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Disclaimer - The previous version of this update had an error in the police accountability section. This has since been corrected. Here is the updated copy of today's update:
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you are staying healthy - mentally, emotionally, and physically – during these trying times. Our communities are being challenged on multiple fronts, but I continue to feel hopeful by the acts of amazing generosity and compassion I’ve seen over the past several weeks.
Please join me tomorrow for the County Council meeting that will take place virtually at 1:00 p.m. We will take up a variety of items, including a public hearing on the County’s Comprehensive Plan and action on a motion on recommendations from OLEO, the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, for reform at the King County Sheriff’s Office. (This is not a new motion, rather one that was delayed from last February when we had to cancel our standing committee meetings due to the Coronavirus pandemic onset. And I will be informing you tomorrow of a potential special meeting of our Law and Justice Committee later this week on issues relating to law enforcement tactics.)
Click the following link to read the meeting agenda and find out how you can provide remote public testimony: https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/Council/agendas/Council/20200609-council-packet.pdf
You can stream the meeting live by clicking this link: https://livestream.com/accounts/15175343/events/4485487
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
Public Health is reporting 42 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (8,507 total) and 1 new COVID-19-related death (567 total). These numbers compare to 56 new cases (8,333 total) and 2 new deaths (564 total) since last Friday’s numbers.
As of June 7, there were 24,041 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 1,161 related deaths. (Note: We do not receive the statewide data daily in time to include in our daily update.)
Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19 is 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
Lastly, here is an updated list of places open for COVID-19 testing: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/news/2020/May/~/media/depts/health/communicable-diseases/documents/C19/community-health-center-testing-locations.ashx
(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.)
   
Coronavirus: "If this were a baseball game, it would be the second inning."
That’s according to Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, as quoted in The New York Times in this June 2 article.
As the virus continues, we’re constantly learning new information. The Atlantic magazine recently published two important articles (they are providing free access to their Covid coverage). An article published today declares “America Is Giving up on the Pandemic.” Another important story, entitled, “Covid-19 Can Last For Several Months,” describes the challenges faced by people who have come down with mild or moderate symptoms, which in some cases have continued for many months.
It’s up to all of us to continue to be vigilant. Seattle-King County Public Health has an excellent blog post on how to stay safe as we begin reopening the economy.
Participate in protests? City asks you to get tested
The City of Seattle is asking those who have participated in recent protest gatherings and marches to get tested for Covid. As mentioned previously, the City has added two free testing sites, and is including this alert on its testing information page: “ALERT: If you attended recent protests you should assume you have been exposed. You are strongly urged to get tested for COVID-19, even if you are not showing symptoms.”
Police tactics and an 'Extraordinary Moment'
 Photo: Crosscut
Like many of you, I’ve been distressed by some of the tactics used by police here in Seattle against peaceful demonstrators, especially in the middle of a pandemic. I firmly oppose the use of tear gas, pepper spray, chokeholds, flash grenades and other militaristic tactics against peaceful protestors.
Yesterday I, along with three of my Council colleagues as well as many other elected officials, sent a letter to that effect to the Seattle Mayor and Chief of Police.
And I encourage you to read a highly informative column in yesterday’s Seattle Times that helps explain how we’ve arrived at this moment: How a history of racism, police brutality and a pandemic led to an ‘extraordinary moment’
Community forum tomorrow: Challenges and solutions for low-income renters
Imagine Housing, a housing assistance organization based in east King County, is holding a community forum with Imagine Housing residents. Join in tomorrow evening, Jun 9, 2020 at 6:00 PM. Register at https://tinyurl.com/IHTU-townhall.
Today's moment of levity
 Photo: Seattle Times
I am continually amazed by the dedication and ingenuity of our community members as they pitch in to help their neighbors. The Seattle Times continues its coverage today of those who are stepping up to help, including a metal sculptor in Montlake, a chef who is organizing Little Free Pantries and refugee artists putting their skills to work making masks and face shields. Read it here: Still stepping up: Checking in with Seattle-area residents continuing to help during coronavirus.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Grief that takes our breath away – The Seattle Times
- The New Normal: When your lab becomes a center of hope in a pandemic – Crosscut
- How to safely have a repair person in your home when something breaks during coronavirus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Need fresh air while coronavirus social distancing? Seattle outdoors folk suggest these hikes without the crowds – The Seattle Times
- Tips for Video-Chatting With Young Children – National Association for the Education of Young Children
- U.S. Senate and House Members Propose Police Reforms - Politico
- CDC revises website: Virus not easily spread from surfaces or animals - The Seattle Times
- Seattle man shot trying to keep car from plowing into protesters - The Washington Post
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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