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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Earlier today, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that the Department of Defense field hospital set up at CenturyLink Field was being disassembled and returned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be redeployed to another state facing more need. This was a surprise to me, and I hope we do not regret this decision. But I’m hopeful it will help folks in another area of the country.
The field hospital was set up to take non-COVID-19 patients if area hospitals were overwhelmed by a surge in patients but had not yet taken in any patients. Inslee cautioned that while social distancing measures seemed to be slowing the spread of coronavirus enough to take down the field hospital, people should continue to follow state and community orders and guidelines.
“Don’t let this decision give you the impression that we are out of the woods. We have to keep our guard up and continue to stay home unless conducting essential activities to keep everyone healthy," Inslee said in a release. "We requested this resource before our physical distancing strategies were fully implemented and we had considerable concerns that our hospitals would be overloaded with COVID-19 cases. But we haven’t beat this virus yet, and until we do, it has the potential to spread rapidly if we don’t continue the measures we’ve put in place."
You can read Inslee’s full statement here.
The rest of this e-newsletter is meant to provide you with an update on some of the other issues on which I’ve been working as well as on helpful 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,
Latest numbers from Public Health
As of this update, Public Health - King County and Seattle has yet to send out an update with the latest numbers. However, the statewide figures are now available and they include information for King County. Click here to see the latest info from the Washington Department of Health as reported in the Seattle Times.
Also, and again, 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
Join a statewide conversation on healthy digital practices
COVID-19 is more than just a physical illness, dreadful as it is — inaccurate and incomplete information spreads just as rapidly around the globe, complicating efforts to contain the virus and keep communities safe and healthy. King County and the state of Washington have been at the forefront of the crisis, taking action since COVID-19 first appeared in the U.S.
I’m pleased to let you know that you can join experts from the University of Washington and Washington State University tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. for a livestream summit addressing coronavirus misinformation. You’ll have a chance to participate from home as panelists share tools and tips for concerned citizens to cut through the confusion and build healthier information practices.
Learn more and register at cip.uw.edu/coronavirus.
Emergency food access resources
Public Health – Seattle and King County has assembled an impressive array of resources for people who need help staying fed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The page, which will be continuously updated as new resources become available, includes information on food delivery, pick-up, and access in general with specific information for older adults, children, pregnant people and new moms, people without shelter, and more. It is very helpful and I recommend you forward it to people you know are in need.
You can access the site here.
Additional helpful and informative links
Access update
King County Metro has recently reduced its fixed-route service and some members of the disability community may now be more in need of transportation. Despite Metro’s service reductions, Access Paratransit is maintaining its traditional service area, hours, and days of service, and may be an option for riders with disabilities for whom fixed route is no longer available even though they are not currently certified for Access service.
Customers with disabilities who are no longer able to reach their essential destinations using fixed-route service can contact the Access Transportation Call Center at 206-205-5000 for assistance with both emergent and ongoing essential transportation needs.
- Customers with disabilities who have emergent transportation needs do not need to be currently certified for Access service.
- Those with an ongoing need for transportation will need to apply for Access service through our temporarily streamlined eligibility process.
For COVID-positive individuals who need to travel for medical care, Metro is currently working with Public Health to create a separate service using dedicated Access vehicles, bus bases, and drivers who have volunteered for the assignment. As we learn more, we will share that information with our customers and community partners.
Access has taken significant steps to protect our customers and operators in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- To promote social distancing, we’re scheduling no more than two passengers on a bus at one time and we’ve eliminated fare collection.
- We’ve issued personal protection equipment to all operators, including gloves and hand sanitizer.
- We’ve installed vehicle disinfecting sites around the county. Staff with personal protective equipment disinfect the buses between trips and operators frequently wash their hands.
- All Access vehicles are disinfected again at the end of service each night.
- Signs at all Access facilities encourage office staff to stay six feet apart.
In accordance with Public Health guidance, we ask our riders to stay home if they can and only travel if necessary. We will allow all late cancellations without penalty and ask that customers reach out to us as soon as possible.
Resources from Senator Patty Murray's office
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Small Businesses: New relief was created to help pay employees and cover operating costs. Click HERE to learn more.
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Direct Payments and Unemployment Benefits:Most individuals and families will receive a one-time cash payment from the government, as well as expanded unemployment insurance to help workers whose hours were cut or lost their jobs. Click HERE to learn more.
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Washington State Tribes:Tribes will receive federal funding to help support their response to the coronavirus crisis. Click HERE to learn more.
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Nutrition Assistance & Support:Additional support for programs to help families get nutritious food will allow more families to receive assistance. Click HERE to learn more.
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Federal Housing Support:Additional support will help families facing housing insecurity and people experiencing homelessness. Click HERE to learn more.
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Investments in Child Care:Strengthened funding will help workers afford child care, and support child care workers and providers. Click HERE to learn more.
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Investments in K-12 and Higher Education:Schools and colleges will receive additional support to continue providing meals, support distance learning, provide mental health resources, and more. Click HERE to learn more.
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Expanded Relief for Federal Student Loan Borrowers:New provisions will help hard-hit student loan borrowers by suspending payments and waiving interest. Click HERE to learn more.
- For additional information about federal grants and other resources available to individuals, families, and businesses through the CARES Act, please don’t hesitate to contact Senator Murray’s office HERE.
Today's moment of levity
It’s what we do to keep safe but it sure feels like a challenge to get masks and gloves on before heading out into the world. You’ve got to laugh at this hilarious picture. Not quite sure it will come to this, but it certainly feels like we need this much protection to stay safe. Remember to do something every day to lift your spirits and find time to laugh. Humor can be a great medicine and can help keep us grounded in difficult times.
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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