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:
- 622 new positive cases of COVID-19 (80,303 total).
- 3 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,321 total)
- 46 new hospitalizations (5,001 to date)
- On Sunday, February 14th, Public Health reported 448 new positive cases of COVID-19 (80,144 total) and 13 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,321 total). The number of new hospitalizations was -3 (data adjustment, 4,997 total).
- The data for Saturday the 13th and Friday the 12th are not currently available.
Statewide, according to the DOH, as of Saturday, February 13th, the total number of confirmed positive cases was 311,288. The total number of probable cases was 16,759, for a total of 328,047 cases. The total number of deaths statewide was 4,675, and the number of total hospitalizations was 18,643.
The graphs we usually include here are not available today.
Unfortunately, while the numbers were dropping over a few days last week, they are starting to go back up. Have to wonder if Super Bowl parties contributed.
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Video: Dr. Duchin’s February 12th press conference
On Friday, February 12th, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin provided updates on trends in COVID-19 cases and shared information on COVID vaccination efforts. The full press conference can be viewed here: https://publichealthinsider.com/2021/02/12/video-dr-jeff-duchin-on-covid-19-trends-vaccine-rollout-4/
Reminder: State COVID-19 Assistance Hotline
 If you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine but are having difficulty scheduling an appointment, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 Assistance Hotline can help. Dial 1-800-525-0127, then press #. If you can’t reach the hotline via the regular number, please call the alternate number, 888-856-5816 (a Spanish option is available).
- 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and observed state holidays
Special health insurance enrollment period is here in Washington: February 15th – May 15th
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging – and all of its impacts on jobs – many people suddenly need to get health insurance. Public Health announced that a Special Enrollment Period for free or low-cost insurance through our state’s Affordable Care Act health exchange – Washington Healthplanfinder – is now open. The cost of insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder is based on your income and family size.
Health insurance Navigators will be available to help people understand the different insurance options and assist through the enrollment process. Public Health has its own team of Navigators, and it also manages a county-wide network that includes more than 300 Navigators, working for many Community Health Centers, hospitals, and human services agencies.
Statewide vaccination news: State Department of Health (DOH) announces one million vaccine doses administered; statewide mass vaccination sites now prioritizing second doses
The state DOH just announced that the state has reached an important milestone: One million Washingtonians have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Of course, much more work is ahead, and as more vaccine becomes available to the states, King County will be able to ramp up and increase the number of vaccinations. At this moment, however, supplies are still limited, leading to long wait times for those eligible for the vaccine.
The DOH also announced that the statewide mass vaccination sites are now prioritizing second doses after more than 40,000 Washingtonians received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Public Health on how to contain COVID-19 in your home
 As we’ve all learned over this past year, COVID-19 spreads easily within households (even from people without symptoms), possibly making our home one of the riskiest places to be. Now that more contagious variants have been detected in the United States, including one in Washington state, we need to remain vigilant both at home and in public. Public Health offers some hints on staying COVID-free in your home.
Reminder - - Tomorrow: Live Q&A on COVID-19 vaccines
 Join the Washington state AARP tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16th at 10 a.m. for a telephone town hall event about COVID-19 vaccines in King County. The panelists include Patty Hayes, Director of Public Health -- Seattle & King County, and Dr. Scott Barhhart, MD, MPH, Physician and Professor of Medicine and Global Health at the University of Washington. This live Q&A event will give you the opportunity to ask questions of experts regarding Covid-19 and the vaccination process. To participate, you can pre-register here and include your phone number to be called at the start of the event or phone toll-free (855) 962-0970 on Tuesday, February 16th at 10:00 a.m.
Public Health valentines
You may enjoy perusing these clever COVID-related valentines produced by Public Health – Seattle & King County. One example:
What King County’s data tell us about race, geography and the COVID-19 vaccines
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Health has provided an overview of the County’s COVID-19 data and what the data show about the inequitable impact of the pandemic.
Given the current mismatch between supply and demand, Public Health is placing equity at the center of deciding where to focus limited resources. That means prioritizing people and communities who are at high risk because they have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and especially vulnerable adults, including those who are disconnected from the health care system. Read the full story here, on the Public Health Insider Blog.
You may also be interested in this article from UW Medicine News: Diabetes patients of color face higher COVID-19 risks.
Briefing on King County response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.
This Wednesday, February 17th, County Councilmembers will be briefed by County Budget Director Dwight Dively on the status of the County’s response to the pandemic. The briefing will take place during the Council’s (virtual) meeting of the Committee of the Whole on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The public is welcome to view the meeting and provide public comment. Instructions for joining the meeting, providing comment, and accessing the meeting agenda and materials are available here. Councilmembers will also be briefed on plans for the Best Starts for Kids (BSK) levy renewal.
Public Health to provide COVID-19 vaccine update at Board of Health meeting on Thursday: Public is welcome to view briefing
The County Board of Health (BOH) will meet this Thursday to take up a number of items (including my work-plan amendment on the unequal enforcement of the bicycle helmet law - - see details below). The BOH will also be briefed by Patty Hayes, Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County and Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health—Seattle & King County. The public is welcome to view the meeting and provide public comment. Instructions for joining the meeting, providing comment, and accessing the meeting agenda and materials are available here.
UW Medicine seeking participants for COVID-19 symptoms study
KIRO 7 news is reporting that UW Medicine is taking part in a nationwide study of COVID-19 symptoms, including in so-called “long-haulers.” Nationwide, participating research hospitals include Yale, Rush, UCLA, UCSF, and others, and researchers are hoping to enroll 4,800 patients.
For more information on how to sign up, click here and pick the UW Medicine location. Participants will be compensated for their time.
Video chat: Facing the crisis of drug-resistant germs – Thursday at 10 a.m. PT
 The Covid-19 pandemic has shown what happens when we let our guard down against infectious disease, despite years of increasingly loud warnings. So now is the time to heed those same warnings about antibiotic-resistant germs. This Thursday, February 18th, at 10 a.m., STAT will host a panel of experts to chart a path to progress. The discussion is free to the public. For more information and to register, click here.
Also coming up this week at the County Council: Unequal enforcement of helmet laws, facial recognition technology and more
Helmet law enforcement: Thursday, February 18th at 1 p.m.
As I mention above, the Board of Health meeting this Thursday, February 18th at 1 p.m. will include a briefing on COVID-19 and vaccinations in the County.
In addition, I will be offering an amendment to the Board’s workplan to examine the unequal enforcement in Seattle of bicycle helmet laws - - which appears to target unhoused individuals. For more information on this issue, see this December article from Crosscut: Nearly half of Seattle’s helmet citations go to homeless people.
According to the article, of the citations the Seattle police have issued since 2017, at least 43% were given to people struggling with homelessness.
But this is also a national problem - - and it’s also about race. In Austin and Dallas, Texas, for example, mandatory helmet laws were either repealed or changed after disturbing racial disparities became evident based on who was ticketed for not wearing a helmet.
In Tampa, Florida, nearly 80 percent of bicycling-related citations issued by police during a three-year period were to African-Americans, even though African-Americans made up only 25 percent of the population.
While I strongly support helmet laws on the basis of safety and the incredible costs to the public for hospital stays and medical treatment, especially with regard to Traumatic Brain Injury, I would like to have the Board of Health examine issues of enforcement.
Instructions for joining the meeting, providing comment, and accessing the meeting agenda and materials are available here.
Budget and Fiscal Management Committee meeting: Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
The County’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee – which I chair – will meet tomorrow morning and will take up a number of items. The public is welcome to view the meeting and provide public comment. Instructions for joining the meeting, providing comment, and accessing the meeting agenda and materials are available here.
Facial recognition technology: Tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The full Council will meet tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16th at 1 p.m. and will refer a number of items to committees, including an ordinance sponsored by my colleague Councilmember Rod Dembowski and me that would prohibit the acquisition and use of facial recognition technology by County administrative offices and executive departments, including the department of public safety, with some exceptions. Also being referred is an ordinance I’m sponsoring with Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer expanding our retired passenger van program (see below).
The public is welcome to view the meeting. Instructions for joining the meeting and accessing the meeting agenda and materials are available here.
Metro update: More than three dozen bus routes remain on snow route; others returning to regular routes
 Metro has announced that some routes are returning to regular routes. Temperatures are warming and snow is melting in parts of King County, improving road conditions and allowing more than half of Metro’s bus routes to return to normal routing where it is safe to do so.
To see if your route remains on snow route, please click the map at MetroWinter.com.
Metro survey: Respond by March 8th
 In Spring 2020, Metro suspended a significant amount of transit service due to the outbreak of COVID-19 – as a result, ridership and revenue declined. Despite challenges, Metro has maintained a regional transit network to serve the more than one in four of our customers who continued to count on Metro to access work and essential needs.
Still, current ridership remains lower than before the pandemic, and some service suspensions remain in place across our system. Looking forward, public transit is at the heart of a successful recovery from the health and economic crises caused by COVID-19. As our region recovers and daily, local travel increases, Metro plans to systematically restore suspended transit service.
In order to make the most informed service decisions for King County residents and Metro customers, Metro is seeking community feedback through a short survey on Metro’s route to recovery, due by March 8, 2021. We encourage you to share this survey with your networks so that we can use this valuable input in our process. Your input will help determine service changes in September 2021 and beyond. Click here to access the survey in English and several other languages.
Van donation
Each year, Metro donates 7-seater vans to local organizations to meet the mobility needs of senior citizens, people with disabilities, youth, and others. These vans are retired from their work with Metro, but can still serve the community. Applications for a donated van will open soon. If you work with a non-profit or local government and are interested in applying, please contact my Chief of Staff Adam Cooper at adam.cooper@kingcounty.gov. Each Councilmember is able to donate four vans each year. My legislation mentioned above would expand the eligibility for receiving vans.
Bill Gates: In Conversation - - Thursday, February 18th from 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Gates will be in conversation for an online-only event on Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 7:30 PM (PST), as part of the Seattle Arts and Lecture series.
All digital passes are Pay-What-You-Can Pricing and include a copy of Mr. Gates’ book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need, shipped to the ticket holder by Seattle-area independent bookstores in the two weeks following the event (except Student/25 & Under and complimentary tickets).
In the urgent, authoritative book, Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. More information is available here.
DID YOU KNOW?
… that giving chocolates as a romantic gesture came into fashion in the 1860s when British chocolate maker Richard Cadbury had the idea to package his confections in fancy heart-shaped boxes? Read the full story from CNN here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Washington state’s COVID-19 vaccine planning fell short on logistics, sowing disorder and mistrust – The Seattle Times
- Tribal health providers have figured out the key to Covid-19 vaccine success. Here's their secret - CNN
- Double-masking? Go for it (as long as you can breathe) – UW Medicine News
- Jayapal, DelBene among more than two dozen in Congress asking for national ban on preferential access to COVID-19 vaccine – The Seattle Times
- Mobile vaccine teams received like heroes in King County adult homes – KIRO 7 News
- The latest pandemic work for women? Snagging vaccine appointments for their parents. – The Lilly
- Biden says US is securing 600 million vaccine doses by July – The Seattle Times
- Seattle ranks 2nd for willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 - The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Back to normal isn’t good enough – Stat News
- Opinion: Do the math: Vaccines alone won’t get us out of this pandemic – Stat News
- Saturday stunner: Snowiest Seattle day in 52 years – Seattle Weather Blog
- New book explores how we shape Puget Sound — and how it shapes us - Crosscut
- Bill Gates is investing big in American farmland - Crosscut
- Ballard District Council meeting recap on homelessness, addiction, and mental illness in the district – My Ballard
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo from Keystone Bar and Grill / CNN
CNN tells the story of a “tip war” that broke out between alums of two competing colleges in Ohio, ultimately raising more than $34,000 for restaurant workers in Cincinnati who have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Click here to read the full story of how this “war” – which started with a $1,000 tip left by one alum – evolved and escalated.
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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