New report from Public Health, WA Notify exposure notifications, Convention Center updates, resources for workers and more

December 3, 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Public Health—Seattle & King County has come out with a new report on outbreaks and exposure setting that finds that King County’s most commonly reported sources of potential exposure in recent weeks are in households and in community or social gatherings. It continues to be vital that we avoid meeting up with people indoors who are not a part of our household.

Gatherings include get-togethers with family and friends, house or dinner parties, larger celebrations such as weddings, activities at a place of worship, or visiting restaurants and other businesses. This is different from early in the pandemic, when most cases were concentrated in long-term care facilities. (Please see an introduction to the report in Public Health’s blog and a detailed discussion of the report in Public Health’s companion blog)

For many communities of color and for communities in South King County – who have been suffering from higher rates of COVID-19 since last spring – a new report shows additional differences by race and geography. 

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

Public Health—Seattle & King County is reporting the following positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths:

-Thursday, December 3^rd—362 new positive cases, 58 hospitalizations, and 8 deaths (While the number of positive cases is lower, there is a worrisome rise in hospitalizations.)

-Wednesday, December 2^nd—673 new positive cases, 12 hospitalizations, and 10 deaths

-Tuesday, December 1^st—402 new positive cases, 0 hospitalizations, and 0 deaths

In King County, that brings us to a total of 46,173 cases, 3,305 hospitalizations, and 886 deaths.

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.

Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of December 1st, the total number of positive cases is 170,342.  Total number of deaths statewide is 2,850, and total hospitalizations are 10,954. 

(These graphs are based solely on the daily announced totals from Public Health, and do not reflect that daily announced cases are typically diagnosed on several previous days. Corrections or adjustments by Public Health that change daily totals are not reflected.)

COVID AND OTHER UPDATES

Some two-week coronavirus quarantines can instead be 7-10 days, CDC says

New CDC guidance has been released that the standard 14-day quarantine can potentially be reduced to seven to ten days in an effort to boost compliance with one of the most important tools to limit the spread of the virus. The CDC recognizes that there is a trade-off here: relaxing the requirement while saving most of the benefit of the quarantine period in the hope that more people will voluntarily follow these new, shorter guidelines.

Today, the Washington State Department of Health announced that the state will be adopting the CDC’s new quarantine guidelines. I encourage you to read the full article from The Seattle Times here.

DOH announces exposure notifications

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announces the Washington Exposure Notifications (also known as WA Notify), a new tool that works through smartphones to alert users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19 without sharing any personal information.  It is completely private and doesn’t know or track who you are or where you go.

Learn how it works, how it helps, and see frequently asked questions at WAnotify.org

Governor's November 30 press conference on COVID-19 recording available

Did you miss Monday’s press conference? Governor Jay Inslee spoke about vaccine planning, WA Notify, and more. The governor was joined by Secretary of Health John Wiesman and University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce. Watch the recording here

CDC Advisory Committee recommended prioritizing vaccines for health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices announced Tuesday its decision about the prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines and will help guide Washington State as they continue developing the distribution plan for COVID-19 doses to its residents. Read more information on this decision here.

Resources for workers

I continue to hear from constituents about the new and increased challenges facing workers due to the pandemic including layoffs, concerns about how COVID precautions are being implemented in the workplace, or on-the-job harassment due to mistaken beliefs that a single country is to blame for the pandemic.

There are resources to help workers during these difficult times and laws to protect your rights in the workplace. Public Health recently updated its worker resource page at KingCounty.gov/covid/workers with additional frequently asked questions and a worker graphic available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dari, Japanese, Korean, Marshallese, Oromo, Persian/Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Filipino/Tagalog, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Applications open for new round of state Working Washington Business Grants Small businesses struggling to survive the impact of COVID-19 can apply now for up to $20,000 in a new round of $50 million in state Working Washington grants. Priority is focused on businesses with annual revenues of $5 million or less in 2019 and those most impacted by the recent public health measures, as well as businesses in sectors that have experienced significant cumulative impacts. Examples include full-service restaurants, fitness centers, bowling alleys, and music and event venues. Applications are due by December 11. 

http://startup.choosewashingtonstate.com/working-washington-round-3/

Update on West Point Treatment Plant

As I shared yesterday on social media, I’m disheartened to learn that an accident at the West Point Treatment Plant has caused yet another discharge of raw sewage into Elliot Bay/Salish Sea. Fortunately, the discharge could have been a lot worse but, unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened, and it may not be the last. I applaud the Wastewater Treatment Division for acting so quickly to get the matter under control. This could have been a major catastrophe without their fast action. In the meantime, I plan on meeting with WTD to understand what happened in more detail and will continue to work diligently to ensure we have a system that works efficiently to process our regions wastewater while also maintaining the health and vitality of our Puget Sound waterways.

King County to provide interim financing to Convention Center to help save construction jobs and promote regional economic development

King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced a financing package of $100 million to the Washington State Convention Center, which faces a $300 million financing-crunch that threatens to mothball the project, sending hundreds of construction workers home and putting future economic development at risk.

As I included in the Executive’s press release, perhaps at no other time in our region’s history has it been more critical to fight tooth and nail to save every existing family-wage job. And I believe we have a fiscal duty to do everything it takes to keep this highly significant project for our economic recovery moving forward. This world-class facility will serve as an economic engine and attraction for generations to come driving our economy and creating job opportunities throughout King County. 

You are welcome to read the full press release here.

Additional helpful and informative links

• County budget reflects 2020 priorities—Queen Anne & Magnolia News
• Nurses Share Stories from the Coronavirus Surge—WBUR
• UW public health expert calls on state officials, citizens to defend and rebuild public health agencies–UW News
• Hospitals stretched beyond ‘reasonable limit’ as number of Covid-19 patients reaches 100,000 and reported deaths hit all-time high–CNN
• Event: Taking Back Control During COVID-19: Leading Innovation Through Uncertain Times –Rockefeller Foundation
• Over 50% of Washington’s COVID deaths are linked to long-term care facilities—King 5
• UW study shows how nonprofits are suffering and sustaining during the pandemic—The Seattle Times
• Are bubbles safe? How to spot COVID-19 risks when dining outdoors this winter—The Seattle Times
• King County to bail out Washington State Convention Center expansion with possible $100 million loan—The Seattle Times

Today’s moment of inspiration

Today, I’d like to draw your attention to the story of Juliette Dubroca, a local architect who was laid off at the beginning of the pandemic, and almost immediately stumbled across a way to make a big impact in the lives of her neighbors in the Central District—by lending her expertise to the builders of a tiny home village. Read more about her experience here.

Photo Credit: Low Income Housing Institute

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.