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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As I expected, Gov. Inslee will extend the current stay home order that is set to expire on May 4. Official action is likely to take place tomorrow. Inslee also said that he intends to release information on an approach to reopening our economy in a safe way. You can read more about this development by clicking the following link: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/gov-inslee-to-extend-coronavirus-stay-at-home-order-outline-phases-of-reopening-washingtons-economy/. I will be sure to send out information about when and where the Governor plans to make his announcement once it becomes available.
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 helpful information related to the COVID-19 crisis. You can now read previous updates I sent out on 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 here to visit the archive page.
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
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health is reporting 126 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County (6,308 total) and 10 new COVID-19-related deaths (446 total). So, as seems to be the pattern lately, we’re pretty much staying the course which means we’re not yet ready to get away from our social distancing and stay-at-home requirements. The main priority, I believe, is to do all we can to ensure our health and well-being while striving to get our economy going again.
As of April 28, there were 14,070 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 801 related deaths. (Note: We do not receive the statewide data daily in time to include in our daily enews.)
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
 
New risk assessment dashboard
Yesterday, Governor Inslee announced a new COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard to aid the state in gauging when and how to best lift restrictions around ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy” in Washington. The dashboard features five “dials” measuring different data points in the state. The public will be able to view the data guiding the state’s ongoing discussions on recovery planning by visiting the state Department of Health website or coronavirus.wa.gov. Click the following link to learn more: https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-rolls-out-covid-19-risk-assessment-dashboard-with-data-6bc5bc79324d
Animal services update
King County animal adoption services are temporarily suspended. Additional services that can be done online include: purchasing or renewing a pet license, obtaining information on lost pets or found pets, requesting for animal control response or pet ownership assistance. You can find out more by clicking the following link: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/regional-animal-services.aspx
COVID-19 stigma reduction
Misinformation or wrong information about the new coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, creates fear and bad actions that can bring harm to people and makes it harder to keep everyone healthy. Misinformation about groups of people or communities also can create fear and bring about harmful actions that can make it harder to keep everyone healthy. Paired together they are even more dangerous.
Misinformation about people is one part of bias. Bias is a prejudgment or prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered unfair. People of color, people with disabilities, people living without a home, immigrants, Native Americans, people who are undocumented, people who speak languages other than English, and LGBTQ communities are often negatively impacted by bias. Bias when paired with social and economic factors often results in poor health outcomes. Click the following link to learn more about what you can do as an individual to prevent, interrupt, and respond to stigma: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020COVID19/StigmaReduction
A Seattle staple closes its doors
I’m deeply saddened to learn that Bop Street Records will be closing at the end of June. This has been a District Four gem and was once recognized as one of the top 5 best record stores in the country. You can read more about this sad development by clicking the following link: https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/bop-street-records-once-named-one-of-the-5-best-record-stores-in-america-to-close-at-the-end-of-june/
Additional helpful and informative links
Today's moment of levity
From the looks of this picture, it seems this couple has had enough of social distancing together. Fortunately, my husband makes for a great isolation partner. And, when I’ve had enough of him, I always have my sweet cat Precious to keep me company. I hope you all are able to find ways to enjoy this time together and find a silver lining during this truly bizarre and unpredictable episode in time.
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect these 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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