COVID-19 UPDATES
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers:
- 718 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 650 confirmed cases and 68 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 116,197). The figures include the weekend counts, but even so are obviously increasing!
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,682 to date)
- 21 new hospitalizations (6,661 to date)
Vaccination rates in King County: As of today, 81.4% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 75.8% have received both doses. We’re doing pretty well!
Among all eligible residents (those 12 years and older), as of today, 80.5% of King County residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 74.8% 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:
-The number of confirmed positive cases is 429,337; the number of probable cases is 39,971, for a total of 469,308 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 6,089
- The total number of hospitalizations is 26,498
*NOTE: Data are no longer being updated on the weekends.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: “A spirit of harmony will survive in America only if each of us remembers that we share a common destiny; if each of us remembers, when bitterness and self-interest seem to prevail, that we share a common destiny.” – Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, from her 1976 Keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in New York.
Puget Sound region local health officers issue joint statement recommending masking in indoor public spaces
 Health officers from across the Puget Sound region have joined together to strongly recommend facial coverings for everyone in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. COVID-19 rates are increasing across the region - including King County - largely due to the spread of the much more contagious delta variant.
Today Dr. Duchin issued an updated health officer directive for King County to reflect the new guidance that strongly recommends people wear masks in indoor public settings.
This extra layer of protection will help us all stay safer, including those who are unvaccinated, such as the 300,000 children in King County who aren’t able to get vaccinated yet, and the many thousands of people who have immune systems that are weakened or suppressed. You may also be interested in the following:
- View Dr. Jeff Duchin’s COVID-19 press briefing discussing new mask recommendations.
- King County health official recommends going back to masking up indoors - KUOW
- Citing delta variant, King County urges indoor masks – AP News
COVID-19 cases increasing in King County: Vaccination continues to be our best protection
 Read more on the recent increase in positive COVID cases in King County here at the Public Health Insider blog and see this page for details on getting vaccinated in King County.
The latest news on COVID-19
- Five things to know about the delta variant – Yale Medicine
- Delta coronavirus variant now dominant in Washington. New study questions J&J vaccine efficacy against strain – The Seattle Times
- FL hospital moves to 'red zone' due to delta variant, 90 percent of patients unvaccinated – Newsweek
- Fauci says U.S. headed in 'wrong direction' on coronavirus – AP News
- At the F.D.A.’s urging, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are expanding their studies of children 5 to 11. – The New York Times
- A new way to visualize the surge in COVID-19 cases in the U.S. – Stat News
- Veterans Affairs makes COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for most health workers, making it first federal agency to do so- The Washington Post
- NYC to require vaccines or weekly testing for city workers – AP News
- Doctors worry that memory problems after COVID-19 may set the stage for Alzheimer's - NPR
- Biden says long-term effects of COVID-19 can be considered a disability under federal civil-rights laws – The Washington Post / The Seattle Times
- How concerned should we be about breakthrough coronavirus infections? One expert weighs in – Stat News
- Why people who are fully vaccinated are getting breakthrough COVID infections – CBS News
- Meet the young adults sneaking behind their parents’ backs to get vaccinated – Slate
- With virus surge, U.S. to keep travel restrictions for now – AP News
What to know about COVID restrictions for traveling between the U.S. and Canada – The Seattle Times
- Europe's summer tourism outlook dimmed by variants, rules – AP News
Wednesday: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates: Americans' Sharp Divide – Live Q & A
 Politico and Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health are teaming up to present a live Q & A about the politics of the pandemic - - specifically, vaccine mandates. Join the discussion this Wednesday, July 28th at 9 a.m. PT (noon ET). A recently released POLITICO-Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll shows that Americans are sharply divided about whether most private employers or schools should require COVID-19 vaccines as part of reopening efforts. There is no registration required to watch the event online. The Q&A will stream on Facebook, YouTube, and on The Forum website.
You can email questions to theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or you can post questions for the panel at @ForumHSPH or @pritheworld.
An epidemic of gun violence
 Photo by Chip Vincent on Unsplash
You may have read recently about the spike in gun violence across the city, county and, in fact, the country. Last week Mayor Jenny Durkan joined County Executive Dow Constantine to announce new City of Seattle investments in community-led safety efforts to help address the rise in gun violence. Executive Constantine announced the collaboration on Facebook: “Today Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the City of Seattle Government will invest $2 million in the King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective program to address the steep rise in gun violence. I look forward to their collaboration as we advance community-led solutions to this public health crisis.”
In the last two years, the County Council has appropriated about $5 million to specifically fund gun violence prevention programs and services, including the Regional Peacekeepers Collective. For more on the County’s efforts to prevent gun violence, see this page.
- Spate of shootings across Seattle kill 4 – AP News
- King County sees gun violence grow in 2021 – Patch
- Shootings across Seattle leave 4 dead, 7 injured since Sunday – The Seattle Times
- Gun violence in King County continues rise to ‘crisis’ levels – MyNorthwest
- Drive-by shootings up 100% in Seattle; shootings at five-year high in King County – KIRO 7 News
- Mayor Durkan announces $2 million investment in King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective – The Seattle Medium
- Following surge in murder rate, gun violence, Dunn seeks to reestablish gang unit – King County Council press release
- U.S. Attorney General Garland vows crackdown on gun trafficking as violence surges – AP News
- Gun violence is surging — researchers finally have the money to ask why - Nature
- Community organizations continue their mission to reduce violence in Seattle – KING 5 News
- Seattle organization seeking solutions to youth gun violence turns to the construction trades – KING 5 News
Reminder: Next Tuesday, August 3rd, is Election Day!
 The primary election is next Tuesday, August 3rd. Julie Wise, the Director of the County Elections Department, updated Councilmembers by email last week and let us know that her department is currently “...projecting an optimistic 40% turnout.” She said that in 2019 turnout was 35% in the primary and in 2017 it was 34%. I wish it would be much higher!
You should have already received your ballot and voter’s guide in the mail. If you have not yet received them, or if you have any questions, contact King County’s Election Department by email at elections@kingcounty.gov or by phone at 206-296-VOTE (8683). Also, see this article in The Seattle Times: Want to vote in the Aug. 3 Washington primary? Monday is the deadline to register by mail or online .
The latest news on extreme weather and climate change
 Photo by Joanne Francis on Unsplash
- Climate scientists meet as floods, fires, droughts and heat waves batter countries – NPR
- Warming rivers in U.S. West killing fish, imperiling industry – AP News
- As drought cuts hay crop, cattle ranchers face culling herds – AP News
- A chilling cure: Facing killer heat, ERs use body bags to save lives – Kaiser Health News
- The deadliest heat wave: Lessons from the NW's extreme heat – KUOW
- To prevent deaths during Washington's next heat wave, we need a heat action plan - KUOW
- Opinion: The great outdoors is giving way to the great indoors – The New York Times
- From heavy metals to COVID-19, wildfire smoke is more dangerous than you might think – The Seattle Times
- How to prepare for wildfire smoke in your home, car and while outdoors– The Seattle Times
Thursday: Understanding Ableism event – Celebrate the ADA and disability pride!
 I hope you can join me at the next discussion in a monthly series hosted by the King County Disability Consortium (KCDC). The next “Understanding Ableism” discussion will take place this Thursday, July 29th from 4:30 – 6 p.m. on Zoom, and will focus on the 31st anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its impact over the years. The session will include an update from my colleague Councilmember Girmay Zahilay and me on the County’s actions on disability access, equity and inclusion, including our reading of our King County Proclamation for Disability Pride Day that we read at our Council meeting last week. Register at this page.
This week at the Council
Note: This is a lighter than usual week at the Council in terms of committee meetings. All Council and committee meetings are still being held remotely.
Tomorrow – Local Services Committee - 9:30 a.m.: Briefings on Department of Local Services and County homelessness investments
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Tomorrow – Full County Council – 1 p.m.: Discussion and final vote on 8th COVID emergency budget and appointment of the new Director of our Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO)
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Congregations for the Homeless to purchase permanent shelter site
I’m pleased to report that, thanks to the Council’s recent approval of the sale of a surplus property in east King County, the group Congregations for the Homeless (CFH) can now proceed with purchasing the site in early August.
The organization has spent nearly a decade working to find land, assembling financing, and preparing to build the Eastside’s first and only permanent emergency men’s shelter. Congratulations to the staff, board and volunteers of CFH for making this happen!
Reminder: Deadline is tomorrow for Smart Communities Award
There's still time to submit a nomination for the 15th annual Governor's Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on long-term community planning and development.
Award winners offer fascinating glimpses into the values and long-term priorities of each community through their plans for how they want to look and function 20 or even 50 years from now. For one community, it may be an emphasis on supporting agriculture, another may prioritize their downtown redevelopment — all require shared vision, tough decisions and partnerships. Click here for full details and nomination forms.
Thursday: The Healing Power of Arts: A Pop Up with ArtsFund & Sound Health
 Join ArtsFund & Sound Health for a virtual discussion exploring the intersection of arts and mental health this Thursday, July 29th, from 5:30-6:30pm PT.
Research shows the arts are an effective tool in reducing depression and anxiety, improving outcomes for children, and increasing life satisfaction. During this panel discussion, hear from experts in art and healthcare about the impacts of arts.
You will be sent the link to the Zoom Webinar before the discussion. Guests will automatically have their audio and camera turned off, but may engage via the chat. Register here.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that President Warren G. Harding’s last public speech was given in Seattle on July 27, 1923? After the speech, he fell ill en route to San Francisco and died six days later.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Work-from-home benefits could stir up new battles between workers and their bosses - The Seattle Times
- Washington health officials: Drug overdose rates on track to break records in 2021 – Seattle P-I
- King County Council nearing final decision on new Law Enforcement Oversight director – KNKX
- Seattle mayor proposes new emergency response team in effort to reimagine policing – KING 5 News
- Report: Seattle police stop Black people, Native Americans at far higher rate than white people - The Seattle Times
- Can King County’s “Health Through Housing” plan make a visible dent in homelessness? - Publicola
- For homeless solutions, Seattle can look to New York and Vancouver – Crosscut
- A homeless encampment led Seattle to close a spray park. What does that say about how the city views public spaces? – The Seattle Times
- Victims, including woman allegedly attacked by then-Seahawk, urge funding for massive court backlog – KIRO 7 News
- Several beaches in Pierce, King counties temporarily close - Q13 Fox News
- Washington AG rejects opioids settlement, wants trial – The Seattle Times
- Environmental advocates condemn the return of cruise ships to Seattle – The Urbanist
- Driven by pandemic, social media use surged in Seattle – The Seattle Times
- How some districts are trying to get anxious families back into school buildings - KUOW
- COVID-19 kept families and caregivers out of hospitals. Some doctors think that shouldn’t happen again – Stat News
Today’s moment of inspiration
 This is an amazing story of one man, Rodney Smith Jr. of Alabama, who wanted to help those in need, while at the same time building community and providing skills and training to young people. He found an utterly unique way to do it, which has grown and evolved over several years.
He trains young people to mow the lawns of their neighbors in need for free. "When I first started the organization, I really didn't have a clear vision," he told CNN. "But as it started to go on, I realized the vision was to encourage kids." According to CNN, after a few years, the response was so positive, Smith decided to expand the program by taking it nationwide. “He called on young people across the country to mow 50 lawns in their communities. Smith sends participants a T-shirt along with ear and eye protection. The kids then post photos of the lawns they mowed, and for every 10, Smith sends them a different color T-shirt.”
“One requirement of the 50 Yard Challenge is for participants to find their own lawns to mow. This is important to Smith who wants to inspire them to go out and meet people they likely would not have otherwise met.” Read the full story on CNN 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, although there will be no Monday e-newsletter on August 2 and August 9. 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.
|
