 King County led the charge on vaccinations and, thanks to our efforts, Washington state lifted most COVID-19 restrictions as of June 30th. Those of us who are vaccinated get to resume many of our normal in-person activities, such as going to restaurants, museums, concerts, and places of worship, without a mask. Those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must continue to wear masks in indoor public spaces. There are no restrictions on the number of people who can be in public spaces and social distancing requirements are no longer in place. Now, we can enjoy more freedom to reconnect with friends and family, rebuild our economy by visiting local businesses, and continue to work as a community to support those who are still struggling with the impacts of the pandemic.
To learn more about reopening guidance, visit our Safe Reopening website.
We must remain vigilant because the COVID-19 virus is still present in our community and dangerous variants are on the rise. The best thing we can do to protect ourselves and our loved one is to get vaccinated. If you have not yet been vaccinated, you can find a community vaccination site here or contact your primary health care provider.
 Cities reopening for in-person services
During the pandemic, cities have continued to offer many critical, high-quality services to their residents virtually. Now, some cities are planning to reopen facilities to provide in-person services to their constituents.
The City of Bellevue will reopen Bellevue City Hall starting Tuesday, July 6. It will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Services will include the Service First help desk, utility bill payment, and police records.
 Bellevue City Hall
As of July 1st, most City of Redmond facilities have reopened to the public. City Hall, the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village, the Public Safety Building, and fire stations are open Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
 Redmond City Hall
Keeping people safe and housed
Washington state is now open, but that doesn’t mean the impacts of the pandemic are gone. Many King County residents are struggling to stay housed, dealing with how to pay months of back rent they were unable to pay during the pandemic. Luckily, Governor Inslee announced he is extending the statewide eviction moratorium until September 30. This will give local governments time to provide rental assistance to people who are behind on their rent so that they can stay housed once the moratorium is lifted and so landlords can pay their mortgages.
If you need rental assistance, King County has opened applications for our second round of the Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program. It is open to people experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 who are at risk of housing instability or homelessness.
 In addition to providing rental assistance, this week, the King County Council passed a suite of protections for renters in unincorporated King County. The timing of this action is particularly poignant because so many renters are facing a cliff of housing instability once the eviction moratorium ends, but this will bring long-term security to renters in unincorporated King County. Advancing rights for renters is a key piece of our broader efforts to create more housing stability in King County. I look forward to working with colleagues at other levels of government to implement more comprehensive, consistent renter protections countywide so that renters and landlords have a common set of rights and rules.
Spread the word!
Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
Council Chair
District 6
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