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Dear friends and neighbors,
It has been a nerve-wracking and frightening week in King County. Like you, I’m trying to stay informed and stay positive at the same time. It’s not easy. Today, Public Health reported twelve new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of reported King County cases to 83. Of the 12 new cases reported today, two are deaths. The total number of deaths reported to Public Health is now 17.
For me it has been most helpful to focus on watching our community rally around each other during this difficult time. We have a lot to be proud of in King County, but it’s the people who truly make this a special place to call home. I especially want to recognize and commend FareStart and Starbucks for providing meals and coffee at the quarantine sites across the county. As a community, we are stronger together. I’m pleased to see these organizations important to our region’s economy taking the lead.
As you may have read in the Seattle Times, senior centers have been particularly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Additionally, Bloodworks Northwest is concerned that the outbreak will result in a shortage of blood donors, causing the region’s blood supply to drop drastically. If you are someone who does not fall under Public Health’s list of people at high risk, please consider reaching out to a senior center, food bank or blood bank near you to see if there is anything you can do to help.
According to Public Health, there are currently no restrictions on who can be tested for COVID-19 and commercial testing is becoming more available. Health care providers may test any person whom they suspect has contracted COVID-19. While testing is becoming more available, there are limitations in health care providers’ capacity to obtain samples and process lab results rapidly.
While there are no restrictions on whom can get tested, not everybody who feels ill needs to be tested, particularly if you have a mild illness. If you are sick with fever, cough or have shortness of breath and are in a high-risk group, call your health care provider to discuss whether you should be tested for COVID-19. More information is available at Public Health’s COVID-19 Common questions about coronavirus website. The Washington State Deptartment of Health has also established a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, please call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.
People at high risk for complications from COVID-19 are:
- People older than 60 years
- People with chronic medical conditions
- People with weakened immune systems
- Pregnant people
Also, in case you missed it, King County has developed information on COVID-19 in other commonly used languages in the county. See the list below:
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns. I will do my best to keep you informed with the latest info.
International Womxn's Day
As a brief aside, I’d like to acknowledge International Womxn’s Day to everyone in District Four. Up until last week, we were planning an excellent panel discussion in celebration of Womxn’s History Month on March 16th, but with the COVID-19 situation here in King County, we have decided to postpone the panel. We were very grateful to the following incredible individuals for agreeing to be part of our panel:
Claudia Balducci, King County Council Chair
Nicole Brodeur, Journalist, Seattle Times
Vazaskia Crockrell, Equity and Social Justice Director, Metropolitan King County Council
Marty Hartman, Executive Director, Mary’s Place
Toshiko Hasegawa, Executive Director, Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs
ChrisTiana ObeySumner, Social Equity and Disability Justice Consultant
Women make immense contributions worldwide every day, so I encourage you to celebrate the women in your life today and every day.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
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