Dear Community,
To my Black and African American constituents today: I see you. I hear you. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, experience, and policy recommendations today as part of #blackouttuesday. Dr. Rhea Boyd tweeted a powerful message, as seen in the image above. All forms of violence, from the vicious murders of black and brown individuals at the hands of law enforcement to the microaggressions people of color experience as they move through life, are a public health crisis. No one deserves to feel unsafe on a public street, in their car, on a jog, in the workplace, or anywhere, because of the color of their skin. As protests continue this week, here is an article published by Vox about how to protest safely amidst the pandemic: “How to more safely protest in a pandemic.” In addition, our own public health officials have put together this resource: “Answering questions about protests and COVID-19.”
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 50 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County (8235 total) and 3 new COVID-19-related deaths (560 total). So up from zero deaths yesterday with an overall continuation of an up and down pattern.
As of June 1st, there were 22,157 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 1,129 related deaths. (Note: We do not receive the statewide data in time each day 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
(A note regarding data sources: The graphs included below are based solely on the daily announced totals from Public Health. They do not take into account that announced cases on a given day are typically diagnosed during previous days. Corrections or adjustments by Public Health that change prior daily totals are not reflected. Moving averages ignore days where data were not available.)
   
Standing for justice as we keep our community safe from spread of COVID-19
From Public Health Seattle/King County:
In recent days, community members joined protests locally and across the country in response to the death of George Floyd and so many Black lives that have been taken through senseless, violent and racist acts. This racism and hate comes on top of the stress, burden and illness being inequitably experienced by Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color during the pandemic, the result of centuries of systemic racism.
Public Health recognizes the difficult choices that people were faced with this past weekend. Many in our community grappled with attending protests to stand up against these injustices while also wanting to keep our community safe from further spread of COVID-19.
Statements by public health leaders and answers to key questions are available at our recent blog post, Answering questions about protests and COVID-19.
Here are ways to help keep our community safe:
- Remember that physical distancing and other measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 are not all-or-nothing. Even if you attended large group gatherings, it’s just as important that you continue to stay home whenever possible, remain at least 6 feet away from others and wear a face covering when in public, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.
- People who have been at group gatherings should take precautions, understand the risks and monitor their health for 14 days afterwards. Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should get tested right away, whether they’ve been at a protest or not.
- This is an extremely difficult time for many and may place a particular burden on Black people in our community. Tending to the emotional and mental health needs of our community is an important part of public health, especially now. Witnessing this trauma repeatedly effects mental health, especially for communities of color. Check-up on friends, family and community, as well as checking in with yourself. Take a look at this blog post for more mental and emotional health resources.
 Gov. Inslee Extends Eviction Moratorium to August 1
This afternoon, Governor Inslee extended protections for renters today as COVID-19 continues to impact the finances of Washingtonians statewide. Continue reading here. The news came out as our Council Committee of the Whole was discussing legal ramifications of the eviction legislation introduced by Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay and myself. We’re still working on some new language for it.
District Four constituents named 2020 “Husky 100”
Each year the University of Washington recognizes 100 undergraduate and graduate students who are making the most of their Husky experience. The Husky 100 is made up of students from across the UW’s Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses and reflects diverse backgrounds and areas of study. This year, Misrak Tekeste and Charmila Ajmera were both named to the 2020 Husky 100.
Nominated by their peers, faculty, staff and mentors, the Husky 100 have shown true passion, leadership and dedication as a Husky. These students actively apply what they are learning inside and outside the classroom to make a difference on campus, in their communities and for the future. For more information about the Husky 100 and to see the full list of award recipients, visit the Husky 100 webpage.
Congratulations Misrak and Charmila!
 
Additional helpful and informative links
Today’s daily action
This section of the eNews has evolved from “Today’s moment of levity” to “Today’s moment of silence” and now for today to “Today’s daily action.” The social, political, and legal systems and structural practices that contextualize protests happening nationwide are complex and deep-rooted. Racism, discrimination and inequality are real and it will take work at the individual, group, organizational, government, and societal levels to make the changes that need to occur in the United States.
In this section I will share some moments of levity, inspiration and accessible daily actions to support racial equity and justice work in our region. Today’s action involves supporting Black-owned businesses. The Seattle Times put together a great list which you can check it out here. As the article states, “It seems like a small thing, but it’s an extremely meaningful one to the chefs and restaurateurs involved."
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.
-Jeanne
|
