COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers as of today:
- 83 new positive cases of COVID-19 (93,937 total). Encouraging!
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,493 total)
- 17 new hospitalizations (5,590 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 Saturday, April 17:
-Total number of confirmed positive cases is 358,592; the total number of probable cases is 26,957, for a total of 385,549 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,380
- The total number of hospitalizations is 21,434
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “I’m very conscious of the fact that you can’t do it alone. It’s teamwork. When you do it alone you run the risk that when you are no longer there nobody else will do it.”
― Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, in The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience.
Video: Dr. Jeff Duchin update on COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations
 In his April 16th weekly press briefing Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin addressed the continuing high COVID-19 case count in King County, as well as efforts to equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines. You can view the video here.
The latest news on vaccines
 - The blood-clot problem is multiplying - The Atlantic / Newsbreak
- I’m a virus expert who got the J&J vaccine. I’m not losing sleep. – The New York Times
- Coronavirus FAQ: You're vaccinated. Cool! Now about those 'breakthrough' infections... - NPR
- U.S. preparing for 1-year COVID-19 booster shots; Pfizer chief sees need - Reuters
- Vaccines debate: ‘Escape variants’ of the coronavirus are a serious future threat – UW News
- Half of US adults have received at least one COVID-19 shot – The Seattle Times
- Why you shouldn’t skip your second dose of coronavirus vaccine – The Seattle Times
- Why some health care workers in Washington state were reluctant to get COVID shots – The Seattle Times
Finding COVID-19 vaccine appointments
- Click here for Washington State's Vaccine Locator. Just enter your zip code. For assistance by phone, and for language assistance, call the WA State COVID-19 Assistance hotline: 1-800-525-0127 or 1-888-856-5816 (then press #).
- WA COVID Vaccine Finder - covidwa.com - is a volunteer-driven effort to help Washingtonians find appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Sign up for the City of Seattle’s vaccination appointment notification list to be notified when appointments become available at any of four city-affiliated vaccination clinics.
- City of Seattle’s COVID-19 vaccination page. 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.
- King County’s (Public Health – Seattle & King County) COVID-19 vaccination page, especially useful if you live in south or east King County. King County COVID-19 Call Center: 206-477-3977, is available 8a.m. – 7p.m., Monday – Friday.
Gov. Inslee press conference on April 15
Gov. Jay Inslee addressed the media in-person last Thursday from outside the Executive Residence in Olympia to give an update on the state's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and updates from the legislative session. The governor was joined by Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy Secretary, Washington State Department of Health. You can view the press conference on TVW here.
Dining during COVID: How to spot signs that a restaurant is doing it right
 The Public Health Insider blog offers some helpful tips on what to look for in terms of air flow, capacity, distancing and other issues as more people start eating out.
Program created to support quarantine and isolation needs is saving lives
A program created by the state Department of Health (DOH) and partners to support people who have been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19 has reached almost 13,500 people and played a role in saving lives. Working with local health jurisdictions and their partners, DOH launched Care Connect Washington in December to get services and support to people who need them in order to quarantine or isolate at home.
Click here for more information on King County’s Isolation and Quarantine program, including support services and locations for those who have tested positive or have been exposed and need to isolate and quarantine.
This week at the Council
Tomorrow, Council Budget Committee takes up seventh COVID emergency budget at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow and renewal of Best Starts for Kids levy tomorrow at full Council at 1 p.m.
The Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee – which I chair – will take up the second COVID emergency budget of the year, the seventh since the pandemic began, tomorrow, April 20 at 9:30 a.m.
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and submitting comments, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Full County Council meets tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The Council will take up and vote on a number of issues tomorrow. Councilmembers will vote on the renewal of the Best Starts for Kids levy, which was approved by the voters in 2015 and has been a huge success.
There will also be a recognition of The Blessing of the Fleet and a proclamation of solidarity with our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Neighbors.
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and submitting comments, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Wednesday at 9:30 a.m: Facial recognition software and briefing on County’s COVID-19 response
This Wednesday morning, at the meeting of the Committee of the Whole, Councilmembers will take up my proposal to ban government use of facial recognition software. If approved by the committee, the measure would still need to go before full council before it could take effect. If approved, it be the first such county-wide ban in the nation.
King County would join a growing number of cities that have banned the use of facial recognition software by government, including Portland, Boston and San Francisco. Studies have found that facial recognition software is often far more likely to misidentify Black or Asian faces, especially Black women.
Councilmembers will also be briefed on the County’s response to the pandemic by Budget Director Dwight Dively at the meeting.
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and submitting comments, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Earth Day Virtual Town Hall: This Thursday, April 22nd at 6 p.m.
 Climate change is the most serious issue that humanity must confront to ensure the viability and livability of our planet for future generations. Successfully addressing this issue will require a worldwide effort as well as local action. I hope you will join my colleague, Councilmember Rod Dembowski and me along with a panel of experts for this important virtual town hall meeting to learn what your county government is doing to address climate change and share your thoughts and ideas. Join us this Earth Day, April 22nd at 6 p.m. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook here. You do not need a Facebook account to participate. Panelists will include Rachel Brombaugh, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives, Office of King County Executive Dow Constantine; Jay Arnold, Deputy Mayor, City of Kirkland; Hester Serebrin, Policy Director, Transportation Choices; and Vlad Gutman-Britten, Washington Director, Climate Solutions.
More on Earth Day
 Earth Day is Thursday, but of course that single day is not what’s most important. As we are slowly (hopefully) extricating ourselves from the crisis of the pandemic, we are all facing increasingly alarming news about the health of our planet. Today, according to Reuters, the “UN warns of climate ‘abyss’ as 2020 confirmed as one of 3 hottest years on record.”
In the meantime, there are some actions we can all take in our own lives, while keeping in mind that massive change at a global scale is urgently needed. I will be giving an Earth Day-focused inspiration tomorrow at the start of the Council meeting. The following are a few articles and resources for taking action in King County.
- Things you can do in the Seattle area to make every day Earth Day – The Seattle Times
- To learn about the County’s plans for clean water and healthy habitat click here.
- To learn about the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP), click here. (The SCAP will be discussed at this Thursday’s 9:30 a.m. special meeting of the Council’s Mobility and Environment Committee.)
- To learn about the County’s Land Conservation Initiative, click here.
For resources and more information on environmental stewardship, see this page.
Metro welcomes back Seattle Public School students!
 As of today, some Seattle students are riding Metro again and Metro is excited to welcome them back! County Executive Constantine recorded a short video for students and parents with reminders about staying safe on Metro, using your ORCA card and other tips for riding Metro. Read more and view the video here.
Blessing of the Fleet
 Photo by the Port of Seattle
As I mentioned last Thursday, long-time Seattle residents are probably very familiar with the 93-year-old Seattle tradition of blessing the Seattle-based fishing fleet before many of the boats leave for Pacific and Alaskan waters for the season.
I was pleased to join Ballard First Lutheran Church (BFLCS) and others in this important community celebration, and presented a recognition from the County Council. You can view my comments here, or view the entire ceremony here.
Thursday is the last day to apply for van donations
Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship: May 10th deadline
King County is proud to offer an exciting fellowship opportunity for those committed to exploring a career in public service. The Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship is named after revered community leader Ruth Woo. A mentor to many elected officials, Woo dedicated her life to public service.
To honor her many contributions to our communities and state, King County is offering three one-year, paid, full-time fellowships. The deadline to apply is May 10th. Selected fellows will demonstrate their commitment to building on Ruth Woo’s legacy. To learn more about Ruth Woo, see this article in Northwest Asian Weekly.
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?
... about the so-called “Boeing Bust” - - the huge job losses and economic downturn experienced in Seattle during the late 60s and early 70s? If you’ve lived in Seattle for more than a few years, you have no doubt seen pictures of the now-famous billboard that appeared near Sea-Tac airport in 1971, which read, “Will the last person leaving Seattle – Turn out the lights.” HistoryLink.org is reminding us that the billboard appeared fifty years ago last week – on April 16, 1971.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, April 19: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- Rising COVID metrics in King, Snohomish counties stir fears of phase rollback – KOMO News
- King County hovering just below Phase 3 threshold – My Northwest
- Health officers warn of COVID-19 variant cases 'doubling' every two weeks in Washington – q13 Fox
- Public Health’s in-home vaccination launches across the county – Public Health Insider Blog
- Unrecognized Tribes struggle without federal aid during pandemic - NPR
- Can COVID research help solve the mysteries of other viruses? - The New York Times
- Could the pandemic prompt an ‘epidemic of loss’ of women in the sciences? - The New York Times
- After COVID, brain fog lingers. UW researchers are finding out why - Crosscut
- Washington students share pandemic perspectives in ‘Tales of Quarantine’ art contest" – The Seattle Times
- How the pandemic has changed your taxes - The New York Times
- COBRA is free for 6 months under the COVID relief bill. Do you qualify? – The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Lessons learned — and forgotten — from the horrific epidemics of the U.S. Civil War – Stat News
- Opinion: Beware the ‘last mile, first smile’ syndrome when we near the end of the Covid-19 pandemic – Stat News
- ‘Forest Bathing’ is great for your health. Here’s how to do it – Time Magazine
- We need to be creative and tenacious in helping homeless into housing – The Seattle Times
- Washington state ranks low for home foreclosures, but aid groups are bracing for more – The Seattle Times
- Seattle removes Capitol Hill tent encampment that grew during pandemic - KUOW
- One Year In: An update on Seattle's live music scene – Seattle Refined
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo by CNN: Official police comfort dog Officer Clarence from Greenfield, Massachusetts at the U.S. Capitol.
Those of us who are dog lovers know that dogs can bring almost anyone together - - even Congress members of opposing parties. According to this CNN story, three canine police officers from the Greenfield, Massachusetts, Police Department spent last week roaming the halls of Congress.
The three dogs are known as Official Police Comfort Dogs, and a favorite on Capitol Hill appeared to be Clarence, a 160-pound Saint Bernard. According to CNN, “The light-hearted moments surrounding Clarence's interaction with lawmakers, staff and journalists, comes after a tumultuous time on Capitol Hill that has been hit by tragedy this year. Nearly 100 days after the Capitol Police suffered the loss of two officers in the wake of the January 6 riot, and a third two weeks ago when a car rammed into the barricades, the trio of dogs came to comfort officers as they bid farewell to Officer Billy Evans (see photo of Clarence above).”
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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