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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer of Public Health - Seattle & King County, held a remote press conference this afternoon. In referencing the recent surge of positive cases in King County, he stressed the need for all of us to adjust our thinking about this virus and our individual behavior. Dr. Duchin emphasized the fact that unless and until there is a safe, effective and widely available vaccine, each of us is at risk of contracting COVID-19 and/or spreading it to our loved ones. He said the number of actual positive cases is likely to be approximately ten times higher than the testing numbers show, and emphasized the fact that people without any symptoms at all can still spread the disease.
Dr. Duchin stressed once again the need to limit our exposure to people outside our immediate households, particularly in indoor spaces, and never without a mask. He said mask-wearing is essential whenever we are in a public setting. (Along with hand washing, physical distancing and staying home whenever possible.) He also said this virus will be with us for a long time.
See this article in U.S.News & World Report: Coronavirus model decreases death projection as mask wearing increases.
The rest of this e-newsletter includes additional updates on the COVID-19 crisis and other issues. And you can click here to visit the archive page where you can find all of my previous enews updates.
As always, I would like to hear from you. You can call me at 206-477-1004 or you can reach me by email at jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov.
All the best and I hope you are staying safe.
COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting 213 new positive cases of COVID-19 (14,047 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (638 total) as of this afternoon. The number of new hospitalizations is 28 (1,866 to date). Of the 10,156 cases in which race and ethnicity information is available, 4,062 of those are white and 6,094 are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health, as of Thursday, July 23rd, the total number of positive cases was 50,824. Total number of deaths statewide was 1,495, and total hospitalizations were 5,301.
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 where you can click on your zip code for the number of “positive” cases and fatalities where you reside.
And, see newly added data dashboards track COVID- 19 on homelessness data, updated weekly on Thursdays, and syndromic surveillance data, detailing emergency department visits and hospitalizations, updated weekly on Wednesdays.
Real-time COVID-19 data broken down by country and state: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
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
   
COVID UPDATES
Gov. Inslee announces new restrictions on certain activities in effort to slow spread of COVID-19
As you may have heard, yesterday the Governor announced rollbacks to the state’s guidelines regarding certain activities. The changes target activities that data have shown provide a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure.
“We do not take these steps lightly. We know every prohibition is a challenge for individuals and business owners,” Inslee said during a press conference yesterday. “But we know that if we fail to act, we expose people and businesses to even greater risk down the line.”
For more information, see the official announcement at the link above, and see these articles:
The Seattle Times: Inslee tightens restrictions on bars, restaurants, weddings as Washington COVID cases rise.
Seattle PI: New rules come with new phase mandates: What you can and can't do in Seattle
From the Washington state Department of Health: We did it before; we can do it again: Remember how we flattened the curve?
Gov. Inslee extends moratorium on evictions
The governor also announced yesterday that he is extending the current moratorium on evictions through October 15th. The order was set to expire August 1st. According to this Seattle Times article, the Governor is convening a work group of landlords and tenants to consider further changes to the order.
What’s going on with school reopenings?
 Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
As you may have heard the Seattle School District, as well as other school districts in King County, announced on Wednesday that schools will reopen for online classes only in the fall.
Next Wednesday, July 29th from 4:30 – 5:30 PT, Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau will join two other panelists for a conversation about what to expect as schools re-open this fall. The panelists will explore the logistics of going back to school, and the implications for equity in education, for student health, and for education in Washington State.
The conversation will be hosted by Washington State Wire Virtual Conversations and City Year, and is free and available to the public. Please register here to participate.
In addition, please see the following timely articles on the topic of reopening schools:
- How Education May Become Another Casualty of the Coronavirus - Time
- What the science says about reopening schools: Experts call for nuanced approach, based on data – GeekWire
- The self-inflicted damage of the world's closed schools - Politico
And what about the UW?
UW President Ana Mari Cauce issued this update Wednesday regarding plans for the fall, including the fact that the university is considering increasing on-line instruction. She stated, “If we do need to scale back in-person instruction, it will be disappointing for all of us. But we, of course, remain wholly committed to ensuring our students can continue their academic progress. We appreciate that faculty, instructors and support staff continue to raise the bar and develop new ways of delivering instruction through high-quality online coursework, academic advising, student services and community-building activities. We also appreciate that clarity regarding changes to course modalities is essential to planning, and we will provide more definitive guidance, including a revised course schedule, about the degree to which instruction will be online or in person no later than Friday, Aug. 7.”
JUSTICE UPDATES: RACIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The impact of COVID-19 on King County inmates
King County operates two adult facilities – the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle and the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent – and one youth facility, the Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle.
When the coronavirus took hold in our community, the County acted quickly to reduce the number of people in custody at its correctional facilities. The goal was to provide single bunks for everyone in custody as advised by Public Health, and to give Jail Health Services staff more room to isolate people who are at a higher risk of severe complications.
However, there have been unintended consequences, as Crosscut reported today. According to the article, “… within the jail, the term “social distancing” takes on a weightier meaning than in the outside world. It’s not quite solitary confinement, but attorneys say their clients are routinely spending 22 hours a day or more alone in their rooms.”
This is certainly disturbing. The County Council eliminated the use of solitary confinement with youth in 2017, since there are ample data that show the damage it can cause. The unintended consequence of increased isolation is, however, also a problem outside the population of incarcerated persons. Senior citizens are especially at risk during this time.
For more information on how King County is handling the coronavirus within its correctional facilities – including statistics on testing and case numbers among inmates – see this webpage.
OTHER UPDATES
Council approves my amendment requiring gun stores be at least 500 feet from schools
As part of the update today of the County’s Comprehensive Plan, the Council approved my amendment requiring a 500 foot distance between new gun stores and schools. Any new businesses selling firearms that have open hours and signs or advertising would fall under the requirement. Businesses established before June 30 would not be impacted.
The hard truth is there is little we can do at the county-level to enact thoughtful measures pertaining to firearms and gun violence because of federal and state preemptions. But we have to be creative. When the recreational use and sale of marijuana was legalized at the state-level, we added buffer zones to help ensure children and youth would not have easy access to the drug – for their protection.
I sponsored this amendment under the same principle. If we consider it a priority to protect our kids from marijuana establishments, we should do the same for gun stores – especially considering that guns are a greater public health threat in our county.
To view the materials from today’s meeting, please see this page.
The Council approves amendments to County Charter: Will be on November ballot
The Council has approved seven amendments to the County Charter, all of which will appear on the November ballot for voter approval. The amendments include a proposal to allow the Council to establish the duties of the Sheriff’s Office, and to make that position an appointed rather than elected one.
The Council also passed a motion declaring racism a public health crisis. To view the materials from today’s meeting, please see this page.
County Executive’s State of the County address: “We have to seize the opportunity of this crisis to create real, lasting, positive change.”
In his tenth State of the County, Executive Constantine outlined the region’s historic challenges and changes, and announced new actions in human services, the criminal legal system, and the environment.
Working together with the King County Council, King County continues to fight the coronavirus and implement a response to the public health crisis of racism. In his address, Executive Constantine highlighted key successes and community strengths, and laid out a vision for the year ahead.
To view the entire address – or to read a transcript – please see this page.
Additional helpful and informative links
- What is pooled testing for COVID-19 and how can it help fight the virus? – Reuters
- When I was 12, John Lewis talked my mom into letting me march with him - The Washington Post - Perspective Column
- Federal agents sent to Seattle area; Mayor Durkan seeks assurances they won’t crack down on protesters – The Seattle Times
- Can masks save us from more lockdowns? Here's what the science says – NPR
- Judge rules Seattle media companies must hand over unpublished protest images to police - The Seattle Times
- Washington state expected to get millions more for parks, forests as Congress approves conservation bill – The Seattle Times
- How the U.S. compares with the world’s worst coronavirus hot spots – The New York Times
- 'Tsunami' of evictions feared as extra $600 unemployment payments end - NPR
- Federal agents confirmed in Seattle — but no one knows where – South Seattle Emerald
- Mayor Durkan announces free street closure permits available for restaurant and business operation during pandemic – SDOT blog
- New study will help guide Washington's COVID-19 response – UW News
- FEMA sends faulty protective gear to nursing homes battling virus – The New York Times
- The NIH is preparing to launch a “flurry” of large clinical trials to test new approaches to treating COVID-19 – Stat News
- FDA says at least 75 brands of hand sanitizers may be toxic – The Washington Post
- Seattle opposes arrival of federal police as unnecessary escalation - Reuters
- Coronavirus: Why are Americans so angry about masks? The BBC
- Five big ideas to narrow the racial wealth gap - Forbes
- Rabid bat found on the sidewalk near the corner of Ballard Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW in Seattle – Public Health Insider blog
- Self-swabs for COVID-19 comparable to in-clinic detection – UW News
- Video: 'Enough is enough': Why businesses are defying lockdowns – The BBC
- ‘Eagle’ gets a makeover at Olympic Sculpture Park - Crosscut
Today’s moment of inspiration
New Orleans musician offers kids trumpets for guns
 Photo by Chris Bair on Unsplash
According to this AP article published in U.S. News and World Reports, musician Shamarr Allen, who lives in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, is offering kids trumpets in exchange for guns. Allen told news agencies that he has a 9-year-old son and started the project the day after another 9-year-old boy was shot and killed. Allen says several musicians have agreed to offer free virtual lessons to kids who get the trumpets.
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates, which I’m 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 safe.
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