COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health is reporting as of this afternoon:
- 172 new positive cases of COVID-19 (25,269 total)
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (785 total)
- 18 new hospitalizations (2,498 to date)
To view a breakdown of COVID-19 cases by race and ethnicity (updated on Mondays), click this link. Click here to view the “Key Indicators” data dashboard.
Yesterday, Sunday, October 18th, Public Health reported 105 new positive cases of COVID-19 (25,097 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (785 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 2 (2,480 total). On Saturday, October 17th, Public Health reported 219 new positive cases of COVID-19 (24,992 total) and 1 new COVID-19-related death (785 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 3 (2,478 total). On Friday, October 16th, Public Health reported 124 new positive cases of COVID-19 (24,773 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (784 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 3 (2,475 total).
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of today, the total number of positive cases is 98,661. Total number of deaths statewide is 2,258, and total hospitalizations are 8,077.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Got symptoms? Get tested.
 Click here for a list of free COVID-19 testing sites – for all residents regardless of immigration or insurance status. Open to anyone who cannot access a test through their health care provider.
Appointments are required, a reservation link for each site is included on this page. Call 206-477-3977 for general questions on testing. For those outside King County, see this page from DOH.
Free flu shots at University District Food Bank: Tomorrow and Friday
 My office has heard from the University District Food Bank that it is hosting two free flu shot clinics this week. There is no link available as of now, but any questions can be directed to the U District Food Bank at (206) 523-7060. The dates and times of the flu vaccination clinics:
- Tuesday, October 20th, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Friday, October 23rd, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The food bank is located at 5017 Roosevelt Way N.E. in Seattle.
To find vaccine locations near you, and for information in multiple languages, please see this page from Public Health: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/immunization/clinics.aspx. Click on “Community Health Centers” and “Public Health Centers”, to find clinics offering low or no cost vaccines to uninsured and underinsured individuals if they enroll as patients.
Council now reviewing Executive Constantine’s proposed fifth COVID-19 emergency budget
Last week Executive Constantine sent his proposal for a fifth emergency COVID budget to the Council. The $41.6 million measure includes funding for personal protective equipment, expanded drive-through and walk-up testing sites in south and east King County, and additional nurses for the homeless outreach team.
We anticipate taking up this budget at the Committee of the Whole in December and voting on it at the December 8th full Council meeting which is after Council approval of the 2021-2022 biennial budget and a supplemental budget for the current biennium on November 17th. (It’s amazing to think we will have passed eight budgets in 2020 - - what a year to be Budget Chair!)
Note that the review process for the emergency COVID budgets is separate from the Council’s review of the Executive’s proposed 2021-2022 biennial budget. The biennial budget review process – and opportunities for public participation – is discussed below in more detail.
Make your voice heard on the County budget: Public hearing Wednesday night
 As I’ve mentioned, my Council colleagues and I are now starting our third week in the process of reviewing the Executive’s proposed biennial budget. Special budget meetings are planned for tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings, plus a special public hearing Wednesday evening.
The Budget and Fiscal Management (BFM) Committee, which I chair, will meet from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday and Wednesday to have final briefings on any open budget items. Click the links to view meeting materials and instructions for viewing. Additionally, a BFM meeting is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday to hear public comment on the budget.
To provide public comment at the Wednesday evening meeting:
- Join on Zoom with meeting ID 541 737 1945.
- The password is 541205.
- Those who do not have access to Zoom can call 253-215-8782, using the meeting ID and password above. However, connecting by phone may cause difficulties with unmuting.
If you cannot make the public hearing on Wednesday, but wish to comment on the budget, please see this page.
For more information on the Council’s review process for the Executive’s proposed biennial budget, see this page. Check the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee webpage or the Budget webpage for updates. We anticipate the budget will be finalized on November 17th but no later than November 24th.
Council’s Committee of the Whole to meet tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Council will meet tomorrow afternoon for briefings on the Executive’s continuing response to COVID. Councilmembers will receive a briefing from Budget Director Dwight Dively on Executive Constantine’s COVID response and a briefing on budget planning for 4Culture. For meeting materials and information on viewing the meeting see this page.
North Link Connections: Open houses October 20th, 27th, and 29th to discuss changes to bus service in 2021
 Metro is hosting three virtual open houses this month and an online survey is open through November 1st. Metro is making changes and improvements in North Seattle, the U-District, Shoreline, Bothell, Kenmore, and Lake Forest Park in anticipation of the three new light rail stations opening next year. In all, changes to about 40 bus routes are under consideration.
On October 14th Councilmembers Zahilay and Dembowski and I, along with Metro staff, held a public Town Hall on the project. That video is available here.
The upcoming Metro open houses will take place via Zoom, with presentations and time for questions with transit planners.
Tomorrow, October 20th at 6 p.m.: Topic – The University District Station
The open house on October 27th at 6 p.m. will focus on the Roosevelt station, and the open house on October 29th at noon will focus on the Northgate station. We’ll include those details in the next e-newsletter, or see this page.
Metro has prepared some quick videos on plans for each station:
- Northgate
- Roosevelt
- U District
Now is the time to provide your feedback – the survey is open until November 1st. The survey page has more informationand is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Which fare is right for you? King County and Sound Transit offer new subsidized annual pass for riders in greatest need
Discounted passes allow more people to ride transit. A new subsidized annual pass is now available to those who are eligible. The pass is available to people who live in King, Pierce, or Snohomish county and who are enrolled in selected state benefit programs. See this page for more information.
Social services matter: The role of social workers and public health workers
If you’ve ever wondered what it is exactly that social workers and public health professionals do, the state DOH explains, using the real-life example of one client. The patient had a positive COVID test result early on in the pandemic (before protocols had been established) and needed a safe place to quarantine and isolate to protect her family. A case manager from the non-profit Entre Hermanos worked closely with DOH, Public Health and a health care provider at Kaiser Permanente to find a solution for the woman - - who was settled in within three hours. Read the full story on the DOH blog here: COVID-19 Stories from the Field: It takes a village.
Washington Post Live - tomorrow at 11 a.m. Pacific Time: Alicia Garza on creating change in America
 Alicia Garza is an activist and organizer who co-founded Black Lives Matter. She is the host of the “Lady Don’t Take No” podcast, and the author of the new book, “The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart.” Garza joins Washington Post Pulitzer Prize-winning senior critic-at-large Robin Givhan to discuss what it means to do the work of organizing a movement and creating change. Registration link here.
DID YOU KNOW?
…that so-called “flushable wipes” are not actually flushable? Last year, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division spent over $120,000 just to take the wipes, tampons, and other trash that came into our treatment plants to a landfill. For more information - and to view a video about how wipes clog pipes - click here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Coronavirus: New COVID-19 cases rising rapidly across U.S. - BBC
- Health officials worry about COVID fatigue as we head into winter - KATU
- Coronavirus test results get faster, but still too slow to help slow disease spread - NPR
- Doctors probe whether COVID-19 is causing diabetes – Reuters
- Stress of the pandemic can cause health issues. Here's how to cope – NPR
- Stat-Harris Poll: The share of Americans interested in getting COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible is dropping – Stat News
- As the coronavirus surges, a new culprit emerges: pandemic fatigue – The New York Times
- How moms are handling the coronavirus pandemic — in pictures – NPR
- How accessibility for all could make the world better after COVID-19 – The Seattle Times
- Bloodletting and gas fumes: Quack treatments of the 1918 flu - CNN
- AP-NORC/SAP poll: 1 in 4 US workers have weighed quitting – AP News
- Halloween can still be a scream with these face-mask-friendly costumes for kids (and adults, too) – The Seattle Times
- 'Sesame Street' launches a podcast to help educate kids – AP News
- Hand signals only: How Thais are marshaling mass protests - Reuters
Today’s moment of inspiration
 In this Oct. 7, 2020, photo provided by Daniela Rojas, Ricardo Pimentel plays with dogs that he sheltered at his home in Leona Vicario, Mexico, during Hurricane Delta. (Daniela Rojas via AP)
The Associated Press reports on a Mexican man, Ricardo Pimentel, who took in about 300 dogs as Hurricane Delta approached the Yucatan Peninsula. According to the AP, “There were plenty of other critters too: Dozens of cats were harbored in his son’s room; his daughter’s room served as a refuge for chicks, bunnies and even a hedgehog; a patio became a haven for a flock of sheep.”
Pimentel told the AP, “It doesn’t matter if the house is dirty, it can be cleaned,” he says. “The things they broke can be fixed or bought again, but what’s beautiful is to see them happy, healthy and safe, without wounds and with the possibility of being adopted.” Read the full story here.
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates, which I am now sending out on Mondays and Thursdays. 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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