Case updates December 20, 2020; 14-day quarantine for anyone coming from the United Kingdom and South Africa

Gov. Jay Inslee issued a 14-day quarantine requirement for anyone returning to Washington state after visiting the United Kingdom, South Africa and other countries where a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, 501Y.V, has been circulating.

Health experts believe this new variant may be more transmissible than other variants. The order applies to anyone who has been present in these countries within the prior 14 days. 

An individual is permitted to leave quarantine to perform certain essential activities (for example, seek medical treatment), provided that they avoid public transportation and ride-share services, wear a facial covering, separate themselves from other people to the greatest extent reasonably possible, and follow other appropriate social distancing measures. 

All individuals who are impacted by this order are strongly encouraged to be tested within seven days of returning to Washington.

The full proclamation is available here.

Case updates December 20, 2020

United States

• cases 17,790,376 - 197,616 cases since yesterday
• deaths 316,844 - 1,584 deaths since yesterday

Washington state - the DOH is still reviewing and adjusting numbers

• cases 226,635 
• hospitalizations 13,515 - 124 new
• deaths 3,106 - 2 new - no reports on weekends

King county

• cases 58,107 - 477 since yesterday
• hospitalizations 3,893 - 8 since yesterday
• deaths 993 - 0 since yesterday

Seattle - population 744,995 (2018)

• cases 14,519 - 91 since yesterday
• hospitalizations 928 - 0 since yesterday
• deaths 249 - 0 since yesterday

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)

• cases 1,493 - 12 since yesterday
• hospitalizations 152 - 1 since yesterday
• deaths 77 - 0 since yesterday

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)

• cases 178 - 1 since yesterday
• hospitalizations 14 - 0 since yesterday
• deaths 3 - 0 since yesterday