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Trending: Should you buy or sell a home during the pandemic? Here’s what Red n’s CEO advises (https://www.geekwire.com/2020/buy-sell-home-
pandemic-heres-red ns-ceo-advises/)
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Ongoing coverage of the novel coronavirus, and its impact on Seattle and the technology industry. See all
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Gov. Jay Inslee speaks to a crowd of tech leaders before the 2018 GeekWire Gala. (GeekWire Photo / Dan
Delong)
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
Washington state plans to have 1,500 people conducting contact tracing by mid-May in an e ort to map and control the spread
of COVID-19 as the economy re-opens.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee outlined a phased approach to lifting the lockdown order that has been in place since March during
an address Tuesday. The recovery plan starts with widespread testing — a challenge for states across the country — followed by
rapid isolation of individuals with the virus and contact tracing to prevent it from spreading.
Replying to @GovInslee
Before we adjust measures, we need to be able to:
Test widely
Isolate quickly
Identify contacts
Quarantine contacts
States across the U.S. remain wildly behind on testing capacity. 4/8
Contact tracing is a disease mitigation strategy in which investigators track down people who interacted with an infected
individual during the window of contagion. It is traditionally done by phone calls and interviews, though governments are now
exploring technology-driven contact tracing. Apple and Google are developing tools
(https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/4/16/21221458/apple-google-contact-tracing-app-coronavirus-covid-privacy) that use
Bluetooth signals in mobile devices to track potential COVID-19 cases, raising new privacy concerns.
Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech
(https://www.geekwire.com/2020/coronavirus-live-updates-seattle-tech-community-grappling-covid-
19/)
The tech companies plan to release software updates next month that enable their mobile operating systems to exchange
anonymized keys with other phones that come in close proximity. When public health o cials identify a positive COVID-19 case,
they will be able to notify everyone whose phone was near the patient without revealing that person’s identity. This digital
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
contact tracing could be a critical tool as we enter the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic, but privacy experts fear the
technology could outlive the crisis.
During a brie ng call Tuesday, Washington health o cer Kathy Lofy said there are currently 600 people in the state government
trained to do contact tracing and an additional 800 volunteers are learning the necessary skills. But she said contact tracing
cannot be e ective in Washington without “at least 2-3 times more testing than what we currently have.”
Inslee reiterated the issue, saying Washington is “drastically behind on what we need for testing supplies. The simple fact is that
the nation is sorely lacking test kits.”
Researchers in Seattle and Washington are piloting a variety of testing protocols, including an at-home testing program
(https://www.geekwire.com/2020/seattle-researchers-report-initial-results- rst-us-swab-send-covid-19-surveillance-program/)
that began reporting early results last week. The greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN)
(https://publichealthinsider.com/2020/03/23/introducing-scan-the-greater-seattle-coronavirus-assessment-network/) partnered
with groups including Amazon Care (https://amazon.care/), a healthcare program for Amazon employees in the Seattle area, on
infrastructure and logistics for the at-home tests.
The Food and Drug Administration authorized another diagnostic test with a home collection option for COVID-19
(https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes- rst-test-patient-home-
sample-collection) on Tuesday. The Pixel by LabCorp COVID-19 Test home collection kit (https://www.pixel.labcorp.com/at-home-
test-kits/covid-19-test) uses nasal swabs to collect specimens that can be mailed into a lab.
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
Reported cases of COVID-19 have been on the decline in recent weeks in Washington state. On Tuesday, the state Department of
Health reported 197 new cases, bringing the cumulative total to 12,282 cases; and 30 deaths, bringing the state’s death toll to
682.
The original U.S. epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, Washington is now 15th among US states in cumulative cases
(https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html#states). The state represents 1.5% of the more than
800,000 cases in the US, and a slightly larger percentage of the more than 40,000 deaths in the country.
The “stay home” order will remain in e ect in Washington until May 4 at the earliest, though Inslee said Tuesday “we will not be
able to lift many of the restrictions” by then. He compared the re-opening strategy to turning a dial, rather than ipping a switch.
“We believe we can soon allow some elective surgeries to resume provided health professionals have appropriate personal
protective equipment,” Inslee said. “We also hope we can begin to let more people take part in more outdoor recreation.”
Other initial steps will include a “sensible plan” to allow construction to return in a limited capacity. Inslee warned that many
businesses will need to adapt to new safety protocols and social distancing measures going forward.
The social distancing measures that have been in e ect for a month in Washington appear to be reducing the virus’ spread,
Inslee said. But
he cautioned about
the risks of lifting the restrictions too soon.
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
“We need healthy people in order to build a healthy economy,” Inslee said. “The data tells us that if we were to lift all restrictions
right now, or even two weeks from now, this decline would almost certainly stop and the spread of COVID-19 would almost
certainly go up.”
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UW and Microsoft release contact-tracing app, aiming to battle order/)
COVID-19 while preserving privacy As Washington state COVID cases keep falling, here’s the data
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
(https://www.geekwire.com/2020/washingtons-governor- (https://www.geekwire.com/2020/washington-governor-
appeals-vp-mike-pence-covid-19-testing-supplies/) avoids-shelter-place-mandate-urges-social-distancing/)
Washington’s governor appeals to VP Mike Pence for more COVID- Washington governor avoids ‘shelter in place’ rule, but warns
19 testing supplies (https://www.geekwire.com/2020/washingtons- citizens they’re not doing enough
governor-appeals-vp-mike-pence-covid-19-testing-supplies/) (https://www.geekwire.com/2020/washington-governor-avoids-
shelter-place-mandate-urges-social-distancing/)
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Name
If you want to live in a country where they track your every movement, there are plenty out there that fit the bill. Feel free to
move to one.
5△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
https://q13fox.com/2020/04/...
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Once in a while, try to be objective instead of picking sides. You can be liberal on one thing and conservative on another.
△ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
You read the New York Times? THAT is a leftist yellow rag and the Wall Street Journal isn't much better.
You can be a "registered" Republican but you bear no resemblance to any Republican other than a "moderate"
which is another name for a liberal. One thing you aren't - Bali - is a conservative.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Are you refuting that Hillary didn't negotiate the sale of UraniumOne to the Russians - and received about $153
MILLION into one of the two slush funds the Clintons own? Look it up, there's a lot of information - IF you're
interested.
So do you have $Bill's dick up your backside? Governor Jay Inslee does. So does Dr. Anthony Fauci and the
Scarf Queen.
I quit listening to Fox [Faux] News when Rupert's two spawn, Lachlan and James took over Fox News and
brought in Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace and Juan Williams and other jackass liberals. Shep is gone but the
other wing nuts are still there.
Tucker Carlson, Steve Hilton, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity are excellent but I doubt you've ever watched
any of them given your liberal ideology. A Republican? NOT.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
I don't even understand how people think there was any kind of quarantine when everyone went to the same
grocery stores and touched the same carts, baskets, and number pads.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
Dem governors are releasing actual criminals for their health and safety.
Lawful citizens are being locked in the same jails because in living their daily lives they may, possibly, someday infect someone
regardless of whether they themselves are currently infected.
So without knowing who has contracted Covid-19, you can't let 'healthy people' wander out. They are still carriers.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
The Contrarian • a day ago
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
This proves what compliant sheep make up this area that elected this dolt.
Track something that matters, such as the number of people with hepatitis or drug-resistant TB that are riding our public transit vehicles
and spreading those germs all over the place.
4△ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
Remember this. WA, OR and CA will be forced to open for business by the end of May regardless of idiotic Governors like Inslee. TX
and GA are opening for business this week and they will set the example.
6△ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›
What a joke!
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the LARGEST donor to WHO after the USA. WHO, Gates, Dr. Fauci ALL are against
Hydoxychloroquine to fight COVID-19. Why? It's CHEAP, it WORKS and it's AVAILABLE and would negate $Bill's need for a
COVD-19 vaccine.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›
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4/24/2020 Washington plans 1,500-person contact tracing team as governor outlines re-opening strategy – GeekWire
Let me guess - whether you're considered infected or not will depend on your political affiliation, gun ownership status, and social media
score.
In another article one of these clowns stated the purpose of contact tracing is so they can send people to 'help people isolate'.
Sounds like China where they reportedly disappeared people into vans never to be seen again.
At what point does this joker get shut down, if ever? Don't answer or you'll be at the top of the list after me.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share › Show 1 new reply
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Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech
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