COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County is reporting these numbers as of this afternoon:
- 477 new positive cases of COVID-19 (58,107 total).
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (993 total)
- 8 new hospitalizations (3,893 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 20th, Public Health reported 501 new positive cases of COVID-19 (57,630 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (993 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 60 (3,885 total).
- On Saturday, December 19th, Public Health reported 436 new positive cases of COVID-19 (57,129 total) and 15 new COVID-19-related deaths (993 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 2 (3,825 total).
- On Friday, December 18th, Public Health reported 774 new positive cases of COVID-19 (56,693 total) and 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (978 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 20 (3,823 total).
December 21, 2020 data note from the state Department of Health (DOH): Today’s total case counts may include up to 100 duplicates. Negative test results data from November 21, 2020 through today are incomplete, thus testing and case numbers should be interpreted with caution. The Epidemiologic Curves tab is the most accurate representation of COVID activity and is updated daily as new cases are identified and duplicates are resolved.
Statewide, according to the DOH (with the caveats outlined above), as of today, the total number of confirmed positive cases is 218,415. The total number of probable cases is 8,220, for a total of 226,635 cases. The total number of deaths statewide is 3,106, and total hospitalizations are 13,515.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Latest coronavirus mutation may increase transmissibility; travel restrictions issued
Scientists are emphasizing caution in jumping to conclusions about the latest mutation of the coronavirus, which appears to be spreading rapidly in the U.K. and South Africa. In this New York Times article, experts stressed that “… it would take years — not months — for the virus to evolve enough to render the current vaccines impotent.”
However, travel restrictions are being put in place, including here in Washington state. See the following for more information:
- More nations close their doors to Britain; Calls increase for the United States to follow suit. – The New York Times
- The U.K. coronavirus variant: What we know - The New York Times
- Q&A: Scientists urge concern, not alarm, over new virus strains – The Seattle Times
- Inslee issues new travel limits on arrivals from nations with coronavirus mutation – The Seattle Times
The Governor addressed this issue at his media conference this afternoon, which you can view here.
Two vaccines: What’s the difference?
Yesterday Gov. Inslee announced the authorization of the Moderna vaccine by the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. The CDC’s Advisory Committee also recommended use of the Moderna vaccine. See the articles below for more information.
- How Moderna’s vaccine works – The New York Times
- A side-by-side comparison of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines – Stat News
- What is the difference between Moderna, Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines? – KOMO News
Video: Public Health begins administering COVID-19 vaccines
 Public Health — Seattle & King County has started administering the COVID-19 vaccine. EMTs and paramedics in Kent were first in line to receive the vaccination (view video here) and more doses will be distributed in the coming months.
According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, the next phase of vaccinations will be targeted to “…seniors ages 75 and older and frontline essential workers including, for example, those working as first responders, teachers, public transit employees, and grocery store staff. The list also includes people working in food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections, and the US Postal Service.”
Please check with your physician or health care provider about when you might expect to receive the vaccine.
Public Health supports efforts to open classrooms for younger students
 See this blog post from Public Health on why the agency supports opening up in-person learning with strict health and safety protocols for some students.
Federal government is about to pass another COVID relief package
As many COVID relief measures and funding provided by The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act have expired or are about to expire, Congress is rushing to finalize a new package of direct relief to individuals, businesses, agencies and non-profits to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. The following provisions are anticipated to be included in the final package:
- New round of direct relief to individuals and enhanced federal unemployment insurance benefits;
- Funding for small business, including $284 billion for the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program);
- $45 billion for transportation including money for transit agencies;
- $69 billion for vaccine distribution, including $22 billion to states for testing and tracing;
- $10 billion for child care;
- $7 billion for to increase broadband access;
- Funds for increased SNAP benefits and other nutrition assistance; and
- $25 billion for rental assistance program to be distributed by state and local governments
Gov. Inslee issued this statement yesterday on the federal coronavirus relief package. See this article for additional information:
- Breaking down the $900B stimulus package and $1.4T omnibus bill - Politico
Free safety supplies for bars and restaurants – in Sea Tac tomorrow morning
The County’s SSTAR Program provides free COVID-19 protection supplies to bars and restaurants, including facemasks, gloves, thermometers, hand sanitizer, posters and more. SSTAR’s mobile program staff will be in Sea Tac tomorrow from 10 a.m. – noon at the Valley View Library at 17850 Military Rd. S. SSTAR staff will be in Renton on January 5th, South Seattle on January 6th and in Sea Tac again on January 7th. See this link for more information.
Equity in education
As a former public school teacher and academician, this issue is close to my heart. As we as a society have begun to face the widespread and long-lasting effects of systemic racism, educators, students and activists are now focusing on educational justice. See the following articles for some more information:
- Seattle educator, activist launches guide to ‘an uprising for educational justice’ – The Seattle Times
- Raise Your Hand, a student-led movement is calling for the Secretary of Education to publicly recognize the demands of students of color within the first 100 days of the new administration – PR Newswire
Fighting racism in the theater industry
Another front in the fight against entrenched racism and racist practices. See the articles below about efforts by theater administrators and professionals to create anti-racist practices in this industry.
- These Seattle theater leaders are showing the arts world how to get serious about becoming anti-racist – The Seattle Times
- How one leader fights racism in the theater (podcast and article) - Variety
The latest on Metro operations: Cancelations, rider dashboard, holiday schedule, safety guidelines
Metro drivers and staff have been impacted by COVID-19, just as we all have. See this Seattle Times story for more on the impact of the virus on Metro scheduling and ridership.
Metro is encouraging riders to sign up for transit alerts for the latest updates on the status on their routes. Also, for more information on trends in Metro operations, ridership and other statistics, visit Metro’s new Rider Dashboard, also known as “The Dash” here.
For Metro’s safety guidelines click here. On Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, and on New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, Metro operates on a Sunday schedule. For more information on holiday schedules see this page.
DID YOU KNOW?
… that Robert Utter, a Washington state American attorney and jurist, who served as a King County Superior Court judge from 1964 – 1968, was known for his opposition to the death penalty and eventually resigned from the state Supreme Court in protest? According to Wikipedia, “In 1971 [Utter] was appointed to the Washington Supreme Court, where he served for 23 years, including two years as the Chief Justice. He dissented in two dozen cases on capital punishment while on the court and resigned in 1995 in protest of it.”
Additional helpful and informative links
- Adults over 75, frontline essential workers should be in second Covid-19 vaccine priority group, says CDC advisory panel – Stat News
- Why Americans are numb to the staggering coronavirus death toll – The Seattle Times
- Yes, people who’ve had COVID-19 can still benefit from the vaccine - Vox
- Charting the virus – The New York Times
- Coronavirus daily news updates, December 20: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- Dr. Vin Gupta on coronavirus, the vaccine and our path forward – Crosscut
- COVID-19 is devastating communities of color. Can vaccines counter racial inequity? – The Seattle Times
- Racial disparities in Covid-19 are bad. They’re even worse in cancer. – Stat News
- 'We're all tired of this': Health care workers in Seattle prepare for another surge - KUOW
- As the pandemic rages, demoralization deflates health care workers- Stat News
- Opinion: The pandemic from the eyes of a prisoner – South Seattle Emerald
- Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest map and case count – The New York Times
- Two Seattle techies create bracelets to let people signal they’re vaccinated against COVID-19 - GeekWire
- As pandemic drags on, parents cope with mental health challenges – South Seattle Emerald
- CVS, Walgreens relax COVID vaccine consent requirements for long-term care facilities – The Seattle Times
- Let patients speak for themselves on the Biden task force and elsewhere – Stat News
- Microsoft to spend $110 million on economic, education initiatives to boost Washington state’s COVID-19 recovery – The Seattle Times
- From fabric to the funnies, here are some eco-friendly alternatives to wrapping paper – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo from CNN.com
Today’s moment is brought to you by Hayley Orlinsky, a seven-year-old who started out with the goal of raising $200 for Chicago’s Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital by making and selling colorful rubber band bracelets. A few months into her endeavor, Hayley has already raised $20,000 for the hospital, with the goal to keep going, with patrons including big names such as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and members of the Chicago White Sox. If you’re interested in reading more about Hayley’s very successful project, the full article is available 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, except for the next two weeks, which will be Mondays only. 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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