COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health is reporting as of this afternoon:
- 65 new positive cases of COVID-19 (21,533 total)
- 1 new COVID-19-related death (753 total)
- 11 new hospitalizations (2,324 to date)
It is possible the recent lower figures may have been influenced by some of the testing stations being closed because of the very bad air quality outside. But, hopefully, the lowered numbers will continue!
And please note, we are making a few changes to the way we present the COVID-19 data, partly based on feedback from our readers. We have been reporting on the demographics of new COVID-19 cases, emphasizing the disparate impact of the pandemic on historically marginalized communities. However, different communities are obviously impacted very differently by COVID-19. Most notably, the rate of infections in the Hispanic / Latinx community dramatically exceeds the rate in other groups. We’ve decided that the most reliable way to present this information is to link directly to the demographic details for that day’s updates. The demographics page also breaks down new infections by age and gender.
However, currently the link will take you first to the overview page (we'll see if that can be corrected!) so after landing on that page you will need to get to the “Demographics” page. Here’s how: After clicking on the link, scroll down until you see the header “Public Health – Seattle & King County COVID-19 Outbreak Summary.” (You’ll see the King County logo to the left of the header.) Above and below that header are five tabs. Click the tab for “Demographics” and you’re there. We’ll let you know as soon as there is a direct link available, and would certainly appreciate your feedback on this change.
Yesterday, Sunday, September 20th, Public Health reported 60 new positive cases of COVID-19 (21,459 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (748 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 0 (2,313 total). On Saturday, September 19th, Public Health reported 95 new positive cases of COVID-19 (21,399 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (748 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 0 (2,313 total).
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of yesterday, the total number of positive cases was 82,848. Total number of deaths statewide was 2,055, and total hospitalizations were 7,296.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
DOH: COVID-19 risk remains high in Washington state despite decreasing activity
The DOH yesterday released the latest statewide situation report (pdf), which includes results as of September 15th. The report shows an overall decline in COVID-19 cases in western Washington and a plateau in eastern Washington, with significant differences from county to county.
Additional report findings include:
- The reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) was close to one in both western and eastern Washington as of August 29th which is very good news.
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These overall trends also differ by age. The recent increase in cases among 18 to 24 year olds in eastern Washington was driven by an outbreak in Whitman County. In western Washington, there is a moderate increase in cases among people age 1 to 17 and 25 to 39. Because increased disease activity in younger populations tends to spread into older and more vulnerable groups, these trends are cause for concern.
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Risk remains high throughout the state. Because the vast majority of the population does not have immunity to COVID-19, an outbreak can quickly spread through a community and into the most vulnerable populations.
For details on these findings, please see the report here. DOH partners with the Institute for Disease Modeling, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington and the Microsoft AI for Health program to develop this weekly report. More COVID-19 data can be found on the DOH website and in the state’s risk assessment dashboard.
Gov. Inslee updates guidance for agritourism
The Governor today announced updated guidance for agritourism activities. Effective immediately, all agritourism activities in Modified Phase 1 counties are allowed to operate under Phase 2 guidance.
The guidance covers activities such as animal viewing; hay/wagon/train rides; children’s play equipment/games; and private firepit/bonfires.
Census deadline is September 30th: Pop-up events and day of action this Wednesday, September 23rd
 The deadline for completing and submitting your information for the census is September 30th. The participation of all King County households is critical to the future federal funding and services for our region. Census data are the basis for allocating billions of dollars in funding to counties and other local governments and determine how many representatives a state has in Congress.
Several events will take place this Wednesday, September 23rd to assist residents with the census.
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and Make Black Count/ 2020 Census are holding a day of action to help people submit their census information. The event will feature free food, masks, sanitizer, COVID testing and assistance with the census. It starts at 4 p.m. this Wednesday, September 23rd at 3455 S. 148th street in Tukwila.
In addition, the City of Seattle is also hosting “census pop-up events” at four locations in the city this Wednesday, with translation services available. The events will be located in the Lake City (languages available: Spanish, English), Chinatown International District (languages available: Cantonese/Mandarin + Cham, English), South Park (languages available: Spanish, English), and Rainier Beach (languages available: Vietnamese, English) neighborhoods.
City of Seattle Community Liaisons will be available to answer questions, help with filling out the Census, and will be giving away face coverings and census swag. Click here for details on exact times and locations.
You may also be interested in this Seattle Times article: How the 2020 census fights racial and economic ‘invisibility.’
To fill out your census form online, click here.
Also, here is some additional information on the census from King County:
- 2020 Census Toolkit
- King County Census Data Map
- Census resources and background
Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day!
 Voting has never been more important. It’s also never been easier. Register to vote or update your registration information today at VoteWA.gov.
For more information on registering, voting and returning your ballot, please see the County’s Election Department website.
Reminder: Tomorrow Executive Constantine will deliver his biennial budget address to the Council
County Executive Dow Constantine will present his proposed biennial budget tomorrow at 1 p.m. at a special meeting of the County Council. The public is encouraged to view the address.
Meetings are carried live on King County Television on Cable Channel 22, and streamed live through the King County TV website. To listen by phone: Dial: +1 253 215 8782 Meeting ID: 989 2666 1129 Passcode: 484653
Council meetings are scheduled for replay on King County TV on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW?
This is sea otter awareness week!
The Seattle Aquarium is reminding everyone of the importance of sea otters to our northwest ecosystem this week. “Sea otters are more than just adorable marine mammals. They're also essential to maintaining biological balance through their voracious appetites”
You may also be interested in this New York Times article: When the otters vanished, everything else started to crumble.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Local health officials anxiously await to see if Labor Day brought COVID-19 spike – KOMO News
- Not trusting the FDA, Black doctors’ group creates panel to vet COVID-19 vaccines – Stat News
- Mapping global trends in vaccine confidence and investigating barriers to vaccine uptake: a large-scale retrospective temporal modeling study - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
- 'I miss mommy': Families shattered by COVID forge new paths – AP News
- CDC reverses itself, says new guidelines on coronavirus transmission were posted in error – The Seattle Times
- Should state cover school bus costs if there are no riders? – Bothell Reporter
- 'Hard, dirty job': cities struggle to clear garbage glut in stay-at-home world - NPR
- What’s stopping King County from opening more homeless shelters? - Crosscut
- DOJ officially names Seattle as 1 of 3 cities permitting violence, destruction – KIRO News
- Auburn man killed by King County deputy was unarmed but police were told he had a gun, sister says – The Seattle Times
- Racial and economic divides extend to wildfire smoke, too – Investigate West
- ‘We lost everything’: Latino labor and civil-rights groups urge Washington officials to send aid in aftermath of wildfires – The Seattle Times
- Wildfire smoke’s health impacts have only just begun – Crosscut
- Fierce, frequent, climate-fueled wildfires may decimate forests worldwide - Reuters
- ‘We’re ready.’ Washington state election officials seek to reassure voters – Oregon Public Broadcasting
Today’s moment of inspiration
 CNN reports on a Washington State man, George Ahearn, who grew up in the farming town of Othello. When he learned this spring that farmers were destroying unsold produce, Ahearn decided to figure out a way to get that food from the farms in eastern Washington to food banks in western Washington. But the logistics were daunting. Through Facebook, he connected with Nancy Balin and Zsofia Pasztor and the three of them founded EastWest Food, to get surplus crops to those in need.
According to the CNN story, “While Balin helped organize convoys to drive across Washington to pick up the produce, Pasztor assembled volunteers to clean and bag the food. It was then distributed through connections at her other non-profit, Farmer Frog. A week after they started, they hauled more than 60 tons of produce across the state and handed it to food banks.”
They have organized convoys to truck the food across the state with help from the local community. “A bus company offered a vehicle they used to carry onions. A local Honda dealership offered the use of a new car. And two counties offered dump trucks that carried tons of produce.”
EastWest Food Rescue has grown since it began in the spring. It now coordinates food deliveries across several western states. According to CNN, “The company recently expanded its mission by responding to the wildfires and sending non-perishable foods to hard hit areas of eastern Washington.”
Note: My County Council colleague, Councilmember Rod Dembowski, has participated in delivering some of the food, mostly potatoes, to food banks in his district. (See below.)
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. And you can click here to visit the archive page where you can find all of my previous enews updates.
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