COVID-19 UPDATES
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.
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County is reporting these numbers as of this afternoon:
- 393 new positive cases of COVID-19 (75,682 total).
- 1 new COVID-19-related death (1,242 total)
- 0 new hospitalizations (4,763 to date)
- On Wednesday, January 27th, Public Health reported 388 new positive cases of COVID-19 (75,289 total) and 1 new COVID-19-related death (1,241 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 27 (4,763 total).
- On Tuesday, January 26th, Public Health reported 174 new positive cases of COVID-19 (74,901 total) and 13 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,240 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 10 (4,736 total).
Thursday, January 28, 2021, data note from DOH: Total statewide case counts may include up to 690 duplicates. Negative test results data from November 21–30, 2020, and January 12 through today, are incomplete. Thus, negative test results and percent positivity (Testing tab), and case counts 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, as of today, with the caveats mentioned above, the total number of confirmed positive cases is 293,978. The total number of probable cases is 13,831, for a total of 307,809 cases. The total number of deaths statewide is 4,243, and total hospitalizations are 17,517.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Gov. Inslee eases some restrictions on restaurants, other indoor venues
I’m pleased to share that earlier today Gov. Jay Inslee announced King County is moving to Phase 2 and will soon be able to relax some COVID-19 restrictions on some businesses and non-profits.
The most significant change is beginning Monday when restaurants may reopen indoor service at 25% capacity through 11 p.m. Indoor entertainment venues — including museums, bowling alleys and concert halls — can also reopen to 25% capacity. Bars that don’t serve food, however, will remain closed for the time being. Complete information can be found in this Seattle Times coverage. You can view the video of today’s press conference here.
These changes—while small—are a testament to the hard work and sacrifice residents of King County continue to make. By masking up and following social distancing guidelines, we have earned this. But we must keep up the fight, particularly with the new variants of the virus beginning to spread widely.
VIDEO: Gov. Inslee’s press conference on Tuesday, January 26th
You can view Governor Inslee’s earlier press conference this week on Tuesday, January 26th, including an update on the 2021 legislative session and the state's response to the ongoing pandemic, including vaccination efforts.
Virginia Mason will hold another COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Amazon site this Sunday
Last Sunday I was finally able to get vaccinated (after a lot of frustrating attempts to get a reservation elsewhere) at the first COVID vaccine mass clinic held by Amazon and Virginia Mason. As I mentioned in in my last e-newsletter on Monday, the 25th, it was very well-organized. As with any COVID vaccination at this time of phased vaccinations and limited supply, I first had to confirm my eligibility for our current phase at the state’s Phase Finder website. I was then able to get on Virginia Mason’s COVID-19 Vaccination waiting list. I was notified about my appointment by both text and email. (I recommend replying by email, as the form is much easier to fill out in that format.)
For more information on this Sunday’s vaccine clinic, and other vaccination opportunities through Virginia Mason, see this webpage: https://www.virginiamason.org/covid19-vaccine-information
For a complete list of vaccination locations across the state see this page from the state DOH: https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/Immunization/VaccineLocations. As stated on the site, you will need proof of eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine before approaching any provider.
You may also be interested in this article:
- Amazon to host another pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at its Seattle HQ campus on Sunday – GeekWire
Swedish to launch mobile vaccination clinic
Swedish this week launched a mobile vaccination clinic to help serve communities across the Puget Sound most impacted by the spread of the coronavirus, according to this Seattle PI article.
From Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health): One year of the pandemic: recognizing our staff, partners and volunteers
 I highly recommend this photographic review of the past year from Public Health.
Is your hand sanitizer safe?
 Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
The U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has issued an alert on alcohol-based sanitizers from Mexico. Many have been found to contain a toxic substance known as methanol (wood alcohol). Check your hand sanitizer. Stop using it immediately if it's on this list.
COVID-19 vaccinations: Jumping the line, crossing state lines, preventing a black market
 See the following links and articles for information on some disturbing – though I suppose predictable – trends.
- Reporters at Stat News today spoke with a panel of experts on preventing a COVID vaccine black market from developing. Some experts say that it is inevitable that the rich and powerful will find ways to jump the line for the COVID-19 vaccines. View a recording of the conversation here.
- Overlake Medical Center donors got special access to COVID-19 vaccine; Inslee rebukes hospital system – The Seattle Times
- Business exec and his wife charged after flying into remote Canadian town to get Covid-19 vaccine, officials say - CNN
- Opinion: Yes, it matters that people are jumping the vaccine line – The New York Times
- Statement on crossing state lines for vaccine – Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
“I'm a Black doctor who didn't trust the Covid vaccine. Here's what changed my mind.”
 Photo: Dr. Eugenia South / NBC News
I highly recommend this powerful opinion piece by Dr. Eugenia South, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
School reopening data available from the state
 As our state and nation continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington's schools are working closely with local health authorities to determine the right mode of instructional delivery for their community. The state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is making available key data that are self-reported by each public school district, state-tribal education compact school, and charter school. The data will be updated weekly and can be accessed here.
The information includes percentage of students receiving in-person instruction on a given day/week, how school facilities are reopening, most common populations receiving in-person instruction, and more.
Seattle/King County annual volunteer health care clinic canceled this year due to pandemic
For several years, the Seattle/King County Clinic has brought together health care organizations, civic agencies, non-profits, private businesses and volunteers from across Washington to produce a giant free health clinic at Seattle Center. The four-day volunteer-driven clinic has provided free dental, vision and medical care to anyone in the region who struggles to access and/or afford health care.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Seattle/King County Clinic at Seattle Center is unfortunately canceled for this year. The clinic team will instead be assisting in community vaccination efforts. I am very saddened by but recognize the need for this decision. My staff and I have visited the clinic for many years and have seen first hand how thousands of people have benefitted from it.
Council budget priorities – seeking feedback
This year, I am continuing to chair the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee for the County Council. We will again work on several supplemental budgets related to coronavirus relief (depending on Congressional action), and I would like to obtain your thoughts on how you believe the Council can best prioritize its spending of these funds. (We sent this out a few days ago in a separate e-newsletter so this serves as a reminder.)
You may know that in addition to funding Public Health’s direct emergency response, Council’s priorities for the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funds have been focused on the areas of food security and access; housing stability and homelessness services; economic recovery; and mental health, behavioral health, safety and security programs.
If you would like to provide feedback, please complete and submit this short Google poll. The responses will be very helpful to me as I consider the decisions ahead. I thank you in advance for taking the time to share your opinions with me.
Update on meeting of full County Council on Tuesday, January 26
 Public Health update: Public Health Director Patty Hayes and Health Officer Jeff Duchin updated Councilmembers on the current state of the pandemic in King County, the new COVID-19 variants and vaccination efforts. Their update can be viewed here at minute 7:07.
I mentioned in the last e-newsletter that some of my Council colleagues and I had plans to bring up a motion to update and clarify the County’s vaccine planning process. However, the Executive transmitted a strategic plan from Public Health Tuesday morning, which covered the questions my colleagues and I had raised. After reviewing the document and discussing further, the Council was satisfied that our concerns had been addressed and there was no further need to proceed with the motion. We of course will continue monitoring the situation but commend the incredible work of everyone at Public Health who have been dealing with the extraordinary circumstances involved with responding to the pandemic, protecting the public, and the up-to-now inadequate supply of funding, tests, PPE, and now vaccines coming to us from the federal government. Fortunately we are now able to anticipate receiving more prompt and adequate supplies and funding.
Executive Constantine announces Best Starts for Kids levy renewal
 King County Executive Dow Constantine today announced his plan for the six-year Best Starts for Kids Levy renewal to continue programs that focus on health and well-being for children, youth, and families throughout the region, along with new investments to improve access to child care for families with low incomes. The measure would appear on the August ballot.
The County Council will next review the proposal. If the ballot measure is approved for placement on the ballot in August, detailed budget and implementation planning for the next Best Starts for Kids Levy will follow.
Are you interested in helping to guide the educational needs of King County young people?
King County is seeking applications for members for the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA) Subcommittee to provide guidance to the King County Council and the Executive on the educational needs of King County youth. For more information on PSTAA, the subcommittee and the recruitment process, click here.
2021 NW Children’s Foundation Forum to be held February 4
 The topic of this year’s NW Children’s Foundation Forum is “Radicalized Trauma and Child Well-Being” and will be held virtually on February 4, 2021. Dr. Ben Danielson will be the moderator. Attendees will hear from nationally recognized trauma specialist Resmaa Menakem, and will learn about several local programs that are working.
DID YOU KNOW?
… the pandemic has had a wide array of impacts to the environment and to the climate. According to Wikipedia, “The global reduction in modern human activity such as the considerable decline in planned travel was coined ‘anthropause’ and has caused a large drop in air pollution and water pollution in many regions.” While the pandemic has lowered carbon emissions in many places, Wikipedia states that “…the outbreak has also provided cover for illegal activities such as deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and poaching in Africa, hindered environmental diplomacy efforts and created economic fallout that some predict will slow investment in green energy technologies.” For the citations and to read the full article, click here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Who’s doing the vaccines right, Washington or Oregon? We’re seeing an ethics experiment in real time – The Seattle Times
- ‘Do not waste doses.' Leftover Covid-19 vaccine injected into non-priority arms - KUOW
- UW study finds that environmental inequities contribute to COVID-19 racial disparities – The UW Daily (student publication)
- In a major setback, Merck to stop developing its two COVID-19 vaccines and focus on therapies – Stat News
- Anti-vaccine activists peddle theories that COVID-19 shots are deadly, undermining vaccination - Kaiser Health News / CNN
- ‘Just utter chaos’: A Twitter thread offers a window into the frustrating search for COVID-19 shots – Stat News
- Why vaccines alone will not end the pandemic – The New York Times
- Washington study finds pregnant patients with COVID-19 have a higher risk of death, hospitalization – The Seattle Times
- Bill Gates: We must prepare for the next pandemic like we prepare for war – The Seattle Times
- Mask fights and a ‘mob mentality’: What flight attendants faced over the last year– The New York Times
- At Least 38 Capitol Police Officers Test Positive For COVID-19 Since Jan. 6 Riots - NPR
- How COVID-19 threatens native languages – The New York Times
- Local reporters are a lifeline helping readers find the vaccine - CNN
- Novavax says its Covid-19 vaccine is 90% effective, but far less so against one variant. – Stat News
- Laughter yoga breathes away the stress even when things don’t feel especially funny - The Seattle Times
- Washington state’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout: Do you live in a multigenerational household? - The Seattle Times
- Public health systems still aren’t ready for the next pandemic – Stateline /Pew Charitable Trusts
- King County wants vaccine amount to match population – KIRO 7
- Washington state mass vaccination efforts ramp up this week – KNKX
- New Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance lobbies for changes that go far beyond police reform – The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Strengthen school nursing to support COVID-19 recovery and resilience – The Seattle Times
- With all eyes on COVID-19, drug-resistant infections crept in – The New York Times
- Why N95 masks are still in short supply in the U.S. - NPR
- Some European countries move to require medical-grade masks in public – NPR
- The pandemic will change how restaurants look in the long run, too - Eater
- Meet the Indigenous, all-women team bringing new art to Seattle’s waterfront – The Seattle Times
- More help for WA undocumented community could be on the way - Crosscut
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Screenshot from CNN.com
You may already have heard the touching story of the Turkish dog named “Boncuk” who would escape her home every day while her human, Senturk, was in the hospital recovering from COVID-19. For six days, she would go over to the hospital every day and patiently wait outside the doors. According to the story by CNN, “Hospital staff informed Senturk's family about her whereabouts, but every time they retrieved her she'd find a way out again. (Senturk lived nearby, but to this day, his family doesn't know how the dog did it.) The hospital staff was charmed by Boncuk's loyalty, and made sure she was fed and cared for during her visits.” 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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