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One year ago this week, the King County Council held its last in-person meeting. I am proud that we transitioned quickly to virtual meetings and that we have been able to do the important work of serving King County residents safely throughout the pandemic. One of the bright spots of virtual Council meetings has been the expanded opportunity for people to provide public testimony without having to travel long distances to the King County Courthouse in the middle of the day. It’s an innovation in our new Zoom era that I hope will endure when we return to in-person meetings.
 As we all reflect on the difficulties and challenges of past year, it’s important to recognize the impressive work of our public health and medical community, essential workers and residents who have followed public health guidance to fight COVID-19. Due to this communitywide effort, King County stands out - as the New York Times reported, “If the rest of the United States had kept pace with [the Seattle area], the nation could have avoided more than 300,000 coronavirus deaths.”
Read the New York Times article here (subscription or log-in required) >>>
New coronavirus variant detected in King County
We’re doing good work, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Public Health reported that the latest COVID-19 variant, which was first identified in Brazil, has been detected in King County. This means all three major variants, which can be more contagious, are in our community. While concerning, we know what to do: wear masks, keep physical distance, ventilate, wash hands, and get vaccinated when you are eligible.
Read more about the new variant and what to do here >>>
Gov. Inslee announces new openings beginning March 22
Thursday, Governor Inslee announced that effective March 22 the entire state will enter a new third phase of the Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery, which will provide a return for in-person spectators for professional and high school sports, among other activities. The Governor explained the new openings are largely due to the progress made by decreasing case rates and hospitalizations, as well as efforts to get more people vaccinated. Under the updated plan, counties will be individually evaluated every three weeks to see if changes to ensure public health are needed.
Learn about the new plan and how sporting events and other activities will open >>>
 New metrics that will guide the Phase 3 guidance moving forward
American Rescue Plan signed into law: next steps in King County
Yesterday, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law. It includes funding for a variety of programs needed to respond to and recover from the pandemic, including direct funding to states, counties and cities via the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund.
Decisions about how best to deploy funds directed to King County will ultimately rest with the King County Council and I look forward to working with my Council colleagues and the County Executive in the coming months to prioritize investments to best meet the needs of our community.
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Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
Council Chair
District 6
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