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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
First, I hope you and your families are doing relatively well, staying inside and staying healthy, as we all are trying so hard to navigate this unprecedented crisis we’re experiencing. For those of you who are first responders or essential personnel, thank you for all you are doing under extraordinary circumstances. And, as I sent out information a short time ago, Governor Inslee will address the public this evening at 5 p.m. You can stream the press conference live by clicking the following link (or watch directly on TVW, usually Channel 23 in the Seattle area): https://player.invintus.com/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2020041011
With more and more time spent inside, it can be quite relieving to move your body and stay active as a way to combat stress and anxiety. Getting fresh air on walks or jogs is wonderful (although please practice safe social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from others, even if you’re just passing them for a moment). However, there are also many small fitness and yoga studios throughout the County that have also been shut down.
Many of these studios have been creative in offering livestreamed classes via social media sites or Zoom conferencing to keep their members active and teachers employed. If there’s a place you’ve always thought about going, consider reaching out to see if they’re offering any online classes. It can be a wonderful way to get moving and support small, local businesses while you’re at it. If budgets are tight, YouTube also has lots of free content available to stream and access to stay moving. Most of all, have fun and stay positive.
Like many, I’m going to miss participating in the First Thursday Art Walk that would have taken place this evening. But, as we’ve seen so much during this crisis, the community is going to forge on with a virtual walk. The tour will be led by local artists and Pioneer Square gallery owners. This will be a fun way to spend the evening and appreciate great art and, if you so choose, sip on a glass of wine from the comfort of your home. Click the following link to learn more about how you can participate and see which galleries and artists will be featured: https://crosscut.com/2020/04/cultural-comment-taking-virtual-first-thursday-art-walk-pioneer-square
The rest of this e-newsletter is meant to provide you with an update on some of the other issues I’ve been working on and helpful and informative information related to the COVID-19 crisis. As always, I would like to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or comments.
All the best,
Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Latest numbers from Public Health
Public Health—Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 4/1/20.
- 2656 confirmed positive cases (up 175 from yesterday)
- 175 confirmed deaths (up 11 from yesterday)
(Yesterday’s released figures were 166 new cases and 14 deaths.)
Important Note: With the launch of a new data dashboard (www.kingcounty.gov/covid/data), Public Health no longer lists individual deaths by age and gender in our News Release. Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19 is available on the dashboard. Be sure to click the button to filter by “positive results only” to see age and gender of deaths.
Also, here is an excellent website that offers real-time COVID-19 data in clear formats, broken down by country and state: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
King County continues to reduce shelter concentrations by moving nearly 400 people to hotels
In a continuing effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus and prevent the transmission of illness through the homeless shelter population, King County has negotiated with three local hotels to serve as temporary shelter locations for people experiencing homelessness.
This is another in a series of actions King County is taking to “de-intensify” the concentration of people in shelters. This action also will allow locations to stay open 24/7, and meals will be provided. Onsite services and oversight will be provided by the shelter operators.
These are not isolation and quarantine facilities. The people who are moving are presumed to be well.
The transition to the hotel sites will happen early next week:
- The Sophia Way is moving 100 people from a shelter site in Bellevue to a hotel in Bellevue, at 625 116th Avenue NE.
- Catholic Community Services is moving 90 people from shelter sites in Kent, Federal Way and Renton to a SeaTac hotel, at 2900 S. 192nd Street.
- Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) is moving 200 people from its Seattle shelters to a hotel in Renton, at 1 South Grady Way.
King County is finalizing agreements with the three hotels. The hotels will not be open to other guests during this time.
Isolation and quarantine facilities update
Isolation and quarantine is a proven public health practice for reducing the spread of disease. Examples of people who may need this assistance include people who cannot safely isolate from a family member who is elderly or medically fragile, or people experiencing homelessness. Individuals can only be placed into the King County sites after a health professional with Public Health—Seattle & King County has determined that they need isolation or quarantine.
Thirty-three people are currently staying in King County isolation and quarantine facilities.
Special enrollment for Washington Health Plan extended
A special enrollment period is now available through April 8, 2020 to qualified individuals who lose their employer-provided health insurance. Those who are currently uninsured should contact a Navigator for help filling out an application and selecting a plan. More information on enrollment can be found here. Contact information for Navigators across the state can be found here
Resources for immigrants and refugees during the COVID-19 crisis
We are living in an unprecedented and unpredictable cultural moment. This moment calls on us to go all in for all of us. Our families and neighborhoods are stronger, safer and healthier when we come together and take care of each other in moments of crisis.
Our friends at One America have compiled a tremendous list of resources in Washington State (some in multiple languages) to ensure everyone in our communities are able to receive the care and necessities they need. This includes resources for refugees and immigrants, undocumented folks, Muslim communities, financial and health information, and even resources to stand against racism.
You can access these resources here or on the council’s www.kingcounty.gov/council/gethelp site.
Resources for small businesses
I continue to receive more information about resources to help support our small businesses during this time of economic uncertainty. Today, I received more information about resources, including coronavirus tax relief, business loans through Business Impact Northwest and through the Small Business Administration, assistance and support through several state agencies and much more. Our staff continues to gather those resources at the www.kingcounty.gov/council/gethelp site.
Additional helpful and informative links
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect ones to continue being sent out on a daily basis, sometimes more than one. Feel free to forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here.
Finally, to prevent these updates from going straight to spam or junk folders, I encourage you to whitelist these emails by adding the email address to your contacts or address book. And be sure to check your spam folder if you think you may have missed an update.
And please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns and, most importantly, be well.
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