COVID-19 UPDATES
Note: Public Health notes that due to several issues related to processing laboratory results, it anticipates overestimated test positivity as the backlog is addressed.
As of today, Public Health -- Seattle & King County (Public Health) is reporting these numbers, which include results since Friday (data are not updated on the weekend):
- 1,591 new positive cases of COVID-19 (includes 1,521 confirmed cases and 70 probable cases. Total number of cases to date is 143,361). Huge increase, unfortunately, but keep in mind that these are the new cases reported since last Friday, not from yesterday.
- 4 new COVID-19-related deaths (1,816 to date)
- 56 new hospitalizations (7,727 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, 85.6% of King County residents 16 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 79.6% have received both doses.
Among all eligible residents (those 12 years and older), as of today, 85.0% of King County residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 78.9% 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 COVID outcomes according to vaccination status, see this new data dashboard: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data/vaccination-outcomes.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 542,391; the number of probable cases is 64,769, for a total of 607,160 cases.
- The total number of deaths statewide is 6,981
- The total number of hospitalizations is 34,054
COVID AND OTHER UPDATES
Quote of the Day:
“I believe that at every level of society - familial, tribal, national and international - the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion... I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.” The Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama), from Compassion and the Individual
One example of the effectiveness of vaccines
 The infographic above is courtesy of Swedish hospital. This is current as of September 3rd, and a great illustration of the effectiveness of the COVID vaccines in preventing hospitalization and extremely severe illness.
The latest news on COVID-19
 Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Note: For the latest on children and COVID, see the blurbs below.
- Dozens of Washington State Patrol troopers, corrections workers and others sue Inslee over COVID vaccine mandate– The Seattle Times
- ‘Their crisis’ is ‘our problem’: Washington grapples with Idaho COVID cases – The New York Times
- FDA vaccine regulators argue against COVID-19 vaccine boosters in new international review – Stat News
- Vaccine for both COVID and flu? Moderna making all-encompassing booster. What to know – McClatchy D.C. Bureau
- COVID-19 live updates: Most Americans support vaccine mandates for office work and schools, poll shows - The Washington Post
- Vaccine resisters seek religious exemptions. But what counts as religious? – The New York Times / The Seattle Times
- Who gets the ultimate say on exemptions to Washington’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate? - The Seattle Times
- Yoga, organic food and misinformation: Wellness influencers are taking the anti-vaccine movement mainstream – The Washington Post
- A religious group gives tips on avoiding the COVID-19 vaccine – KUOW
- COVID-19 testing demand significantly higher in Seattle over the last several weeks – Q13 Fox
- I got a 'mild' breakthrough case. Here's what I wish I'd known – NPR
- U.S. COVID cases finally start to dip from latest peak, but delta variant still on the rise in some states - CNBC
- Time for pandemic puppies to learn how to be alone – The New York Times
Seattle Public Schools COVID-19 Dashboard
The Seattle Public School District has made available a dashboard showing school COVID case data by region and by individual school.
If there is a positive COVID-19 case or cases in a school or district location, the district COVID contact tracing team works with Public Health – Seattle & King County to manage school-related contact tracing and communication to affected staff and students.
Seattle Public Schools also offers this guidance for parents on steps to take if a student (or a member of the student’s household) tests positive for COVID. You may also be interested in this coverage by KIRO 7 News: Seattle School District plans to share COVID-19 data by school – KIRO 7 News
The latest news on kids, COVID and schools
 - COVID cases show up in Washington schools, but it’s too early to say how schools are doing at reducing transmission – The Seattle Times
- Experts predict vaccines for younger children could be available soon - The Seattle Times
- Washington schools: Masks, reopening and other FAQs - Crosscut
- COVID-19 closure strikes Kent classroom at Daniel Elementary – The Kent Reporter
- Lawmakers rethink mask policies as more kids quarantine – Pew Trusts Stateline
- More kids are getting COVID; here's how you can protect them - KNKX
- School starts for one million NYC kids amid new vaccine rules – AP News
- Babies, the delta variant and COVID: What parents need to know – NPR
- Seattle Public Schools will provide free, in-school COVID-19 testing for students and staff – Q 13
- Communication key as south Seattle schools reporting disproportionate COVID-19 cases – South Seattle Emerald
Behavioral Health Guidance for Back to School
With many students heading back to in-person learning, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is providingbehavioral health tips and resources for navigating the emotional responses that children, teens, and adults may experience during this exciting and stressful time.
The department’s new COVID-19 Back-to-Classroom THINK Toolbox is a resource to help with adjusting to the return of in-person school and learning. THINK, which stands for Teaching with Healthcare Informed Neurological strategies for Kids, is a toolbox with information to help school-age children and teens deal with the emotional impacts of COVID-19, and tips on how to build and maintain resilience and practice self-care during a disaster.
Expanded federal aid during pandemic helped “flatten the hunger curve”
 In an alert sent out by Northwest Harvest, the organization reports on the crucial role federal aid has played during the pandemic in keeping hunger and food insecurity to a minimum. According to the organization, “A new report from USDA shows that despite the ups and downs of our economy, food insecurity rates held steady: 1 in 10 US households struggled to put food on the table in 2020. USDA's study also estimates that in Washington, food insecurity slightly decreased: 1 in 11 Washington households were food insecure.”
You may also be interested in this article from Politico: Could COVID-19 finally end hunger in America, as well as a recent Opinion piece in The Seattle Times co-authored by Thomas Reynolds, CEO of Northwest Harvest and Loria Yeadon, President and CEO of YMCA of Greater Seattle: How to end child hunger — permanently.
For more information, see the following:
- Economic, social, and overall health impacts of COVID - Food insecurity – King County dashboard
- Healthy eating, active living – Scroll down the page for food assistance resources – King County
This week at the Council
Note: Council meetings are still being held remotely.
Tomorrow, September 14th at 9:30 a.m. – Government Accountability and Oversight Committee meeting: Briefing on County audit recommendation implementation, motion regarding Women’s Advisory Board
The agenda, which includes instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, agenda can currently be downloaded here and will be available soon on this page.
Tomorrow, September 14th at 1 p.m. – Full County Council meeting: Public hearing on supplemental funding, county-related public defense and collective bargaining issues, and more.
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Tomorrow, September 14th at 1 p.m. –King County Flood Control District (FCD): Final actions on FCD finances and operations, authorization of agreement on Lower Green River plan the project’s environmental review
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Wednesday, September 15th at 9:30 a.m. – Committee of the Whole: Appointment of District Court Judge discussion; Briefing on my City Hall Park Motion #8, Motion 2021-0138, discussion of roles and responsibilities of local governments and the Regional Homelessness Authority and Briefing on Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan. My striking amendment on City Hall Park’s being acquired by the County from the City of Seattle will be discussed rather than the original motion.
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page. To view my striking amendment (changes to the proposed motion), see this page.
Wednesday, September 15th at 3 p.m. – Special joint meeting of the Mobility and Environment Committee and the Regional Transit Committee: Discussion of Metro’s strategic and long-term plans and reporting requirements
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Thursday, September 16th at 1 p.m. – Board of Health: Briefings on COVID-19 and vaccines and on bicycle helmet law and disparate impacts of enforcement
For instructions on viewing the meeting and providing your input, and to view the agenda and meeting materials, see this page.
Redistricting at the state and at King County
 As you may know, both the state and the county are in the midst of updating their respective legislative districts, using new data from the recently completed national census. I was pleased to address the County’s Districting Committee at its meeting last Thursday regarding possible changes to County District 4, my district. The PowerPoint presentation from the County Districting Commission meeting last Thursday can be downloaded here.
At the state level, the Washington State Redistricting Commission is looking for your ideas the new district maps. The Commission is inviting the public to draw and submit their own state legislative and congressional district maps. To ensure Commissioners have time to consider your suggestions during their deliberations, you should submit your map no later than October 22.
In addition, there will be two virtual meetings for the public to provide feedback to the Commissioners on the proposed state legislative maps (October 5th at 7 p.m.) and the proposed state congressional maps (October 9th at 10 a.m.). For more information on the meetings, click here.
Reminder – this Wednesday at noon: Climate Conversations: Extreme Events
 Join the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for a conversation on preparing for extreme events in a changing climate. The discussion will take place this Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from 12 – 1 p.m. PT. Marshall Shepherd (University of Georgia) will moderate a conversation with Craig Fugate (former FEMA Administrator) and Marissa Aho (Washington State Department of Natural Resources) about the connections between climate change and extreme events, and how communities and governments can become more resilient to the risks from extreme events today and into the future. Details and registration information are available here. You may also be interested in these articles:
- Biden to survey wildfire damage, make case for spending plan – AP News
- Transportation planning to the extreme for weather and climate change – National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)
- Report: Climate change could see 200 million move by 2050 – AP News
- How much do energy industry jobs pay? A look at the data. - Yale Climate Connections
- The 2021 wildfire season is keeping NW veterinarians busy with uncommon patients – KUOW
Reminder - Thursday at 4:30 p.m.: The intersection of disability and homelessness
 Why are over 64% of King County's homeless disabled? Why are there so few accessible housing units? Join the King County Disability Consortium this Thursday, September 16th, from 4:30 – 6 p.m. for a discussion of the intersection of disability with housing instability and homelessness. For more information and to register for this event see this page. This is an online event presented on Zoom. ASL and CART provided. For other accessibility considerations, please email: events@disabilitypride.org
News on the arts and culture sector
If you’re like me, you may be feeling a mix of anticipation and apprehension as arts and culture venues reopen. Below is some of the latest news on the arts and culture sector, followed by a couple of arts-related updates.
- Seattle Symphony Orchestrates Safe Return to Live Music – Seattle Symphony blog
- Fifteen new arts and culture spaces across Seattle - Crosscut
- King County to distribute $20 million of COVID aid to theaters, arts organizations – The Seattle Times
- Peek behind the scenes as some Seattle performing arts groups prepare for fall 2021 — their first in-person shows in over a year - The Seattle Times
- Best bets for theater in fall 2021 in the Seattle area - The Seattle Times
Seattle Symphony celebrates reopening this Saturday
 Photo by the Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony will celebrate the return of live music to Benaroya Hall with a performance featuring the Symphony’s Composer in Residence Reena Esmail. The performance will include the world premiere of Esmail's RE|Member and Stravinsky's dramatic Firebird Suite. It will be streamed live and free on Seattle Symphony Live and will also be broadcast live on Classical KING FM 98.1 this Saturday, September 18th at 6:30 p.m.
In addition to the opening concert on Saturday, the next day the Symphony is celebrating its collaborations with the tribal nations of Puget Sound with a new permanent installation of Indigenous art at Benaroya Hall. On Sunday, September 19th at 12:30 p.m., a traditional woven cedar mat created by Duwamish and Suquamish artist DeAnn Jacobson, commissioned by the Seattle Symphony, will be unveiled in Benaroya Hall’s Grand Lobby with brief remarks by Symphony and Indigenous leaders, followed by a cross-cultural musical performance.
Seattle Film Summit on Saturday
 I loved participating on Saturday in the last day of the Seattle Film Summit 2021 as a panelist judge in the “Creative Advocacy Contest” session moderated by Manny Cawaling. I also enjoyed remarks made by Dow Constantine, Tom T.R. Skerritt, Ben Andrews, Will Hall, and Lisa Brown, among others. The film and overall cultural sectors are highly important for our creative economy. Thank you Ben Andrews and Kate Becker for inviting me!
West Green Lake Way North will reopen in October!
 Great news! After being closed for more than a year, the “Keep Moving Street” on West Green Lake Way North will be reopening to traffic next month. According to the Seattle transportation department, West Green Lake Way North will reopen to accommodate a 2-way walking and biking path and 2-way vehicle traffic at reduced speeds. See more below:
- W Green Lake Way N to reopen to thru traffic in October with new two-way bike lanes – My Ballard
- Green Lake Keep Moving Street – Project details from the Seattle Department of Transportation
DID YOU KNOW?
... that, on this day in 1909, a family of cats living at the Ballard Police Station ‘went insane’? According to HistoryLink, on September 13, 1909, The Seattle Times reported that a mother cat and one of her kittens in the Ballard police station had gone insane, and that “...another kitten was showing signs of similar mental derangement.” Read the full story here. While this could be viewed as hilarious, which I did, I also thought of how human beings during this time in the U.S. and elsewhere were locked up in “insane asylums” for behavior considered immoral or violating norms, including being pregnant out of wedlock. Definitely not hilarious.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Remote work and the fight to make parenting better for mothers and their careers – Vox
- Editorial: Wanted: A King County sheriff to create a guardian force – The Seattle Times
- King County is looking for community members to help oversee law enforcement accountability – The Kent Reporter
- Lawyers say a Pennsylvania county traps people with mental illness in jail indefinitely – The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Seattle startup City Pods aims to address homelessness with standalone indoor mini homes - GeekWire
- Washington’s shortage of homes is squeezing communities throughout the state – Sightline
- As Seattle eyes new operations pact with Woodland Park Zoo, animal rights activists raise concerns - The Seattle Times
- Seattle police intervening in fewer mental health calls, data show - Crosscut
- One month on, Washington police reforms get mixed reviews at local forum – South Seattle Emerald
- A quarter of a million long commutes disappeared during the pandemic in the Seattle area - The Seattle Times
- B.C. government continues logging of old growth as two-year protest in the woods drags on - The Seattle Times
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Photo of Sarah Mudallahl from CNN
CNN is telling the story of Sarah Mudallahl, a young woman who has been an athlete all her life, mainly focusing on Karate and gymnastics, although, as she told CNN, "I'm very well-rounded. Like I can play soccer, I can play basketball, I can play football. I can play tennis. Except golf -- I don't know how to play golf," she muses.
Mudallahl has now found her calling with parkour and is working hard to bring more women into the sport, which she says is “male dominated.” At parkour events, she is almost always the only woman wearing a hijab. (According to Wikipedia, parkour has roots in military obstacle courses and “...is a training discipline where practitioners aim to get from one point to another in a complex environment, without assisting equipment and in the fastest and most efficient way possible.”)
Mudallahl told CNN, "I still am like the only person who wears the hijab, of course [...] we still have a long way to go with that for women to feel confident in themselves," she says. Read the full story of this inspiring athlete 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. (And, again, I will send one out next Monday on Labor Day.) 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.
|
