COVID-19 UPDATES
Since yesterday’s update, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers as of today (which actually are improved from what they’ve been recently):
- 175 new positive cases of COVID-19 (101,274 total).
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,542 total)
- 13 new hospitalizations (5,962 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 384,099; the total number of probable cases is 31,606 for a total of 415,705 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,586
- The total number of hospitalizations is 22,866
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” - Albert Einstein
Kids and COVID-19
 With schools and child care facilities now at least partially open, and with vaccinations for younger children getting closer, there are many questions about how children can spread and contract the virus. This breaking news article was just posted on The New York Times website: The F.D.A. authorizes the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children 12 to 15. See the following articles for additional information.
- Coronavirus outbreak and kids: Advice on playdates, physical distancing, and healthy behaviors to help prevent infection – Harvard Medical School
- COVID-19 in children and teens - CDC
- Frequently asked questions about schools and child care during COVID-19 – Public Health – Seattle & King County
- US parents excited over prospect of virus shots for children – The Seattle Times
- Kids can’t get the COVID-19 vaccine yet. How much of a risk do they pose to the rest of society? – FiveThirtyEight.com
- How to make sure your kid isn’t a superspreader – FiveThirtyEight.com
Vaccine incentives getting creative; potential ethical questions remain
 The Seattle Fire Department issued a “Burger and Vaccine alert” that it was giving away free hamburgers with each vaccination at Dick’s Drive-In in Wallingford this morning. As we mentioned last Thursday, governments, companies and other organizations are getting creative in using incentives to drive up local vaccination rates. A few examples below, along with some ethical questions.
- Mariners offering special $10 ticket deal to fully vaccinated fans - KATU
- Beer, bouquets and free rounds at a gun range: How local governments promote vaccines - The Washington Post
- $100 as incentive to get a shot? Experiment suggests it can pay off. – The New York Times
- There is a glaringly obvious way to get everyone to take the vaccine. (It’s money.) – Slate.com
- Free marijuana for COVID-19 vaccines proves to be a popular perk – Forbes Magazine
- Free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, popcorn and even marijuana — businesses pile on more perks for getting vaccinated –CNBC
- Covid vaccine incentives make U.S. look ‘like a nation of sulky adolescents,' doctor says – CNBC
- Employer COVID-19 vaccine incentives—a difficult dilemma – Bloomberg Law / Labor Report
- Cash for Shots: As colleges offer students freebies and financial incentives to get a COVID-19 vaccine, scholars and campus leaders are divided on whether paying students to get vaccinated is equitable -- or ethical. – Inside Higher Ed
Need transportation to get to your COVID vaccine appointment in King County?
 Call the Coordinated Vaccine Transportation Helpline at 425-943-6706 (press 5 for language assistance) & find the ride that best fits your needs! Visit https://www.findaride.org/covid for more information.
Update on facial recognition technology
I really enjoyed getting to chat with The Stranger about facial recognition technology and the privacy and equity concerns I have with it. This is why I’ve proposed banning the use of facial recognition technology by King County government agencies and look forward to continuing conversations with my colleagues on the King County Council as this legislation moves forward. Take a look at the full article here. As of now, the Council’s Committee of the Whole will potentially take action on the legislation at our May 19th meeting at 9:30 a.m.
For more on some of the issues with this technology, see this CNN article: People of color have a new enemy: techno-racism.
For more background, you may be interested in The Seattle Times Op-Ed I wrote with Jennifer Lee, the Technology and Liberty Manager at the ACLU of Washington that was featured on the Opinion Page on May 2: King County government must turn its back on facial recognition technology.
This week at the Council: State of the County Address and more
Tomorrow at 1 p.m.: Executive Constantine’s State of the County address
County Executive Dow Constantine will address the full Council tomorrow, May 11, at its meeting 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.
You can also watch Executive Constantine discuss his key priorities for King County in his State of the County address at 1 p.m. tomorrow on this webpage and on KCTV Channels 22 and 322 (HD). The Executive’s remarks will begin a little after 1 p.m.
The State of the County address is an opportunity for Executive Constantine to report on the condition of our county and outline his legislative agenda and priorities to the people of King County.
Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.: Briefing on geriatric medicine
Committee members will take up a number of issues, and will receive a briefing on geriatric medicine at Wednesday’s meeting of the Council’s Community, Health and Housing Committee 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.
Wednesday at 1 p.m.: Discussion of proposed COVID 7 budget
This coming Wednesday, May 12th at 1 p.m., the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee, which I chair, will be meeting to discuss amendments and potentially take action on my striking amendment to the Executive’s proposed COVID 7 budget. Much of the COVID 7 budget will be allocating federal COVID relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Information on that meeting, including the agenda, is available here.
Wednesday at 3 p.m.: Briefings on County budget and Harborview Medical Center and more.
Committee members will receive briefings on the County budget and Harborview Medical Center, and will also take up consideration of a motion relating to programs and services for prevention and early intervention to reduce mental health and substance use impacts in children and youth five through twenty-four years old, which have been exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
Request for Proposals (RFP): Health Education for Duwamish River Fishing Community – Deadline June 1
 Photo by: Alex Montalvo of Revel Riter Media
Public Health – Seattle & King County's Fun to Catch, Toxic to Eat program is seeking proposals from ethnic community-based organizations or faith-based organizations to design and implement a culturally appropriate health promotion, outreach and education plan for at least one of these priority groups that fish on the Duwamish River: Chinese, Lao, Hmong, Korean, Mien, Filipino and/or other Pacific Islanders. See this page for details on this opportunity.
Labateyah House one of 13 Green Globe Award winners
 Labateyah House one of 13 Green Globe Award winners
I was very pleased to read that a newly-constructed rain garden, food garden, and a new environmental education program at Labateyah House, a part of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, recently earned UIATF a Green Globe Award as a Leader in Community Resiliency. The Labateyah Youth Home provides a safe and nurturing environment for homeless youth, combining Native American wisdom and ceremony with modern health and social services. Congratulations, UIATF and Labateyah Youth Home, and thank you for your stewardship!
Honoring resilience among Native women
 In honor of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) recently released its fourth report in the Our Bodies, Our Stories series, entitled Supporting the Sacred: Womxn of Resilience. Our Bodies, Our Stories is a series of reports that focus on violence against Native women across the nation. Supporting the Sacred: Womxn of Resilience powerfully displays the strength and resilience of femme-identifying Native survivors of sexual violence, outlining their stories, their healing, and their willingness to share so other survivors know they aren’t alone. I would encourage you to take a look at these reports here.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that Eagle Woman That All Look At is credited as the only woman to become a chief among the Sioux, and the first woman to sign a treaty with the United States? She was a Lakota activist, diplomat, trader, and translator, who was known for her efforts mediating the conflicts between white settlers, the United States government, and the Sioux.
Additional helpful and informative links
- CDC website now emphasizes coronavirus spreads in the air - CNN
- COVID-19 attacks organs in different ways, study shows – UW News
- We know a lot about Covid-19. Experts have many more questions. – Stat News
- Ethicists prioritize poorer nations for COVID-19 vaccine – UW News
- Why Public Health Matters (By former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden) – Medium Blog
- King County still in Phase 3, south King County remains less vaccinated – South Seattle Emerald
- Asian American health workers fight virus and racist attacks – AP News
- A shot at love: Your vaccination status is the latest COVID-era compatibility test – NBC News
- What my pandemic pregnancy was really like – UW Medicine News
- How to pick an airplane seat now – Huffington Post
- Why our public memory is key to post-pandemic recovery - Crosscut
- What Will We Do With Our Masks Now? – The New York Times
- King County Reports 7 Children Infected With Toxic E. Coli – AP/ U.S. News and World Report
- These tribes have not received federal assistance during the pandemic. Here's why. - KUOW
- How a young Black family fought John L. Scott and changed Seattle - KUOW
- 71% of dads said working from home boosted well-being. Only 41% of moms agreed. – The Washington Post / The Lily
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Brett Wittwer poses for a photo with some Cincinnati residents who surprised him on his last day of work, March 26, 2021.
According to Good Morning America and The Week, Brett Wittwer, a mail carrier in Cincinnati, received a touching farewell on his last day of work, when he retired after 35 years with the USPS. Neighbors along his route decorated their mailboxes with balloons, and filled them with presents and notes of appreciation.
The neighbors used their neighborhood Facebook page to organize the effort and one of them made and hung a "Happy Retirement" banner at the spot where she and other residents waited for Wittwer as he finished his route.
"It was crazy," Wittwer told Good Morning America. "It kind of brings a tear to your eye."
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.
|
