COVID-19 UPDATES
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers:
- 115 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 109 confirmed cases and 6 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 113,205).
- 1 new COVID-19-related death (1,671 to date)
- 5 new hospitalizations (6,548 to date)
Vaccination rates in King County: As of today, 80.1% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 74.1% 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 yesterday:
-Total number of confirmed positive cases is 416,832; the total number of probable cases is 37,236 for a total of 454,068 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 5,973
- The total number of hospitalizations is 25,726
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “You may not believe in evolution, and that is all right. How we humans came to be the way we are is far less important than how we should act now to get out of the mess we have made for ourselves.” – Jane Goodall
The latest on the Delta variant, COVID vaccines and travel during the pandemic
- How does the Delta variant dodge the immune system? Scientists find clues. – The New York Times
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, July 8: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- COVID vaccines still work against mutant, researchers find – AP News
- Study highlights need for full COVID vaccination to protect against Delta variant – Stat News
- What you need to know about the highly contagious delta variant – The Washington Post
- The world’s known COVID death toll passes four million – The New York Times
- The Health 202: The FDA could boost vaccinations by fully approving Pfizer's vaccine - The Washington Post
- Do I need to take precautions at hotels if I’m vaccinated? – AP News
- Portugal orders COVID test, vaccination proof at hotel check-in – Reuters
- Secretary of Health asks parents to stop and think before booking vacations – Q13 Fox News
- Biden Calls for Door-to-Door Vaccine Push; Experts Say More Is Needed – The New York Times
- 'Shot of a Lifetime' lottery boosted COVID-19 vaccine rates 24%, Inslee says – KING 5 News – KING 5 News
- Can we stretch existing COVID vaccines to inoculate more people? Experts are divided. – Stat News
COVID updates for businesses and employers
 The state Department of Commerce is offering up-to-date COVID guidance and resources for employers and business owners. Sign up for the weekly Economic Resiliency Team business and worker newsletter here.
Also, you may be interested in this newly updated guidance document from the state Department of Health (DOH): Guidance for Non-Health Care Businesses and Organizations during COVID-19.
Help for small businesses in unincorporated King County.
Businesses in unincorporated King County can apply now for grants of up to $25,000 to help them recover from the effects of COVID-19. These funds can be used to reimburse your business for rent, employee payroll, goods, services, and other COVID-19-related expenses. See this page for full details. Applications are due by August 4th. Also, see the article below:
- New COVID-19 relief grants aim to help small businesses in areas of King County – KING 5 News
New hours for state COVID assistance hotline
The state COVID-19 Assistance Hotline is a general information line related to COVID-19. If you need information or have a general question, call 1-800-525-0127, then press # or text 211-211 for help. Its new hours of operation are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday and observed state holidays. You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are.
Heat, wildfires and a state of emergency
In case you missed it, Governor Inslee declared a wildfire state of emergency and burn ban on Tuesday. There are steps you can take now to prepare for wildfire season, as outlined in this article from the Public Health Insider blog, which also includes links to additional resources. See below for more on the extreme heat wave at the end of June, and what we might expect this summer.
- Without climate change, record Pacific Northwest heat wave would have been near impossible, researchers say – The Seattle Times
- Record heat, drought threaten even the toughest survivors: L25, the oldest orca, and the winter Chinook she depends on - The Seattle Times
- Oregon’s death toll from last weekend’s record-smashing Pacific Northwest heat wave has risen to 116. – Q13 Fox News
- Washington bans most outdoor and agricultural burning through September - The Seattle Times
- ‘We thought it wouldn’t affect us’: Heatwave forces climate reckoning in Pacific northwest – The Guardian
- Heat wave evokes fears of another massive salmon die-off in PNW – Crosscut
- Official death toll from heat wave at 78 in Washington – and it's expected to rise - KNKX
- Heat-related deaths in Washington state climb after historic heat wave – DOH news release
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
 Established in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, Minority Mental Health Awareness month was created to bring awareness to the unique mental health struggles that underrepresented groups in the U.S. experience. Traditional systems of care in our country may overlook experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled folks, and religious minorities. This month, King County’s Balanced You will be focusing on Mental Health America’s theme Strength in Communities. Read more here.
County purchases third hotel to provide housing, shelter and services
 Earlier today, it was announced that King County is purchasing a third hotel on Aurora Avenue North near 141st street funded through our "Health Through Housing" program. The purchase of this hotel in North Seattle, the second Health through Housing funded hotel in District Four, will offer the type of individualized support and onsite staffing that can be transformational in assisting individuals to exit homelessness. Located close to transit and with individual rooms, the hotel is conveniently situated to make a significant impact on our region’s homelessness crisis. I am very pleased it is being purchased in this location to address this urgent need.
More news on housing, homelessness and rent debt
- Twice as Many U.S. Renters Fell Behind on Payments During the Pandemic – Pew Stateline
- Seattle Public Schools may have to find shelter for homeless residents of encampment near school – The Seattle Times
- US judge upholds Seattle renter protections – AP News
- Compassion Seattle charter amendment says it has enough signatures to make November ballot – Seattle P-I
- Dunn Seeks to Create Homeless Outreach Teams for Unincorporated King County – Voice of the Valley
- Seattle landlord says more tenants than ever are skipping rent – KING 5 News
City Hall Park situation
This editorial in The Seattle Times takes a compassionate look at the situation in City Hall Park, which is located next to the King County Courthouse directly to the south. As our downtown buildings fill back up, the safety of the park for nearby residents and workers as well as for Courthouse employees and jurors and others visiting the Courthouse is incredibly important. This is why I’m very pleased that the JustCARES program is starting its work to provide hotel rooms and supportive, wraparound services to folks chronically homeless and living unhoused in the park now.
Public invited to participate in selection of law enforcement oversight director in upcoming meetings
 The King County Council is hosting two virtual community meetings next week that will give members of the public the opportunity to ask questions and hear from the two finalist candidates for the position of director of OLEO, the County’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight. They are Tamer Abouzeid, an attorney, mediator, community organizer and policy professional, and Eddie Aubrey, a civilian police oversight manager and a former police auditor, judge, and prosecutor.
OLEO conducts independent, systemic reviews of the King County Sheriff’s Office’s policies and practices; its reviews and recommendations aim to increase accountability and transparency.
The meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 13 and noon to 2 p.m. on July 14. You can join the meetings with the links below.
First meeting, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 13: https://ralphandersen.zoom.us/j/95736728480
Second meeting, noon to 2 p.m. on July 14: https://ralphandersen.zoom.us/j/92385881089
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.
Update on Seattle travel and hospitality industry recovery
 Visit Seattle, which promotes tourism in the Emerald City, recently provided an update on how the tourism and hospitality industry is doing now that the state has largely reopened. Among the good news: “The past couple of weeks continued to deliver pandemic records in performance. With growing hotel occupancy in the region, to SEA Airport passenger counts , travel volume continues to grow.” You can view highlights from a June 22nd hotel symposium on industry recovery here.
You may also be interested in this editorial from The Seattle Times: Rediscover and rebound: Introduce visitors to a broad array of Seattle’s gems.
New extended hours at Seattle hazardous waste collection sites
 On July 1, the County’s North and South Seattle hazardous waste collection sites expanded their hours of operation. Both locations are now open for an additional hour, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Days of operation remain the same. Hazardous waste collection services are also available in Factoria, Auburn, and through the Wastemobile, which travels to communities throughout King County. For details, see this page.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that, in the 19th century, deceased Seattleites were relocated to make way for development? According to HistoryLink, “In the 1860s Seattle's first municipal cemetery was filled with the city's deceased, many relocated from informal plots to make room for downtown development. On July 10, 1883, the graveyard -- located on land owned by David Denny -- was rededicated as Seattle's first public park. Its original residents were again re-interred, most of them in today's Lake View Cemetery.”
Additional helpful and informative links
- Science, not speculation, is essential to determine how SARS-CoV-2 reached humans – The Lancet
- Assessing the association between social gatherings and COVID-19 risk using birthdays – Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
- COVID-19 affects men and women differently. So why don’t clinical trials report gender data? – Science Magazine
- In high-poverty WA school districts, high schoolers bore extra burden - Crosscut
- How online access to legal services during COVID-19 impacted domestic violence survivors’ ability to get help – UW Graduate School News
- More closures: 10 beaches in Puget Sound closed due to high fecal bacteria levels – Seattle P-I
- Bar seating is back, and so are grumpy customers - KUOW
- King County Library System on track to reopen all library buildings by July 14 – Voice of the Valley
- Cold weather virus in summer baffles docs, worries parents – AP News
- Washington kids are behind on routine vaccines, at risk of missing the start of school – The Seattle Times
- King County ordered to pay $900K after retaliating against employee who claimed discrimination - The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo: The Nature Conservancy via Reasons to be Cheerful
A decades-long effort to restore seagrass is proving that oceans can heal from environmental damage. This is an inspiring story of scientists working together and succeeding with the help of nature. According to the article, “The seeds Orth and his team planted grew into plants which, in turn, produced their own seeds. ‘Nature kind of took over,’ says Orth.” It’s definitely worth reading the full story here. The project is in the process of registering with a certifier of carbon emissions offset credits. If successful, it will be the world’s first verified seagrass carbon offset program.
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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