COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County is reporting as of this afternoon:
- 632 new positive cases of COVID-19 (54,649 total).
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (935 total)
- 40 new hospitalizations (3,714 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.
- On Sunday, December 13th, Public Health reported 671 new positive cases of COVID-19 (54,017 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (935 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 57 (3,674 total).
- On Saturday, December 12th, Public Health reported 771 new positive cases of COVID-19 (53,346 total) and 3 new COVID-19-related deaths (935 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 29 (3,617 total).
- On Friday, December 11th, Public Health reported 904 new positive cases of COVID-19 (52,575 total) and 12 new COVID-19-related deaths (932 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 45 (3,588 total).
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of today, the total number of positive cases is 203,797. Total number of deaths statewide is 2,918, and total hospitalizations are 12,649.
The charts usually included here are not available today. Apologies for any inconvenience.
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
The latest on COVID-19 vaccines
- First coronavirus vaccines arrive at UW Medical Center in Seattle – The Seattle Times
- How Washington state hospitals are preparing for ‘unprecedented’ rollout of coronavirus vaccine – The Seattle Times
- Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine gets Western states’ blessing: ‘We are ready to go,’ Inslee says - The Seattle Times
- Black volunteers give COVID-19 vaccine trials a shot in the arm – The Seattle Times
- Dentists, optometrist push for green light to help administer COVID-19 vaccine shots – KOMO News
- 'Enormously complicated': Seattle plans for COVID-19 vaccine rollout – KING5 News
- Farmworkers, firefighters and flight attendants jockey for vaccine priority – Kaiser Health News
- FDA: Leave the door open to Covid-19 vaccination for pregnant and lactating health workers – Stat News
- Can I stop wearing a mask after getting a COVID-19 vaccine? – AP News
- Engage willing skeptics to help increase Covid-19 vaccination rates – Stat News
- Pregnant people haven't been part of vaccine trials. Should they get the vaccine? - NPR
- 'Hold their feet to the fire': Getting a COVID-19 vaccine to hard-hit Indian country - NPR
- For more on COVID-19 vaccine planning in King County see this page.
- Also, see these FAQs from the state Department of Health (DOH) on COVID-19 vaccines.
- King County COVID 19 resources in multiple languages.
Special County Council meeting tomorrow at 1 p.m., will include briefing on vaccines
The Council will meet tomorrow at a special meeting, which will include an update from Public Health on vaccine distribution and planning. For meeting materials and instructions on viewing the meeting and providing public comment, see this page.
View the Governor’s press conference to announce approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the multi-state workgroup
Yesterday Gov. Inslee announced the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. You can view the press conference at TVW here. The governor was joined by Kathy Lofy, state health officer, Department of Health, Dr. John Dunn, COVID Vaccine Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, Dr. Ed Marcuse, COVID Vaccine Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, and Michele Roberts, acting assistant secretary, Department of Health.
Video: COVID-19 update from Dr. Jeff Duchin
 With COVID-19 cases surging in King County, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin on Friday shared the most recent data and responded to questions from the media and the community about vaccine planning and how we can all help stop slow the spread during the holiday season.
Give the gift of safety this winter season
 As winter approaches, you may find yourself driving in the snow, skiing, snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, or giving gifts this season. Get ready with these safety tips from Public Health.
Also, see the Department of Health’s (DOH’s) guide to safer gatherings, and this article from KUOW: It’s all about air flow: How to keep coronavirus at bay indoors.
As cases surge, first free high-volume COVID-19 test site comes to County’s eastside
 A new free COVID-19 test site will open tomorrow at Bellevue College. This site will expand COVID-19 testing on the Eastside and complement existing free test sites already in operation in Renton, Auburn, Tukwila, Federal Way, Des Moines, and Enumclaw. A reminder, South King County has the highest rates of positive test results in the county.
Child care providers struggle to survive pandemic
 The Seattle Times reported yesterday on the potential for a statewide strike by child care providers, as they struggle to provide services amid soaring demand and pandemic operating guidelines.
The County provided $1 million to support child care services at the YMCA of Greater Seattle, Boys and Girls Club of King County, and Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue in the fifth COVID emergency budget, but more support is needed for this crucial service.
DID YOU KNOW?
…that the masks we’re wearing for the 2020 pandemic are nothing compared to the masks and coverings worn by “plague doctors” in France and Italy during the 17th century? According to Wikipedia, “The clothing worn by plague doctors was intended to protect them from airborne diseases. The costume, used in France and Italy in the 17th century, consisted of an ankle length overcoat and a bird-like beak mask, often filled with sweet or strong smelling substances... along with gloves, boots, a wide-brimmed hat, and an outer over-clothing garment.”
The Wikipedia article explains that the mask had nose holes and the beak held aromatic items such as flowers, herbs (including lavender and peppermint), spices, camphor, “or a vinegar sponge.”
 By I. Columbina, ad vivum delineavit. Paulus Fürst Excud〈i〉t. - Internet Archives copy of Eugen Holländer,Die Karikatur und Satire in der Medizin: Medico-Kunsthistorische Studie von Professor Dr. Eugen Holländer, 2nd edn (Stuttgart:Ferdinand Enke, 1921), fig. 79 (p. 171)., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15677032
Additional helpful and informative links
- A battle-weary Seattle hospital fights the latest COVID-19 surge – The Seattle Times
- Washington state begins bulk shipments of N95 masks from its huge stockpile – The Seattle Times
- ‘Help is on the way': How the U.S. will turn the tide of the pandemic in 2021 – NBC News
- Special Report: The coronavirus at 1: A year into the pandemic, what scientists know about how it spreads, infects, and sickens– Stat News
- Without clear pandemic rules, people take on more risks as fear and vigilance wane - NPR
- The pandemic will forever change how doctors define 'crisis' - Crosscut
- How to retain your heat and stay upbeat while socializing in winter - NPR
- Pandemic surprises: Some Seattle-area businesses unexpectedly thrive despite COVID-19 – The Seattle Times
- Opinion: It’s time to scare people about COVID – The New York Times
- Why the pandemic is causing spikes in break-ups and divorces - BBC
- Another inmate dies as COVID cases rise at Washington prisons - KNKX
- How coronavirus is turning health departments into a lightning rod for political wrath, in Washington and beyond – The Seattle Times
- Analyses of risk, racial disparity, and outcomes among US patients with cancer and COVID-19 infection – JAMA Network
- Making college more accessible post-COVID: How virtual classrooms can help autistic students – Women’s Enews
- Round 2 of Washington study underway to determine food, economic insecurity during pandemic – UW News
- [More than 3,000] more Seattle households to receive monthly ‘Fresh Bucks’ fruit and vegetable benefit – South Seattle Emerald
- Opinion: A blueprint for regional resiliency – The Seattle Times
- Inslee unveils diversity and equity plans for proposed Washington state budget – The Seattle Times
- States with the largest homeless populations - SeattlePI
- Will Mayor Durkan’s legacy be defined by homelessness? – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo by Alan Berner, The Seattle Times
This Seattle Times article tells the story of Miguel Saldin, the Nutrition and Assistance Manager at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS), and the many volunteers, chefs and other ACRS employees who deliver 2,200 meals and 2,100 grocery bags to seniors and other vulnerable residents each week. What really sets this effort apart is a unique human touch: Each delivery includes a note, handwritten by volunteers, with the goal of helping isolated people feel cared for. “The volunteers share stories, poems and encouragement,” according to the article.
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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