COVID-19 UPDATES
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers:
- 79 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 78 confirmed cases and 1 probable case. Total cases to date is 110,417).
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,602 total)
- 3 new hospitalizations (6,231 to date)
Our numbers overall are continuing to stay on the low side!
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, June 5:
-Total number of confirmed positive cases is 405,920; the total number of probable cases is 34,969 for a total of 440,889 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,856
- The total number of hospitalizations is 24,535
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: ‘’Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population.’’ – Albert Einstein
Fears, excitement about reopening the state
 As you may remember, last month Governor Inslee announced a statewide reopening date of June 30 (or earlier, if the statewide vaccination goal is met). This is potentially exciting news but also can raise anxiety levels as we anticipate what a return to “pre-pandemic normal” (or perhaps a “post-pandemic normal”) might look like. You may be interested in the following articles that look at some of the issues raised by the pending reopening.
- Gov. Inslee says Washington will reopen June 30 even if vaccination goal isn’t reached – KIRO 7 News
- Editorial: Be careful about returning to normalcy – The Seattle Times
- Will Washington fully reopen before June 30? Here's where the state is at in its vaccination efforts – The Seattle P-I
- Working in sweatpants may be over as companies contemplate the great office return – NPR
- Opinion: The world is reopening. But not all of us are ready for ‘normal.’ - The Washington Post
- Loews Hotels CEO on reopening hotels amid 'sense of optimism' – MSN
- Has being so careful during the pandemic altered our immune systems? – Huffington Post
For the latest guidance from the Governor’s office on reopening, check this page: https://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/covid-19-resources/covid-19-reopening-guidance
Efforts to increase COVID vaccination rates in King County, the state and the nation
 The County’s goal is to vaccinate a minimum of 70 percent of all adults across racial and ethnic groups and regions of the County by June 30th. As of June 1st, the County has fully vaccinated 65.9% of residents age 16+ in King County. You can read the updated County COVID Vaccine Delivery Strategy Report (PDF) here.
Washington state has one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation and the White House recently celebrated our state’s successful vaccination efforts, saying we have hit the goal of 70% with at least one shot. However, as pointed out by The Seattle Times in this article, the celebration may have been a bit premature. By the state’s measures, slightly over half of eligible state residents have been fully vaccinated. (See this news release from the state Department of Health: Vaccine data reconciliation between state and federal sources will take time.)
You may find the following articles of interest:
- Vaccination rates fall off, imperiling Biden’s July Fourth goal – The Washington Post / The Seattle Times
- Vaccination helping to control spread of COVID-19 and needs to increase – Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
- UW to require faculty and staff to show proof of immunization in order to work at university facilities– The Seattle P-I
- Washington getting close to 70% vaccination rate and state reopening, says DOH – KXLY (Spokane)
- WHO: High vaccination rates can help reduce risk of variants – AP/ The Seattle Times
Message from DOH: Your vaccine records are in the system
We included information last week on the Governor’s announcement of the “Shot of a Lifetime” vaccination incentives. Following that announcement, many people tried to confirm that their vaccination information is in the system and had trouble accessing it. The state Department of Health (DOH) released this statement today, which includes these directions: “People who have further questions about their eligibility should call the state’s vaccine hotline at 1-833-VAX HELP or visit https://walottery.com/vaccination.”
Reminder: Seattle pop-up vaccination events this Thursday and Saturday
We mentioned this last week, but I just wanted to remind you about these pop-up vaccination events:
- June 10th, 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Mercy Magnuson Place, 7101 62nd Ave. N.E., Seattle
- June 12th, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Grover Cleveland STEM High School, 5511 15th Ave S., Seattle
You can access more information about these and other scheduled pop-up vaccination events by visiting this Public Health webpage.
How to travel safely
 Photo by Camila Perez on Unsplash
- A travel-safety guide for vaccinated people: How to keep your stress level and infection risk low this summer – Business Insider
- Rick Steves tells us what to expect when Europe reopens to tourists this summer – The Seattle Times
- United Airlines giving extra vacation days to flight attendants who get COVID-19 vaccine – The Chicago Tribune / The Seattle Times
- Royal Caribbean won’t require vaccinations on U.S. cruises, except in Seattle – The Miami Herald / The Seattle Times
- Opinion: My dream of a holiday abroad this summer alas was just magical thinking – The Guardian
- France Lays Out New Reopening Plan for American Travelers – Yahoo News
Our pre-pandemic state: New data on the health of our region
 Curious about local health data in King County related to food insecurity, adult obesity, unintentional injuries and other topics? Public Health recently released the 2021/2022 Community Health Needs Assessment report. Read the full story here.
Reminder: Deadline is TOMORROW to share your feedback on 33rd Ave W. Bridge design
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is seeking feedback on three options for Magnolia’s aging pedestrian and bicycle bridge to the Ballard Locks. Learn more about the project and view design options on this page and then take the survey.
This week at the Council
The full County Council will not be meeting this week.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, at 9:30 a.m.: Briefing on County contracting, action on appointments
Tomorrow morning members of the Council’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee will take up a number of appointments and will be briefed on the results of an audit of County contracting practices.
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.: Briefings and discussion of tenant protection legislation
This Wednesday morning, members of the Council’s Community, Health and Housing Services Committee will receive briefings on the County’s Involuntary Treatment Court and on the state Supreme Court’s Blake Decision (related to drug possession). Committee members will also discuss the Just Cause tenant protection legislation introduced by Councilmembers Zahilay, Upthegrove and me. There will also be a briefing on two striking amendments to the legislation, one coming from Councilmember Zahilay and me, and the other from Committee Chair Lambert.
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Wednesday at 3 p.m.: County budget update, briefings on regional investments in clean water and recreation equity
This Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m., members of the Regional Policy Committee will be briefed on the King County budget by Budget Director Dwight Dively, and will also receive a briefing on recreation investments in equity from Warren Jimenez, King County Parks Director and on the County’s Clean Water Plan from staff at the County’s Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD).
The public is welcome to view the (virtual) meeting and submit public comments. For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
ICYMI: Discussion with Thom Hartmann on facial recognition software
In case you missed it, I joined Thom Hartmann last week to discuss the ban on facial recognition technology that the King County Council passed last week. It was an interesting conversation about the dangers and implications of the technology —if you missed it, you can watch the recording on Youtube here.
Magnolia Historical Society recognized for book
The Association of King County Historical Organizations has awarded the Magnolia Historical Society with the Long Term Project Award for “Magnolia: Midcentury Memories” at its annual awards program in May. This is the Magnolia Historical Society’s third book in a series about the neighborhood’s history through the decades. Read the full story from the Queen Anne & Magnolia News here. Congratulations, MHS!
DID YOU KNOW?
... that on this day in 1866, Chief Seattle, the leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes in whose honor Seattle was named, died in north Kitsap County? According to HistoryLink, Chief Seattle “...was a respected leader among Salish tribes, signing the Point Elliott (Mukilteo) Treaty of 1855, which relinquished tribal claims to most of the area, and opposing Native American attempts to dislodge settlers during the "Indian Wars" of 1855-1856.” Read more at the links above.
Additional helpful and informative links
- COVID variants get new names; here’s what to call the ones circulating in Washington – The Seattle Times
- Coronavirus is more contagious now than last year as variants spread in King County – KUOW
- County Council unanimously approves motion to include substance use disorder supports in the Best Starts for Kids levy – The Seattle Medium
- The mRNA vaccine revolution is just beginning - Wired
- When Vaccine Apathy, Not Hesitancy, Drives Vaccine Disinterest – JAMA Network (Journal of the American Medical Association)
- Canada recommends mixing and matching AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines – Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)
- The partisan divide in vaccinations is starker than you realize - Politico
- Podcast / Audio: Report details how Black girls are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and systemic racism – WNYC
- Interbay tiny house village to expand to include more units and hygiene facility – My Ballard
- With a souped up synthetic genome, scientists make bacteria impervious to viral attack – Stat News
- ‘Truly an emergency’: how drought returned to California – and what lies ahead – The Guardian
- Small landlords worry Seattle rental protections are pushing them out of the market – KING 5 News
- NW comic book chronicles Japanese Americans who fought internment - Crosscut
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo by Tim Bieler on Unsplash
The Guardian is reporting the story of a bakery in east Texas that lost orders and Facebook followers after posting a message in support of LGBTQ rights, and then sold out its inventory two days in a row, following a surge of support from around the world.
Read the full story here. Happy Pride Month!
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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