COVID-19 Data Updates
For up-to-date information on cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the County, see the Daily COVID-19 outbreak summary dashboard. The links to the data by demographics and geography are on the same page.
View all County COVID-related Data Dashboards here, including vaccination rates and outcomes according to vaccination status
View the most recent statewide COVID-19 data from the state Department of Health (DOH).
The graphs below show today’s reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths in King County.
  
Quote of the Day:
“Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”
– Mae Jemison, engineer, physician and first African American woman astronaut in space (born 1956).
COVID News
States ending masks mandates; Washington to follow?
 According to KUOW, “As states from Oregon to New York announce plans to end mask mandates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced that he’s lifting outdoor masking requirements and plans to announce next week a date when the mask mandate for public indoor spaces and schools will be lifted.” See the articles below (and also see the links and my remarks in the introduction) for more on this.
- Washington governor says announcement on state indoor mask mandate coming next week - KUOW
- WA schools chief wants statewide mask mandate for students to end – The Seattle Times
Cautions and questions remain about the direction of the pandemic
As I mentioned in my introduction, many questions remain about Omicron and COVID, and some public health experts and scientists are urging caution about loosening restrictions too early. See the following articles for more information.
- Mask restrictions are lifting, but scientists are split on whether that’s wise – The New York Times/The Seattle Times
- Most vulnerable still in jeopardy as COVID precautions ease – AP News
- As case counts fall, WHO chief warns "COVID isn't finished" – AP News
- Seattle COVID updates: Increased diabetes rates among kids who recover from COVID – KUOW
- As state mask rules end, school leaders are in the middle – AP News
- Take a look at SARS-CoV-2's family tree. It's full of surprises - NPR
- Can you get long COVID after an infection with omicron? – AP News
- As omicron subsides in WA, health officials are hopeful and vigilant – Crosscut
Tomorrow: POCAAN vax clinic on Capitol Hill from noon – 3 p.m.
 Join POCAAN (People of Color Against AIDS Network) at the Starbucks on Capitol Hill (1600 E. Olive Way) for a vaccine clinic tomorrow. Boosters (for people over 12 years of age), first shots and second shots are all available. All vaccine brands will be available, although youth ages 5 to 17 may get only the Pfizer vaccine. No appointment necessary – walk-ins welcome. POCAAN will also offer free HIV/STI testing, as well. RSVP on Facebook by clicking this link.
Answers to your questions about COVID self-tests
 The state Department of Health (DOH) has received more free, at-home test kits. Click here to order yours. And experts at Public Health have answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about self-tests on this page.
King County launches $1.75 million in federal funds available to community-based media and organizations to increase transparency and accountability of COVID funding
 King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice (OESJ) has allocated $1.75 million in federal funds toward its Strategic Communications Campaign Program to increase reporting of King County’s COVID funding in communities most impacted by both racism and the pandemic. The program aims to increase transparency and accountability of King County’s federal funds and response to the pandemic
The pandemic continues to have disproportionate cumulative impacts on Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities, immigrants, refugees, people with language and disability access needs, low-income people, and sectors such as the creative economy and essential workers.
Applications for funding are open now, with a deadline of Monday, March 7th at 5 p.m. Interested community-based media and organizations are encouraged to attend one of the following informational sessions:
- Informational Session 1 - Tuesday, Feb. 22nd, 3 - 4 p.m.
- Informational Session 2 - Thursday, Feb. 24th, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Click on the links above to register for the information sessions.
County Business and Other News and Events
Yesterday’s Regional Policy Committee meeting
County Budget Director Dwight Dively briefed members on the status of COVID funding and COVID-related budget issues, and Michelle Clark, the Executive Director of the King County Flood Control District, briefed members on the status, funding and future plans of the District. You can view the slides from Director Dively’s presentation as well as from the briefing on the Flood Control District here. You can watch the video of the meeting here. Dively’s presentation begins at approximately minute 4:02, and the presentation from the Flood Control District begins at approximately minute 25:47.
County seeks concrete supplier contract to deliver on critical infrastructure projects
Paving in unincorporated King County.
Ongoing labor disputes have frozen numerous private and public construction projects around the region, and King County is soliciting one or more concrete suppliers to ensure its construction projects can continue without disruptions and delays.
County Executive Dow Constantine announced the county is seeking one or more suppliers of concrete building materials to ensure projects can resume without further delays and disruptions. County projects like the RapidRide H expansion and the Georgetown stormwater facility have been delayed, along with numerous other public and private construction projects, such as completion of the West Seattle bridge. Read the full story here.
You may also be interested in this article from KOMO News: Concrete strike could cost King County taxpayers, delay projects.
Survey open and virtual info sessions coming on East Link Connections
 King County Metro and Sound Transit are seeking feedback from Eastside residents and riders on the future bus and Link light rail network. Fast, reliable Link light rail will serve 10 new stations in 2023, and changes and improvements are proposed to more than 50 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes to serve riders better.
Building on more than a year of public input from diverse Eastside communities and voices, Metro and Sound Transit have launched a new survey. Final service network recommendations will be considered by the King County Council and Sound Transit Board prior to implementation in 2023. Learn more details here.
The East Link Connections survey is open thru March 7th. Both the survey and the online open house materials are available in English, Spanish, Hindi, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Russian.
You are also invited to join Metro and Sound Transit to preview potential route changes, talk with service planners, and provide feedback. Attend one of these virtual information sessions:
- Thursday, February 17th from 6 - 7 p.m.
- Saturday, February 26th from 10 - 11 a.m.
You can register for the sessions here. You may also be interested in this article:
- More details emerging on bus changes to complement East Link Light Rail – The Urbanist
Update on February 8th election
 Councilmembers received an update via email on Tuesday’s election from County Elections Director Julie Wise. Wise said, “We projected 32% turnout for this election, and it looks like we will likely end up right around there as these ballots make their way through the process and as more ballots with on-time postmarks trickle in through the mail.” For the latest on Tuesday’s election, see the following links:
- Election Night results for the February special election (Check back at 4 p.m. on weekdays through February 18 for the latest updates.)
- County ballot return statistics
- Track your ballot here
- Results for the King Conservation District (KCD, not part of King County government) election
King County Superior Court to resume in-person jury trials on February 14th
On January 12, King County Superior Court entered Emergency Order 35, which suspended new in-person jury trials in response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in King County has fallen dramatically over the past month. Emergency Order 35 expires on February 11, and King County Superior Court will resume in-person jury trials on February 14th.
“COVID-19 has forced us to carefully balance public health and legal rights and principles,” said King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Patrick Oishi. “But access to justice and the Constitutional right each person has to a trial by a jury is of paramount importance. Together with public health experts, we’ve created health and safety protocols that fulfill this right while protecting the health and safety of court personnel, parties, counsel, judicial officers, and jurors.” Read the full statement here.
Facial recognition software
 You may remember that last June, the County Council unanimously banned the use of facial recognition software, approving the legislation I prime-sponsored. Studies have found that facial recognition software is often far more likely to misidentify Black or Asian faces, especially Black women. The goal of the ban is to protect residents’ civil liberties and freedom from government surveillance and demographic biases by prohibiting the use of such software, including by the King County Sheriff, except to comply with the National Child Search Assistance Act.
I was pleased to read that concerns about the software have spread and the IRS is now curtailing its use of the technology. See this article from The Seattle Times for more information: IRS to end use of facial recognition to access tax accounts.
State transportation proposal would benefit King County as well as rest of state
 At the state level, the Senate and House Transportation Chairs have introduced 16-year “Move Ahead Washington” funding proposal. There is approximately $1.45B in transit support grant funding available for transit agencies, but only if they have adopted a policy allowing 18 and younger to ride free. A full list of the proposed investments and revenue sources for the funding proposal is available here.
The proposal would benefit residents of County District 4 (my district), as it includes $25 million for the Ballard-Interbay Regional Transportation System Corridor, as well as $50 million for safety improvements on North Aurora Avenue. In addition, the proposal would fund multiple highway maintenance, transit, pedestrian and bike improvements, as well as $2.4 billion for removal of fish passage barriers and $488 million for alternative fuel and electrification projects.
We will see how the legislation fares as the short legislative session continues.
Reminder: This Sunday at 1 p.m. – Interactive Storytime
 We mentioned last week that the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) has several free, online events this month to celebrate Black History. Coming up this Sunday, February 13th at 1 p.m., gather your kids and join NAAM for an Interactive Storytime --focused on the ABCs of Black History.
Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Black Women’s Leadership in Washington
The Center for Women and Democracy (CWD) invites the public to take part in an online event in celebration of Black History Month next Thursday, February 17th at 5 p.m. for “Breaking Barriers: The Rise of Black Women’s Leadership in Washington.”
The event will feature a keynote address by U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland followed by a panel discussion with black female state and local leaders moderated by former State Representative Kristine Reeves. The discussion will focus on the historical rise of black women leaders in our state and how we can help ensure that their leadership and voices are included at every level of politics and society. See this page for more information and to register for the event.
Nordic Museum offers free admission to school employees this weekend
 School employees and their guests can enter The National Nordic Museum in Ballard for free this weekend, February 12th – 13th. To receive free admission, please show your school ID or other proof of employment in education at the Admissions desk. All members of the group may enter for free, but must arrive together to enter as a group.
Tickets are available at the door only — no phone or web orders. Guests may enter any time after 10 a.m.
History in our backyard
 Discovery Park was made from surplus land retrieved from the Army. Photo via Seattle Parks and Recreation.
You may be interested to learn the backstory of how Seattle came to be blessed with the enormous recreational and cultural jewel that is Fort Lawton and Discovery Park in Magnolia. It’s due to the prime location, from a military perspective.
According to this story in SeaToday, “In 1896, US Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont chose this spot to protect Seattle and south Puget Sound from naval attacks because of its strategic view into Elliott Bay and the sound. In 1900, the artillery base opened and soon transformed into an infantry training site. It would operate as such until 2011.” You can read the full story at the link above.
Did you know?
...that, according to HistoryLink, “On February 10, 1962, Gus Hall (1910-2000), leader of the American Communist Party, [spoke] at Eagleson Hall, headquarters of the University of Washington Young Men's Christian Association, in an event that one YMCA official [said] "has brought the wrath of the town on us.”
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Curtis Kimball, owner of The Crème Brûlée Cart in San Francisco, was feeling the effects of the last two years. At the urging of his wife, he posted flyers around his neighborhood reading, “My wife says I’m getting weird. She says I need to make friends. So I’m making pancakes.”
“I actually didn’t know what to expect at all and I was terrified setting up for it. Even putting up the flyers made me nervous and self-conscious,” Kimball told TODAY Food.
Well, it was a huge success, according to stories on the Good News Network and Yahoo. Neighbors turned out en masse for the free pancakes, talking and socializing outside Kimball’s home. Kimball, who was amazed at the effectiveness of old-fashioned, hand-posted flyers, is now planning to replicate the event.
His dream, Yahoo reports, is to have Saturday morning pancake parties across the country. Read Kimball’s full twitter thread on the event(s) and view a video of the pancake party here.
 The pancake event in action in San Francisco. (Curtis Kimball) / Yahoo
Additional helpful and informative links
- Fauci says U.S. heading out of ‘full-blown-pandemic phase,’ sees end to COVID restrictions in coming months – MSN
- Pandemic updates for Seattle: Thursday, February 10, 2022 – KUOW
- COVID hospitalizations fall throughout WA – The Seattle Times
- Under pressure to ease up, Biden weighs new virus response – AP News
- Hospitals begin to limp out of the latest COVID-19 surge – AP News
- How many times can I reuse my N95 mask? – AP News
- How long can i keep wearing the same respirator mask? – The New York Times
- Opinion: Covid-19 challenge trial results are (finally) in: Here’s what should happen next – Stat News
- ‘Good, not great’: Some long Covid patients see their symptoms improve, but full recovery is elusive – Stat News
- Pandemic updates for Seattle: Food distribution companies fined for Covid safety violations – KUOW
- Stuck in KUOW purgatory: Seattle Mazda drivers can't change the radio dial – KUOW
- Seattle, King County prosecutors will partner on organized retail theft – KUOW
- Washington ski resorts tested by climate and pandemic – Crosscut
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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