreciative for medical assistance because it is necessary to prevent our Health Care System from being even more overwhelmed. Short, 146e fairly field hospitals coming in from colorado, for which we are appreciative. That is not the end of our capacity. As you know, the doctor is coordinating our surge efforts with private hospitals as well. That is a well coordinated effort. Elected ed elective surgeries and are looking for medical equipment to be distributed. Test inconducted 31,000 our state. But we have significant unmet needs in testing. That is why it is so important for the federal government to decrease its support for testing materials. I spoke to the president and Vice President about this issue. Efforts tocontinue increase testing capabilities. We have received shipments of personal protective equipment from the federal government and we are appreciative of that. I appreciate the efforts on many fronts in this regard. Profoundi do have concerns about being able to procure these necessities. The state has been purchasing equipment from private vendors and we have received donations and thanks to everybody for that. Thelready cannot meet demands coming in from around the state or these critical supplies. The state department of health, to give you a feeling of how we are trying to solve these problems, last night had an employee drive across the state to pick up items needed to take the samples to send to be testing labs to deliver last night, that had a critical demand. It illustrates the shortage we need. Of the the full Energy Manufacturing capacity of the United States to become engaged to manufacture these supplies. We need a National System of procurement. That is the only way we are going to get our National Manufacturing base engaged. It is the only way we will be able to set priorities about where these crucial supplies can be achieved. Scramble withn a 50 states competing against one another for crucial supplies. Ive been talking to people with connections in china looking for supplies and other governors have been in the same position. Help. D additional itould note in world war ii, was not built by the state of missouri. We need to become totally engaged. I do have some news. Know this is still a dire challenge. We know this is a fateful disease. We know we have not turned the corner and we are not even close to the end of this battle. But we do think there is evidence our Community Mitigation strategies, the things we have done already to close schools and restaurants and theaters, to prohibit gatherings, we think these things have been able to slow the rate of increase in our counties. On your screen, i would like to make a reference to this graph. Graph, theren the off blue line that tails toward the end of the blue line. This graph demonstrates the number of infections over the last couple of weeks from an equivalent start date to had a certaintate number of infections. 20 infections. This puts all of the states on the same starting point when they had 20 infections. Number ast totals the it goes forward. Saying, our line has gone up. Bad news. Fatalities have continued to increase. If you look at the line, it has some slight reduction in the rate of acceleration. The curve. The level of curve. Weve heard about turning down the curve. Slightaph shows a very lessening of the rate of increase by looking at its curve. It is a small reduction of the rate of increase. It is a glimmer of hope. This ison it is is that suggestive some of the things we are doing is having modest improvement. That ought to give us an additional commitment to the things we are doing today. Because the things we did two weeks ago are now appearing in hospitals. We want to continue that effort. I want to reiterate something about this graph. I hope the graph is on the screen. Thank you. We need to understand this. We cannot let up on this virus wheref we get to a point there is continuation of reducing the rate of increase. To seeeventually want these numbers drop down on a weekly basis. The fact is we have to hammer this until we can be assured it will not spring backup. We will not be able to be confident we can release some of our joint efforts until we are confident of that. Because it will not be successful to have success of these two weeks and then give up with all of our efforts and have it spring back. We need our economy to come back as fast as possible. The way to do this is to eliminate the virus in our state. Theres more work to be done. We need testing, pervasive testing, before we can return to normalcy. Response goesc on. This morning the department of commerce announced 1. 8 million therants to counties for covid19 response. We are allowing Retail Stores to sell goods online and mailed to customers. They need to be mailed or delivered in a remote fashion. We cant have people crowding around the doors of our retail outlets right now. This week i also authorized extended Notary Services and waved to late penalties on tax payments from businesses to liquor and cannabis. Last night the Congress Passed a stimulus bill that will provide support to workers, families, businesses, and hospitals across washington. I want to thank the congress for acting on this. And i want to thank the president and Vice President of being open to our communications as we have gone through this. We appreciate the opportunity to talk him and the Vice President. Here is why the stimulus is so important. Increase in an 843 new unemployment claims in the last week. Two weeks ago the state received 6000 unemployment claims. This week alone we have received 133,000 claims. These claims are five times faster coming in that they were anytime during the last recession. Seen nothing like this in our states history. As a result, they are bringing on hundreds of staff to meet the publics needs. We also want to thank the congress in the stimulus bill. It has expanded access and the amount of Unemployment Insurance people will get. The number of people eligible, so parttime workers will be eligible even though they dont have the hours. Some folks in the gig economy will be eligible. The amount of the checks will also increase. We think this will be helpful. I want to be remind folks we are moving forward to make sure Older Workers over 60 and those with health problems, even if they are in an essential business, if they fear for their health, they will have access to these benefits. That is an important point. We are trying to determine whether i can do that through executive action or i5 have to call the legislature to get that done. I want to reiterate our employees will be working really hard on this. I wish we could tell people checks could go out at noon today. People realize it will be sometime until we can get the system up and running. We have a lot of work to do in this regard. Cases continue to rise. As of wednesday, the state has 2500 diagnosed cases. 123 deaths. Half of those washington were over the age of 80. And i want to take a moment to ask all of us to wrap all of our toed ones special embrace those over the age of 60, to those who have some health care concerns. All, if you are 25 today, the single most important thing you can do is to call your parents and grandparents and make sure we are not going out. Make sure they are not bringing the grandkids into wrestle with and make sure every morning they figure out how they are going to enjoy their life at home. That is the most important thing we can do right now. These are the washingtonians most at risk. We are having fatalities of younger people and that is why younger people have to follow social distancing. This is a moment to care for our elders. I cannot overstate that. Life asto get back to weve been used to and the economy as we are used to. The faster we turn to this, the faster we will get to those bright days. Im confident we can do that. I just want to note, the other thing i feel good about is how people are realizing, while we have to be physically arennected, washingtonians understanding the importance of being emotionally connected. I have heard from families and friends were having great relationships electronically. We know that can work. I want to put up on the screen, i have a screenshot of a facetime meeting that four generations had yesterday. You can see that is the newest inslee. In the middle is trudy inslee, annies grandmother. Years right, she is 102 young and you can see the great time she is having with the new technology. Her comment about facetime was, this is so great that people invent new technology. She had a great time. Over her shoulder is bonnie, her daughter. And up in the corner, three rascals, our grandkids. I hope this is being replicated so we can all enjoy each others company. I know people are doing that. I love seeing washingtonians playing on the ukuleles and all the creative artwork they are doing. This is the time we can be together. I am happy to stand for questions. One more thing i want to add again, is that ok with you . I want to add one other thing. We are going to need significant medical personnel as this wave increases. I am hopeful that retired nurses, retired physicians, people right out of these consider coming back into practice. We have cleared the decks to get those licenses restored on a very quick basis. Retired general practitioner willing to come in and help out for a few weeks, we hope you will consider that. Physicians assistants, full bottomless, nurses. I think like uncle sam, we want you. We hope you will consider coming back to the practice for a period of time. It can make all the difference in the world. ,f you are interested coronavirus. Gov, this medical militia could really do great things for our state. If anyone can consider that, that would be great. I will stand for questions. On the call today between governors and president trump, did you have specific questions or concerns . Gov. Inslee yes. I am not going to relate the specifics specifics of that call. We want an open line of communication with the white house. Yes, i did make a recommendation and it will shock you to some degree it was along the lines of what i expressed. It will be very helpful if the federal government could be more aggressive and organized in helping us obtain these systems. Unique system in the United States, it is the presidency. Americans really respond to that. We have seen it a lot of times in american history. I think if the white house calls manufacturers across the country, all of them, to spring to this, to come to some relationship with the federal government, where we can make good priorities where these assets go and drive the hardest bargain with these sellers. It will not surprise you sellers are trying to get outrageous prices right now. The federal government can become the buyer. They have a lot better organ in power than just the state of washington. Thet going to relay specifics of that call. Can bem hopeful this considered and i know other governors take this view. Seattle times. Thanks. Showing thehe graph slightlyases may be decreasing. Where are we on the curve of actual cases rather than the rate . Are we getting close to the peak . And how does that relate to our Hospital System . Gov. Inslee by the way, before i forget i want to mention a couple things. I thank the president and Vice President today, too. There is good communication going on with the white house. We are making suggestions and i am appreciative of that. Butll answer your question, i do not want to forget this. This graph shows statewide numbers on a logarithmic scale, a statistical term, to show the change in rate of increase. Show what is going on in certain parts of the state and this is a great concern because, while we have been able to learn the curve just a little bit in puget sound, we are not lowering it in other areas of the state of washington. This is the average across the whole state. It might give you a false sense of security to look at it because in mentoring in many areas of the state we are not bending the curve. Those communities are looking for a wave of fatalities if we are not successful. Statewide stay e, stay healthyom is so important. I kidded splay and what logarithmic means, but it is a way of expressing the rate of change in any phenomenon. It looks like we had a modest reduction in the rate of change, but it is not sufficient if we do not continue to bend that curve now. I want to make that the strongest statement for people to understand. We should not be within 1000 miles of champagne corks on this. If we do not continue to increase this, a lot of people will die in the state of washington. Perhaps hundreds or more. Two things i take from this chart one, we have a long way to go. Two, we are being smart and strategic in our state. It does have the capability of helping this dramatically. Those are two things we have to keep in mind simultaneously. Does that answer your question . Is there anything else i could include . I am wondering how this relates to the Hospital System. There have been warnings about the Hospital System being overwhelmed. Point, orse to that are they still [indiscernible] beds . Gov. Inslee the good news is, our system is not overwhelmed today. However, it is necessary we dramatically increase our Hospital Capacity or we will be overwhelmed if we do not get this curve down to negative very quickly. Just to have some scale do not hold me too much to these numbers, but to give you some scale of this challenge, about 10 days ago we looked at our capacity. There might be about 10,000 heads. If beds. We could have a need for 5000 beds in the next week or two. This is a huge challenge for us to serve that capacity. Even more daunting, many if not most of the endangered citizens care, a whole other kennel of fish and equipment we need. It is crucial we get army help. There is something i am not sure we mentioned. Us on top of the Army Facilities that they are going to be sending us two fema hospitals. We do not have the date of their arrival, but it is critical we have those. We also have a statewide effort to increase our capacity in existing hospitals. The doctors working with all the hospitals to figure out bed capacity, critical in their existing buildings, but also bring in the personnel necessary to care for those patients and get access to equipment. That is why additional Ventilator Capacity is so important. We got some help from the federal government. We think we have a commitment of several hundred ventilators, but we need more and that is why we are searching the globe for additional ventilators, literally as we speak. To let you know how i am concerned about this, i talked to local businessmen a local businessman with ties in china. We are making all efforts in this regard. This also comes back to my request for folks who may come out of retirement to help us because it is not enough to have beds. Haveditional 1200 beds been delivered, but they have to have physicians, nurses, physician assistants and equipment. That also that all has to be place. We have a lot of work to do before we can be confident in our ability to deal with all these patients. [indiscernible] governor, how much money is for Washington State in this federal package that is passing . And is it nearly enough . How much does Washington State really need . Gov. Inslee i do not have a specific dollar for you. We have not had a chance to evaluate the whole legislation. What theis that legislature has done and what the congress has done from a National Perspective i suspect there will be more to be done on the financial side. If you look at these unemployment numbers cascading in by the thousands, this will be a deep trench we will have to get over. I suspect we will have to do significantly more. That is just one governors nonaccurate assessment of what is going on. There are dollars i am told in the stimulus bill that might be able to help rural hospitals usually on financial thin nice anyway. There is so much that has to be done to help our rural medical system. I have heard let several legislative leaders say that. That is my sense in the state as well. People ask me about calling a special session of the legislature. I have been talking to leaders way, whoarties, by the have all been very helpful in this. I am appreciative of the bipartisan leadership going on in our state legislature. [indiscernible] the point is, when we need to call a special session, we have no fear calling a special session, to make sure the job gets done. [indiscernible] governor, i had a couple of questions. We have a lot of questions and confusion over construction and when it comes to housing projects. You give us more detail on those type of projects that is,ify, and the second building up the other question about the federal stimulus when the people in Washington State see the Immediate Impact . Most important is the distribution of funds to families. The Unemployment Insurance is maybe one of the most important we nickels, that would expand Unemployment Insurance or more people know they have hours, it would expand some gig workers. And it will increase the amount, i believe the amount is six hundred dollars that would be available to have. That may be the most familycentered thing. There was also basic Cash Distribution and i am sure people can read in the media about that specific thing. Assistance for medical communities, which is important. There is some assistance for states. It will not surprise you that a lot of governors dont think that will be sufficient, and im sure there will be further discussions about how to help states more with their specific challenges as well. Fore is also assistance some of the Vital Industries including aerospace in our state. , ire are a number of avenues suspect this will not be sufficient in the need to restore our economy. This possible or having in our economy is not the worst idea, it might be the best. Feel the time we will get back to Economic Activity is beating this virus. The number one thing we have to do is to be to this virus. This is no way to have virus is driving us for years. This is an Economic Growth strategy and the sooner we can get through this not after our jobs go through back. It is not just a health issue, it is an economical coverage strategy. We have to keep people afloat during that period of time. What was the first part of your question again . In terms of the construction gov. Inslee so the best thing for people to do is look at the has to read the order to get a sense of what the order says. I would try to paraphrase it to the best i can. Activity, construction the deposit listing of washington with certain exceptions. Construction that is necessary for essential essential businesses Grocery Stores. We have to keep Grocery Stores open and healthy, so construction for Grocery Stores and the like is allowed. Definitional part of order that defines what some of them essential businesses are. The second part, the thing that we had yesterday, that we clarified, that construction for public and 50s, cities, counties, for public purposes, construction for those purposes are allowed. Third, construction that is necessary to preserve existing assets is allowed. So if youve got a construction project and had to put a pause dont show offou the embankment by digital collapse, that type of work to prevent this foliation is allowed to protect those existing assets. Other than that, construction beach deposits, and that is difficult. Areas,ill be some gray but we ask people to keep in mind our grandparents and our grandkids when we make decisions. This is personal to me, ive got family members in construction, so this is not an easy decision, but im convinced it is the right one so we can get back construction as soon as we can by restoring the health of our economy. Go to charles of the columbia herald. Built their Financial Assistance of a working Group Apartment for districts and google hospitals . Is there concern about hospital capacities in rural areas . Best be are you concerned about that. You bet we are concerned about that. This virus is headed in every direction across washington. We are committed to doing everything we can to increase its capacity in all of our hospitals in washington. Goe of the first assets may to the hospitals back get it early as i eventually have to have capacities with a across washington. Helptaken steps to financially. We have committed 2 million as a start to help these hospitals as they go through this period. Hospitalser for rural because we had to stop collective surgeries and so we could stockpile the masks and because wentilators dont use them on things we dont have to be like now. This has been hard on small hospitals because that is a good part of their income. The federal government has put a significant number that will help smaller hospitals and will distributivet gets as quickly as possible. Distributed as quickly as possible. The president has sent mixed messages in terms of how long people need to stayathome. It sounds like what you are saying is that the two weeks they need to be extended. Good that be another two weeks for additional month net out based on the chart you displayed , is that going to indicate how gullible stayathome order would be in effect . The chart is one of the things that we use to evaluate the course of this epidemic. We also use what is called the positive rate. Of theay, we look at all tests that were done in the proceeding the deeper hours and look at what percentage of those came up positive. That is an important number to be able to evaluate where we are about whether the is going up or down. We also look at the rate of ourssions, is coronaviruslike illnesses. Diagnosed,have not but they have respiratory issues and many a fever, count that as a potential coronavirus as everyday we look at what those admissions are as a predictor cannot what babel look like three or four days after that. We also look at sophisticated data on the number of physical interactions going on in the public. We use our traffic data, everyday i get a report on what traffic is up lots washington, and we look at the percentage changes in that to hopefully predict the number of physical interactions. We also use internet data, so we have model or that look at cell geographically to see where people have been moving and they tell us, they help us model what we predicted based on those interactions. This chart just one of the things we use in our analysis. We will have hopefully more modeling available tomorrow to help us in further analysis. As to when we produce some of these i agree that deuces en we reduce, these numbers will continue to rise for some period of time. We will have to maintain these until the are confident that this virus is not going to come rolling bag. It would not be sufficient to knock down this curve for two beats and then comment and have it come rolling back aring back. E ror i am letting folks know, this order may go beyond two weeks. That. E to be prepared for we will make a call on this every day, looking at the data. I had put out a lot if data and information, but we want to share as much information as we can with people so they will have an idea of what our thinking is. I have a question about rural hospital health. When you add military hospitals, [indiscernible] that have small capacities right now. You are using testing results, but we are being told testing results are still four days behind kind when they are doing taken. How are you factoring that into your figures . Are you aiming to reduce it . Gov. Inslee yes, this is why it is a challenge, why these decisions are not easy. There are two parts to this. We dont get tests back for days, what we are seeing today to 14 daysrred 10 before. This is a challenge and we have to think ahead and behind because we have to look at the things we are doing 10 to 14 days ago and see what impact that has on what we are now so young. The things we arson read today things we are seeing today are caused by we did in the past. Increased some of our Testing Capacity in additions to commercial labs. The federal government has a rule that uses federal governmentprovided test kits, we cannot lose the university of washington cannot using spell university of washington to evaluate them. Cannot using the university of washington to evaluate them. Hopefully we cant remove that rule so we can get more Testing Capacity utilized. The issue of where these hospitals are going, they will go where they can do the most good. I cannot tell you exactly where that is at the moment. The army corps of engineers is looking at several locations. My suspicion is the first of climaxes will probably be in the future southport because that is where the huge bulk of the cases the waiverand as spreads out across the state of washington. If alice went to make it richard carrin we want to be good generals in this war. We had to increase its testing capability across the state. This is frustrating to people there we have to increase Hospital Capacity across washington. We are committed to that. We cannot hear you. Gov. Inslee i can hear you. You can hear me . Gov. Inslee i think you do, go ahead. We have a couple questions. Knowing that boeing is a large part of the employment and jobs in the state, youre happy with what you saw, out of congress for the bailout for a particular going, and there are folks wondering if he seattle in order had something to do with the is hat going [inaudible] boeing was going to have to shut down. Gov. Inslee we made a decision based on what we are seeing and what we thought we could do with the stay home, stay healthy, at make that decision based on the state, not any particular company or industry. That was a statewide decision. As far as has dollars for aerospace, this is such an important industry, we have to be pleased by any confusion that can help climate increase and stable. Infusion by any infusion that can help employment increase and stable. Haveof the provisions i heard of cap the conditions that make sense to leave about Co Compensation engine, i think general conditions make sense. Keepneral economic want to Aerospace Going in our state and we are committed to have. Thank you. Wash your hands. Tomorrow, the u. S. House loads on the size Coronavirus Response bail hearing they are hoping to pass it without playing members to capitol hill. Kevin mccarthy explain how that would work. The flooring will look different. The microphones will not be there. They should not be that close to the clerk to work in their the microphone in the middle be taken out what people have is those who are managing to build will be further away. Members cannot six to just sit next to each other if somebody wants to come on the floor, they cannot sitting next to each other. We will have to clean the area. They will enter one door and leave on another. We want to make sure youre providing Health Everybody else to make sure the government is working. There really more than enough. There is more than enough time to give a cannot more than enough time to you the field should not be delayed getting to president s test. Desk. Sidents morning, ap friday doctor of preventative medicine and disease professor discusses the latest development in the coronavirus outbreak. Att washington journal live seven at northeastern friday morning. When the discussion. Television has changed since cspan began but our mission continues. To provide an unfiltered view of government. We brought primary election beenage, president ial hes processed, and now the federal response to the coronavirus. You can what he stands public of their programming on television, online, or listen on our free radio app. And be part of the National Conversation to these guys daily Washington Journal Program or through our social media. Cspan, created by private industry, americas cable good evening. The house will gavel back in tomorrow and at 9 00 a. M. Eastern time to vote on the massive, 2. 2 trillion bill to help americans during the pandemic. So far over 3 Million People have already filed for unemployment benefits. And now the u. S. Is leading the world in cases of coronavirus. It is thursday evening, march 20 six, and this is a prime time addition of washington journal. We get the latest on the spending bill, theyo
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