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I hope you’ve been continuing to stay safe and cautious, as we all adjust to this new normal. As you’ll see below, yesterday’s County Council meeting was quite productive, with several proposals headed to the November ballot for voter approval.
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 113 new positive cases of COVID-19 in King County today (11,319 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (598 total) as of this afternoon. Total case numbers in King County (where race information is available) break down as follows: Of the total 8,634 cases where race and ethnicity information is available, 3,494 of those are white; 5,140 are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
On Tuesday in King County, Public Health reported 66 total new cases and 5 new deaths. So the positive tested cases are up but fortunately the deaths are fewer in today’s results.
Statewide, as of July 7th, the state’s total confirmed cases are 37,941. Total deaths are 1,394. (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
This Saturday, 2 – 5 p.m.: NAACP and Public Health offer a free Mental Health Day
NAACP and Public Health - - Seattle & King County are hosting a free Mental Health Day this Saturday, July 11th for communities impacted by COVID-19 and police violence. This is an opportunity to access services in person or online, either for mental health counseling or to find more information on available services.
If you’d like to attend in person, the event will take place at the Emerald City Community Seventh Day Adventist Church, 801 25th Avenue in Seattle. The public can take advantage of FREE 30 minute sessions with mental health providers & FREE COVID-19 testing onsite.
Online remote sessions with mental health providers will also be available at the same time, this Saturday, July 11 from 2 – 5 p.m. You can sign up for online sessions by emailing Norilyn.DelaPena@kingcounty.gov.
Community Response Fund helps alleviate COVID impacts on communities of color
As has been shown, COVID-19 has a disproportionate impact on communities of color. As an example, yesterday’s numbers from Public Health Seattle & King County showed a total of 8,535 cases (where race information is available). Of those cases, 3,462 are white. The remainder - 5,073 – are attributed to Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
In response, the Council has allocated $3 million in our first three COVID Emergency Budgets to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by the County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice.
In addition to funding much-needed translation of public health information, the fund has also provided grants to community-based organizations serving high-risk communities. For example, the Community Network Council received funding to serve more than 2,400 hot meals to families and senior citizens, provide boxes of produce and other items such as diapers to families, and provide resource referrals to community members in the Kent area.
The next round of funding for these grants to community-based organizations will be available soon. To apply, please visit this page. Additional information on COVID resources is available in a range of languages here.
Video: America reckons with racial injustice
View this video on NPR, which examines the history of policing and asks, ‘How did we get here?’ Historian Khalil Gibran Muhammad argues that the history of policing in America is intertwined with systemic racism.
How wildfires make COVID even more dangerous
As Public Health - - Seattle & King County included in a recent posting, “As a result of climate change, we should be prepared for more frequent and larger wildfires during Pacific Northwest summers. The summer forecast is for drier, warmer weather than previous years, and there have already been a record number of small wildfires across western Washington this year.”
According to Public Health, “Wildfire smoke may increase the severity of symptoms for people with COVID-19. COVID-19 can make it much harder to breathe. Poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke may make it even harder for people to fight COVID-19 since both have the potential to affect the lungs, and other overlapping parts of the immune system. Many people most susceptible to COVID-19 are also those most vulnerable to the impacts of wildfire smoke.”
This was reiterated in a New York Times article today, which quotes Sarah Henderson, senior environmental health scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control: “ ‘When your immune system is overwhelmed by particles, it’s not going to do such a good job fighting other things, like viruses,’ [Dr. Henderson] said.”
A study by the University of Washington, released in March, found that wildfire smoke poses mortality risk to some in Washington state. Read the article in the UW’s The Daily here.
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Gov. Inslee extends Safe Start proclamation, issues facial coverings guidance
Gov. Jay Inslee announced the extension of the Safe Start Proclamation until August 6. This extension clarifies the interaction between Safe Start and Department of Health Secretary John Wiesman's facial coverings order. It includes:
- The Yakima County business prohibition is extended statewide: No business may operate, allow a customer to enter a business, or conduct in-person business with a customer in any public setting unless the customer is wearing a face covering (as required, and with the exceptions outlined, in Order of the Secretary of Health 20-03;)
- Individuals are prohibited from entering a place of business without wearing a face covering (again, per Order of the Secretary of Health 20-03); and
- Employers must notify the employer’s local health jurisdiction within 24 hours if the employer suspects COVID-19 is spreading in the employer’s workplace, or if the employer is aware of 2 or more employees who develop confirmed or suspected COVID-19 within a 14-day period.
The governor also announced additional clarification today for restaurant and taverns in Phases 2 and 3. This comes as more counties move forward under Washington’s Safe Start recovery plan.
Under this guidance, bar-style seating and live music are hereby prohibited in Phase 2 and Phase 3.
Additionally, restaurants and taverns in Phase 2 or beyond are now permitted to resume self-service buffets, salad bars, salsa bars, and other similar communal food sources and drink stations, subject to business adherence to safety standards.
Full list of current reopening guidance.
Mayor Durkan proposes renewal of Seattle Transportation Benefit District
Mayor Durkan has transmitted legislation for a six-year renewal of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District, with a 0.1 percent sales tax.
You can read about the proposal here and read the full text of the legislation here. Metro posted this item about the proposal on its blog, MetroMatters. The County Council will have to vote on this at our July 21st meeting in order for it to be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.
Join us: Virtual town hall Monday, July 13 on advancing law enforcement reforms
In November voters may have the chance to vote on a proposal to change the County Sheriff from an elected to an appointed position. Join my colleagues, Councilmembers Dembowski, McDermott and Zahilay and me for this Facebook Live conversation next Monday from noon – 1 p.m. The link is facebook.com/kingcountycouncil.
The ordinance (2020-0205) will be heard in next Tuesday’s (July 14th) Committee of the Whole virtual meeting at 1 p.m. There will be an opportunity for public comment. Information on joining the meeting, providing comment and accessing the agenda and other meeting material can be found here.
Seattle/King County Continuum of Care (CoC) looking for new Advisory Committee members
The CoC is part of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). It is made up of a broad coalition of stakeholders, including people with experiences of homelessness, service providers, representatives of culturally specific constituencies, funders, the faith community, researchers and universities, health care providers and others.
Interested applicants can find additional information including background details, the application form, and the current CoC Charter at the following link: http://allhomekc.org/committees/coordinating-board/#advisory-committee-membership
Applications are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, July 26, 2020
County Council approves key legislation
At yesterday’s Council meeting, several items were approved and moved forward, including amendments to the County’s Charter to facilitate the building of affordable housing, remove discriminatory language, and increase the authority of the Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. All will be on the November ballot for voter approval. The Council also approved additional testing and protections for County Public Health workers and amended labor policies relating to civilian oversight of the sheriff's office. The agenda and other material from the meeting can be found here.
 Save the date: Best Starts for Kids (BSK) virtual summit: August 18-21
Best Starts for Kids is a voter-approved initiative (2015) to help put every baby born and every child raised in King County on a path toward lifelong success. Save the date (again!) for the first annual Best Starts for Kids Summit: Communities Building Impact. It is going virtual so participants will gather together online from August 18-21. August 17th is an additional preview day! (If you previously registered for the Best Starts Summit, no need to register again.)
BSK programs invest in prevention and early intervention strategies that promote healthier, more resilient children, youth, families and communities. It is considered the most comprehensive approach to early childhood development in the United States, starting with prenatal support, sustaining the gain through teenage years, and investing in safe, healthy communities that reinforce progress.
Best Starts for Kids is making research based on the latest neuroscience available to all parents and caregivers so that every child and youth in our region has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Please share this invite with your partners, colleagues and friends! Stay tuned for an official invitation and registration link soon.
For more information about the Best Starts for Kids Summit email BSKSummit@kingcounty.gov.
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) begins construction on new facility on South Lake Union
SCCA will be beginning construction on its South Lake Union campus to add a new six-story, 150,000 square-foot outpatient cancer treatment clinic to expand capacity. For more information, see the SCCA’s Facebook page here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- List of Black-owned restaurants in or near Seattle – The Stranger
- Universities slam Trump administration rules barring international students – The Boston Globe
- For reliable customer access as businesses reopen, paid on-street parking will resume July 13 at the lowest rate – City of Seattle DOT Blog
- Coronavirus: Spanish study casts doubt on herd immunity feasibility – The BBC
- With coronavirus and car-tab hits, Seattle pitches scaled-back tax for bus funding – The Seattle Times
- King County considers canceling transit worker raises amid pandemic – The Seattle Times
- How blood type may affect your coronavirus risk – NBC News
- Agonizing lag in coronavirus research puts pregnant women and babies at risk – ProPublica
- Starting a covid-19 'social bubble'? How safe sex communication skills can help – NPR
- CDC's list of symptoms for COVID-19 grows – The Seattle Times
- EPA approves two Lysol products for use against COVID-19 – King 5
- WHO acknowledges 'evidence emerging' of airborne spread of COVID-19 – Reuters
- Washington state coronavirus hospitalizations on the rise, but still far below peak – The Seattle Times
- Restaurants struggle with patrons who refuse to wear masks and won't tip – Today.com
Today’s moment of inspiration
According to this BBC article, a project in the Colombian city of Medellín, called “Love in the time of Coronavirus” is providing some much-needed comfort during these times – from one stranger to another. Read about this anonymous letter exchange, organized by the city’s libraries. “When the letter arrived at Daniel Guzmán's doorstep, it provided him with a glimmer of hope during one of the hardest moments of his life.”
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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