King County reports zero coronavirus deaths for the first time in over two months

On Thursday, King County Public Health officials confirmed 86 new known cases of COVID-19 and no new fatalities.

This was the first time that King County had recorded no new coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period since March 7.

At the time of writing, the number of known cases in Washington sits at 17,773, and 983 fatalities. The state is also encouraging more people to get testing if they’re showing signs of the virus.

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“With more healthcare providers offering testing, we now recommend that anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 be tested,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin in a news release Wednesday.

Duchin said testing is important to “ensure timely medical care when necessary and to stop COVID-19 from spreading” by allowing those who test positive and their close contacts to quickly separate themselves from others in their households and communities.

Health officials say that the most concerning symptoms are cough or shortness of breath, but anyone with two or more of the following symptoms should also be evaluated for a test: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell.

Most coronavirus testing is currently conducted through primary care providers, however, those who don’t have a provider who administers the test can call the King County COVID-19 call center at 206-477-3977 to locate a test site.