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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope many of you were able to have a restful and healthy Memorial Day weekend. The weather wasn’t ideal but there were enough breaks to allow for me to be able to get in some much-needed walks and hikes. I hope you were able to safely get out and stretch your legs, too.
This afternoon I spent my time at a virtual meeting of the King County Council. We took up a variety of issues, among which were the adoption of an ordinance outlining new sewer rates (it set a new rate at half of the originally proposed increase to lessen the financial burden on working families and small businesses), and a motion I sponsored to provide the Council’s policy priorities to the Executive ahead of time to guide our decision making regarding how to allocate funding provided by the federal government to help respond to COVID-19. You can read the motion by clicking here.
We also received a briefing from Public Health – Seattle and King County on efforts underway to combat COVID-19. Public Health Director Patty Hayes also shared a very helpful and informative PowerPoint presentation detailing some of the available data tools, testing capacity, negative impact the pandemic is having on communities of color, and more. You can view the PowerPoint by clicking the following link: https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/Council/documents/2020/King_County_coronavirus_response_council_presentation_5-26.ashx?la=en
If you were unable to tune in to today’s meeting, I will share a link in tomorrow’s update so you can watch a replay online.
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). However, I have now transitioned to sending updates only during the week unless there are major developments. 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
Public Health is reporting 17 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (7,896 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (544 total). I’m really pleased with this reduced number of new positive cases. This marks a change in total new cases since last Friday of 197. And since last Friday, the total increase in number of fatalities is 7.
As of May 24, there were 20,065 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 1,070 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
   
Myth busting help
The coronavirus pandemic has been wreaking havoc on our health, wellbeing and economy. Another dangerous side effect of the pandemic is an increase in the dissemination of misinformation. To be sure the best thing we can do during this unprecedented time is stay informed with the most accurate, up-to-date information so we can be best prepared to stay safe and health. Fortunately, the Washington State Department of Health created a fact sheet to bust common myths that are making their way around social media and other outlets. Click the following link to find out how you can avoid being fooled by misinformation regarding COVID-19: https://medium.com/wadepthealth/dont-be-fooled-by-misinformation-908622c26381
New model shows necessity of robust contact tracing and other measures to prevent resurgence in epidemic
A comprehensive program of increased testing, isolation of infected people, and contact tracing with quarantine of home and work contacts could prevent growth in the epidemic as King County gradually re-opens, according to a new modeling report by the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM).
The report also found that there was little room to increase public interaction without risk of exceeding the effective reproductive rate of 1.0, a critical threshold for preventing growth in new cases locally. This report finding signals the need for caution in reopening to avoid a return to rapidly growing infections and deaths. Click the following link to continue reading in the Public Health Insider blog: https://publichealthinsider.com/2020/05/26/results-from-new-model-show-necessity-of-robust-contact-tracing-and-other-measures-to-prevent-resurgence-in-epidemic/
Behind the barricade
 Credit: Seatte Times
Tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Seattle Times will host a virtual briefing sharing the story of how one of our nation’s first peoples tribe is navigating the coronavirus pandemic. So far, the tribe has not documented a single case of the virus in their community. The discussion will center on the Makah Nation’s decision to exercise its sovereignty and shut its borders in the remote corner of the continental U.S., to protect their people.
This is part of a series of briefings on how the Coronavirus is shaping and changing our lives, from unemployment and new business practices, to education, social distancing and more.
Reporter Lynda V. Mapes will be joined by editor Lynn Jacobson, and Isabell Ides, of the Makah Nation. The speakers will share how the story, photos and video were created in direct collaboration with tribal members on the reservation, built upon a relationship that Mapes and the tribe have been building for more than 20 years. They will also touch on how this modern-day pandemic is a reminder of the smallpox epidemic and other diseases that took the lives of most of the ancestors of today's Makah people.
At the end of the briefing, there will be a Q&A session. You can register for the briefing by clicking the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7tAjpHVYRZ2HHasayGO9hw
Additional helpful and informative links
Today's moment of levity
Today’s moment of levity is more useful info than it is funny or lighthearted. But with the weather warming up and cabin fever kicking in more than ever, I thought you would appreciate this article from the Seattle Times on fun outdoor activities you can do with the family. This has been a challenging time, but it is especially difficult for children and teens who have had their routines and social lives completely upended. The article provides lots of great tips for enjoying the outdoors close to home and getting much needed outdoor exercise. Click the following link to read: https://www.seattletimes.com/life/fun-outdoor-activities-you-can-do-with-the-family-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
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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