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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you and your family are doing well and staying safe. I’d like to reiterate the need for precautions over this July 4th weekend. As I mentioned on Monday, news reports show that a burst of social activity over Memorial Day weekend did indeed result in a surge of cases. And as you’ll see below, in an update from Public Health--Seattle & King County, the daily average number of cases in our county has more than doubled in the past two weeks, driven largely by increasing cases in young adults.
The New York Times reports today that “Health officials are urging Americans to scale back Independence Day plans after virus case levels reached disheartening new highs on Tuesday, with eight states setting single-day reporting records.”
So this weekend, please take the warnings about masking up, hand washing and physical distancing seriously. As always, staying home (when feasible) is the safest way to go. (And note that as this Friday is a holiday, we will not send out our enews that day.)
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, including racial justice, as well as helpful information related to the COVID-19 crisis. You can read previous updates I have sent out on an archive page so you can find any information you may have missed. 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,
COVID 19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update Public Health is reporting 149 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (10,356 total) and 3 new COVID-19-related deaths (589 total). This is discouraging, but it is a call to stay on track with the Governor’s Order.
Yesterday in King County, Public Health reported 127 new cases and 0 new deaths.
Statewide, as of June 30, the state’s total confirmed cases are up from 32,824 to 33,435, an increase of 611 cases in one day. Total deaths are up from 1,332 to 1,339. (Note: We do not consistently receive the statewide data daily in time to include in our daily update.)
Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19, as well as on rates of hospitalization, is available on Public Health’s data dashboard. And, 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
(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.)
   
RACIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE UPDATES
Equity Impact Awareness Tool for COVID-19 quarantine and recovery sites
In response to community concerns, the County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice partnered with Headwater People to create an Equity Impact Awareness Tool to guide and support King County Facilities and Maintenance Division and Real Estate Services as they are reviewing and recommending potential sites for COVID-19 Quarantine and recovery.
The intention of this tool is to ensure King County decision makers are aware of the potential for significant impact to communities of color who are least likely to recover from the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
Community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 outbreak and some response measures put in place to keep Washingtonians healthy, such as social distancing and closure of businesses, have affected communities’ abilities to meet their basic needs. The impact is especially acute in communities of color, due to longstanding inequities they already experienced prior to the outbreak.
To better understand the needs of King County residents, particularly in communities of color, Public Health Seattle & King County staff interviewed 16 people who have been providing services and supporting our community in the course of the COVID-19 epidemic. They were asked what were the needs of individuals and families that had emerged or been exacerbated with COVID-19. (Note: these consultations took place in early May 2020, and thus preceded the nationwide uprising that followed the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.)
The responses are organized into the following seven areas: Food Security, Housing, Employment, Information And Awareness, Health Care Access, Mental Health Care and Internet Access.
To learn more about these community challenges, visit the Communities Count website.
Gov. Inslee announces funding for rent assistance, tribal recovery efforts, small businesses and non-profits.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced that Washington has distributed $365 million in federal funds this week to help with COVID-19 in the state of Washington including $351 million from the CARES Act fund and $13.5 million from FEMA. To date, the state had distributed more than $950 million in federal COVID-19 relief and federal response funds.
This week’s distributions include $163 million to the state Department of Commerce to help populations hit hardest by the pandemic, including:
- $100 million to give rental assistance to low-income renters at risk of becoming homeless by using an existing framework that sends payments directly to landlords;
- $20 million to provide grants to small businesses, support local economic development organizations that give assistance to businesses and support data-driven recovery plans by region and industry;
- $20 million to provide operating grants for non-profit organizations that are working to address disparities and inequities exacerbated by increased need and funding shortfalls due to COVID-19, many of which include community and youth development programs;
- $20 million to help tribes with pandemic recovery efforts.
You can read more about it here (https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-funding-rent-assistance-tribal-recovery-efforts-small-businesses-and)
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Public Health issues COVID-19 warning to King County residents
Public Health – Seattle & King County yesterday posted a warning about the increasing number of cases in our county. According to Public Health, “Two weeks of sharp increases in COVID-19 cases in King County point to a concerning sign that our community is moving in the wrong direction to contain the virus. The daily average number of cases has more than doubled in the past two weeks, from an average of 40 daily cases in mid-June to 87 daily cases the week of June 21.”
Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County, said, “The recent increase in COVID-19 cases is very concerning. Increasing cases and risk for acquiring COVID-19 in our community threatens the hard-earned progress we made during the stay-at-home order. This virus is as smart as ever and we need to be as well – the risk from COVID-19 remains serious.” Read the full posting from Public Health here.
According to this Seattle Times article, the increase in cases does not appear to be driven by recent protests, most of which took place outdoors.
Remember – mask up when you’re going to be in any indoor public space, and if you’re going to be outdoors and unable to maintain physical distancing. More information on wearing masks can be found here.
Face masks and hand sanitizer available for community and faith-based organizations
King County purchased 25 million cloth and disposable face masks and will be partnering with Cities, Chambers of Commerce, Unions, Schools, Community Organizations, Transit Agencies, Councilmember Offices, and other key stakeholders to get cloth and disposable masks out to King County residents. Please fill out this form if you are a community-based organization, non-profit, labor union, or religious institution in order to place an order for cloth and disposable masks, as well as hand sanitizers. (In order to be eligible to receive PPE supplies, you must be distributing them from within King County.) As one of the nine Councilmembers, I will be receiving 24,000 cloth masks to distribute within District 4. They will come in boxes of 500 each so we’ll have 48 boxes of them on hand! We’re working on getting them out to community organizations to distribute so please let me know if your organization has a need.
Face coverings and children
Many parents and guardians worry about keeping their kids safe while following the state face covering mandate. Children 5 and over are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings, and parental guidance and modeling this behavior is one of the best ways to normalize this practice. Here’s a good resource and some FAQs about this topic: https://publichealthinsider.com/2020/06/25/face-coverings-and-children/
Update on Metro and Sound Transit – some fare collection to resume
As of today, the Sound Transit Express bus begins charging a $3.25 flat fare (while Metro fares remain suspended). Metro-operated and all other Sound Transit Express bus service – as well as Link and Sounder trains - resume charging full fares, while other Metro service continues to operate with suspended fares and some service reductions.
Additionally, transit riders are reminded that Metro service will operate a Sunday holiday schedule on Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day.
While regular Metro service continues to operate without charging fares, most of Metro’s regional transit partners have begun reinstating fares. Check with individual service providers for details.
And while some previously reduced Metro service was restored on Monday, June 22 - including on the King County Water Taxi, Water Taxi shuttles and the Via to Transit pilot at Othello, Rainier Beach and Tukwila International Blvd stations - some service reductions remain in effect, as do guidelines for wearing masks, maintaining 6 feet of distance from others, rear door boarding for most riders, coach capacity and other safety measures.
For further explanation and more information, visit Metro’s website.
Small business assistance program
King County is now accepting applications for small business grant awards for small businesses other than those in Seattle as they have been able to apply for grants from the City. However, King County is providing $5,000 grants to all chambers of commerce (or equivalent organizations) throughout the County, including in Seattle, as long as they have under 15 employees. We believe all of these groups have already been contacted but the deadline to sign up is tomorrow, July 2. Contact Shannon Harris at shannon.harris@kingcounty.gov or Michael Jacobson at michael.jacobson@kingcounty.gov for further information.
The application period for the small business grants opened on Friday, June 26 and runs through Friday, July 10. Businesses that receive awards will be reimbursed for up to $5,000 in expenses such as rent, utility payments, or payroll. Please visit the Small Business Assistance Program webpage to learn more about the program. The webpage and materials are available in 8 additional languages: Amharic, Chinese, Khmer, Korean, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, and Vietnamese.
Point-in-Time count estimates a five percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, newly updated data dashboards reveal more people receiving shelter and services
King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan released the final report for Count Us In, the annual Point-in-Time count for Seattle and King County that found a total of 11,751 people experiencing homelessness countywide. The report counted 6,173 people (53 percent) sheltered and 5,578 people (47 percent) unsheltered. This represents an overall increase of five percent.
“As a region, we have worked hard to create more 24/7 shelters that are connected to onsite services to help people regain health and stability," said Executive Constantine. "Looking ahead, we must continue to strengthen our response to homelessness beyond merely a place to sleep, but also providing the safety, dignity, and supports people need to build permanent pathways out of homelessness. That work must also ensure that we serve Black, indigenous and other communities of color who are disproportionately represented in the homeless population. We must always do better."
For more details, read the press release here.
An update on the Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) Program
The Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) Program administers the emergency 9-1-1 telephone system in King County. The office helps provide 9-1-1 service to the entire county, including all cities and unincorporated areas.
The E-911 program has been working with a local wireless carrier on a new effort to better route wireless 9-1-1 calls using device-based location. This is a very important development as it allows for much more accurate caller location at the time the call is placed. In turn, this allows for more accurate call routing, and promises to save significant time when it is needed most.
The office is partnering with the Federal Government on a pilot project to quickly identify potential cyber security attacks on our 9-1-1 systems.
E-911 staff have also been working with vendors to implement further cost containment measures and have already found significant savings.
Reminder! Use 9-1-1 responsibly. Call only if you need an emergency response from police, fire, or medics. For non-emergencies, call your local police or fire department or other appropriate agency.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists are trying to understand why. - The Seattle Times
- VIDEO: Coronavirus: Six months that changed our world – BBC.com
- Live: Seattle police clear CHOP protest zone – The Seattle Times
- Americans more anxious about coronavirus, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows, as U.S. cases surge - Reuters
- The New Normal: Lesson planning for a pandemic - Crosscut
- Hollowed out public health system faces more cuts amid virus – Seattlepi.com
- Washington state prison reports 220 confirmed COVID-19 cases – The Seattle Times
- Inside Amazon’s Kent fulfillment center, a proving ground for the company’s coronavirus response – The Seattle Times
- How the Duwamish River defined Seattle — and could again - Crosscut
- Washington state may need federal loans to cover unemployment claims by year's end – The Seattle Times
- Black-owned businesses have seen increased support amid protests. But will that be enough? – KUOW
- Fauci says U.S. could reach 100,000 virus cases a day as warnings grow darker – The New York Times
- Live updates: U.S. infections surged nearly 50 percent in June, and July 4 celebrations are looming – The Washington Post
- Seattle police clear protest zone after flares of violence - Reuters
- Atatiana Jefferson: 'Why I will no longer call the police' – BBC.com
- Seattle Aquarium reopens, with coronavirus restrictions in place. Here's what it's like. – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
Check out this absolutely amazing a capella rendition of the song “Stand Up” from the movie Harriet, with images from the civil rights movement and the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Performed by the Douglas family. The group’s name is “DGLS,” which stands for “Do Good. Love Someone.”
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates, which I’m now sending out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - - and sometimes more frequently. Note that as this Friday is a holiday, we will not send out our enews that day. 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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