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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Gov. Inslee, in a new video posted Thursday, shared new outbreak projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and stressed the need for Washingtonians – and everyone – to continue staying home and social distancing.
Inslee discusses projections that show Washington could be at or near its peak for deaths from COVID-19, but also shows how deaths would be expected to rise again if the state did not continue to follow his Stay Home, Stay Healthy order. “Washington, you have responded to the call to stay home. That means we should have more good news to share. But know this: If we relax now, we risk undoing all the progress we’ve made together,” Inslee wrote in a post with the video.
You can watch the video here: https://twitter.com/GovInslee/status/1248319911484510208
Also, he is holding a press conference right now, which will probably last till about 4:30 p.m. or so. You can tune into TVW or click on this link: https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2020041030
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
Public Health—Seattle & King County is reporting the following confirmed cases and deaths due to COVID-19 through 11:59 p.m. on 4/8/20.
- 3886 confirmed positive cases (up 198* from yesterday)
- 258 confirmed deaths (up 14 from yesterday)
* The “new confirmed positive cases” figure we publish each day represents all new confirmed cases reported to us through 11:59 p.m. the night prior. Some of these test results were processed on days prior but were delayed in being reported to us.
Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19 is available on the data dashboard (www.kingcounty.gov/covid/data).
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
Do you have questions about COVID-19?
If you have questions or concerns, or just want some information about the coronavirus (COVID-19), Washington state has a new hotline you can call.
The state Department of Health partnered with Washington 211 on this new line to answer questions about coronavirus from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pacific time, seven days a week. Washington 211 replaces the department’s novel coronavirus call center. Callers can continue to dial 1-800-525-0127 and press # to be transferred to a Washington 211 call taker.
Washington 211 service includes trained professionals who help callers with questions about where to find more information about COVID-19 symptoms, how to get tested for the virus, how to prevent the spread of the virus, who to contact for medical assistance, forms to fill out if they meet exposure criteria and need to see a health professional, and more.
The Washington 211 call center is not able to provide clinical information or test results. For test results and other information specific to your health, contact your health care provider.
Additional helpful and informative links
Metro ridership down over 73%
Preliminary data show ridership across our system remains substantially lower compared to this time a year ago. King County Metro and health officials call on customers to reserve transit only for first-responders, medical personnel, other essential workers, and people who rely on Metro for access to food, medicine, and similarly essential needs.
Metro analyzed preliminary extrapolations to create an unofficial estimate of ridership. From March 30-April 3, the average weekday bus ridership was about 111,000 compared to 418,000 in 2019, or a 73% drop.
Click the following link to read more in a blog post by Metro Matters: https://kingcountymetro.blog/2020/04/08/covid-19-update-estimated-bus-ridership-down-over-73-latest-reduced-schedule-supports-essential-travel/
Access Paratransit available to people with disabilities, regardless of certification
Despite Metro’s service reductions, Access 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. 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. For more information on Access, click here.
COVID-19 community webinar on April 10
Tomorrow, April 10 from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m., the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is hosting a webinar as a part of a weekly series aimed at answering your questions about #SeattleTogether, mass shelters and hygiene stations, public health, domestic violence awareness, anti-hate, and other current City efforts to support communities.
This webinar is intended for agencies and community members working and living in the greater Seattle area.
- Get accurate and updated information about COVID-19.
- Hear from several City departments and government agencies.
- Participate in a live Q&A session.
Limited capacity of 250 people. This webinar will be recorded.
Here is the participation information:
Join via Skype: http://bit.ly/DONwebinar
Join via Phone: 206-386-1200 ext 720627#
To view recordings of previous webinars, please visit the department’s blog by clicking the following link: https://frontporch.seattle.gov/2020/03/24/get-connected-to-our-weekly-covid-19-community-webinars/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Today's moment of levity
Remember the good old days? This will be a “Throwback Thursday” edition of my daily moment of levity. Like many of you, I’m looking forward to things returning to normal. Who ever thought we would find ourselves wishing for an endless supply of toilet paper? Hang in there everyone and remember to laugh and appreciate the little things during this difficult time.
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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