Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As this is Sunday, my e-news today is a somewhat shorter but our regular type will resume tomorrow. Some in my family and I are watching “The Andromeda Strain” through Zoom. A little campy as it was released in 1971 but it still is a bit relevant. I keep thinking that our daily lives now seem like we’re living in a science fiction film. I hope you’re all having some way to achieve some respite on occasion from these terribly troubling times.
Our work is not done, and indeed our public health experts expect Washington’s outbreak to peak in the coming two weeks. If we continue our course and stay responsible and thoughtful, we hopefully will begin to see this insidious tide recede. When that happens, and only when that happens, we can begin to discuss our way back to whatever new normal our world returns to, while understanding we could have a resurgence later on.
On this Sunday, a day when so many traditions from around the world ask their adherents to spend time in rest and reflection, let’s be thankful for the work we have done, and be resolute in our focus for finishing the job. Other parts of our country are beginning to take note of our example, and we can hope they will follow our lead. Let’s be sure we show them the road all the way home.
State Joins the CDC Now Recommending Face Masks
Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend that people wear cloth face coverings when they are in public settings where they cannot maintain 6 feet of distance from others.
This might include trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store, health clinic or similar places. This recommendation is not a substitute for existing guidance to maintain 6-feet of physical distance from non-household members and performing frequent hand hygiene with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Wearing cloth face coverings will not prevent spread of COVID-19 without these other protective measures. While this is not a mandate that you must wear a face covering, it is considered an additional layer of protection. Visit the Washington State Department of Health website for the full guidance document.
Blood Donors Needed to Maintain Critical Supplies
Social distancing directives have meant the cancellation of the school and employer blood drives that maintain the local blood supply, putting our local blood supply in danger of collapse.
New donors are needed now to step-up and save a life, and for donors to make this a generous and consistent habit. All types of blood are needed for cancer treatment, trauma cases, and many other situations. The process only takes an hour and actual donation time is about 10 minutes.
Routine blood donor screening methods are expected to reliably protect the blood supply, and there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronavirus.
Bloodworks Northwest is accepting donations by appointment-only in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. You can make an appointment for donation by visiting www.bloodworksnw.org or by calling 800-398-7888.
Driver License Expirations Extended 90 Days
Governor Inslee has taken action to allow the Department of Licensing (DOL) to temporarily extend the expiration dates of driver licenses. The DOL will send letters to persons whose driver license is set to expire in the next 90 days.
If this means you, you can count on your expiration date getting extended for 90 days
Latest Statistics on Confirmed Tests, Deaths, and Recoveries
As you can see from the numbers below, while Washington’s cases are not mushrooming exponentially like we see in some areas of the country and world, we are still seeing an increase every day. The loss of each one of last night’s victims of COVID-19 in King County is a tragedy for them, their family, and those who loved and relied on them.
Locally, Public Health – Seattle & King County is reporting this afternoon the following estimated positive cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through midnight last night. More details and a range of information can be found on Public Health’s dashboard.
- 3167 estimated positive cases (up 269 from yesterday)
- 208 estimated deaths (up 8 from yesterday)
You can find figures from around the world here.
“Not Touching My Face is the Hardest Thing to do!”
I recently heard a friend say those words, and it made us laugh. Truly, it is very hard to do. The average person touches her or his face 9-23 times—an hour! As I write this now, there is an itch on my chin I really want to scratch...
So how do we train ourselves to stop? Like any habit, good luck with that. But this article breaks it down fairly well.
One thing the author does not mention is a side benefit of wearing masks, a benefit some even say is reason enough to wear a mask in the first place, and that is that you cannot touch your mouth or nose when you have a mask on. Inferring from what these experts lay out in the article, it probably would not be an effective way to change your behavior, but it could certainly change the outcome of it.
Helping Our Hungry Neighbors
As this piece in the Seattle Times shows, there are many reasons that the most vulnerable among us are suffering for the lack of food like never before. The author lists many ways to help, which seems an excellent way to spend part of our Sunday evening.
Something Fun
Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a pillar of pop culture, threaded into movies and memories everywhere. A comedian did what had to be done, and did it well, and I think it will put a smile on your face and desire to harmonize in your throat.
Keep in Touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my daily update. Feel free to forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here. You can also visit my Facebook page for the latest info.
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.
Be well, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Jeanne
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