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.
Data note from Public Health: Due to several issues related to processing laboratory results, data on testing volume and percent positivity are incomplete. To read the full notice on testing volume and percent of positive tests, click here.
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County is reporting these numbers as of this afternoon (with the above caveat):
- 178 new positive cases of COVID-19 (80,635 total).
- 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,331 total)
- 21 new hospitalizations (5,042 to date)
- On Wednesday, February 17th, Public Health reported 140 new positive cases of COVID-19 (80,457 total) and 8 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,329 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 13 (5,021 total).
- On Tuesday, February 16th, Public Health reported 14 new positive cases of COVID-19 (80,317 total) and 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,321 total). The number of new hospitalizations was 7 (5,008 total).
Data note for February 18th from the Washington state DOH: Total case counts may include up to 400 duplicates. Negative test results data from November 21–30, 2020, are incomplete. Thus, negative test results and percent positivity (Testing tab) for that period, and case counts should be interpreted with caution. Otherwise, the incomplete time frames presented in the dashboard are correct and up to date. The Epidemiologic Curves tab is the most accurate representation of COVID activity and is updated daily as new cases are identified.
Statewide, according to the DOH, as of today, February 18th (with the caveats noted above), the total number of confirmed positive cases is 314,655. The total number of probable cases is 17,352, for a total of 332,007 cases. The total number of deaths statewide is 4,803, and the number of total hospitalizations is 18,934.
   
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Vaccine delays at Kent and Auburn sites due to cold weather delaying deliveries
Due to the national delay in vaccine shipments, appointments scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, February 19th at 4 p.m. and later will be rescheduled. Affected patients will receive a call in the next three days to reschedule appointments. We will update our website by Friday afternoon with information about appointments scheduled for this weekend. Please continue to visit this page for updates.
Updates on COVID-19 variants
There are nine confirmed cases of the UK variant in King County as of Tuesday, February 16th. As you probably know, this variant is much more easily transmitted, meaning increasing numbers of positive cases – followed by increased hospitalizations and death – are likely to follow. We need to continue doing what's needed to protect against and slow the spread of COVID-19: Wear a well-fitted mask and/or double up on masks, stay six feet apart, wash hands often, and minimize contact with people outside your household.
You may be interested in these articles:
- ‘It hits you like a truck.’ One Seattle family’s experience with 'UK' variant of the coronavirus - KUOW
- New COVID-19 in-depth report: Summary of SARS-CoV-2 novel variants - UW Department of Global Health
- Experts warn against COVID-19 variants as states reopen – AP News
- C.D.C. announces $200 million ‘down payment’ to track virus variants – The New York Times
- The new variant COVID-19 strain is here. Here’s what you need to know. - Public Health Insider Blog (Updated January 29, 2021)
Tomorrow at noon: Dr. Duchin press conference and update on COVID-19 in King County
 Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin will brief the public and take questions from reporters tomorrow, Friday, February 19th at noon. He also will provide updates on trends in COVID-19 cases and share the latest information on COVID vaccination efforts. The public can view the press conference live at http://facebook.com/KCPubHealth
Public Health Q&A on King County vaccine distribution
 Public Health - Seattle & King County (Public Health) Director Patty Hayes participated in a public Q&A session with AARP of Washington on Tuesday, February 16th. If you've missed it, you can watch a recording on AARP's Facebook site here.
Update on County’s COVID-19 response
County Budget Director Dwight Dively updated Councilmembers yesterday at the Council’s meeting of the Committee of the Whole. Dively’s briefing can be viewed here, at approximately minute 39:16.
County Board of Health (BoH) updated today on COVID-19 in King County by Public Health staff; BoH agreed to my amendment to address unequal enforcement of helmet laws
The County Board of Health (BoH) was briefed today by Patty Hayes, Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health), and by Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health. You can view their PowerPoint presentation here. We will post video of the presentation as soon as it is available.
The BOH also took up a number of other items including passing a resolution encouraging the Legislature to take up the management of COVID-19 prevention and outbreaks in the state Department of Corrections facilities, and a motion to the Board’s work plan with my amendment on enforcement of the County’s bicycle helmet law. I appreciate the many individuals who spoke in support of it at the meeting’s public comment period today. The Board approved my amendment to add the issue of unequal enforcement of helmet laws to its 2021 agenda. As discussed in Monday’s e-newsletter a Crosscut story in December reported that data in Seattle showed nearly half of all helmet citations going to people experiencing homelessness.
What’s important to do here is really dig deep into the enforcement patterns of the helmet law and gain a better understanding on how this impacts King County residents. While I have supported the helmet law, I believe that if this policy is causing disproportionate harm on already marginalized communities, including individuals experiencing homelessness, we absolutely need to explore how to facilitate safe biking practices without criminalization. I appreciate that David Kroman’s Crosscut article brought this issue to the forefront and I look forward to exploring this issue further with my BoH colleagues.
You may be also be interested in this article and video: Watch: Person driving injures a biking Real Change vendor, then SPD mocks and blames the victim – Seattle Bike Blog
Video: Department of Health (DOH) press conference this morning
The state Department of Health (DOH) and the Washington State Coronavirus Response Joint Information Center held a press conference this morning on the state's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With Dr. Umair A. Shah, Secretary of Health, Washington State Department of Health, was joined by other DOH staff. The public can view the press conference at TVW here.
Alaska will allow vaccinations for non-resident fishers and seafood-industry workers: Huge help for Seattle-based Alaska fishing fleets
 I was very pleased to read an article in The Seattle Times last week, regarding the decision from the Governor from Alaska on vaccinating non-resident fishers and seafood-industry workers. I had worked with the Port on trying to get COVID-19 vaccines for our Seattle-based fishing fleet but in the meantime am appreciative of the Alaska governor’s announcement.
According to correspondence I recently received from the Port of Seattle, “We have two potential fleets, The Trawl Fleet and the Salmon Fleet, that stand to benefit from the Alaskan vaccine eligibility adjustments. The Trawl Fleet that homeports at Terminal 91 is currently fishing in the Bering Sea and will be returning to the Ports of Alaska over the next few months and should be eligible for vaccinations. The Salmon Fleet is currently home-ported at Fisherman’s Terminal until late May and once they disembark to Alaska, they too should be eligible to receive vaccinations contingent on federal supply.”
In 2017 an estimated 7,200 jobs were directly associated with commercial fishing by the Port of Seattle.
Banning preferential access to COVID-19 vaccination
Since the County Council passed my motion calling for Gov. Inslee and the State Legislature to ban preferential treatment in vaccine administration, more and more stories of inequitable vaccine distribution have come to light across the country. Though I’m appalled that this preferential treatment occurred, I am pleased that there is more attention being paid to making sure it doesn’t happen again. I am quoted in an interesting article in yesterday’s The Daily Beast that covers this issue locally and on a nation scale. Check it out!
You may also be interested in these articles that were included in our February 11th e-newsletter:
- King County Council rebukes preferential COVID-19 vaccinations, calls on state to take action – The Seattle Times
- King County Councilmembers condemn special access to COVID vaccine - MyNorthwest
- Is it ever ok to jump ahead in the vaccine line? - NPR
This Saturday, February 20th at 5 p.m.: Celebrate Black History Month with the Northwest African American Museum
 The Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) will host a virtual conversation with local youth to hear their perspectives on Black history, Black futures, and their community work as Black youth in this new Biden-Harris administration era. The conversation is free and open to the public. See this page for more information and to RSVP.
Save the Date: Virtual Town Hall, March 3rd from 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
I hope you’ll be able to join Councilmembers Dembowski, McDermott and Zahilay, and me on March 3rd to discuss issues in King County, including the County’s response to the pandemic. Full details coming soon. Save the date!
Executive Constantine transmits proposed sixth COVID emergency budget to Council
County Executive Dow Constantine today sent his proposed sixth COVID-19 supplemental budget to the County Council. The $91 million budget includes $45 million in additional rental assistance, $5 million to create and go into a revolving fund to provide funding upfront to many small community organizations that instead in last year’s five COVID-19 had to get reimbursed after the fact, and funding for COVID-19 vaccination sites. The Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, which I chair, will take up the proposed budget at a special meeting on March 10th at 1 p.m.
Some good news!
 Photo: NOAA (archive photo)
A new baby orca born to our southern resident pod! See this story in The Seattle Times: New orca baby born to southern resident L pod.
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. The deadline to apply has been extended to March 1, and young people aged 16 -24 are especially encouraged to apply.
For more information on PSTAA, the subcommittee and the recruitment process, click here.
Metro updates: Reduced fares and virtual neighborhood pop-up events
 Metro is making it easier to apply for reduced fares and learn about transit. Metro is now offering virtual neighborhood Pop-up events and has launched an online Reduced Fare Portal.
Customers with lower incomes, seniors, and people with disabilities can use these tools to get their transit questions answered and to apply for an ORCA Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) card or an ORCA Lift card. For a limited time, ORCA Youth card applications can also be submitted through the portal.
King County Veterans Program relocating from Belltown to Northgate
The King County Veterans Program (KCVP) Seattle office is relocating from Belltown to Northgate in early 2021. This week will be the last week KCVP’s staff will be providing services in the Belltown office. KCVP Seattle staff will be providing services virtually from February 22 until the transition to the Northgate Office is complete. No changes are being made to KCVP Tukwila.
KCVP Seattle staff can be reached during normal business hours Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (closed 12-1 pm) at 206-477-8282. New, returning and current clients are encouraged to call to schedule appointments. All walk-in appointments will be handled on a first come-first served basis. See this page for more information.
Homelessness In America: The Search for Solutions During COVID-19
 Next Wednesday, February 24th at 9 a.m. PT, Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health, along with WGBH News, will host a conversation on homelessness during the pandemic. There is no registration required to watch the event online.
The public can send questions for the panelists in advance or during the Q&A to: theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or post them to @ForumHSPH. The event will be live-streamed on Facebook and on The Forum website.
DID YOU KNOW?
… that the Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), a global network of websites that helps people judge the quality of online information on vaccine safety, was established in 2003 by the World Health Organization (WHO)?
Additional helpful and informative links
- COVID-linked syndrome in children is growing, and cases are more severe – The New York Times
- EXPLAINER: How will we know we've reached herd immunity? – AP News
- Scientists call on C.D.C. to set air standards for workplaces, now – The New York Times
- As adult family homes fall through vaccine system cracks, Seattle and Bellevue fire departments help pull them out - KUOW
- How some frustrated COVID-19 vaccine hunters are trying to fix a broken system – The Seattle Times
- Eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine? Seattle techies create site that shows open appointments – Geek Wire
- About 2 million fake N95 masks found in Washington state, pulled from shelves – KING 5 News
- Some Covid-19 vaccines are perceived as "good," and others "bad." That, experts say, is a problem. – Stat News
- Race to vaccinate older Americans advances in many states – AP News
- Side effects – or lack of side effects – after being vaccinated for COVID-19 – Mayo Clinic News
- COVID-19 vaccine: Don't miss your 2nd dose because of scheduling glitches - KUOW
- Is it safe to take Tylenol or ibuprofen before or after the COVID vaccine? - NBC News (AP article)
- The COVID-19 vaccine brings optimism at a bleak time, but post-vaccination fears about what’s safe persist – The Seattle Times
- Washington state to expand COVID-19 testing program, adding at least 48 school districts, Inslee says – The Seattle Times
- DOH expands school testing initiative to encourage more in-person learning – DOH Press Release
- Technology helps teens cope with COVID, researchers find – UW Information School News
- Seattle woman, 90, walks 6 miles through snow for her COVID-19 vaccine – The Seattle Times
- Double-masking can increase your protection. But not all masks should be layered. – The Philadelphia Inquirer
- The coronavirus is here to stay — here’s what that means - Nature
- Kid-friendly venues reopening in Seattle area: Our list includes their COVID-19 precautions – The Seattle Times
- We’re coping with COVID by going outdoors, but how is nature coping with us? – UW College of the Environment News
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo: Pelican Waste and Debris / NBC News
NBC News shared the story of two sanitation workers in Louisiana who saved a kidnapped 10-year-old girl when they spotted the suspected kidnapper's car. Dion Merrick and Brandon Antoine, employees of Pelican Waste and Debris, immediately recognized the car from an earlier Amber Alert. Read the full story here of how they blocked the car and notified the police, who quickly arrived and took the suspect into custody. According to their employer, “This was an exceptional thing that may very well have saved a little girl’s life.”
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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