COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County is reporting these numbers as of this afternoon (taking into consideration the data note above):
- 209 new positive cases of COVID-19 (82,716 total).
- 7 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,411 total)
- 4 new hospitalizations (5,113 to date)
On Wednesday, March 3rd, Public Health reported:
- 144 new positive cases of COVID-19 (82,507 total).
- 5 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,404 total)
- -11 new hospitalizations (data adjustment, 5,109 to date)
On Tuesday, March 2, Public Health reported:
- 60 new positive cases of COVID-19 (82,363 total).
- 6 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,399 total)
- 17 new hospitalizations (5,120 to date)
Statewide, according to the DOH, as of today:
-Total number of confirmed positive cases is 323,839; the total number of probable cases is 19,251, for a total of 343,090 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,032
- The total number of hospitalizations is 19,500
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.”― Eleanor Roosevelt
Next vaccine phase coming on March 22nd
 Today Governor Inslee announced the State will move to the next phase of vaccine eligibility on March 22nd. This action will expand eligibility, and follows an earlier expansion to include teachers and child care workers in an effort to speed up a return to in-person learning. In addition, the Veteran’s Administration (VA) has just announced that Puget Sound area veterans of all ages are now eligible to receive vaccines. (The only eligibility requirement is that you must be enrolled in the VA system. Veterans who aren’t enrolled can check their eligibility on the VA website.)
With the Governor’s action today, newly eligible individuals will include:
- Critical workers in some congregate settings including agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, corrections, public transit, corrections, fire and law enforcement, and staff and volunteers in congregate living settings
- People ages 16+ who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at higher risk.
The Governor has also announced dates when more people will be eligible – assuming an adequate vaccine supply:
- April 12th: People ages 50+ with two or more comorbidities
- April 26th: People 16+ with two or more comorbidities and people living in congregate settings, people experiencing homelessness that live in or access services in congregate settings.
However, it is important to remember the County does not expect a significant increase in the supply of doses before the end of the month.
You may be interested in this Seattle Times article: Gov. Inslee: Law enforcement, firefighters, grocery workers to get COVID-19 vaccines in March.
Awaiting the new vaccine
The availability of a third effective vaccine is truly good news! However, we’ll have to be patient in Washington state.
Included below are links to additional information on the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine and what it might mean for our state.
- WA waits for Johnson & Johnson vaccine as state surpasses 5K COVID deaths - KUOW
- Five reasons to celebrate a third COVID-19 vaccine – Public Health Insider blog
- Inslee announces authorization of J & J vaccine by Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup – Governor’s office press release
- Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine may be safe for those allergic to Pfizer, Moderna shots – KING 5
More vaccination sites opening
 Seattle is set to open additional vaccination sites, including two fixed sites in Rainier Beach and West Seattle and a mass vaccination site at Lumen Field Event Center. While we continue to be constrained in the supply of vaccines, I’m very pleased with the continued partnerships and expansions that will enable us to quickly and efficiently administer vaccines as we receive them.
Tomorrow at noon: Public Health media update on COVID-19 in Seattle and King County
Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin will brief the public and take questions from reporters at noon tomorrow, Friday, March 5. He will provide updates on trends in COVID-19 cases and share the latest information on COVID vaccination efforts in King County.
The briefing will be livestreamed on the Public Health – Seattle & King County Facebook page.
Infographic: Is it true? COVID-19 vaccine fact-checking
 Public Health has put together a helpful, straightforward Q &A infographic on myths and facts about the COVID vaccines. Click here to read in English or here for Spanish.
Update on COVID vaccinations in King County
On March 2 the County hit a milestone of vaccinating half a million residents. As of today, about 59% of King County residents 75+ years old have at least one documented dose and 68% of licensed health care workers have received at least one dose. And very good news is that one hundred percent of residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in King County have been vaccinated. Seventeen mobile teams are now in the field vaccinating high-risk older adults throughout the County.
King County has second-lowest COVID rate in nation
 One year after King County had the first COVID outbreak in the U.S., we now have the second-lowest COVID rate of the 100 most populous counties in the nation. That is a remarkable feat and a testament to the excellent work of Public Health and the sacrifice of County residents over the last year.
Video: Why should BIPOC communities trust these vaccines?
 Watch as Dr. Michele Andrasik, Senior Scientist in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutch, discusses equitable inclusion of BIPOC people (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) in the COVID-19 vaccine trials and emphasizes the importance of getting vulnerable communities vaccinated.
Video: DOH media briefing this morning
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Coronavirus Response Joint Information Center briefed the media this morning on the state's ongoing response to COVID-19. Featured were Dr. Umair A. Shah, Secretary of Health, DOH and other public health leadership at the state DOH. You can view the full briefing on TVW here.
Commemorating a difficult year
 We took a look back over the past 12 months in Monday’s e-newsletter. Here are two more:
- King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn on Tuesday delivered an official recognition of the one-year anniversary of King County’s State of Emergency due to COVID-19 (which the Council approved unanimously). - Council News
- Commemorating a difficult year for older adults & their caretakers – Public Health Insider blog
- A year in America’s first COVID epicenter – The New Yorker
Gov. Inslee released this statement yesterday on Washington's 5,000th COVID-related death
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a statement after it was confirmed there have now been more than 5,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the state of Washington since the pandemic began. As of Wednesday, March 3, 2021, there have been 5,012 COVID-related deaths in Washington since 2020.
“As we recognize the loss of 5,000 Washingtonians to COVID-19, let us both mourn for the families who have lost loved ones and be thankful for the Washingtonians who have pitched in to prevent further passing. Each of these 5,000 lives were more than a number to us. Each represents the loss of a unique individual who has left an empty chair in the lives of family, friends, and community.
“At the same time, it is fitting and proper to be thankful for the efforts of our citizens to fight COVID-19. Our residents have kept each other safe. If we had suffered the same death rate as other states, such as South Dakota, we would be mourning an 11,000 additional Washingtonians right now. Washingtonians do right by each other. We will continue to do all we can to help reduce infections, hospitalizations and deaths, so that more Washingtonians can emerge from this pandemic to enjoy healthy lives.”
Gov. Inslee updates travel guidelines
All air passengers traveling from outside the country to Washington state must now comply with the requirements ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC currently requires all such air passengers have a negative COVID-19 test within 3 days of travel or present proof of recovery from COVID-19. Read the full proclamation here.
County Council discusses judicial appointment and advances hazard pay for grocery store workers
The Council’s Committee of the Whole met for four hours yesterday, with a full agenda. In addition to reviewing recommendations for appointment of a district court judge, Councilmembers took up the question of requiring hazard pay for grocery store workers. Specifically, we considered an ordinance for unincorporated King County that would require grocery stores with 500 or more employees to provide hazard pay through the end of the state of emergency. The ordinance was sponsored by Councilmembers Dembowski, Upthegrove and Zahilay. Similar laws are in effect in the cities of Seattle and Burien. The proposed ordinance will now go to the full Council for consideration next Tuesday.
A successful Town Hall event
Thanks very much to everyone who joined our Virtual Town Hall last night! Public Health—Seattle & King County Director Patty Hayes joined us and provided a presentation on COVID and vaccines. We had a great conversation covering a wide range of topics on our upcoming COVID budgets and regional homelessness issues to reform in the Sheriff’s office and the Best Starts for Kids levy renewal. If you missed it, please check it out here on Facebook.
Reminder: Monday, March 8th is last day to respond to Metro survey
 In Spring 2020, Metro suspended a significant amount of transit service due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and, as a result, ridership and revenue declined. Throughout the pandemic, 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.
As our region recovers and daily, local travel increases, Metro plans to systematically restore suspended transit service. As you will see below, some changes are coming up on March 20th, but Metro is looking ahead to fall of 2021 and beyond and needs your input.
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 this coming Monday, March 8th. Your input will help determine service changes in September 2021 and beyond. Click here to access the survey in English and several other languages.
King County Metro restores bus trips, revises schedules for semiannual service change March 20th
 Responding to fluctuating ridership, King County Metro will restore and revise transit service beginning March 20th as part of its regular spring service change. More trips will be added to 15 routes where ridership demand is strongest, while individual trips will be suspended on 10 peak weekday routes due to low ridership.
On Saturday, March 20, 2021, Metro will adjust service on routes in Seattle and King County, however some routes and trips remain suspended for the foreseeable future due to low ridership demand and financial realities. For routes that are suspended, here are updated tips and alternatives, courtesy of Metro planners. Riders also can call customer service for trip planning assistance at 206-553-3000 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Metro’s Puget Sound Trip Planner website and appnow are up to date for planning trips on or after March 20.
Details of the March 20th service changes can be found here.
King Conservation District ballot
The King Conservation District (not part of King County) is holding an election for an open seat on the Board of Supervisors. Voting begins March 1, 2021, and runs through March 23, 2021.
King Conservation District (KCD) is a natural resources assistance agency authorized by Washington State and guided by the Washington State Conservation Commission. Its mission is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources through responsible stewardship. A five-member Board of Supervisors is responsible for overseeing all KCD programs and activities. To vote, see this page. And note that ballots are not sent to registered voters; rather, voters have to take the initiative to vote. It’s an odd system that King County Elections is looking to change.
For general information on voting and elections in King County, visit the King County Elections Department website.
Visiting a Mobile Vaccination Clinic
 At the Pike Market Senior Center with Jeannie Falls, the Center’s Executive Director, and Center staff Steven Dahmer, Lynn Fox, & Sarah Aranez.
I was very pleased to be able to stop by the Pike Place Market Senior Center this morning for its Mobile Vaccination clinic that was operated by the Seattle Fire Department. Pike Market Senior Center has been supporting seniors through an incredibly difficult and high-risk time, and I’m very grateful for its services.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that Susan O'Malley became the first female president of an NBA franchise in 1991 at the age of 29? She was president of the Washington Bullets team, a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Additional helpful and informative links
- New COVID-19 Variants in Washington. Now what? – State Dept. of Health blog
- 'Falling through cracks': Vaccine bypasses some older adults – AP News
- How to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Seattle, King County and Washington state (updated February 26th) – The Seattle Times
- Biden vows enough vaccine for all US adults by end of May – The Seattle Times
- The surprising key to combatting vaccine refusal – The Atlantic
- The short-term, middle-term, and long-term future of the coronavirus – Stat News
- At-home COVID testing is here. But does it work? – The New York Times
- Opinion: Why I worry remote schedules could mean fewer women in the office - The Washington Post
- ‘Straddling the fault lines of work, family and sanity’: How we can keep women at work - WBUR
- We may not have to wear masks on planes forever. But should we? – The Seattle Times
- Smartphone addiction ruins sleep, study says, but you can fight back - CNN
Today’s moment of inspiration
 AJ Murphy teaches Wyatt James about tubeless tires. Photo by Shaun Price / Good News Network
The Good News Network is reporting on a cycling group that is repairing bikes for free all over the Navajo Nation, which is nearly 30,000 square miles and where bicycling is a way of life – but bike repair shops are non-existent.
According to GNN, “Instead of residents having to travel to towns as far as Gallup to get their bikes repaired, Silver Stallion is coming directly to them—and not charging a dime.” Silver Stallion secured grants and donations and has fixed 425 bikes in seven different communities across the Navajo Nation. 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.
|
