COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers as of today:
- 336 new positive cases of COVID-19 (90,362 total)
- 1 new COVID-19-related death (1,481 total)
- 21 new hospitalizations (5,429 to date)
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.
Statewide, according to the state Department of Health (DOH), as of today:
-Total number of confirmed positive cases is 348,431; the total number of probable cases is 24,781, for a total of 373,212 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,316
- The total number of hospitalizations is 20,933
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “As individual fingers we can easily be broken, but all together we make a mighty fist.” -- Sitting Bull
Finding COVID-19 vaccine appointments
 - Vaccine locator for Washington state – just enter your zip code to find appointments near you: https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov. By phone, call the WA State COVID-19 Assistance hotline: 1-800-525-0127 or 1-888-856-5816 (then press #), 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. Monday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. (Tuesday – Sunday).
- King County’s (Public Health – Seattle & King County) COVID-19 vaccination page: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/vaccine/distribution.aspx. King County COVID-19 Call Center: 206-477-3977, is available 8a.m. – 7p.m., Monday – Friday. For language interpretation, say your preferred language when connected.
- City of Seattle’s COVID-19 vaccination page: http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19/vaccinations . You can also call the Customer Service Bureau at (206) 684-2489 from Monday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. for assistance. Interpretation is available over the phone.
Tomorrow at 12:15 p.m.: Dr. Jeff Duchin press conference and COVID briefing
 Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin will brief the public and take questions from reporters tomorrow, Friday, April 9th at 12:15 p.m.. He will provide updates on trends in COVID-19 cases and share the latest information on COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
The briefing will be livestreamed on the Public Health – Seattle & King County Facebook page @KCPubHealth.
COVID-19 vaccine: Supply vs. demand
As The Seattle Times noted in an article last week, Washingtonians will need to ‘pack their patience’ when COVID vaccine appointments open to all 16 and older. You may find these articles of interest:
- Early vaccine registration open for all King County residents 16+ - Patch
- COVID herd immunity? Parts of Washington state appear in no mood to join this herd - The Seattle Times
- Supply of COVID vaccines smaller than expected after manufacturing mistake with J&J vaccine, Washington state health officials say - The Seattle Times
- Eligibility is expanding. But what about the vaccine supply? (March 12th) – Public Health Insider Blog
Variants of concern
 Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash
It can be hard to understand where we are with the COVID-19 pandemic right now. On one hand, it's great that many people are getting vaccinated in our community. That's bringing so much hope and relief as it helps reduce infections, hospitalizations and deaths. On the other hand, not everyone is vaccinated yet, and we are hearing about increases in cases and increases in new coronavirus "variants" that are more contagious.
As Public Health indicated in February in the Public Health Insider blog, so-called “variants of concern” are here in King County.
In an article in yesterday’s blog, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin answers questions on the variants and what they mean for us locally. See this article from Public Health: Are we in a fourth wave? Are the variants storm clouds on the horizon? The latest from our Health Officer on COVID-19 in King County.
You may also be interested in these articles:
- Virus variants and vaccine efficacy - PATH
- Rise of coronavirus variants will define the next phase of the pandemic in the U.S. - The Washington Post
- Are youth sports an engine of COVID-19 variant outbreaks? – The Seattle Times
Libraries, museums, aquariums, zoos reopen
 Photo by Dannie Jing on Unsplash
Just a reminder, many venues are issuing timed tickets to help with social distancing, so remember to check instructions for your specific location ahead of time. See these articles:
- Seattle Public Library (and King County libraries) will reopen 3 branches soon, but browsing shelves won’t be allowed just yet – The Seattle Times
- Reopened museums: See this Visit Seattle page, with the current status and reopening plans for Seattle-area museums. - Visit Seattle
- Woodland Park Zoo – Visitor information
- Seattle Aquarium – Visitor Information
Thank you, essential workers!
 I wanted to take this opportunity to give a special shout-out to all the essential workers who have helped us make it to this point! So, thank you to all the first responders, trash collectors, bus drivers, postal carriers, grocery workers, delivery drivers and all the others who have made it possible for many of us to carry on.
Does your organization need a new van? April 22nd is the application deadline for the County’s van donation program
 Each year, the King County Council donates serviceable seven-passenger minivans that have been retired from Metro’s van pool program. The County Code is designed to ensure that the program provides a benefit to the county transportation system. As a result, these vans are donated to eligible non-profit organizations throughout the County that serve the transportation needs of seniors, youth, people with disabilities, and low-income people. The County Council acted recently to amend this process so that during the continuing COVID-19 emergency, organizations may also transport goods and supplies (including, but not limited to, food, clothing, school supplies or medical equipment) to serve the needs of those populations.
Four minivans are allocated for my district, so if your organization meets the above qualifications and serves individuals and communities in King County Council District 4, please email my Chief of Staff at adam.cooper@kingcounty.gov to learn more. Adam coordinates my efforts around this program, and will answer any of your questions as well as provide and help you with the required forms. Again, the deadline to apply with my office is Thursday, April 22. Depending on the number of qualified applicants my office receives, I will determine this year’s recipients and respond by the end of the month to let you know the outcome of your application.
4Culture project grants: Deadline is April 28th, 2021
 4Culture arts and heritage project grants support the cultural life of King County – and arts and culture are sorely needed at this time! Unfortunately, due to the economic impact of COVID-19, 2021, Lodging Tax revenues – which support these grants – are much lower than in years past. For full information on the grants, see this page.
You may also be interested in this piece by County Executive Dow Constantine, which appeared in artsfund.org: COVID, the arts, and what I’m looking forward to when all this is over.
Confronting COVID: Cuba’s approach to health care for all
 Join the hosts on April 22nd at noon Pacific Time for a conversation on how a US - Cuba Collaboration is dealing with Covid-19 and can benefit both our countries. Featuring Drs. Helen Jaffe and Valia Rodriguez, experts in the field. See the graphic above for more information. To register, see this page.
You may also be interested in this February article from The New York Times: Coronavirus vaccine nears final tests in Cuba. Tourists may be inoculated.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
 As the County Council recognized on Tuesday, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual assault is something that far too many individuals across our nation, including here in King County, have experienced, whether they report it or not. These experiences impact survivors in a myriad of ways, and I am especially grateful to organizations supporting survivors, such as the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence. Let’s support each other this month and every month as we recognize this important and difficult issue.
At the Council this week
Briefing on safety inside King County jails
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Council’s Law and Justice Committee, committee members were briefed on an audit on the safety of King County jails. The County Auditor’s Office provided an informative, significant, and troubling report on safety within King County Jails—and the actions that the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention can take to increase safety. I look forward to tracking this issue as a member of the Law and Justice Committee. If you’d like to read more, Lewis Kamb at The Seattle Times provides a helpful summary here: Audit of King County jails finds racial disparities in discipline, says ‘double-bunking’ leads to violence.
If you’d like to view the briefing, the video of the meeting is available here, with the briefing on the jail safety audit beginning at approximately minute 38:00.
Public Health briefing
Also on Tuesday, the full Council met. In addition to voting on a number of motions and ordinances, the Council was briefed by Public Health Director Patty Hayes on the status of the County’s COVID-19 response and vaccination efforts. The video is not yet available, but will be posted on this page soon. The briefing by Director Hayes takes place near the start of the meeting.
COVID response briefing by County Budget Director
At yesterday’s meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, County Budget Director Dwight Dively updated councilmembers on the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can view the meeting here; the COVID briefing begins at approximately minute 10:00. In addition, you can view the deliberation on the renewal of the Best Starts for Kids Levy ordinance which now goes to the full Council for a vote to place it on the ballot in August.
Join me on social media!
If you aren’t following me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, please consider hitting the follow button for regular updates. We’re still sending out eNews twice a week, but on days that we aren’t sending eNews, we are posting new information and helpful links on our social media in real time. I love having you as part of our eNews community, but would love to see you on social media, too!
DID YOU KNOW?
... that Seattle has had a unique and eclectic musical history? According to Wikipedia, “From 1918 to 1951, nearly two dozen jazz nightclubs existed along Jackson Street, from the current Chinatown/International District to the Central District. The jazz scene nurtured the early careers of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson, and others.”
And I recommend a novel that includes much of the jazz scene at that time; it’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford and it also speaks to the boundaries between the Japanese and Chinese neighborhoods and the biases and discrimination taking place, including of the internment of Japanese-Americans into camps. You can even stop by the Panama Hotel which is prominent in the story and still stands today.
And, of course, Seattle is also the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix, bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and the grunge movement!
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, April 8: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- Rising COVID cases: Will state force counties to revert to lower phases? – KOMO News
- Are some COVID-19 vaccines more effective than others? – The Seattle Times
- COVID-19 frequently asked questions – UW News
- Likely legal, ‘vaccine passports’ emerge as the next coronavirus divide – The New York Times
- Medical experts urge caution with 'vaccine passports' – KING 5 News
- In rare instances, AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine linked to blood clots, regulators say – Stat News
- 'This disease is alive and well': Health officials urge caution as COVID-19 cases surge in King County - KING 5 News
- Pfizer begins human trials of new pill to treat coronavirus – Bloomberg News
- U.S. to launch massive funeral assistance program for COVID-19 victims – The Seattle Times
- Discarded masks litter beaches worldwide, threaten sea life – AP News
- Back to school in springtime: UW experts offer tips for adjusting pandemic-era routines – UW News
Today’s moment of CUTENESS
 Baby gorilla Zuna. Photo by Woodland Park Zoo.
The new Gorilla baby at the Woodland Park Zoo, little Zuna, has an “incredibly cute habit,” according to WPZ Gorilla Keeper Stephanie Payne. Payne said, “It’s too early to really recognize any strong personality traits, but Zuna has the incredibly cute habit of sticking her tongue out, as evident in her photos!” The baby gorilla recently got her first new tooth, and is expected to start walking and climbing in a couple more months.
WPZ reminds visitors that reusing and recycling electronics helps reduce the demand for Coltan – an ore used to extend battery life in phones and other handheld devices. Coltan mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo destroy habitat critical to endangered species, including the western lowland gorilla.
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.
|
