COVID-19 UPDATES
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers:
- 858 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 761 confirmed cases and 97 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 124,188).
- 0 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,700 to date)
- 17 new hospitalizations (6,899 to date)
To see the progression of the virus in King County since our last newsletter, you can view screenshots of the Daily Dashboard here. Note the correct date appears when you click on the document (one day earlier than is listed). The data are not updated over the weekends.
Vaccination rates in King County: As of today, 82.7% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 77.0% have received both doses.
Among all eligible residents (those 12 years and older), as of today, 81.9% of King County residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 76.0% 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 457,647; the number of probable cases is 46,485, for a total of 504,132 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 6,215
- The total number of hospitalizations is 28,156
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “A lot of people are waiting for Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi to come back — but they are gone. We are it. It is up to us. It is up to you.” – Marian Wright Edelman, 2004
Breaking: Joint statement from local health officers regarding need for masks in indoor public spaces
The health officers representing all 35 local health jurisdictions in Washington state today joined together to communicate their best public health advice to protect you, your family, and our communities. The health officers have signed a joint statement, recommending all residents wear facial coverings when in indoor public settings where the vaccination status of those around you is unknown. You can read the full statement here.
The latest on the Delta variant, masking, vaccines and other COVID news
- The largest U.S. teachers’ union announces support for vaccination or testing for educators – The New York Times
- With Delta, masking up is critical – and it’s time to improve the quality and the fit – Public Health Insider Blog
- It's time to up your mask game - NPR
- Delta has us masking again, but which masks work best? – The Philadelphia Inquirer
- The Delta variant and ‘breakthrough’ infections: Should Americans be worried? – The Guardian
- CDC urges COVID vaccines during pregnancy as Delta surges – The Seattle Times
- COVID vaccines to be required for military under new U.S. plan – The Seattle Times
- Vaccine side effects rare and outweighed by benefits, CDC reports – The New York Times / The Seattle Times
- How to keep your child safe from the Delta variant – NPR
- Fueled by Delta variant, 500,000 coronavirus cases now tallied in Washington state -The Seattle Times
- Swedish, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health announce new COVID vaccination requirements for health care workers - The Seattle Times
- As the Delta variant grips Washington state, Latino population faces steep COVID risk - The Seattle Times
- Antibody findings spark ideas for pan-coronavirus vaccine – UW Medicine News
- What six health experts say about traveling amid the Delta variant - The Seattle Times
- Shots give COVID-19 survivors big immune boost, studies show - The Seattle Times
- Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? Here’s what to do - The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Who owns COVID-19 vaccines? – The Seattle Times
- Photos: Seattle masks back up as Delta variant surges - KUOW
- Is your doctor, dentist or hair stylist vaccinated? Here are tips for how to ask — and avoid awkwardness - The Seattle Times
- Did you miss the August 3rd Q & A on the Delta variant surge from Harvard’s School of Public Health? You can view it here.
Inslee announces vaccination requirement for most state employees, private health care and long-term care workers; same for county and city employees
On Monday, Gov. Inslee announced a requirement for most state workers, as well as on-site contractors and volunteers, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. State employees and workers in private health care and long-term care settings will have until October 18 to be fully vaccinated. Read the full news release here. You may also be interested in this Seattle Times article: What to know about Washington state’s COVID vaccine mandate for state employees, health care workers. Also, see below for more information:
- King County, State of Washington and City of Seattle announce vaccination requirement for most employees, private health care and long-term care workers – Office of County Executive Constantine
- To combat the spread of the Delta variant, Mayor Jenny Durkan announces vaccine requirement for city employees – Office of Mayor Durkan
- Key educators support a vaccine mandate for teachers in Washington - The Seattle Times
Stay cool this weekend
 Photo: Elena Rabkina, Unsplash
Temperatures will be creeping back up to the 90s this weekend, please take a look at the resources below and make sure that you are prepared for the hot weather! Cooling centers across King County will be open to help you and your families beat the heat.
- Up-to-date King County cooling center information – King County Emergency Department
- Map of City of Seattle Cooling Centers
- For more tips on staying safe during extreme heat, visit kingcounty.gov/beattheheat.
You may also be interested in these articles:
- Take these (air-conditioned) public transit routes to Seattle’s bodies of water and spray parks – The Seattle Times
- If you are living homeless in King County, here are places you can go to escape the heat - The Seattle Times
Animal cooling shelter open today and tomorrow, hints for keeping your pets cool and safe
The extreme temperatures can be especially bad for our non-human companions – especially those with fur coats! King County animals not coping well with the heat may be brought to an air-conditioned emergency animal cooling shelter located at Seattle Humane, in Bellevue. The shelter is being set up and staffed by volunteers from the Washington State Animal Response Team.
For more information on how to identify signs of heat stress in animals, and tips and strategies for keeping them cool see this page.
Heat waves, other climate impacts to worsen, and more climate news
 Photo by Matt Palmer on Unsplash
As you may know, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change, released its latest report on Monday and the news is not good. Not surprisingly, the report confirmed that climate change is widespread and intensifying rapidly. According to the press release, “Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already set in motion—such as continued sea level rise—are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.
However, strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases would limit climate change. While benefits for air quality would come quickly, it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilize...”
Read more here or see these “Fast Facts” from the IPCC. You may also be interested in the following articles:
- Three things to know about what scientists say about our future climate – NPR
- Key takeaways from the new IPCC report – Yale Climate Connections
- Shrinking glaciers, extreme heat waves, worsening droughts: What the landmark climate report means for Western U.S., Seattle – The Seattle Times
- Two major heat waves roasting Lower 48 states, 175 million Americans under alerts - The Seattle Times
- Drier, warmer night air is making some Western wildfires more active at night – UW News
- Nearly two in three Americans are dealing with dangerous heat waves – NPR
- New UW collaboratory to support equitable and just climate action – UW News
- Wildfire bears down on Montana towns as West burns – AP News
- UN weather agency seeks to confirm 48.8°C ‘record’ heat spike in Sicily – UN News
- First water cuts in U.S. West supply to hammer Arizona farmers – AP News
- Shellfish farmers line up for disaster aid after heat wave decimates oysters and clams - KUOW
Extreme Weather: Climate and Health in Crisis - - live Q & A with experts from Harvard’s School of Public Health
 Join a panel of public health and climate experts next Tuesday, August 17th, at 9 a.m. PT (noon ET) for a live, on-line Q & A regarding the health impacts from extreme weather and climate change generally. There is no registration required to watch the event online. It will be live streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and on The Forum site. You may send questions for the panelists in advance or during the Q & A to theforum@hsph.harvard.edu or post them to Facebook.
Executive Constantine names Abigail Echo-Hawk and Dr. Ben Danielson co-chairs of Racism is a Public Health Crisis community oversight committee and $25 million fund
I am pleased to report that Dr. Ben Danielson and Abigail Echo-Hawk will serve alongside County Executive Dow Constantine as co-chairs of King County’s Racism is a Public Health Crisis (RPHC) community oversight committee to oversee a $25 million community fund. All three will do an excellent job as co-chairs for the County’s Racism is a Public Health Crisis community oversight committee. See this page for more details.
Community leaders express dismay with Seattle Children’s handling of racism investigation results
I was please to stand with hundreds of other community leaders this past Sunday when we joined together to sign a full-page ad in The Seattle Times addressed to the leadership of Seattle Children’s Hospital. We expressed our serious disappointment with the hospital’s failure to be fully transparent with the results of the report on racism in the hospital. I also led in the Board of Health recently on a motion we approved on this issue. You may be interested in these two articles from The Seattle Times:
- Seattle Children’s staff call for full report from probe into racism at hospital system
- ‘Racial disparities persist’ at Seattle Children’s, investigation finds
Courthouse safety concerns
There has been plenty of activity at and around the Courthouse building (where the County Council is based). As I discussed in last week’s e-newsletter, there have been very serious safety concerns raised by employees and visitors accessing services at the County Courthouse. Violence around the Courthouse has increased in the last several months, including a recent case of attempted rape inside a women’s bathroom in the building.
This week the JustCARE program – funded by the County and the City - has had staff in City Hall Park assisting people living there to move voluntarily to safer and more sustainable shelter options. This follows weeks of individualized outreach with the persons living in the park and work with the City in identifying safer shelter options. (The City of Seattle owns the park, which is located next to the County Courthouse.) See the following articles for more information:
- Encampment at Seattle’s City Hall Park gone after scores go to hotels, shelters and tiny houses - The Seattle Times
- Opinion: King County’s response to an especially violent year isn’t enough - Crosscut
- After latest attack, King County Courthouse employees rally for ‘violence-free’ workplace – The Seattle Times
Financial assistance for child care available for some King County residents
 You may qualify for financial aid to cover child care costs through the King County Child Care Financial Assistance Program. See this page for full details.
Reminder: Public review period for the Hazardous Waste Management Plan Update ends next Monday, August 16th – Your input is needed!
 The King County Hazardous Waste Management Program (Haz Waste Program) is updating its 10-year plan. The 2021 Plan will provide a blueprint for how the Haz Waste Program will work to reduce toxic exposures to people and the environment in King County.
The Plan is available for public review and comment. Haz Waste Program staff would greatly appreciate your feedback. Please visit https://www.hazplanupdate.com to see the 2021 Plan, provide comments, and share your overall input on the Plan.
Celebrate local food and sustainable living: CHOMP! is on August 21
Don’t miss this free event at Marymoor Park on August 21st! Enjoy a farmers market, live music, local food vendors and booths with interactive, sustainability-themed activities. Since 2015, CHOMP! has been King County’s premier event for celebrating local food and all things green. For more information, visit the CHOMP! website or see the Facebook page for the event.
Executive Constantine announces plan to protect 13,500 acres of farmland
 As part of the County’s Land Conservation Initiative, County Executive Dow Constantine today announced a commitment to protect 13,500 acres of farmland that our growing region will need into the future. The goal is to support a local food economy and promote equitable access to nutritious, locally grown goods. Read the full story here.
Reminder: August 17 deadline for grant funding from King Conservation District
Just a reminder that applications for the KCD Regional Food System Program Grants are due by 4 p.m., next Tuesday, August 17th. King Conservation District (not part of King County) supports the sustainability of working agricultural lands in King County through Regional Food System Program Grant funds.
The program funds projects that support the goals of King County’s Local Food Initiative and contribute to the economic viability of local farmers, encourage new farmers, expand acreage in food production, improve food access, and increase demand for King County farm products. Click here to read more about the grant process and access the application documents.
Join the National Nordic Museum – and me - for the Nordic Labyrinth Unveiling on August 21!
You are invited to join the National Nordic Museum in Ballard on Saturday, August 21st, from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. for the unveiling of its new Nordic Labyrinth on The Fisherman's Sun Terrace. There will be special guest speakers -- including myself and Consul General of Ireland to the Western United States Robert O’Driscoll and Consul/Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Norwegian Consulate in San Francisco Helge Marstrander -- a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a special labyrinth craft activity for kids. For details, see this page.
Transit news in District 4
- Two light-rail stations in Seattle escape ST3 budget chopping, most other projects delayed – The Seattle Times (Not great news for District 4)
- Tunnel boring begins in Ballard for Ship Canal Water Quality project – MyBallard
- For more on the Ship Canal project, see this page.
Updates from Metro: Stay cool, Montlake Bridge service temporarily rerouted, Trailhead Direct and more
 Metro is reminding residents that transit service will be rerouted during the month-long Montlake Bridge closure that began on August 8th. A few more reminders:
- Stay cool and limit your trips in the heat
- Remember, masks are required on all transit
- King County Parks and King County Metro are operating Trailhead Direct service for the summer of 2021, featuring the Issaquah Alps and Mt Si routes, with a new Squak Mountain State Park trailhead stop added to the Issaquah Alps route. Metro encourages hikers to plan for safety as a first priority, especially in summer heat.
Metro’s West Seattle Water Taxi: Crew rescue boaters in distress yesterday
While Metro has been celebrating ‘Water Taxi Summer,’ the Water Taxi crew yesterday rescued two people from capsized boat! Read the full story here.
The West Seattle Water Taxi operates seven days a week from Pier 50 downtown to Seacrest Park in West Seattle
A visit to the site of the Battery Portal with Belltown United
 I was very pleased to stop by the site of the Battery Portal, sited between 1st and Western adjacent to the former Battery Street Tunnel. I arranged for Belltown United to receive $25,000 from the Youth and Amateur Sports Grants to help advance its goal of establishing an urban park for the Belltown community. It was a delight to meet with representatives from Belltown United, the organization spearheading this development. From left to right, I am pictured with Holly Decker, David Levinson, Steve Horvath, Steve Hall, René Flores and Zander Batchelder.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that, on this day in 2004, the Washington State Parks Commission gave Old Man House State Park to the Suquamish Tribe on August 12, 2004, making it the first time the state has returned land to a tribe? According to HistoryLink, “The one-acre park, which includes a shell-strewn beach, is sacred to the tribe. It was the site of their "mother village" and of Chief Seattle's longhouse.”
Additional helpful and informative links
- Evicted, despite a federal moratorium: ‘I do not know what I am going to do’ – The New York Times
- The stigma of a “Scarlet E” - The New York Times
- A new book chronicles the history of homelessness in Seattle – KNKX
- What’s Washington state’s cut of the Senate’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill? - The Seattle Times
- Electric cars for everyone? Not unless they get cheaper. - The New York Times
- Fine particulate air pollution associated with higher risk of dementia – UW News
- Why’s it so hard to find locally grown Asian vegetables? These Seattle-area farmers are trying to change that – The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo by Amanda Snyder of The Seattle Times
I could not resist this local story in The Seattle Times last week. It’s about two sisters who used creativity and entrepreneurial spirit – and the help of family – to set up a unique business that helps others as well as themselves. Sisters Quinn and Kate Carner sell freshly squeezed lemonade to boaters and others on Lake Union. According to The Seattle Times article, the girls tally their earnings at the end of the day, and “The first $25 is put away on the website Kiva, which allows people to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs and students...Then after the cost of goods is taken out, the remaining profit is split three ways: a donation to the Rainier Animal fund, personal spending for the girls and money the two spend on a children’s app where they can buy shares of stocks.”
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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