COVID-19 UPDATES - - UGH!
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers as of today:
- 424 new positive cases of COVID-19 (97,620 total).
- 5 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,514 total)
- 21 new hospitalizations (5,784 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 372,262; the total number of probable cases is 29,456, for a total of 401,718 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,487
- The total number of hospitalizations is 22,194
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde
King County expected to go back to Phase 2
Next Monday, May 3, Governor Inslee will re-evaluate the phases of counties across the state and we should mentally prepare to move back to Phase 2, according to Public Health Director Patty Hayes who briefed us at last Tuesday’s Council meeting. Even with increasing vaccinations, COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise and we need to do everything we can to stop the spread. See the articles below for more information.
- King County likely to move back to COVID reopening phase 2, public health director says – The Seattle Times
- King County likely rolling back to Phase 2 of state's COVID-19 reopening plan – q13Fox
- Pacific Northwest faces shutdowns amid rising virus cases – AP News
Tomorrow at 12:15 p.m.: Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin to provide update on COVID-19 trends and vaccine distribution
Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin will brief the public and take questions from reporters tomorrow, Friday, April 30th 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.
Public Health Director briefs Council on pandemic
Patty Hayes, the Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) on Tuesday briefed the County Council on the status of the pandemic in King County. One of her key messages (see above) was a heads-up to Councilmembers to expect a roll-back to Phase 2 for King County. The video from the briefing has not been posted yet, but will be available soon on this page.
Younger people getting sicker with COVID-19
 This is a disturbing trend, perhaps due to “COVID fatigue” and the more contagious variants that are spreading. See the following articles:
- Demographics shift: More hospitalized COVID-19 patients are young adults - NPR
- Younger people are getting sicker from COVID, Washington state hospital leaders say – The Seattle Times
Get the shot!
I mentioned the growing problem of “vaccine hesitancy” in the last e-newsletter, although I am hoping the availability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will help address that issue. The fact is, more vaccines in arms can speed up our return to more normal times. See the articles below for more on a growing surplus of available vaccines and the need to get vaccinated.
- One million COVID vaccines sit in freezers as COVID rates climb in Washington state - KUOW
- It's complicated: Why some northwest Latinx residents and farmworkers hesitate on COVID vaccine – NW News Network
- At some Seattle-area vaccination sites, COVID vaccine supply is outpacing demand - The Seattle Times
- Unvaccinated people 65 and up hospitalized with COVID nearly 10 times more often, says Washington state - The Seattle Times
- As city reaches 40% vaccinated, Seattle whipsaws from no appointments available to thousands – Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
- New vaccine clinic opens in North King County as officials urge people to sign up for shots – Seattle PI
Getting vaccinated in Seattle and King County just got easier (at last!)
 No matter where you live, you can now get vaccinated at a high-volume King County vaccination site. King County Vaccination Partnership sites that can serve a large number of people are now open in Kent, Auburn, Seattle (at Lumen Field, North Seattle College, West Seattle, and Rainier Beach), Renton, Redmond, and Shoreline— with additional sites being added soon.
These sites are ADA accessible and have language and ASL interpretation available. If tactile interpretation is needed, visit http://seattledbsc.org. Listings and links to all the King County Vaccination Partnership sites are available here. More information (updated today) is available here.
Seattle vaccine appointments available
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 and West Seattle vaccination sites. Also learn more here about COVID-19 assistance by phone, vaccination planning and resources in Seattle.
Information on “breakthrough illness” among vaccinated people
While I’m thrilled we have a number of highly effective vaccines available, no vaccine is “100% effective” and some people will inevitably get infected with COVID despite having been vaccinated. This is why precautions are still needed following vaccination. See below for more information on so-called “breakthrough” infections.
- What you should know about the possibility of COVID-19 illness after vaccination - CDC
- Update on vaccine breakthrough cases in Washington state – DOH
- Catching Covid-19 after being vaccinated isn’t a myth. It happened to me – Stat News
What you can do once you’re fully vaccinated
 - You’re fully vaccinated. Now what? – Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
- New CDC guidance for fully-vaccinated people - CDC
- Guidance on choosing safer activities – CDC
- Can you have alcohol after the COVID vaccine? - The Seattle Times
Who is getting vaccinated in King County?
 See this summary of the demographics of COVID vaccination among King County residents.
Nervous about returning to normal? You’re not alone.
 I don’t know about you, but even looking at the above photo makes me nervous. As vaccinations increase, it’s possible to imagine a return to something like a pre-COVID existence. But what exactly does that mean? A new Crosscut/Elway poll shows that Washingtonians aren’t quite ready for a pre-pandemic normal. Read more about the new poll findings in this Crosscut article.
Preventing COVID outbreaks in schools
 As schools begin to reopen, it’s crucial that school administrators and students partner with Public Health—Seattle & King County (Public Health) to avoid outbreaks and ensure the health and safety of our students and families. Public Health’s newest blog post highlights how this type of partnership helped avoid an outbreak at an Eastside high school.
Executive Constantine announces plan to shelter additional 500 people
King County Executive Dow Constantine today released his plan to offer shelter and housing to 500 people currently experiencing homelessness in downtown Seattle, Sodo, and nearby unincorporated areas. With $100 million from Pres. Biden’s American Rescue Plan, King County will also offer jobs and rental subsidies.
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. And thanks to Councilmember Rod Dembowski for initiating this important fellowship!
Tuesday at the Council
The County Council will take action on Metro’s North Link service changes and on the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) at the meeting of the full Council on Tuesday, May 4th at 1 p.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.
We will provide an update and links to information for the rest of next week’s Council and Committee meetings in the Monday e-newsletter.
TOMORROW: Stand Against Racism
 Join YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish for a discussion about the negative impacts of institutional and structural racism at YWCA’s 10th Annual Stand Against Racism.
Learn how we can move from declarations to change and take a stand against racism every day at this free virtual town hall with keynote speaker Ijeoma Oluo, author of the #1 New York Times best-seller “So You Want to Talk About Race.” Virtual doors open at 11:45 a.m., one-hour program begins at noon. Closed captioning will be provided. The event is free, but registration is required.
SBA seeking applications for Restaurant Revitalization Fund
 The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19.
The program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. See this page for more information, or join the webinar tomorrow (see below).
Webinar tomorrow: Understanding and applying for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF)
 Find out how to apply for assistance through the RRF tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Learn about eligibility requirements, allowed expenses, the application, documentation and much more. Presented by the Washington Hospitality Association and the Seattle Restaurant Alliance. See this page to register and for more information.
Tomorrow is the last day 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 TOMORROW, 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.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that on May 2, 1922, Kathryn Miracle and Bertha Landes became the first women elected to the Seattle City Council, 12 years after Washington women gained the right to vote. In 1926, Landes was elected as the City's first woman mayor. The current mayor, Jenny Durkan, is the second.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, April 29: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- WSU, a few of Washington’s private colleges to require that students get vaccinated against COVID-19– The Seattle Times
- Fake COVID-19 testing sites appear in Edmonds – The Seattle Times
- Editorial: Pandemic underscores need to invest in child care – The Seattle Times
- Pandemic imperils non-English speakers more than others – Kaiser Health News
- SDOT: Injurious and fatal crashes remain despite pandemic effect on traffic- q13Fox
- Eating disorders are increasing because of the pandemic – UW Medicine
- Summer camp advice — keep masks and distancing — gets an update from the C.D.C. – The New York Times
- The number of fully vaccinated people has outpaced those with just one dose, CDC says - CNN
- Does the second vaccine dose totally change your appetite? A very serious investigation – Refinery29
- Washington state officials propose toolkit to help people with mental health, addiction issues find housing – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo by Katelyn Courtney / The Washington Post. Kenneth Smith and Laura Hodges in front of the Outback Steakhouse in Fort Worth where Smith now works.
The Washington Post is telling the story of Fort Worth resident Kenneth Smith, who became homeless about four years ago after being evicted from his apartment. He went from panhandling outside a nearby steakhouse to a full time job working there, for now as a busser. Read the full story of how this transition came about.
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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