COVID-19 UPDATES
NOTE: As of August 10th, The WA Department of Health continues to have a large backlog of lab results. Although positive results are up to date, there remains a large number of negative test results that have not yet been reported from July 28 - August 10th. We anticipate lower numbers of test results, and an overestimated test positivity as the backlog is addressed.
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these really awful numbers from over the weekend:
- 1,752 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 1,599 confirmed cases and 153 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 126,634). See note above!
- 2 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,725 to date)
- 79 new hospitalizations (7,191 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, 83.8% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 77.8% have received both doses.
Among all eligible residents (those 12 years and older), as of today, 83.1% of King County residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 76.9% 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 484,281; the number of probable cases is 52,533, for a total of 536,814 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 6,383
- The total number of hospitalizations is 29,996
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day: “What I think the political correctness debate is really about is the power to be able to define. The definers want the power to name. And the defined are now taking that power away from them.” – Toni Morrison, quoted in The New York Times Magazine, 1994.
COVID-19 transmission and hospitalizations at a new all-time high
The latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) shows current COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions at their highest levels to-date. These upward trends are likely to continue in the coming months due to the delta variant. With hospital staff and capacities strained statewide, both masking and vaccination are now crucial to control and manage disease transmission. Read more from DOH here: Masking in indoor public spaces a necessary addition to vaccination. DOH also recommends mask-wearing in crowded outdoor spaces when physical distancing is not possible - - regardless of vaccination status.
Don’t wait to vaccinate!
 Why get vaccinated now? The new COVID Conversations video series from Public Health—Seattle & King County features local residents having open, unscripted conversations about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and getting the vaccine. Read more here or view the video on YouTube here. For more information and resources about getting vaccinated in King County, see this page.
The latest updates on COVID
 - Google’s tool to look up COVID case numbers and other data anywhere in the world
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, August 23: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- What we need is action: Reflections on King County’s pandemic response – Public Health Insider Blog
- Kindergarten or ‘Russian roulette’? To some parents, the Delta variant and lax mask rules make those one and the same– Stat News
- If you have unvaccinated kids, act like ‘nobody in household’ is vaccinated, experts urge — and more back-to-school advice - The Seattle Times
- 'Immune cocoon' and other strategies for safe school days – UW Medicine News
- Study: 17,000 lactating, pregnant women show vaccine is safe - UW Medicine News Press release
- U.S. regulators give full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine – AP News
- Opinion: COVID-19 booster shot distribution must learn from vaccine roll-out mistakes – Stat News
- Booster shots alone won’t protect immunocompromised people from COVID-19 – Stat News
- As the Delta variant surges, how long will vaccines last? – NW Asian Weekly
- Viral evolution 101: Why the coronavirus has changed as it has, and what it means going forward – Stat News
- COVID vaccine hesitancy by King County ZIP code — rates are declining, but pockets of higher resistance remain – The Seattle Times
Countering COVID misinformation
 When it comes to the COVID vaccine, misinformation can be dangerous and even fatal. The following links provide language, tools and resources to help you fight back against misinformation.
- Three ways to help people make the right choice on COVID-19 vaccination – Public Health Newswire
- Building confidence and busting myths – Washington State Department of Health (DOH)
- Is it true? COVID-19 vaccine fact checking – Public Health – Seattle & King County
- Talking about vaccines – Immunity Community
- Coronavirus Rumor Control – FEMA (U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency)
County dashboard measures broad effects of pandemic
If you have not yet checked out the County’s Economic, Social, and Overall Health Impacts Dashboard, I encourage you to try it out. It is updated weekly and tracks measurements in areas such as food insecurity, unemployment, family violence and more. The information can then be broken down by demographic and other factors.
A few examples from the August 19th update:
- Domestic violence: There were 214 calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline in July 2021. This is a 13% increase in calls from King County residents compared to January 2020.
- Food insecurity: In early-July, among adults in the King/Pierce/Snohomish county area who did not have enough to eat in the last 7 days, 46.7% reported they did not have enough to eat because they could not afford to buy more food.
- Medicaid enrollment: There were 458,303 people enrolled in Medicaid in King County in June 2021. This is a 13% increase in Medicaid enrollment compared to January 2020.
An update on City Hall Park and housing
Over the past week, several articles have come out about City Hall Park and have referenced a motion I introduced asking the Executive to explore having the County acquire the park from the City of Seattle due to its proximity to the Courthouse. An article in the Puget Sound Business Journal, which was referenced in the Seattle Times, suggested that my legislation proposes paving over the park and replacing it with affordable housing—this is not the case. The Puget Sound Business Journal published my letter to the editor last week, which follows here:
To the Editor:
Thank you for your August 15th article covering the developments in and around City Hall Park. As a vital piece of public space in a dense urban neighborhood, it’s important that the park is safe and usable. I believe that can best be assured if City Hall Park were to be owned by King County instead of by the City of Seattle, especially as it is located directly next to the King County Courthouse.
I also believe that King County has a responsibility to explore all options. Contrary to the title of your article, the intent of my legislation is not to convert the park to affordable housing. Rather, the legislation requests that the Executive explore acquiring the park and provide options to the Council on how it could best be used—including potentially as a revitalized public open space or park, an expansion of the County’s downtown civic campus, or for affordable housing.
The downtown King County campus is a space that is meant to be accessible for all employees, jurors, and visitors, and I’m hopeful that this exploratory legislation will provide us a path forward that ensures that reality.
You may also find the following editorial of interest:
- Editorial: City can’t stop at clearing out City Hall Park encampment – The Seattle Times
Reminder -- this Wednesday, August 25: Virtual open house on new south King County waste transfer station
 Rendering of one design
King County’s Solid Waste Division is designing a new recycling and waste transfer station that will replace the 1960s-era Algona Transfer Station. When it opens in mid-2025, the new station will offer a full array of recycling services, hazardous waste disposal for households and qualifying business, and other community benefits. Join County Solid Waste Division staff to learn more about this new facility and give your input on the design updates at a virtual open house on Wednesday, August 25th, from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information on the project and to register for the open house see this page.
This week at the Council
Note: All Council and committee meetings are still being held remotely. The full Council is not meeting this week.
Wednesday, August 25 at 9:30 a.m. – Mobility and Environment Committee: Vote on approving the King County Metro Transit COVID-19 Response Title VI Service Equity Analysis report and discussion of the Sea-Tac Lake to Sound trail.
The instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, the agenda and meeting materials, can be downloaded on this page and will also be available soon here.
Wednesday, August 25 at 1 p.m. – Government Accountability and Oversight Committee: Briefing on Courthouse security
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Join me this Thursday at the Queen Anne Farmers Market!
I hope to see you this Thursday, August 26th, at the Farmers Market at West Crockett St. and Queen Anne Ave. N. I’ll be holding “Office Hours” at a market booth from 3:30 – 5 p.m. and am looking forward to seeing many of you and talking about the latest news at the County!
A visit to the new labyrinth in Ballard
 I was honored to be part of the celebration this past Saturday at the opening of the new labyrinth at the National Nordic Museum (NNM) in Ballard. As part of the County’s efforts to keep our very important arts and culture sector going during the pandemic, we were able to help fund the development of the labyrinth, which will be a wonderful interactive addition to the museum for decades to come.
Speakers on Saturday included myself and Robert O’Driscoll, Consul General of Ireland to the Western United States, and Helge Marstrander, Consul/Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Norwegian Consulate in San Francisco. The celebration was led by Eric Nelson, CEO and Executive Director of the NNM, and the creator of the labyrinth design, Gordon Huether.
Above, I’m shown “cutting the ribbon” with Consul General Robert O’Driscoll.
County District Court vacancy in southeast district: Application deadline is October 4th
Councilmembers have been notified of a vacancy in King County District Court Southeast Electoral District, Position #1, due to the departure of Judge Jason Poydras. The deadline to apply is October 4, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. Click here to view the notice outlining the application process and a letter from Judge Mahoney.
The latest updates on climate, wildfires, drought and extreme weather
- Western drought will last into fall or longer- The New York Times
- Extreme heat is a clear and growing health issue, two studies find – Bloomberg News
- Stung by climate change: drought-weakened bee colonies shrink U.S. honey crop, threaten almonds - Reuters
- No containment, new threats from Northern California fire – AP News
- Shelter-in-place advisory continues as smoke lingers from ‘dynamic’ Puyallup fire – The Seattle Times
- When hotter and drier means more – but eventually less – wildfire — The Conversation
- Twenty-two dead, many missing after 17 inches of rain in Tennessee – AP News
- Algeria's desperate wildfire fight: Buckets and branches – The BBC
- Boundary Waters wilderness in Minnesota closed due to fire – AP News
- More mosquitoes in WA could come with hotter, longer summers - Crosscut
Happy Birthday, Pike Place Market!
 Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash
In celebration of the Market’s 114th birthday, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority has put together a free digital book sharing stories from the Market's rich 114-year history and illustrating its continued contributions to our region's culture. Videos, photo galleries, maps, and documents are embedded on each page to transport you back in time! Download the book for free at the above link.
DID YOU KNOW?
... that on this day in 1932, the Seattle Library Board fired all married women employees? Wow! According to HistoryLink, the Board took this action after drastic cuts in funding for the library during The Great Depression. Read all the details here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Tension over visible homelessness has risen in Seattle — and the country – The Seattle Times
- U.S. Treasury Department calls on state and local governments to loosen documentation requirements under the Emergency Rental Assistance Program –NACo Blog (National Association of Counties)
- Tourists, business travelers are reenergizing downtown Seattle, but recovery is fragile - The Seattle Times
- Why summer colds were common this year and what flu season might look like - WBUR
- Bus driver shortages are latest challenge hitting U.S. schools – AP News
- Cash incentives being offered for new Seattle school bus drivers, amid nationwide shortage – KOMO News
- Pop-up restaurants may stick around as COVID sees resurgence – AP News
- Thirty-four King County residents died from fentanyl drug overdose in July: How our community can take action – Public Health Insider Blog
- ArtSEA: Pack a mask and vaccine card for Seattle arts shows this fall – Crosscut
- Washington State University sues insurance provider for $63 million to cover COVID-19 costs – The Spokesman-Review / The Columbian
- Youth mental health during the pandemic better with more sleep, structure and time in nature – UW News
- Washington is poised to accept a wave of Afghan refugees. How will they be received? - The Seattle Times
- Best Starts for Kids levy approval means critical support for children of King County – Shoreline Area News
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo: Instagram/@m.andrejczyk
This is a story of one good deed leading to another, and a community coming together to save an eight-month old baby. After Polish javelin thrower Maria Andrejczyk took the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, she learned of a critically ill infant who desperately needed to be flown to the U.S. for heart surgery.
According to the story in the Good News Network, “...25-year-old Andrejczyk, a cancer survivor herself, knew just how important obtaining timely medical [care] could be.” She decided to auction off the silver medal to raise funds for the travel and surgery.
The winning bidder was a Polish convenience store chain Zabka. In honor of Andrejczyk’s generosity, the company gifted the silver medal back to the athlete.
“We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian, we decided to support [the benefit],” Zabka posted to Facebook. “We also decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will stay with Ms. Maria, who showed what it means to be [a true champion].”
Read the full 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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