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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I don’t speak German, but I’m guessing that the sign shown above is telling people to stay two meters -- or about the distance of one bear -- apart. However you measure it – the length of one bear or six feet – the combination of physical distancing and mask-wearing is thought to be extremely effective in keeping you and those around you safe.
I also want to remind you that the County Council is on recess until next Monday, August 17th. Though I am available during this time (not about to travel during this time of the pandemic), it may take a bit longer to get a response if you call or email my office as some of our staff are taking well-deserved time off as well. I’m trying to get a lot of hiking in but am keeping close watch on my email. In addition, we will only be sending out the e-newsletter on Monday and Wednesday this week.
The rest of this e-newsletter includes 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 148 new positive cases of COVID-19 (16,749 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (676 total) as of this afternoon. The number of new hospitalizations is 15 (2,043 to date). Of the 11,978 cases in which race and ethnicity information is available, 4,701 of those are white and 7,277 are Black, Indigenous and People of Color. The bottom line is we’re continuing with some up and down but pretty much the same numbers instead of lowering them.
Yesterday, Public Health reported 129 new positive cases of COVID-19 (16,601 total) and -1 new COVID-19-related deaths (a data adjustment, 674 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 3 (2,028 total). On Saturday, Public Health reported 200 new positive cases of COVID-19 (16,472 total) and 5 new COVID-19-related deaths (675 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 7 (2,025 total).
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of Sunday, August 9th, the total number of positive cases was 63,647. Total number of deaths statewide was 1,697, and total hospitalizations were 6,049.
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
   
COVID UPDATES
Breaking: Inslee issues guidance for agricultural events, updated guidance for indoor fitness and religious and faith-based services
The Governor has just issued new guidance as part of Washington's Safe Start phased reopening plan.
Agricultural events: These guidelines apply to livestock and horse exhibitions/shows/sales/auctions, companion animal (dog, cats, rabbits, etc.) shows, or any substantially similar event.
Inslee also released additional FAQ clarification related to indoor fitness guidance. The FAQ expands on guidance released August 3 and is effective today. The updated FAQs clarify guidance for larger indoor fitness and training facilities where adequate social distancing and sanitation protocols can be followed. In all cases, individuals are encouraged to exercise outdoors whenever possible.
Additionally, Inslee issued updated guidance for religious and faith-based services. The guidance, which reduces restrictions for some religious and faith-based services, is effective today.
Inslee announces updated guidance for long-term care facilities
 The plan, which the Governor announced last Thursday, gives providers, residents and families direction for visitation and other activities.
NEW VIDEO: What to expect at a County Isolation and Quarantine Center
 King County continues to offer community members a safe place to isolate, quarantine and recover from COVID-19. A new video shows what guests can expect.
Having a safe place to isolate or quarantine away from vulnerable family members, group settings or if someone is without a home, is critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19. King County’s Department of Community and Human Services quickly stood up centers throughout the County at the onset of the pandemic for this reason, and in partnership with Public Health—Seattle & King County, continues to operate and care for community members who need a place to isolate or quarantine.
If you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 and are awaiting a test result or tested positive for COVID-19 and need a comfortable place to stay, King County’s isolation and quarantine centers are here for you.
Advice on pregnancy and childbirth and support for infants and toddlers during the pandemic
 The Best Starts for Kids blog has two timely articles for parents of young children and parents-to-be. I recommend these two articles for important tips and resources to help your family during this time:
- Pregnancy and Childbirth During the Pandemic: 10 Things to Know
- Early Support for Infants and Toddlers Services During COVID-19
Improving access to child care during the pandemic
 As the Council’s Budget Chair, I’m working with County Executive Dow Constantine to add funding to our next COVID Omnibus Emergency Budget to provide much needed assistance for child care programs and providers in the County. Child care providers are facing added demands, as many locations have not been able to stay open during the pandemic, and many schools are opening with remote learning only. See this article from The Seattle Times: Hobbled by 1,000 closures, Washington’s child care industry thrust into de facto teaching.
Also, see these COVID-related resources from the County:
- Emergency Child Care for Essential Workers
- COVID-19 Resources for Schools and Child Care
JUSTICE UPDATES: RACIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Tomorrow at noon PT: Video & Storytelling Workshop for BIPOC youth
 In preparation for the upcoming Indigenous Youth Video Contest, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) is hosting a Video & Storytelling Workshop on Zoom tomorrow from noon – 1 p.m. PT. Register here for the workshop.
The workshop is open to all, but will especially benefit BIPOC youth. Organizers will review the Indigenous Youth Video Contest -- submissions due by September 7th, see below -- before moving into the workshop. Participants will learn skills to help envision the storyline, utilize the equipment they already have, get started with video editing, and brainstorm creative ways to compile videos within the limitations of COVID-19. There will be open Q&A at the end for specific questions.
This workshop kicks off ATNI’s Indigenous Youth Video Contest (submissions due Sept. 7th – see rules on registration page), which seeks to explore the impacts of climate change through the eyes, experiences and passions of Indigenous youth.
To register for the workshop and for more information on both the workshop and the video contest, see this page.
Tomorrow at 9 a.m. PT: Facebook Live Q&A with Jocelyn Kelly, Director, Gender, Rights and Resilience, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
 How has the pandemic changed places in the world already made fragile from violence or deprivation — places of armed conflict or refugee settlements, for example? How are women — often responsible for the bulk of caregiving — particularly affected? And how can we ensure equitable access to vaccines and therapeutics, once available, within the world’s most vulnerable communities?
Jocelyn Kelly, director of the program on Gender, Rights and Resilience at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, will take your questions during this Facebook Live Q&A with The World’s Elana Gordon. Email your questions 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 and is presented jointly by The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and The World from PRX & WGBH.
Port of Seattle launches grant program to help South King County communities
The Port of Seattle just launched the first cycle of the South King County Fund, established to develop equity-based partnerships and provide resources and support to near-airport communities. The Port has pledged $10 million dollars in funding between now and 2023 with $1 million available for 2020. The Fund’s first grant cycle will focus on supporting regional recovery from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grants will support communities most deeply impacted by the current economic crisis through projects connected to Port-related industries, including aviation, maritime, construction trades and green career industries. More information is available here.
Website provides array of resources on racial equity
The Racial Equity Tools website is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.
OTHER UPDATES
Climate change is a bigger disaster than coronavirus: Bill Gates
 View this recent interview on Bloomberg News with Bill Gates, who explains why climate change is a bigger disaster for the world than coronavirus. Gates speaks to Bloomberg's Emily Chang.
Public Health seeking applications for providing food security assistance services: Due August 21st
As part of the Food Security Assistance Program funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) is soliciting applications for three project areas:
- Distribution of Food Vouchers
- Distribution of Culturally Appropriate Foods
- Increasing Infrastructure Capacity
Applicants may apply for any or all project areas. Applicants need to submit only one application no matter the number of project areas selected. View the full Request for Applications here.
Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on August 21st. Completed applications should be submitted to cpres-CDIP@kingcounty.gov. For more information, see this page.
Dancing during a pandemic
 Photo by Matt M. McKnight for Crosscut. A pop-up performance of 'The Way It Is' by local dance company Whim W'Him in Seattle's Seward Park, August 3, 2020.
In recent articles, Crosscut has documented the variety of ways dancers are managing to find audiences – and keep dancing – through the pandemic. See these articles:
- Seattle parks become stages for pop-up dance performances
- With social distancing, Seattle ballroom dancers have to go it alone
- Seattle drive-in dance event is part scavenger hunt, part performance
Additional helpful and informative links
- University of Washington forecasts 300,000 U.S. COVID-19 deaths - Reuters
- Researchers created a test to determine which masks are the least effective – CNN (A must-read!)
- 11 cases of rare COVID-19 related condition in children in Washington state - DOH News Release
- Interconnected: The Latino community calls for action amid high COVID-19 rates - The Seattle Times
- Coronavirus cases are surging. The contact tracing workforce is not - NPR
- Need to get somewhere amid the COVID-19 pandemic but nervous to fly? Here are some alternate means of travel - The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 prevention? How to separate science from partisanship – NBC News
- How COVID-19 is affecting younger people in Washington state, and which social activities are most risky - The Seattle Times
- CU Boulder pumping more outside air into classrooms in bid to thwart COVID-19’s spread – The Denver Post
- Why Black workers will hurt the most if Congress doesn’t extend jobless benefits - The New York Times
- You can get books from the Seattle library again – Seattle Met
- Even asymptomatic people carry the coronavirus in high amounts – The New York Times
- Mask myths busted: Yes, they work. No, you won't suffocate. Here's what you should know. – The Seattle Times
- Pandemic purgatory: How the coronavirus fight is going in Washington, six months after the first COVID-19 diagnosis in the U.S. - The Seattle Times
- Washington state to create $40M fund for undocumented workers hurt by pandemic – Crosscut
- HIV vaccine design strategy holds promise for COVID-19 – UW News
- Experts predict what life will be like after a COVID-19 vaccine arrives - HuffPost Life
- ‘I was a little scared’: Inside America’s reopening schools – The New York Times
- Canada's last fully intact Arctic ice shelf collapses – Reuters
- New U.S. Postal Service chief warns of 'dire' finances as quarterly loss narrows – Reuters
- Washington, D.C.’s NFL team changed its racist mascot. Now, a push for change in Washington state schools. - The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
CNN: Seattle artist draws portraits of refugees to illustrate the struggles of immigrants
 Photo from CNN: "Taghreed," one of Karisa Keasey's paintings of refugees included in her book, "When You Can't Go Home."
According to this report by CNN, Seattle artist Karisa Keasey first became aware of the global refugee crisis six years ago when learning about the civil war in Syria. Inspired to change the way people viewed immigrants and refugees, the 30-year-old wrote a book based on the stories of refugee survivors who were able to reach the United States.
Her book, "When You Can't Go Home," consists of 10 stories of refugee families who have resettled in the Pacific Northwest following years of hardship.
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. Although, as a reminder, we will not be sending an enewsletter out this Friday, August 14th, due to the County Council recess. Feel free to forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here.
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