Local

Seattle cancels plans to close testing sites as cases surge

SEATTLE — As COVID-19 cases rise in King County, Seattle is canceling its plans to close testing sites in Rainier Beach and West Seattle.

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced Tuesday that the sites will continue offering COVID-19 tests through at least April 17 and longer if necessary.

Testing was scheduled to end March 30.

“The recent spike in cases - especially in the last week - makes clear that we still need robust, free testing across Seattle,” Durkan said.

Over the last two weeks, there have been 713 new COVID-19 cases in Seattle, according to data from Public Health - Seattle & King County.

All areas of the city are experiencing a spike in cases, but the surge is especially strong in the University District and Wallingford.