COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers as of today:
- 256 new positive cases of COVID-19 (96,597 total). Still high but not so much as over the past few days.
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,503 total) Good news!
- 21 new hospitalizations (5,713 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 368,557; the total number of probable cases is 28,860, for a total of 397,417 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,450
- The total number of hospitalizations is 21,950
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Vaccine appointments available now!
Several thousand vaccination appointments are available at City of Seattle-affiliated sites through May 3rd. Register for a vaccination at Lumen Field, Rainier Beach, West Seattle, or North Seattle. This is the registration link for the Lumen Field Event Center, Rainier Beach Vaccination Hub and West Seattle Vaccination Hub. This is the registration link for the North Seattle Vaccination Hub.
Note: If you are 60 years-old or older, you can walk-in without an appointment or registration to the Rainier Beach or West Seattle vaccination sites. Also learn more here about COVID-19 assistance by phone, vaccination planning and resources in Seattle.
For information about vaccine appointments outside Seattle see the following resources:
- Click here for Washington State's Vaccine Locator. Just enter your zip code. For assistance by phone (including 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. For assistance by phone (including language assistance), call (206) 684-2489 Monday - Saturday, between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- 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’s COVID-19 Call Center, 206-477-3977, is available 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday.
Washington state resumes use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine
 Photo by Alex Mecl on Unsplash
Following a 10-day “pause,” the FDA and the CDC are once again allowing use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. for all adults age 18 and older. The agencies concluded that the benefits of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine outweigh its risks.
This is fortunate, since the serious side-effects have been extremely rare, and demand has still been outpacing the supply of available vaccines in King County. For more information, see this article from the Public Health Insider blog: Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause lifted: What this means for King County.
Also, see Governor Inslee’s statement here: Inslee announces re-authorization of J & J COVID vaccine in Washington.
Rolling back? Hopefully not, but...
- Current metrics put King County at 'very high risk' of rolling back to Phase 2, health official says – Seattle PI
- As Washington enters fourth COVID wave, Seattle mayor warns backslide to phase 2 is imminent - MSN
CDC: Staying safe while waiting to be fully vaccinated
 You may have read stories about people getting infected with COVID-19 while waiting to get vaccinated, or getting infected after the first dose while waiting for the second. Here’s a simple guidance from the CDC on how to stay safe in this transition period.
You may also be interested in these articles:
- Those who got COVID-19 between vaccine doses urge caution: ‘We were so close’ - The Washington Post / The Seattle Times:
- Vaccinated against COVID? Great; here’s why you should still wear a mask in public. (Updated today) – The Seattle Times
Video: Dr. Jeff Duchin discusses COVID-19 trends and vaccine distribution
 Last Friday, April 23rd, in his weekly press briefing, Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin discussed the importance of the vaccine, as well as the importance in the short-term of COVID-prevention behaviors. You can view the video here.
Public Alert: Testing still crucial, but watch out for questionable operations
 Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) is urging people to continue to get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, but avoid unusual testing operations. According to Public Health, “Reputable COVID-19 testing options are widely available across King County, which provide free testing with rapid and highly accurate results. With COVID-19 currently spreading at high rates in King County, getting tested is as important as ever. It helps people get early treatment for illness and supports overall strategies to control the pandemic.”
King County’s Auburn COVID-19 testing site relocated to Boeing’s facility
King County, in partnership with Boeing, has moved its Auburn COVID-19 testing site to the Boeing Auburn facility, 2400 Perimeter Road, as of today, April 26. This relocation marks the closing of all COVID-19 testing and vaccination at the General Services Administration (GSA) Complex. For full information on this move, see this page.
As a reminder, if you have a sign or symptom of COVID-19 or were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should immediately isolate yourself from others and get tested. More information on how to secure testing appointments is available on Public Health's COVID-19 testing webpage.
Sleeping (or not) during the pandemic...
- Your stories of (non)sleep in the COVID era: Spider and corpse and Trump dreams. And masks. And Netflix at 3 a.m. –The Seattle Times
- How to sleep better through the COVID pandemic – The Seattle Times
Blood donations desperately needed
 See this Seattle Times article: Desperate need for donations at Seattle’s Bloodworks Northwest.
Free dance classes for those with Parkinson’s Disease
 Photo by Christopher Nelson / STG
Seattle Theatre Group (STG) is reminding us that April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, as well as reminding people coping with Parkinson’s Disease of a fun option that is also effective. The STG Dance for PD® classes are offered virtually on Wednesdays and Fridays. The classes are for all levels of ability and are free.
The classes empower participants to explore movement and live music in ways that are uplifting, fun, and inspiring, while also creatively addressing symptom-specific concerns related to balance, cognition, motor skills, depression, and physical confidence. The teachers are professionally-trained dancers and movement experts. The classes integrate movement from ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and other forms.
State legislature wraps up a productive session
 State legislators are heading home after a busy weekend finishing up this year’s legislative session. They passed a number of bills; more information follows.
- Taxes, police reform and environment. Washington legislators wrap 'historic' session - KUOW
- Washington lawmakers announce new $59 billion state budget that boosts public health, child care amid COVID-19 – The Seattle Times
- VIDEO: Gov. Jay Inslee’s statement on the successes of the 2021 legislative session.
- As Washington Legislature wraps up, lawmakers pass a new budget, capital gains tax and clean-fuels standard – The Seattle Times
- Washington Legislature approves caps on carbon pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, giving big win to Inslee, environmentalists– The Seattle Times
- Washington becomes first state to guarantee lawyers for low-income tenants during evictions – The Seattle Times
Basic Food program expanded to cover more low-income students
 Basic Food is one of Washington’s best tools to address poverty and hunger. A family of four can receive over $600 per month to discretely use at grocery stores, online, and at farmers markets. New eligibility guidelines mean that all low-income students enrolled in certificate and degree programs, up to a 2-year degree, are eligible to receive food assistance through the Basic Food Employment and Training Program (BFET).
The Family Food Hotline (1-888-436-6392) can assist individuals and families with eligibility screenings and applications. King County Community and Technical College students should connect with their on-campus Benefits Hub here.
For additional information on food assistance in Washington state, see the Washington state Department of Social and Health Services or Washington Connection.
Racism against Asian Americans: Combatting hate and discrimination
 Join Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health and The World from PRX & GBH this Friday, April 30th at 9 a.m. Pacific Time for an important discussion about the increasing racism against Asian Americans. There is no registration required to watch the event online. The discussion will live stream on Facebook, YouTube, and The Forum site this Friday at 9 a.m. Send questions for the panelists in advance or during the Q&A to theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or post them to @ForumHSPH.
Don’t miss the once-a-year summit for Best Starts for Kids: April 27-30
 Public Health is urging all those interested to register and participate in the upcoming Best Starts for Kids annual summit, which offers an opportunity to share your experiences and reflect on the challenges we’ve faced and overcome this past year. For more information and register, see the details here on the Best Starts blog.
Deadline: Four more days to share your transit priorities with Sound Transit
 How should Sound Transit respond to lower revenues and higher costs? Visit Sound Transit’s realignment online open house by April 30th. Make sure to let Sound Transit know which future Link light rail, Sounder and bus projects are most important to you. To help close an affordability gap, the Sound Transit Board is considering changes to schedules and plans for transit expansions that are not yet under construction.
VIDEO: Council passes County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) and Earth Day Town Hall
Last week during a special Earth Day meeting of the Council’s Mobility and Environment Committee, committee members discussed, made amendments and passed the County’s SCAP out of committee. The committee’s discussion about the plan can be viewed here. It begins at about two minutes into the meeting.
Also, last week I was pleased to join my colleague Councilmember Rod Dembowski at his Earth Day Town Hall, and the video can be viewed here. The panelists, who discussed the SCAP, included 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.
This week at the Council
Today: Council discussion on Just Cause tenant protections legislation
Today councilmembers serving on the Community, Housing and Human Services Committee received briefings on child care, mental health services, a review of tenant protections bills passed by the Legislature, and tenant protections legislation introduced by Councilmember Zahilay and me.
The materials and video of the meeting will be available on this page.
Tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.: Briefing on King County election outreach
At tomorrow morning’s meeting of the Council’s Local Services Committee, committee members will be briefed on elections outreach by County Elections Director Julie Wise.
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.
Tomorrow at 1 p.m.: COVID-19 pandemic response briefing
At tomorrow’s meeting of the full Council, among other items, members will be updated on the County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an ordinance prohibiting fireworks in Unincorporated King County, and a proclamation of mine declaring April 2021 as National Donate Life Month in King County to highlight the need for organ, eye, and tissue donations.
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.
Green Globe Award winners announced
 County Executive Constantine led an Earth Day celebration honoring the winners of the 2021 Green Globe Award, the region’s highest recognition for environmental stewardship. The 13 award winners include nonprofits, businesses, and people who have demonstrated exceptional environmental leadership. See the full list of winners and view the video of the celebration and awards here.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that “viral vector” vaccines currently in use include four COVID-19 vaccines and two Ebola vaccines? According to Wikipedia, “A viral vector vaccine is a vaccine that uses a viral vector to deliver genetic material coding for a desired antigen into the recipient's host cells.”
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, April 26: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- Addressing and assessing the impact of COVID-19 on Latino immigrant families – UW News / Population Health
- Demand still exceeds supply as more vaccine appointments become available in King County – KOMO News
- Potential COVID-19 exposures reported for youth sports, first responders – Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber (From Vashon Emergency Operations Center Covid-19 Pandemic Situation Report)
- States with springtime COVID-19 surges appear to have turned a corner – Stat News
- Vaccines are effective against the New York variant, studies find – The New York Times
- Opinion: The COVID-19 vaccine: To fear or not to fear – Women’s E-News
- With new variants, will COVID-19 tests still work? – PATH.org
- Opinion: Fund behavioral-health providers essential to our COVID-19 recovery – The Seattle Times
- Double masking amid COVID-19 not backed by research, experts say- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (It’s complicated – which mask goes on top? Fit? Material? Length of time exposed? False sense of security?)
- How COVID-19 upended a century of patterns in U.S. deaths – The New York Times
- Many homeless people in Seattle have yet to get even one stimulus check, and the clock is ticking – The Seattle Times
- Gridlock is coming back. Noise doesn’t have to. - Slate
- King County could be first in nation to ban government use of facial recognition technology – KIRO News
- Opinion: End fracking exemptions, a threat to maternal and public health – Stat News
- Opinion: Stopping the presses, again: The story ends for 2 more century-old Seattle newspapers - The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo from CNN.com
This story fascinates me as a sociologist and former academic as it brings to mind some human behavior following the arrival of COVID-19 and its disruptions to our lives. I’ve mentioned in the past how touched I’ve been by the seemingly endless examples of people reaching out to strangers and neighbors helping each other. This story shows that this type of behavior is not limited to humans.
According to CNN, “After Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico in 2017 and caused immense damage, researchers found rhesus macaques, a species of monkey living on Cayo Santiago, became more sociable with each other, according to a study published in the journal Current Biology.”
The study explains that the monkeys expanded their social networks and spent more time socializing following the disaster. This behavior surprised researchers, who, according to CNN, were expecting the opposite from the normally highly competitive species. Researchers expected to find that “...the monkeys would stick with their closest friends in order to survive... Instead, the island's residents became more tolerant of each other and greatly expanded their friend group.” 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.
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