April 29th Community Update

Dear Friends:

Today’s e-news includes information on our recent virtual community forum, a van donation to FUSION, relocation of King County’s COVID-19 testing site in Auburn, COVID-19 vaccine updates, a funding opportunity for food banks in rural areas, and more.

Washington Trivia

An award-winning, talented mixed media sculptor grew up in Auburn and has exhibited her artwork around the country and internationally. Who is she?

(Answer is at the bottom).

Virtual “Good Eggs” Community Forum with John Stanton

Last week, Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner, John Stanton, joined us for this month’s virtual Good Eggs. John is committed to the Mariners’ goal of unifying communities and enriching lives by sharing the love of baseball.

On any given day, it is encouraging to go into a coffee shop or a grocery store and see first-generation Americans from all parts of the world wearing Griffey jerseys. Sports brings people together; it gives us something to cheer about, and these days, we need more and more reasons to cheer. You can watch the recorded version of the forum on my Facebook page.

With Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton

South King County community leaders at the April virtual "Good Eggs" meeting

FUSION Van Donation

I met with FUSION Executive Director Robin O’Grady to talk about the donated King County van they received. When I introduced the van donation program in 1996, my goal was to repurpose retired vans to provide support to local nonprofits and improve the quality of life for residents in our region. Fast forward to today, I am glad this program continues to benefit and support South King County community organizations like FUSION.

With FUSION Executive Director Robin O'Grady at the FUSION Décor Boutique in Federal Way

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 April 26^th. This relocation marks the closing of all COVID-19 testing and vaccination at the General Services Administration (GSA) Complex. More information on how to secure testing appointments is available on Public Health’s COVID-19 testing webpage.

South King County remains on the frontline in our battle against COVID-19. While we continue to make progress with our vaccination efforts, this move helps ensure that there is adequate testing capacity for anyone who has symptoms or has been exposed to the virus. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

Thousands of appointments available at mass vaccination sites

A large number of COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available for people 16 years old and over. King County residents can get vaccinated at any high-volume vaccination site, including in Kent, Auburn, Seattle, Renton, Redmond, and Shoreline. Visit the How to get vaccinated site or call 206-477-3977 to register.

In addition, the sites in Auburn and Kent will begin offering up to a thousand walk-in vaccinations per day, with no appointment needed. These slots will be available Monday - Saturday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM at Auburn Outlet Mall (1101 Supermall Way, Suite 1333, Auburn, WA 98001) and Kent Accesso ShoWare (625 W James St., Kent, WA 98032).

Public Health now offers in-home vaccination

Seattle – King County Public Health is implementing a new vaccination program for individuals in King County who are unable to leave their homes. This program is available for people 16 years old and over who have not yet been vaccinated and have an injury, developmental disability or medical condition that makes it difficult to leave the home and would require considerable and taxing effort to get vaccinated outside the home. To schedule an appointment, call the King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause lifted: What this means for King County

On April 23^rd, the CDC and FDA lifted the pause on the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. for all adults 18 years old and over. The agencies concluded that the benefits of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine outweigh its risks and that the chance of a blood clot is very low. Visit Public Health Insider’s blogpost to find out more about what this means for King County. 

King County DCHS now accepting applications to fund food banks in rural areas

The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is now accepting applications to fund food banks in rural areas of King County to operate as centralized points of access from which residents may increase knowledge about what human services may be available to meet their needs, connect to service providers and/or potentially receive direct support or assistance at this centralized location. Applications are due on June 2, 2021 by 11:59 PM. Click here to apply.

South King County Tool Library

In celebration of Earth Day last week, King County TV highlighted the South King County Tool Library for their work and mission to provide access to tools and training in order to help maintain neighborhoods, build community and reduce unnecessary consumption with households of all forms. The library allows borrowers to check out tools and equipment to care for their homes, yards, gardens and more. Watch the video here and visit South King Tool Library’s website for more information.

Sound Transit seeks public comments

Realignment online open house

Sound Transit’s realignment online open house is still accepting public input until tomorrow, April 30^th. 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. For more information and to fill out the survey, click here.

Federal Way Transit Center station design

Sound Transit is seeking public comments on the design for the future Link light rail station at the Federal Way Transit Center, which highlights transit connections, a new local street configuration, art placements and new landscaping. The station design is now 60% complete and will be the terminus of the new Federal Way Link Extension. The online survey is available through Monday, May 10^th.

Real ID deadline for air travel pushed back again due to pandemic

On April 27^th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it will be delaying once again the deadline to have a Real ID from October 21, 2021 to May 3, 2023. The deadline marks the date when those without a Real ID-compliant license or passport will not be able to board domestic flights, visit a military base or enter some federal buildings. Read more in the KING 5 article here.

Study: Tsunami from Cascadia mega-quake would submerge Puget Sound waterfront

A new comprehensive study shows a 9.0 magnitude subduction earthquake off the Washington coast would generate a tsunami capable of submerging not only coastal areas but also most of the Puget Sound shoreline with churning waves of seawater several feet high for up to 14 hours. Read more in the KOMO News article here.

Photo from Washington Department of Natural Resources. Click here to see the maps.

Weekly Health Update: Alcohol and COVID-19

Already one of the most significant public health issues pre-pandemic, the U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in at-home purchases and consumption of alcohol over the past year. Whether a coping mechanism for stress or to celebrate, moderate to excessive alcohol use can lead to serious mental, physical, and social consequences.

With the alarming misconceptions that alcohol can prevent or treat COVID-19 infection, the CDC emphasizes that drinking alcohol does not kill the COVID-19 virus in your body or in your inhaled air, can make you more vulnerable to serious COVID-19 illness by weakening your body’s ability to fight infections, and can increase the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia.

King County COVID Vaccination Update

As of today, there are 1,176,050 residents who received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 770,194 residents who are fully vaccinated in King County, bringing the total of all administered doses to 1,888,173. For more information, visit the King County COVID Vaccination Dashboard here.

Vaccine Locator: To find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, visit Vaccine Locator.

For King County residents: Register here to schedule your appointment at one of the high-volume vaccination sites in Auburn and Kent.

For in-home vaccination: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977.

To register by phone: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 or Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.

For veterans: Call 206-716-5716 or visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine.

For more information, visit Getting vaccinated in King County.

King County COVID-19 Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 424 new positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 97,620. In addition, Public Health reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 1,514.

Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember



Washington trivia answer: 

Marita Dingus is an African American artist and mixed media sculptor who turns discarded and recycled materials into sculptures. She received a Visual Art Fellowship from Artist Trust in 1994, a John S. Guggenheim Fellowship in 1999, as well as other awards.

Marita was born in Seattle and grew up in Auburn. She attended parochial schools where the nuns encouraged her talents in arts and used mimeographed copies of her drawings as templates for her classmates to color during 4th grade. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia and Master of Fine Arts degree from San Jose State University in California.

To know more about Marita’s work, check her interview on Visit Seattle’s website.

Compiled by Cyndee Navarro of my office. 

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