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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you had a safe and relaxing holiday. It certainly was a different way of spending the Fourth of July, and I hope that next year’s celebration will be back to normal.
And, unfortunately, over the weekend in addition to fireworks and hot dogs, we had increasing COVID numbers across the country, including in our state and in King County, although less so than in many places. So it is still critical that we all continue taking the basic COVID precautions! The virus is not taking a break and neither should we.
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 126 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (11,140 total) and 1 new COVID-19-related deaths (591 total). This compares to the numbers from my last enewsletter on Wednesday, July 1st, when total cases in King County were at 10,356, and total deaths numbered 589. This is discouraging, but it is a call to stay on track with the Governor’s Order.
On Friday in King County, Public Health reported 251 new cases and 0 new deaths.
Statewide, as of July 4th, the state’s total confirmed cases are 35,898. Total deaths are 1,359. (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.).
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
The County Council will meet virtually tomorrow at 1 p.m., and you are welcome to join us. Full information on viewing the meeting, getting the meeting materials and providing public testimony is available here. The Council will take action on several issues, including ordinances to facilitate affordable housing; to remove discriminatory language from the County Charter; to strengthen the authority of the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight, and more.
Gov. Inslee announces new mask requirements to reduce spread of COVID-19
Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced that, starting tomorrow, businesses in Washington will not be allowed to serve customers who aren’t wearing cloth masks. The decision comes as counties across the state have seen COVID-19 infections rising, including in King County. In particular, the rate of transmission has risen significantly in the last month as more people interact with each other.
This alarming increase is a reminder that we must follow Public Health guidelines and continue to wear masks, avoid close contact with others and crowded settings, and wash our hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds. It is up to each of us to do our part and help stop the spread.
You can read more about the Governor’s order here.
Growth in King County COVID cases largely driven by young adults
According to Public Health - - Seattle-King County, “Although an increase in cases with re-opening as people come into more contact with one another is not unexpected, the marked increase in cases is signaling that we need to take steps to limit further spread that could set back our re-opening. Most of the increase is among younger people. Over half of all new cases are among people aged 20-39. Approximately 40% of cases in this age group over the past two weeks are among Seattle residents.
Also, see this Seattle Times article, “A COVID-19 outbreak on UW’s Greek Row hints at how hard it may be to open colleges this fall.”
King County’s Donations Connector helps the community fight COVID-19
The King County Donations Connector is making a big difference in our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 19, King County had collected the following donations for first responders, health care providers and others fighting COVID-19:
- More than 47,000 N95 respirators
- More than 2,000 KN95 respirators
- More than 144,000 surgical masks
- About 105,000 gloves
- More than 1,800 gallons of hand sanitizer
- More than 37,000 face shields
- Nearly 2,400 gowns
- 200 thermometers
- More than 5,300 “ear savers”
Donate or get help for your organization by visiting the King County Donations Connector for an updated list of current needs.
“Pandemic EBT” available through the state during school closures
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services is making benefits available to Washington state families, to help eligible families buy groceries while children are home from school. Called Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT (Emergency School Meals Program), these food benefits are available to families with children in grades K-12 who are eligible for schools’ free or reduced-price meal programs. The Public Charge rule does not apply to P-EBT benefits and will not impact immigration status.
The Department of Social and Health Services received federal approval to implement P-EBT and is partnering with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to distribute these benefits. More information is available here.
The 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment: tonight and tomorrow, 9 p.m. on KCTS
To mark the 100th anniversary this summer of the passage of the 19th Amendment, this two-part series tells the story of the fiery campaign by women for the right to vote, a transformative movement that resulted in the largest expansion of voting rights in U.S. history. The battle for the vote also upended previously accepted ideas about the role of women in American society and challenged the definitions of citizenship and democracy. “The Vote” will air on American Experience on Monday and Tuesday, July 6 and 7, at 9:00 p.m.
Video chat Wednesday, July 8 at 10 a.m.: Protecting residents of nursing homes from pandemics
When the first wave of Covid-19 hit the U.S. earlier this year, America failed to protect older people living in long-term care facilities. Although only 0.5% of Americans live in nursing homes, nursing home residents have accounted for a quarter of deaths from the pandemic to date. In this session, STAT (a news site about health and medicine) will gather experts from across the country to discuss how our society can introduce better policies and technologies to safeguard vulnerable people from Covid-19 and other disease outbreaks in the future.
Speakers will include medical doctors as well as researchers and advocates. You can register here.
Facebook live Q&A with William Hanage, Associate Professor Of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School Of Public Health – Tomorrow at 9 a.m.
After months of social distancing, job losses and other impacts, a surge of new U.S. coronavirus cases has prompted serious questions about how America is coping with the pandemic. Have some states reopened too soon? Have mixed messages from national, state and local leaders muddled our understanding of risk? And how prepared are Americans to continue to adhere to public health recommendations? Layered on this is the continued challenge to understand the virus itself and the race to create a vaccine and treatments to combat it. Join Harvard Chan epidemiologist William Hanage and The World’s Elana Gordon for this Facebook Live Q&A to discuss concerns about the surge as society tries to reopen. Email your questions for to theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or post them to Facebook @ForumHSPH or @pritheworld. This Q&A will stream on Facebook and on The Forum website.
RACIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE UPDATES
Does the deed to your house contain racist covenants?
In 2018, Washington State amended its law against discrimination to provide property owners a way to strike racially restrictive covenants from documents affecting the title of their properties. If your property had a racially restrictive covenant recorded in the past, you can now record a modification document with the county where your property is located.
Information for King County homeowners who wish to remove or modify this language is available here. Also, The Seattle Times ran a story on this issue last year, which can be read here. As a state senator at the time, I was pleased to be the prime sponsor of the 2006 legislation mentioned.
“A pandemic within a pandemic”
Navigating our way through this virus has been challenging for almost all of us. We now face a daily stream of decision-making that was never required before. Decisions on masks, shopping, child care, disinfecting, job security, homeschooling, visiting friends and relatives, etc. are draining, when added to the usual stressors of daily life.
However, if you’re Black, Indigenous, or a person of color, the daily risks and challenges of this pandemic are far worse than they are for white people. This fact has become increasingly clear over the last four months, and there are new data and reports to back it up. In particular, see the following recent articles:
- The fullest look yet at the racial inequity of coronavirus – The New York Times
- Stark racial disparities emerge as families struggle to get enough food – Politico (the link is live though it doesn’t show up)
- Navigating a pandemic-within-a-pandemic: coping and care for black communities – Public Health Insider blog, Public Health -- Seattle-King County
- It just weighs on your psyche: Black Americans on mental health, trauma, and resilience – Statnews.com
King County provides resources to help all of us cope during these trying times. You can download this resource guide in English, Spanish and Arabic (additional languages will be available soon). The guide includes links to helplines, crisis lines, affordable therapy options, a Washington state Counselors of Color directory, other referral services and more.
Medical bills can increase the duration of homelessness and racism makes it worse, according to a new UW study
The University of Washington recently released the results of a study that looked at the connection between medical debt and housing instability. According to the study, unpaid medical bills can extend the period of homelessness “by an average of two years.”
According to the article on the UW News website, “Participants whose medical bills had been sent to collections had experienced homelessness for an average of 22 months longer than those who hadn’t had such trouble paying bills; Black, Indigenous and people of color who were unable to pay their medical bills reported being homeless a year longer than white participants with the same financial challenge.”
Additional helpful and informative links
- How our sewage could warn us of future outbreaks of COVID-19 - The Seattle Times
- Hundreds of experts claim Coronavirus is airborne – The Seattle Times
- America’s enduring caste system – The New York Times magazine
- The post-COVID world could be better – Politico
- Put a lid on it, folks: Flushing may release coronavirus-containing ‘toilet plumes’ – The Washington Post
- A summer of protest, unemployment and presidential politics – welcome to 1932 – The Conversation
- The Seattle we knew is gone. What comes next? – Crosscut
- Heart conditions drove spike in deaths beyond those attributed to covid-19, analysis shows – The Washington Post
- Washington drivers’ license expiration date deadline extended again – Fox 41 Yakima
- Black Lives Matter message belongs in our schools – Op-Ed, The Seattle Times
- How Fauci, 5 other health specialists deal with covid-19 risks in their everyday lives – The Washington Post
- Mass transit, and cities, could grind to a halt without federal aid – Op-Ed, The New York Times
- Uppercasing Black – The New York Times Company website
- Why the descendants of confederate generals are happy to see their names go – Politico
- Parenting challenges in the era of covid-19: balancing work and kids – WNYC, The Takeaway (broadcast on KUOW-94.9 FM NPR this morning.)
- The big factor holding back the U.S. economic recovery: Child care - The Washington Post
- In the COVID-19 economy, you can have a kid or a job. You can’t have both. – The New York Times
- Let’s finish the American revolution – Op-Ed, The New York Times
- Woodland Park Zoo reopens to the public. Here's how the animals — and kids — reacted. – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
A video has gone viral, showing New York Congresswoman Kathleen Rice and others stopping traffic to allow a mother duck and her ducklings across a busy intersection. Rice responded on Twitter after she was identified in the video, saying: "Proud to serve every New Yorker, including those with webbed feet."
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. 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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