COVID-19 UPDATES
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers (unfortunately up a bit):
- 105 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 89 confirmed cases and 16 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 112,670).
- 1 new COVID-19-related death (1,663 to date)
- 8 new hospitalizations (6,516 to date)
Vaccination rates in King County: As of today, 79.5% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 73.5% have received both doses. To view updated County vaccination data, see this page: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data/vaccination.aspx
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 415,179; the total number of probable cases is 36,893 for a total of 452,072 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,938
- The total number of hospitalizations is 25,534
NOTE: Data are no longer being updated on the weekends. This applies to both the state DOH and Public Health.
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. ... A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. ... Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming.” – Pope Francis
Video: Dr. Jeff Duchin’s COVID-19 press briefing this morning
 This morning, in his weekly press briefing, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin provided an update on COVID-19 trends and the latest on vaccination efforts, as well as information on the health impacts of climate change following the recent heatwave. You can view the briefing here.
Reopening questions, confusion and guidance
 The process of reopening has raised many questions, especially questions regarding when and whether fully vaccinated individuals need to continue wearing masks (particularly with the concerning Delta variant spreading rapidly). As a reminder, masks are still required - even for fully vaccinated folks - on transit, in health care settings, K-12 schools and at a few other locations.
See the articles and guidance below for more information on masks and other issues related to reopening.
- COVID-19 Reopening Guidance for Businesses and Workers – Governor’s website
- Washington ready for reopening, but some COVID-19 precautions remain – State Department of Health (DOH)
- Safe Reopening – New webpage from King County, includes FAQs about reopening and specific guidance
- Photos: Seattle reopens as pandemic restrictions finally lift - Crosscut
- How to deal with mask dilemmas, social anxiety as Washington reopens from COVID-19 hibernation – The Seattle Times
- How we can protect the whole community as the mask directive ends – Public Health Insider blog
- Why strict mask rules won’t return in Washington state (for now), despite COVID variants – The Seattle Times
- Masks Again? Delta Variant’s Spread Prompts Reconsideration of Precautions. – The New York Times
- Washington reopens, but does 'full-capacity' mean business as usual? – KUOW
- Still ‘critical’ work left to do with Washington now fully reopened – My Northwest
- Washington has officially reopened. Here’s what you need to know. – The Seattle Times
- Some confused as King County health officials drop mask mandate – KOMO News
- Masking, distancing requirements remain in effect at UW – UW News
The latest news on COVID variants and vaccines
- Johnson & Johnson vaccine effectiveness uncertain against COVID-19 variants – MSN
- EU-approved COVID-19 vaccines protect against Delta variant, says official – Reuters
- Johnson & Johnson to initiate its first vaccine study for adolescents in fall – MSN
- About Variants of the Virus that Causes COVID-19 – The CDC (updated June 28)
- Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants – The World Health Organization (WHO)
- Daily cases 10% higher in US this week; J&J vaccine may protect against delta variant: COVID-19 updates – USA Today / Yahoo News
- U.S. administers over 328 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines – CDC – Reuters
- Twelve lessons COVID-19 taught us about developing vaccines during a pandemic – Stat News
Student mental health has suffered during the pandemic
 Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Washington state’s Health Care Authority surveyed about 65,000 Washington middle and high school students. Early results from the COVID-19 Student Survey show many of them reported feeling sad or depressed most days during the pandemic. But the majority of students in each grade also reported a high degree of resilience, saying they were optimistic about the future. Read the full story on the survey here. You may also be interested in this very disturbing article in The New York Times: Eight-Year-Olds in Despair: The Mental Health Crisis Is Getting Younger.
Dashboard updated on Social, Economic and Overall Health Impacts of COVID-19
King County’s dashboard on the Social, Economic, and Overall Health Impacts of COVID-19 has been updated recently, and the findings are very interesting. Among them, the finding that domestic violence calls are up—there were 222 calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline by King County residents in May 2021. This is lower than in April 2021 (245) but still a 17% increase compared to January 2020. Explore some of the other findings on the dashboard here.
What just happened? The extreme heat event
 The unprecedented – and in some cases, fatal - heat that we all just lived through was an urgently needed wake-up call. It was a result of climate change, and we can expect more to come. As of yesterday, the death count from the event included an additional 11 King County residents. See the articles below for more information on the extreme heat event.
- How Weird Is the Heat in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver? Off the Charts. – The New York Times
- Wildfire threatens British Columbia village that hit 121 degrees – AP/ The Seattle Times
- Deaths Spike as Heat Wave Broils Canada and the Pacific Northwest – The New York Times
- The West Coast Heat Has Killed Dozens And Hospitalized More In Canada And The U.S. – NPR
- Hundreds of deaths could be linked to Northwest heat wave – AP News
- Opinion: No one was prepared for the Northwest heat wave — especially not the animals - The Washington Post
- King County reports 11 heat-related deaths – KUOW
- Hundreds believed dead in heat wave despite efforts to help – The Seattle Times
Climate disruption and heat
- How climate change 'loads the dice' for heat waves – NBC News
- Opinion: That Heat Dome? Yeah, It’s Climate Change. – The New York Times
- Opinion: Let’s keep up the heat on urgent action in climate crisis – The Seattle Times
- Opinion: It’s not the heat. It’s the existential dread. – The Washington Post
The public health crisis of racism: Presentation and materials now available
Communities Count, a resource that supports King County communities in the use of data in promoting and achieving equity, shared the following update, which I thought may be of interest to you and to community-based organizations in the County.
In 2020, Public Health-Seattle & King County (PHSKC) acknowledged what many communities have long known: Racism is a crisis that impacts the health and well-being of communities throughout King County. Communities Count hosted a workshop during the 2021 Best Starts for Kids Summit to discuss the role of data in naming racism as a public health crisis. The presentation highlighted local inequities for communities of color as well as a few examples of the underlying systems and practices that contribute to the inequities and engaged in a dialogue about how data can be better used to address the crisis. The recorded presentation and materials are available on the Communities Count data and evaluation training resources webpage here.
Tenant protection legislation passes in King County!
At the County Council meeting on Tuesday, Councilmembers approved by a 6-3 vote a transformative tenant protection package headlined by capped move-in fees and late charges and required notice of rent increases over 3 percent. The new ‘just cause’ eviction criteria and tenant protections are for unincorporated King County only. I sponsored this legislation, along with Councilmembers Zahilay and Upthegrove, on which I’d worked with former Councilmember Larry Gossett beginning two years ago.
Over the past few months, as reopening plans were coming together, Councilmembers heard clearly from advocates, renters, experts, and community members that unless we do something, King County will likely face a wave of evictions as the economy recovers and COVID-era renter protections are gradually lifted. And evictions can result in homelessness.
While Gov. Inslee has extended the statewide eviction moratorium, it’s a temporary fix, not a long-term solution to the challenges that renters face in securing and maintaining safe and affordable housing in this region. The legislation passed on Tuesday is a powerful and fair tenant protections package that will keep individuals and families in unincorporated King County housed and stable, while respecting landlords’ rights to collect rent and impose fair evictions when needed. Concern was expressed for imposing additional regulations on small landlords; however, we tried to find a balance as we certainly rely on them to provide very needed affordable housing. See below for more information.
- New limits on evictions and rental fees set by King County Council – The Seattle Times
- King County Approves Just Cause Eviction Rules, Caps Move-In Fees - Patch
- King County Council passes tenant protections – The Courier-Herald
- King County Council Passes Tenant Protections Without Watering Them Down That Much – The Stranger
Help improve water quality in King County
 Do you have an idea for a way to improve water quality in King County, specifically in Council District Four? Your project may be eligible for grant funding through the Council-based WaterWorks Program! Applications are open now and close on July 31st, 2021. More information on eligibility, dates, and how to apply is available here. If your project is in District Four (my district), please email clara.manahan@kingcounty.gov with questions. For other districts, please contact your Councilmember or their staff.
Public transit returning to full capacity
 Riders soon will have more public transportation options as buses, trains and ferries in the Puget Sound region are returning to full capacity and opening all seats starting this month. Metro will return to full capacity starting this Saturday, July 3rd.
Governor Inslee is dropping state social distancing requirements for transit as part of his decision to reopen the state. (However, remember that masks are still being required on transit.) As vaccination rates continue to climb in the Puget Sound region and other state restrictions are relaxed, even more people are expected to use transit this summer. Read the full story here on Metro’s blog.
A visit to Ballard’s National Nordic Museum
 I recently stopped by the National Nordic Museum in Ballard to check out their new exhibits on the history of Nordic ski jumping in the Seattle areas and on Finnish paintings, and chat with CEO and Executive Director Eric Nelson. The National Nordic Museum is a key cultural center in District Four and throughout the region, and, like many other arts and culture institutions in the region, has been severely impacted by COVID. I was pleased to secure $25,000 in the most recent omnibus budget to help cover costs for some much-needed repairs and upgrades. And, being of Norwegian heritage, it’s always a pleasure for me to visit this stellar museum. Thanks for showing me the new exhibits, Eric!
Retired County vans get second lives
Each year, Councilmembers can donate County vans that have been used for Metro’s rideshare program. This year I’ve designated four local organizations to receive retired Metro Transit Vanpool vans for the purpose of providing transportation assistance to people with disabilities, low-income individuals, seniors, and young people. And, currently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, vans are also able to be used to make deliveries of food and other essential products.
Every year, delivering ‘retired’ vans to organizations serving individuals in my district is very gratifying. The van retirement program creatively repurposes these vehicles and supports local groups that are doing important and often underappreciated work throughout King County. The organizations receiving vans this year are: Evergreen Treatment Services, Low Income Housing Institute, The Arc of King County and Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.
New Regional Affordable Housing Dashboard is available
 Photo: King County Housing Authority / William Wright Photography
The King County Affordable Housing Committee has just made available a new dashboard to aid affordable housing planning in the County. This is the region’s first countywide dashboard to monitor key affordable indicators and reflects work by dozens of policy staff, data analysts, and affordable housing operators across the region to create a new database of all income-restricted units.
July 8: Invitation to organizations - Communities Count User Group meeting
The Public is invited to join the Communities Count User Group Meeting on July 8, 2021 from 2 – 3 p.m. Communities Count provides data to King County communities to aid in promoting equity. User Group meetings are an opportunity for individuals from community based organizations and local agencies to learn about new data resources on Communities Count as well as engage in trainings and data support on how to access local data. During this meeting we will focus our conversation on the King County declaration of Racism as Public Health Crisis. To join the meeting, please email communitiescount@kingcounty.gov.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that, according to HistoryLink, this week in 1909, more than 250 leading national and international suffragists gathered in Seattle after traveling cross-country aboard the Suffrage Special, a Northern Pacific train originating from Chicago. The train stopped in Spokane and Tacoma before reaching King Street Station in Seattle, where those aboard were greeted by Emma Smith DeVoe, May Arkwright Hutton, and other Washington proponents of woman suffrage.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, July 1: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- Despite progress, some Washington counties remain hesitant to get vaccinated – My Northwest
- What to do if you lose your vaccination card – State Department of Health
- Could editing the genomes of bats prevent future coronavirus pandemics? Two scientists think it’s worth a try – Stat News
- Seattle plans to draw people back downtown with park happy hours, concerts and more - The Seattle Times
- Arctic’s ‘Last Ice Area’ May Be Less Resistant to Global Warming – The New York Times
- Artist Banksy ‘hijacked’ a painting of Mount Rainier to make a point, and now it’s worth millions – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo courtesy Jennifer Dowker via CNN
Boat captain and scuba diver Jennifer Dowker of Michigan was cleaning the bottom of her boat underwater when she discovered a bottle with a note inside - - written in 1926. Thanks to the wonders of technology, the daughter of the man who wrote the note was actually located, on Father’s Day. Read the full details of this unlikely 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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