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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you and your loved ones had a restful, peaceful and healthy weekend. For those of you on the front lines of this crisis, whether you are a medical professional, a bus driver, grocery clerk or delivery person – we will not forget the hard work you are doing for us every day. And for those of you who may be sick or have someone important to you who is sick, my heart goes out to you and I will do everything I can with my power as an elected leader to promote policies aimed at ending this crisis and getting people help.
I’m deeply saddened to have learned that one of our Metro operators passed over the weekend from COVID-19. My thoughts are especially with her family and colleagues during this difficulty time. Please remember to take transit for essential purposes only. And, if you must ride, please wear a mask or other facial covering and gloves.
As a reminder, the Committee of the Whole will be meeting tomorrow at 1 pm and the motion that Councilmember Zahilay and I have co-sponsored calling on our state and federal leaders to impose a moratorium on rent and mortgage payments will be heard. The agenda and information on how to provide public comment on agenda items are both available at the following link. https://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=8373&GUID=DBDD01CF-0071-4CAC-9D67-10AA605E2DCF. We will be offering a striking amendment with some changes that reflect concerns we have heard.
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. You can now read previous updates I have set out. I have put together an archive page so you can find any information you may have missed. I have been sending updates every day since March 1 (sometimes more than one in a day). Click the following link to visit the archive page: https://www.kingcounty.gov/council/kohl-welles/News/eNewsletters/covid-enews.aspx
As always, I would like to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or comments. You can call me at 206-477-1004 or you can reach me by email at jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov.
All the best,
Latest numbers from Public Health
As of this update, Public Health is reporting 121 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County (5,293 total) and 14 new COVID-19 related deaths (360 total). I’d been hoping these would be lower, but we seem to be hovering between 7-14 a day increase in fatalities with a low of 4 a couple of days ago. Also, there are now 12,085 confirmed cases statewide and 652 related deaths.
Sadly, an individual with COVID-19 residing at King County’s Kent isolation and quarantine (I&Q) facility passed away overnight. The man in his 60s was found unresponsive on the morning of April 20 at 9 a.m. during a routine check by medical staff. The individual was living homeless and had arrived at the Kent facility on Friday, April 17th. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will be investigating the death.
King County I&Q facilities are for individuals needing a place to stay while having suspected or confirmed COVID-19 illness. Each individual receives care and monitoring by medical professionals.
Also today, Public Health – Seattle & King County announced 112 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among people living homeless or working in homeless services sites. This includes three confirmed deaths, including the aforementioned resident at the Kent isolation and quarantine facility. You can click the following link to learn more: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/news/2020/April/20-covid.aspx
Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19 are available on Public Health’s data dashboard. And, interestingly, you can click on your zip code to learn of the number of “positive” cases and fatalities where you reside.
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
False information on social media
Weekend headlines were dominated by what I believe to be irresponsible—albeit small and widely ridiculed—protests that occurred at state capitols across our nation, including our own.
Like I am, you’re probably wondering how these could possibly be happening given everything we know about this horrendous disease and its high rate of contagion. It looks like that in addition to a pandemic, we are experiencing an “infodemic” of misinformation, rumors, and outright falsities.
We need your help to push back and spread the life-saving facts of this crisis. Consider the following as you scroll through the headlines on social media.
Who is presenting this information? Are they from a government agency? Someone with a political agenda? Someone trying to sell something? Who else is spreading this information? Is this information available from multiple credible sources?
What is the information? Is it a fact or someone’s opinion? Is money being requested? If I click on the story, does the information given there support the headline? Or was the headline more sensational than true?
Where did I find this information? The popularity of a website is in no way connected to its credibility. Is this site run by a university or government agency? What do I find out when I google the organization running this website?
When was this information first published? What we know about COVID-19 is changing so quickly that information and public health recommendations now are different than just a couple weeks ago. Are you looking at the most recent information?
Why was this information published? How does the author want to make you feel? Are they trying to elicit fear or outrage? Some situations are scary or outrageous, but people who are trying to deliberately spread misinformation rely on emotions like fear and outrage to prompt others to forward false information.
Factual and helpful information waits for you on the state’s web portal, on the Department of Health website, or on the CDC website. You can also visit the King County Council’s Get Help site, where you can find a wide array of financial resources for individuals, families, and small businesses.
Cash assistance for non-citizens
Citizenship status is not an eligibility requirement for Washington State disaster cash assistance! All families and individuals, especially those in under-served communities, are in need of assistance right now more than ever and deserve this crucial help.
The disaster Cash Assistance Program (DCAP) is a state program. It is normally used to help low-income families following natural disasters, but the State has made an emergency change to the WAC to allow funds to be used during the pandemic.
This policy change will provide assistance for one month to Washington families and people without children who are not eligible for other cash programs and who meet the income and resource limits of the program. People can apply for assistance by calling the Customer Service Contact Center at 877-501-2233 or by applying online at WashingtonConnection.org.
Flood control grants
The King County Flood Control District announced today the availability of $3.35 million in grant funding for projects that reduce the impact of flooding.
To qualify for funding, projects must provide a flood reduction benefit so that it directly addresses existing or potential flooding. Projects that achieve multiple benefits are encouraged. Typical projects might include:
- Addressing surface water overflows and flooding from creeks and lakes due to outflow blockage or undersized/failing culverts or pipes.
- Clearing clogged agricultural drainage systems.
- Improving inadequate or failing stormwater systems that are causing flooding or slope instability.
- Addressing flooding of roads due to increased stormwater runoff.
- Assessing existing conditions as part of the creation of a lake management district.
The Flood Control District is specifically interested in reaching homeowner associations, non-profit organizations, schools, special purpose districts, tribes, cities, towns, and agencies in King County.
There is no cap on the individual award amount. Past grants have ranged from $11,000 to $400,000. Matching funds are encouraged but not required.
Expenditure of the funds must be completed no later than 36 months after signing the grant agreement. More information about criteria, eligibility and application assistance can be found at kingcountyfloodcontrol.org. And, if you hadn’t known, all King County Councilmembers are Supervisors of the Flood Control Board of Supervisors.
Additional helpful and informative links
Today's moments of levity and inspiration
Who knew 2020 would be the year of toilet paper? I certainly didn’t. While some people are having a tough time finding this precious commodity, this creative video maker made a pretty neat Rube Goldberg machine using toilet paper. Looks like a good way to pass the time in isolation. However, I kind of with they would share the wealth. Either way, you got to laugh and it’s important to do so during this difficult time. Click the link to enjoy (and you can skip the ad): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-kffqzfJx8
Also, check out the KUOW COVID-19 blog for an inspirational story about private pilots flying much needed medical supplies to rural hospitals in Washington: https://www.kuow.org/stories/live-blog-updates-on-the-coronavirus-epidemic-in-washington
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 mark this email address as a “safe sender” 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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