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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope some of you were able to get out and enjoy some of our state parks that reopened yesterday, especially as we are getting into warmer and sunnier weather (apart from yesterday’s thunderstorms around Puget Sound). As a reminder, on May 8, King County is reopening its parks and trails, including regional and backcountry trails, with some restrictions. Facilities, such as restrooms, play areas, sports courts, campgrounds, and picnic shelters, will remain closed, and organized events and programs will remain suspended.
Visitors are asked to “Keep it Moving!” – meaning to use parks and trails for walking, running, riding, and rolling. No congregating in parking lots or trailheads and no team sports or pick-up games on ballfields.
As part of reopening more than 28,000 acres of parks and open space, 175 miles of regional trails and 215 miles of backcountry trails, King County is offering tips for staying healthy while enjoying the outdoors:
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Plan ahead. Be prepared to go somewhere else if your destination seems crowded. Add hand sanitizer and a mask or other face covering to your 10 Essentials.
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Keep your distance. Recreate with those in your household. Give others plenty of room, communicate who will step aside on the trail, and don't forget that trail etiquette gives hikers coming uphill the right of way.
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Stay local. Don't stray too far from home when recreating and keep rural communities safe by minimizing stops and bringing all that you'll need for your outing.
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Play it safe. Keep your activities within your comfort and skill level to reduce the risk of injury and adding to the strain on our health care and emergency services.
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Leave no trace. Take any garbage with you, including disposable face masks and gloves.
See you on the trail – from six feet away of course! Click the following link to learn more: https://kingcountyparks.org/COVID/
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 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 117 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County (6,770 total) and 7 new COVID-19-related deaths (474 total). So, a little bit of an uptick. I’m especially disappointed each day in reading on the number of deaths.
As of May 4, there were 15,594 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 862 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
 
Murray and Jayapal Town Hall Tonight
If you are reading this update before 5 p.m., I encourage you to participate in a virtual town hall hosted by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Pramila Jayapal. They will be sharing updates and take questions on the work Congress is doing to address the public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. You can participate beginning at 5 p.m. tonight by clicking the following link: www.facebook.com/repjayapal
Public Health leader recognized by UW
 We are very fortunate as a region to have great leaders Public Health leaders. The work they are doing is not going unrecognized. Today it was announced that Patty Hayes, Public Health — Seattle & King County’s Director, is receiving the prestigious University of Washington Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award. The award is presented annually by the UW and the UW Alumni Association and is the highest honor the University bestows on a UW graduate.
Educated as a nurse, with both a baccalaureate degree and master’s degrees from the University of Washington School of Nursing, Hayes leads one of the largest and most respected metropolitan health departments in the country, which is currently at the forefront of the nation’s COVID-19 response.
As a member of the Board of Health and having served as the Boards’ Chair last year, I have had the privilege of working closely with Patty. Her work during this unprecedented crisis and in her everyday role as director is nothing less than exemplary. I can say unequivocally that her work at Public Health is saving lives and as a result we are a shining example of what true leadership looks like in the wake of a pandemic. Click the following link to read more: https://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/news/release/2020/May/06-hayes-alumnus-award.aspx
Mother's Day is Sunday
Don’t forget, Mother’s Day is this Sunday. I hope that you will be able to spend this day celebrating or being celebrated. Unfortunately, Mother’s Day brunch at your favorite restaurant won’t be possible this year. But you can still order out from one of many of our region’s great culinary establishments. You can click this link to find a restaurant that delivers near you: https://seattlecitygis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=1499ec293fed4fc587e2c559099a7e64 Afterall, ordering food is both fun and a way to support our economy and local small businesses.
Also, the Seattle Times has a site where you can print out and color your own Mother’s Day cards. This is fun activity to do to pass the time while isolating with your family. Going to a store to look through greeting cards is unfortunately not the best thing to do this year. Grab some crayons and click the following link to get started: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/mothers-day-cards-you-can-color-cut-out-and-give-to-mom/
Participate in flu study
SCAN is still seeking more participation from children and adolescents, as well as among key demographic groups (Black, Hispanic, or Latinx, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander) to more accurately reflect the population of King County. Data from the Washington State Disease Reporting System (WDRS) and Public Health – Seattle & King County indicate that these groups are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, and greater representation from these groups in the SCAN study is needed to direct public health resources where they are needed most. We encourage individuals and parents of individuals who belong to these groups to enroll in the study at scanpublichealth.org.
New COVID-19 reports
The number of COVID-19 infections in King County has been on the decline since the end of March, according to two recent reports from the Bellevue-based Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM) and the Greater Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network (SCAN), a disease surveillance initiative in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County. The reports are consistent with Public Health’s COVID-19 surveillance data and together, provide complementary insights into the nature of COVID-19 transmission and prevalence across the county. To read more, visit: https://publichealthinsider.com/2020/05/01/update-latest-reports-show-covid-19-declining-infections-found-across-king-county-most-still-susceptible/.
Additional helpful and informative links
Today's moment of levity
It was only a matter of time before we figured out a way to make masks fashionable. In this case, Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, has decided that this week will be “Mask Fashion Week.” Billboards are popping up across the city featuring people wearing designer masks. Click the following link to listen to a segment from NPR about this event: https://www.npr.org/2020/05/06/851173921/mask-fashion-week-is-underway-in-lithuanian-capital-vilnius
If you make your own masks that have a unique or cool design, send a photo of them to me that I might feature in an upcoming enews.
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect these to continue being sent out daily, 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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