|
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The County has officially declared today King County Caregivers Day. Caregivers are an essential part of our lives, our economy and our health care system, yet their importance is too often unrecognized. More than one in five Americans has provided paid or voluntary care at some point in the past year. Up to 75% of caregivers are female and more than four out of five are people of color. The County helps provide resources and support for adults and their caregivers. See this page for more information.
I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. As Monday is Labor Day, we will not be sending out the e-newsletter that day. We’ll be in touch again on Wednesday the 9th. Speaking of Labor Day, I recommend this op-ed in today’s Seattle Times: Labor Day 2020: A life-and-death fight for worker rights.
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 158 new positive cases of COVID-19 (20,073 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (732 total) as of this afternoon. The number of new hospitalizations is 7 (2,249 to date). Of the 14,802 cases in which race and ethnicity information is available, 5,648 of those are white and 9,154 are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
Yesterday, Public Health reported 96 new positive cases of COVID-19 (19,915 total) and 1 new COVID-19-related death (730 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 3 (2,242 total).
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of yesterday, September 3rd, the total number of positive cases was 76,335. Total number of deaths statewide was 1,953, and total hospitalizations were 6,848.
Detailed information about demographics of those who died from COVID-19, including by age and gender, as well as on rates of hospitalization, is available on Public Health’s data dashboard.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
New analysis of COVID-19-associated deaths in King County
Public Health—Seattle & King County (Public Health) just announced the results of a new study analyzing COVID-19 associated deaths in King County. The study found that although deaths due to COVID in the County have slowed dramatically since the early peak of the outbreak in April, COVID still ranks overall as the 6th leading cause of death (following cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, cancer, dementia and sepsis).
The report provides information about the overall count of deaths associated with COVID-19 and the toll the virus is taking on particular segments of our community, including older adults and some communities of color.
The full summary report on the study is available here: Summary Report on Deaths Associated with COVID-19.
A school year shaped by a pandemic
 Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash
Today is the first day of school for the majority of students in Seattle Public Schools. We’re facing a school year unlike any we’ve known in the past, as teachers, administrators, parents and students grapple with the challenges of remote learning.
Public Health has put together a toolkit providing guidance and resources for K-12 public and private school and district staff. This guidance is intended to supplement WA Department of Health K-12 Schools Fall 2020-21 Guidance and Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction resources with local contact tracing and COVID-19 response guidance.
Additional guidance and articles about this unique school year:
- How will Seattle-area students cope with a return to online schooling when pre-COVID school was such a lifeline? – The Seattle Times
- Learning pods: back to school decisions during a pandemic – Best Starts for Kids Blog
- Frequently asked questions about schools and child care during COVID-19 – King County webpage
- Washington students surveyed their peers. Here’s what their answers tell us about online learning, socializing and mental health – The Seattle Times
- Guidance and resources for schools and child care from King County
- Drive safely in school zones, even if schools are using distance learning – Public Health Insider Blog
School-Based Health Centers to open this fall, available for vaccinations and other services
Health centers will open at 34 schools in the County this month to provide health services for students – including flu shots and other vaccines – even when the instruction is online. Some School-Based Health Centers offer routine primary care, including vaccinations, as well as mental health counseling. Several even have dental services. Seasonal flu vaccine will also be available.
The health centers serve any student enrolled in the participating school districts. They operate at 27 Seattle Public Schools, including all high schools and middle schools, along with a number of elementary schools. Five additional centers serve students in the Bellevue, Highline, Renton, and Vashon school districts. The centers are independent clinics based inside schools or on school campuses, staffed by health professionals. Two new centers will be opening this fall, at Lowell Elementary and at Nova High School in Seattle. See this article from Public Health for more information.
VIDEO: How to protect yourself from coronavirus that can linger in the air
 Researchers say airborne transmission is possible, especially in cramped indoor settings. NPR reports on recommendations for lowering your risks.
King County Latinx Community Response: Weekly webinars in Spanish, Tuesdays from 5 - 6:30p.m.
The COVID-19 Latinx Community Response team hosts community-led weekly meetings with the Spanish speaking community presented entirely in Spanish via Zoom and Facebook Live. These meetings, Con Confianza y En Comunidad (with trust and in community), are an opportunity to receive information and updates about King County’s COVID response to the community, as well as having community members provide feedback, share identified needs, resources, concerns and identify solutions while building trust and supporting one another. Con Confianza y En Comunidad meetings are Tuesdays from 5-6:30pm and everyone who speaks Spanish is welcome. You can keep up to date on special guests, topics and the Facebook Live recordings at Condado de King’s Facebook event page for Con Confianza y En Comunidad.
COVID-19 public health recommendations in Spanish available here. (COVID-19 Recomendaciones de Salud Pública)
For Black lives to really matter…
- For Black lives to truly matter, we must go beyond pervasive pronouncements – The Seattle Times
- For Black lives to matter in WA, Skyway has to matter – Op-Ed by my County Council colleague Girmay Zahilay - Crosscut
King County Sheriff issues apology to family of Tommy Le
At Wednesday's meeting of the Council’s Law and Justice committee, Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht offered an apology to the family of Tommy Le, who was shot and killed by a Sheriff’s deputy in 2017. See this article in The Seattle Times.
Child care assistance and resources
 Photo by Segun Osunyomi on Unsplash
- Emergency child care for essential workers – King County
- Health promotion and disease prevention information for child care facilities throughout Seattle and King County – King County
- Getting help paying for child care – Washington State Dept. of Children, Youth and Families
- UW’s Human Resources department also has a list of child care resources, including financial support.
- Child care assistance program – City of Seattle
Metro service changes coming on September 19th
 Beginning September 19th, Metro will implement certain service improvements for south King County, and make other adjustments and reductions across the county. For more information, see the announcement from Metro here. An overview of the service changes is available on Metro’s service change webpage.
For customers whose route remains suspended or canceled, Metro transit planners have developed a list of travel alternatives.
As we reported in Wednesday’s e-newsletter, Metro is implementing new safety innovations, including plexiglass partitions and installing mask dispensers on the busiest routes. For more information, see this item in Metro’s blog.
Metro operates a Sunday schedule on Labor Day, Monday, September 7th. Most Metro and King County offices are closed on Monday.
Council’s Committee of the Whole meets Tuesday, September 8th at 1 p.m.
As Monday is Labor Day, we will not be sending out our regular e-newsletter that day, so wanted to let you know about this upcoming meeting of the Committee of the Whole. In addition to legislation up for briefing and possible action, the agenda will include an update on our COVID-19 response from Patty Hayes, Director of the County’s Public Health Department; Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief Medical Officer; and Dwight Dively, Budget Director. The meeting is virtual and the public is welcome. Click here for information on how to access the meeting and to view the agenda and meeting materials.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and this year it comes at a particularly difficult time for many people in our community. A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that 1 in 4 people aged 18-24 has had suicidal thoughts in the month preceding the survey, which was conducted in June. Behind that statistic are people experiencing racism, worrying about their jobs, and feeling the pandemic’s threat to their health. It is clear that these unprecedented times are having profound impacts on the mental health of people of all ages.
Together we can play an important role in de-stigmatizing mental health by talking openly about it. We can help one another by checking in on one another. Effective and compassionate resources are available for you, a loved one, or a colleague, 24 hours a day, and many people have found hope and support through them:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Connections helpline: 866-4CRISIS (427-4747), a 24-hour crisis line
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with trained crisis counselors about anything that’s on your mind. Free, 24/7 and confidential.
- For immediate crises, call 911 right away.
Please join me: District 4 Virtual Town Hall, September 17th from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
 I’ll be joined by the County’s Budget Director Dwight Dively, Director of Community and Human Services Leo Flor and Public Health Director Patty Hayes. We’ll be discussing the County’s biennial budget, COVID-19, social and racial justice and more. (County Executive Dow Constantine’s biennial budget proposal will be transmitted to the Council on September 22nd at which time we will begin the budget process, planning for a final Council vote on it on Nov. 17th.) You’ll be able to watch the event live on my Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/CMKohlWelles. You can submit questions for my guests and me ahead of time by emailing my staff at clara.manahan@kingcounty.gov. Hope many of you can join us!
Additional helpful and informative links
- Gov. Jay Inslee announced the extension of 26 proclamations in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The extensions were approved by the state Legislature. – The Seattle Times
- Apocalypse: Now what? Is it safe to eat out now? - Crosscut
- Study provides way to more accurately measure impact of COVID-19 response on air pollution - UW School of Public Health News
- Can you contract the coronavirus from surfaces and through ventilation systems? – The Seattle Times
- New ventilation system at Sea-Tac: Breathe easy @SEA – Port of Seattle news
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Is your hand sanitizer safe and effective? – Mayo Clinic News
- Large antibody study offers hope for virus vaccine efforts - The Seattle Times
- Study provides way to more accurately measure impact of COVID-19 response on air pollution - UW School of Public Health
- International Community Health Services CEO Teresita Batayola talks about immigrant health and social justice during COVID – South Seattle Emerald
- UW teams up with regional first responders on mask decontamination - UW Mechanical Engineering Department news
- Discover Washington: Family daytrips near Seattle – The Seattle Times
- Seahawks launch voter resources webpage- Seahawks announcement/webpage
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo from We Got This Seattle/Crosscut
Crosscut reports on an inspiring story of a Seattle organization stepping up to help essential workers. “In early March…Ellen Kuwana, a science communicator in Seattle, read about the scientists working overtime to process COVID-19 tests at the University of Washington’s virology lab. The researchers worked around the clock and, with restaurants closing to comply with shutdown orders, the scientists often went hours without eating.” Kuwana dropped off a pizza to help out, and that delivery “…became the first of hundreds she’s made for We Got This Seattle, a nonprofit organization that uses donations to purchase food from local restaurants for frontline workers. The group has delivered 18,000 meals to grocery stores, homeless shelters, fire stations and nonprofit organizations — and the virology lab, which it still supports.” Thank you, Ellen, volunteers, and meal providers for all your inspiring work!
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 we will not be sending one out next Monday, which is Labor Day.) Feel free to forward them to others who can subscribe by clicking here. And you can click here to visit the archive page where you can find all of my previous enews updates.
|
