|
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
These are difficult times. As the COVID pandemic continues, state and local governments are facing the harsh realities of the recent rapid decline in public revenue and are grappling with the implications for funding essential services.
As King County Budget Chair, I found today’s announcement of a projected $8.8 billion state budget shortfall through June 30th 2023 absolutely staggering. The County was already facing enormous financial challenges with the impact of the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the state budget is different from our county budget, it is becoming abundantly clear that we will have extraordinarily difficult choices to make in crafting our biennial budget this fall. But we will rise to the challenge and do all we can to preserve our values and equity and social justice priorities.
You can view my full statement on the budget here.
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 starting this week to sending updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 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 info from Public Health
Note: The Seattle Times just reported this evening that “Washington state’s coronavirus testing data has been wrong for two months.” According to the article, “The state dashboard has shown 13% more people testing negative since April 21 than actually have, the state Department of Health (DOH) revealed Wednesday.” We will keep you apprised of any adjustments that need to be made as the data are corrected.
Public Health is reporting 38 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (8,893 total) and -1 new COVID-19-related death (575 total). For today’s data, Public Health made changes to how it matches unincorporated areas to cities. As a result of this methodology change, it shows -1 deaths for today.
As of June 16, there were 26,784 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide and 1,226 related deaths with a total of 3,938 people having been hospitalized statewide with COVID-19.
For your information, here are the numbers from yesterday (we will be including this information as we are now sending these newsletters out only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays):
58 new positive cases (8,855 total)
2 new deaths (576 total)
11 new hospitalizations (1532 total)
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
For today’s data, Public Health of Seattle-King County (PHSKC) made changes to how they match unincorporated areas to cities. As a result of this methodology change, they show -1 deaths for today. This appears in the charts below as zero, and the -1 will be rolled into the next positive data point.
King County’s COVID-19 dashboard shows 38 new cases and -1 additional deaths today (see above for explanation).
(These graphs are based solely on the daily announced totals from Public Health, and do not reflect that daily announced cases are typically diagnosed on several previous days. Corrections or adjustments by Public Health that change daily totals are not reflected.)
   
Washington state of emergency due to COVID continues
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the extension of one proclamation in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, extending the state of emergency due to COVID. A June 15 letter from the Legislature extends proclamation 20-45, related to protection orders and personal service, until July 1. View the full proclamation here.
As this pandemic continues, I am providing once more the following links for the most up to date information:
Guidance for school reopening
Last week, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released guidance that lays a framework for schools to begin planning for what their return to school in the fall looks like. How a district reopens school will be decided in partnership with their students, staff, families, and their local health authority. While reopening is not tied to the Governor’s Safe Start Plan, districts in Phase 1 or Modified Phase 1 (King County has just applied for Phase 2 approval) must receive approval to reopen from their local health authority. “Today we are setting a path for moving forward with school activities in the summer and school reopening in the fall,” said Governor Jay Inslee on June 11. “We have been working closely with Superintendent Reykdal and his staff at OSPI, state Department of Health, the Department of Labor and Industries, and a wide range of stakeholders across the state to ensure the health of all students and educators,” he continued. More information can be found here, and the full guidance document can be downloaded here.
Which mask for which task?
 With a few exceptions, workers in Washington will need to wear a mask or face covering at work to prevent spread of the coronavirus under new workplace requirements that became effective June 8. Certain higher-risk jobs may require respirators to protect the worker from infection by patients or clients. Under the new requirements, employers must provide the face coverings and masks to employees at no charge. Workers can bring their own face coverings and masks as well, as long as they meet requirements. The new Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) guidance document, “Which Mask for Which Task?,” describes various types of jobs based on the level of risk to workers, from negligible risk to extremely high. The publication spells out which face-covering, mask, or respirator is required for that task.
Child care funding opportunity from WA State Department of Commerce
The Washington State Department of Commerce is now accepting applications for the first round of a new competitive Child Care Partnership grant program. Funding will support grants up to $100,000 each for collaborative efforts that expand childcare capacity in communities throughout the state. Organizations eligible to apply for grants up to $100,000 are: nonprofit organizations having a 501(c)(3) status; local government entities, educational service districts, and federally recognized tribes. Awards will be up to $100,000. This is the first of two application cycles and projects must be completed by June 30, 2021. A second application round is expected to open mid-August. More information on how to apply can be found here.
Racial justice information
Friday is the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth! Celebrate (virtually) at BLKFREEDOM.org
Join the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) and five other Black museums across the country for an enlightening online experience, including educational content, artistic performances, and shareable discussion prompts.
Visit BLKFREEDOM.org this Friday, June 19th at 9 a.m. PT for an exploration of the meaning and relevance of “Freedom,” “Justice” and “Democracy” in African American life. Presenters include Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; Dr. Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress; and Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., a noted educator, author, speaker and consultant on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion in educational institutions.
The people spoke - - and Metro listened
An opinion column in yesterday’s South Seattle Emerald details efforts by the Transit Riders Union (TRU) (joined by the King County NAACP, Rooted in Rights, 350 Seattle, Sierra Club Seattle Group, Greater Redmond Transportation Management Association, The Urbanist, and Puget Sound Sage) to convince Metro to stop transporting police in the midst of public protests. My Council colleagues Girmay Zahilay and Joe McDermott and I also joined with the TRU to protest Metro’s actions.
The efforts of TRU and others were successful. On June 11, Rob Gannon, General Manager of King County Metro said the following in a statement: “Our conversations and reflections in recent days remind us of the role that law enforcement has played historically in our nation and continues to represent for many within the communities we are most called to serve. It is within that frame that Metro strengthens its June 3 statement by clarifying that, under no circumstances including through the County’s Emergency Operations Center, will we provide buses to law enforcement traveling to demonstrations or protests.”
King County Board of Health meeting tomorrow; will discuss public health impacts of racism
The King County Board of Health will meet tomorrow, 6/18/20, at 1:00 p.m. The topic on the agenda includes discussion and possible action on a resolution declaring racism as a public health crisis.
The live feed of the meeting will be streaming on the Council’s website and on KCTV channel 22.
To join online:
Paste the following link into the address bar of your web browser: https://kingcounty.zoom.us/s/96172223371 to join online.
To join by Telephone
Dial: US : +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 962 3489 5499
Password: 938500
To watch or listen in to the meeting
If you do not wish to provide public comment, please use one of the options above to watch or listen to the meeting.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Why does coronavirus kill some people and spare others? - The Washington Post
- Flushing the toilet may fling coronavirus aerosols all over – The New York Times
- UW reinvents summer research, internships during COVID-19 – UW News
- How exactly do you catch COVID-19? There is a growing consensus – The Wall Street Journal
- Emissions Are Surging Back as Countries and States Reopen – The New York Times
- Fear of Public Transit Got Ahead of the Evidence – The Atlantic
- King County calls for cities to drop lawsuits against police inquest process – king5.com
- Washington families get help to buy food during school closures – Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- The End of the Hotel Breakfast Buffet – Eater
- Coronavirus Cases Rise Sharply in Prisons Even as They Plateau Nationwide – The New York Times
- Acting DHS Secretary Wolf’s Statement on Extension of Non-Essential Travel Restrictions with Canada and Mexico – Department of Homeland Security website
- Percentage of Black residents in Seattle is at its lowest point in 50 years – The Seattle Times
- King County applying for Phase 2 of coronavirus reopening — here’s what would change – The Seattle Times
- Dexamethasone Reduces Coronavirus Deaths, Scientists Say – The New York Times
- Seattle protests are barely spreading COVID-19 — so far - Crosscut
- FDA cautions pet owners about infecting their pets in new video – CNN.com
Today's moment of levity
According to this article on the Good News Network, “a new study from researchers at the national veterinary school in Alfort, outside Paris, trained 8 Belgian Malinois shepherds to identify the smell of COVID-19 in the sweat of infected individuals. The dogs’ overall success rate was near-perfect, correctly guessing an average of 95% of samples. Four dogs successfully identified a positive COVID sweat sample 100% of the time.”
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my update. You can expect these to continue being sent out now three times a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – but sometimes more than once in a given day. And, if the need arises, I will send them out on a Tuesday or Thursday as well. 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.
|
