Coronavirus came to Seattle in late January and put our state on the front lines of a national public health crisis. Stay informed with KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo as they discuss the top stories of the week and track how COVID-19 is impacting our community.
Governor Inslee issues another warning to carefree Washington residents as coronavirus case numbers continue to climb. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo explain why the death rate is declining, even during a wave of new infections across the United States. And, President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos are determined for schools to reopen fully this fall.
No shirt, no shoes, no mask? No service. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the extra enforcement behind Washington's mandatory mask order, that puts the onus on businesses. We're also following the vaccine development race, including a new $1.6 billion contract awarded to Novavax today. The vaccine development company has never brought a product to market. And, the Mariners are expected to hit the road to play the Houston Astros on July 24th, even as testing delays slow ...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the upgrade of Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties to a modified Phase 1 reopening .... despite not officially qualifying for this move. We've got a quick update on the coronavirus outbreak at the University of Washington. Aaron breaks down Trump's claim that 99% of coronavirus cases are "totally harmless." And could the coronavirus spread through the air - making it potentially more contagious? Dave has a pretty straightforward, and af...
This week, kids take over the podcast! We put out a call on social media asking our youngest listeners to send us their questions about the coronavirus, in their own words. Listen to familiar KIRO Radio personalities answer these phone calls with heart, humor and the best information we have from experts in our community. The episode features: Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien from Seattle's Morning News . Mike Lewis, co-host of KIRO Nights. Tom Tangney and John Curley, co-hosts of Tom and Curley. D...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the latest plan from Seattle Public Schools to reopen classrooms in the fall. It's going to be expensive. Dozens of students in 10 fraternity houses just north of the University of Washington campus have tested positive for the coronavirus. Now, as many as 1,000 students have been asked to quarantine. Snohomish County may have to move back into Phase 1 as the coronavirus case count continues to spike across Washington state. What does th...
Dr. Anthony Fauci and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield appeared before the Senate this morning to answer questions about a vaccine, school closures, and rising case numbers in the United States. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo have a recap. As the European Union reopens for visitors from Canada, South Korea and, tentatively, China, American travelers are banned. And we have the latest coronavirus case numbers for Washington state. We're still seeing a worrying uptick....
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the loudest mandatory mask dissenters in Washington state - and Dave sings a little ditty he wrote just for them. Plus, we're tracking an increase in coronavirus cases in Snohomish, Pierce and King counties, among others. It has paused plans to move any further through the Governor's phased reopening, at least for now. What's causing the spike?
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss Washington state's removal from the East Coast travel restriction list, and why sending a billion dollars of stimulus money to dead people isn't the scandal you might think it is. Local colleges and universities have fresh guidelines for how to bring their students back on campus in the fall. And baseball is back for a short summer season, but some Mariners players are already testing positive for the virus.
Coronavirus case numbers in the US are back to where they were at the peak of the outbreak in April. There are new travel restrictions between states that will affect Washingtonians. Governor Inslee announced a mandatory mask order for the entire state. Catch up on all the details with Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo before it goes into effect this Friday. And, Yakima County is out of hospital beds for coronavirus patients, and King County case numbers are creeping back up for the first ti...
The White House Coronavirus Task Force answered questions from the House of Representatives today. Were they asked to slow testing as case numbers rise in many states? KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo recap the briefing. And, the guy peddling an unproven coronavirus vaccine in Washington state was successfully sued. If you paid for an injection that you found via Facebook, you can now get your $400 back.
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo continue to track the coronavirus outbreak in Yakima County. And President Trump, who continues to attribute rising case numbers to increased testing, said at his weekend rally in Tulsa that he wants to slow the testing down ... that the US is doing "too good a job" addressing the pandemic. Dave has some suggestions for getting a better idea of how good a job the US is, in fact, doing.
States across the country are reopening one by one, and yet coronavirus case numbers have spiked in the places that got the earliest start. This week, KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo try to figure out: is this safe? First, a case study of Arizona, which is on track to be the latest coronavirus hotspot. Then, Dave and Aaron discuss the politics of reopening. When did the virus become a partisan issue? Finally, we consult several epidemiologists. What's really safe? And where wi...
King County moves to Phase Two today. What will change? KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo have all the key details. We're not leaving the term "Modified Phase One" behind, though. For a list of the new status of every county in Washington state, you can refer here . Governor Inslee also updated the health and safety guidelines for religious services. Dave is ready to compete with the church organ again, even if he has to wear a mask. And people are already lining up outside the ...
Many Nordstrom stores will reopen today, but in-person browsing will be an incredibly different experience. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss quarantining your shoes, and what the future of shopping looks like. Governor Inslee is struggling to balance the state budget and announced furloughs for government employees. He's still calling on Congress for federal relief. And prisons and jails are the new coronavirus hotspots, outpacing nursing homes and meatpacking plants. O...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss Governor Inslee's visit to Yakima County yesterday, where case numbers are predicted to continue to rise. Protesters are risking coronavirus exposure in crowds, but early results from the City of Seattle's free testing centers and the University of Washington suggest that masking up at marches might be working. And, what's the outlook for a Major League Baseball season this summer? Not great ...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo run through three major updates on how doctors are treating hospitalized coronavirus patients. King County applies to move from Phase 1.5 to Phase 2, which could happen as soon as Friday. As Washington reopens, do we need to make masks mandatory? And to attend President Trump's indoor, nearly 20,000 seat rally in Oklahoma this weekend, you have to promise you won't sue him.
It's certainly not a guarantee, but the Washington State Office of Public Instruction released 55 pages of guidance for reopening school districts in the fall, and is planning to move ahead. One catch: not everyone is on board. Coronavirus case counts rose in Yakima, Franklin and Benton counties after Memorial Day weekend. The peak for Eastern Washington is still ahead, the Institute for Disease Modeling predicts. And as we see some experimental treatments and miracle recoveries make headlines, ...
Just in time for your weekend, and now that businesses have had a little bit of time to prepare ... Dave Ross and Aaron Granillo go over what you can and cannot do in each phase of reopening in Washington state. For more information about individual counties, you can visit the state's official tracker here . This page is continually updated. If you want a quick, visual reminder to stick on your fridge, here is the summary of the phases - the same one we have on the wall of the newsroom here at K...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss new modeling from the IHME predicting a second wave of coronavirus cases in September and another 55,000 deaths across the United States. Governor Inslee launches a public awareness campaign to encourage mask wearing, which could be our new normal (at least until a trusted vaccine is widely available). Dave Ross discusses his thoughts after an interview this morning with Alex Berenson, outspoken doubter of apocalyptic coronavirus scenari...
Dr. Anthony Fauci warns that the coronavirus pandemic is not over yet. And a new model suggests how we can reopen safely. The White House Coronavirus Task Force had a phone call, and we have the tape. Here's what they're focusing on. And Beyoncé will bring free coronavirus tests to two locations in South King County this weekend.
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and award-winning reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the World Health Organization quickly walking back an earlier claim that asymptomatic cases of novel coronavirus are "rare." And, the Washington ferries will stick with a reduced sailing schedule throughout the rest of the summer. Here's everything you need to know if you plan to take a trip anytime soon.
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo cover some of the newly relaxed rules statewide. With ongoing protests, but relatively reliable masking and expanded testing - we've got a prediction for case numbers. What will going back to an office building for a desk job look like? Can you take the bus? Here's what the CDC recommends. And, a surprisingly positive national jobs report came out over the weekend. CBS News senior business analyst Jill Schlesinger tells us how to read and unders...
Local infectious disease experts say they support the large crowds of protesters in downtown Seattle and elsewhere in Washington state. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss whether Governor Inslee could really disperse the crowds if he tried. Free, drive-through coronavirus test sites are opening in Seattle at former emissions testing stations. Do you have to bring a doctor's note and live within Seattle city limits, or can anyone show up? And the head of the Center for Dis...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the results of a clinical trial, published Wednesday, showing that hydroxychloroquine did not help prevent or slow coronavirus infection. Israel's parliament shut down after a lawmaker tested positive for coronavirus. It's a grim reminder that even as we see the virus slow down here in Washington, infection rates are still rising worldwide. And, Bill Gates had to address a wild conspiracy theory about his motivations for funding vaccine ...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the new deadline set for Seattle Public Schools to make some decisions about how to reopen safely in the fall. Will classes be all online, or a hybrid? A large coronavirus outbreak on a fishing vessel caused the ship to return to Seattle early. Dave Ross asks the CEO of a seafood company what health measures look like on these boats, which are bringing large numbers of workers to remote, coastal communities in Alaska during the summer mo...
Why is vaccination a partisan issue? KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss a new poll that found 45% of conservatives don't want to get a coronavirus vaccine ... but 80% of Democrats will. And, as protests against police brutality escalate across the nation, Dave considers the gravity of people gathering in the streets, in large crowds, during a global pandemic.
Governor Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order officially expired at midnight. KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo explain what that means, and when we can really reopen. And, protests this weekend over police brutality across the nation, as well as in Seattle and Bellevue, bring a new concern: risk of infection.
Follow reporter Aaron Granillo as he traces food distribution across Washington state, finds where the system is breaking down, and talks to the creative people coming up with workarounds. First, Chris Sullivan tells the story of one billion pounds of potatoes that were stuck on farms across Washington ... while food bank shelves were empty. The Washington Food Fund stepped in to refill food banks after donations disappeared almost overnight, and the need doubled. Meanwhile, protests and strikes...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and award-winning reporter Aaron Granillo discuss the possibility of moving to Phase 2 on Monday. Washington state managed to get $300 million back from scammers who filed fraudulent unemployment claims. But real Washingtonians are still waiting for their payments. Twitter increased fact-checks on the platform during the coronavirus health crisis. Now, they're fact-checking the president. Dave has an easy solution to this escalating 'censorship' war. And the Seafair Pirate...
KIRO Radio's Dave Ross and reporter Aaron Granillo discuss Governor Inslee's easing of restrictions on religious gatherings in Washington, after President Trump demanded an immediate reopening nationwide. Should police continue clearing homeless encampments during the coronavirus crisis? Public comment on a Seattle City Council measure that would restrict clearings, per CDC guidelines, lasted two hours. Dave solves it in 5 minutes. And new analysis estimates that half of new coronavirus cases in...
