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. Except for the figures for hospitalizations, what a change in the past month!
  
Quote of the Day:
“Civil Rights opened the windows. When you open the windows, it does not mean that everybody will get through. We must create our own opportunities.” - Mary Frances Berry, historian, lawyer, activist and former Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2002
COVID News
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for Kids? Your questions answered, with local pediatrician Dr. Elias Kass
 The state Department of Health (DOH) interviewed Dr. Elias Kass, a naturopathic doctor at Intergalactic Pediatrics in Seattle, about the decision to vaccinate your child against COVID-19 — specifically children ages 5–11. The conversation comes as COVID-19 cases among children continue to rise across the United States. Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds that more than 1.1 million children were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the week of January 20th. That number is double what it was just two weeks before.
The latest news on kids, COVID vaccines and schools
 As I mentioned in my introduction, quoting Dr. Duchin, while many of us are anxiously awaiting vaccine approval for young children, we must get it right. The FDA decided to wait for additional data before making a final determination as to the safety and effectiveness of three doses of the Pfizer vaccine for children under 5 years old.
Public Health and school officials are also attempting to resolve whether, when and for how long children of all ages should be required to wear masks in schools, and how best to keep them safe in a school environment. See the following articles for more information on these issues.
- The F.D.A. delays action on COVID shots for young children – The New York Times
- Pfizer and FDA pull back from plan to expedite review of COVID-19 vaccine in young children – Stat News
- Polio, chickenpox, measles, now COVID. It’s time to consult history on school vaccine mandates – The Seattle Medium
- Should Washington schools drop mask mandates? – KOMO News
- WA schools chief wants statewide mask mandate for students to end – The Seattle Times
- Coronavirus FAQ: What's the best way to protect school-age kids from COVID? - KUOW
- Keeping kids in school during the pandemic has been tough. In WA, at least 29,000 can’t be found. – The Seattle Times
- WA House bill would expand outdoor education statewide – The Seattle Times
Decisions on masks...
 Throughout this pandemic, there have been moments when guidance from scientists and health professionals has seemed confusing or contradictory. This has tended to happen as conditions change with the pandemic, leading to adjustments in guidance. That seems to be the case currently with mask mandates. (See the links above regarding masks and children.)
I believe it’s important to remember that if and when mask mandates do end, many people will keep wearing masks – particularly indoors – in an effort to protect family members and others. Regardless of the trajectory of the pandemic, as long as COVID is still around, those with compromised immune systems or other underlying health issues, older people, young children and others are still at risk of severe illness and even death. And, there are still many unknowns about “long COVID” and other long-term effects from the virus. So, mask mandate or not, I’ll be wearing mine when I visit my two young grandchildren – ages 2 and 1 ½. See the articles below for more on the current discussions about mask mandates.
- Seattle Now: Masks on, masks off – KUOW
- Washington’s mask debate heats up – Seattle Met
- Q&A: U.S. Surgeon General on omicron, masks and mental health – AP News
- Inslee: Indoor mask mandate will stay in place for ‘weeks rather than months’ – South Seattle Emerald
- States and stores end mask mandates, as CDC weighs changing its advice – CNET
- Current King County Masking Guidance webpage
WA Verify surpasses huge milestone: 1 million digital Vaccination Cards successfully created
 The DOH announced that WA Verify, the state’s Digital COVID-19 Verification Record system, has successfully generated more than 1 million QR codes for Washington residents, making it easier and faster for people to provide digital proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status. WA Verify launched in October, 2021 and currently supports more than 40 languages. DOH’s Office of Innovation and Technology worked closely with partners at MITRE, Microsoft, and the state of California to create WAVerify.org (Español - VerificaWA.org). You can still sign up.
Working together to improve indoor air quality
 As we continue to resume routine activities, improving ventilation, filtration, and indoor air quality are essential steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and enhance general health and well-being.
Public Health provides technical assistance to businesses and organizations in King County to improve indoor air quality at no cost. Please request technical assistance by completing this form. A phone consultation or site visit from Public Health staff will determine your eligibility for receiving a free HEPA air filtration unit. The response may be delayed due to the high volume of requests.
For more information on how you can improve ventilation and filtration, please visit the website at kingcounty.gov/covid/air.
County Business and Other News and Events
This week at the Council
Note: Council meetings are still being held remotely.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 15th at 9:30 a.m. – Transportation, Economy and Environment (TrEE) Committee. Agenda: Discussion and possible action on motions regarding public health-related climate action needs and Metro’s strategic plan, service guidelines and 2021 System Evaluation. Briefings on Metro service recovery and impacts of COVID on the transit workforce. To view the agenda and meeting materials and to offer public comment, see this page.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 15th at 1 p.m. – Full Council. Agenda: A briefing from Public Health on the COVID-19 response, motions for Council Action, including revised financial management policies and several appointments. To view the agenda and meeting materials and to offer public comment, see this page.
Wednesday, February 16th at 9:30 a.m. – Committee of the Whole. Agenda: Discussion and possible action on appointments, Briefing from ArtsFund on impact of COVID on the arts and cultural sectors, discussion and possible action on a motion requesting the Executive to establish an equitable development initiative (EDI) and prepare an implementation plan. To view the agenda and meeting materials and to offer public comment, see this page.
Wednesday, February 16th at 3 p.m. – Regional Transit Committee. Agenda: Discussion and possible adoption of the 2022 work plan for the Committee. Briefing from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) on its draft Regional Transportation Plan for 2022-2050. Briefing from Metro on Next Generation ORCA. To view the agenda and meeting materials and to offer public comment, see this page.
Thursday, February 17th at 1 p.m. – Board of Health. Agenda: Discussion and possible action in support of repealing the county rule and regulation requiring bicycle helmet use and a resolution encouraging local jurisdictions to repeal existing helmet regulations and align their policies and codes regarding helmet use requirements with the board's policy direction. I will offer amendments to the helmet repeal as I oppose it. An update on the state legislative session from Public Health. To view the agenda and meeting materials and to offer public comment, see this page.
Council briefings last Tuesday
Last Tuesday’s Government Accountability and Oversight Committee included three very interesting briefings, especially the one given on property tax assessment by County Assessor John Wilson, another on Regional Animal Services and the third on citizen’s elections oversight. The briefing from the Sheriff’s office was postponed. You can view the video of the meeting here. The presentation from County Assessor Wilson begins at approximately minute 4:25; the Animal Services briefing begins at approximately minute 21: 28; and the presentation on the County Citizen’s Election Oversight report begins at about minute 52:14.
Seven counties – including King – receiving $19 million in affordable housing funding
 Last Monday, the state Department of Commerce awarded nearly $19 million in infrastructure funding to seven counties for affordable housing development. The grants will fund utility connection fees and the improvements needed to connect affordable housing to municipal water and sewer systems. Projects awarded funding are located in Clark, King, Skagit, Spokane, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima counties. Read more here about infrastructure funding.
VIDEO: Join King County’s 'Stream Team,' the environmental scientists who hunt for bugs to monitor the health of local watersheds
 The County will begin recruiting for King County’s “Stream Team” soon, hiring environmental scientists who will travel to 200 streams throughout the region to capture, collect, and study bugs that are key indicators of watershed health. This field research lets us know whether habitat restoration projects are producing the desired outcomes. For more information and to watch the video see this page.
County rental assistance closing; almost 15,000 residents have received funding
The County’s EPRAP (Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program) will close down at the end of this month, due to lack of funding. Tenants who have already applied are unfortunately not guaranteed assistance. Given the limited resources available, King County will not accept new applications through the EPRAP tenant portal after February 28, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. Existing applicants can continue to log into the tenant portal after this date. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but I still remain somewhat hopeful that Congress will provide additional funding.
This is a significant loss, as Mayor Harrell just announced the City’s eviction moratorium will expire at the end of this month. See this article from The Seattle Times for more information: King County will close rent-assistance program to new applications as money runs out.
New national resources to address gender-based violence
At the intersection of critical justice priorities — support for America’s law enforcement, gender-based crimes (including homicide), and the national violence epidemic — practitioners now have new opportunities for tailored assistance with two new programs.
Supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, the Law Enforcement Training and Technical Assistance Consortium (LETTAC) and the Domestic Violence Resource for Increasing Safety and Connection (DV RISC), the new resources aim to increase accessibility to needed information and, most importantly, connection to experts ready to customize strategies for communities, departments, and multidisciplinary teams.
Learn about these two new programs at a webinar on February 24, 2022, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (2 to 3:30 p.m. ET.). Webinar registration is free and open to the public. See the announcement for more details and register here.
This Thursday: Info session on East Link Connections, survey open now
 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.
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. 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:
- This Thursday, February 17th from 6 - 7 p.m.
- Saturday, February 26th from 10 - 11 a.m.
You can register for the sessions here.
Head of Smithsonian Institutions is Keynote Speaker this Thursday at 5 p.m.
 I mentioned this online event on February 17th at 5 p.m. earlier in the month, that will be hosted by the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM). Lonnie Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, is the first historian and first African American to head up the Smithsonian. He was the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) from 2005 to 2019.
I encourage all history buffs and museum fans to check out his remarks. The event is free, online and Bunch’s topic will be “The past, present and future of Black history.”
Did you know?
... that, according to HistoryLink, on today’s date in 1976, “Seattle, King County, and State of Washington suspend[ed] the lawsuit against baseball's American League on February 14, 1976, clearing way for Mariners.”
According to the story, “On February 14, 1976, the City of Seattle, King County, and the State of Washington conditionally settle[d] their joint lawsuit against the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs... Under the agreement, the American League will expand, allotting a team to Seattle as a replacement for the ill-fated Seattle Pilots, who played only the 1969 season before being moved to Milwaukee, triggering the lawsuit.”
Today’s moment of inspiration
 Electreon image
This story is about a pilot project that could foretell the future of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The private company Electreon announced a partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation to establish a wireless charging demonstration project that will include a 1-mile stretch of road that wirelessly recharges Electric Vehicles (EVs) while they are driving. This will be the first wireless charging road system in the U.S.
The demonstration project is expected to be launched next year in Detroit at the site of Ford’s central transportation innovation district. The goal is to provide infrastructure that can wirelessly charge EVs while they are in motion or stationary. The state of Michigan is contributing $1.9 million in funding for the project, which is being carried out in collaboration with the Ford Automotive Company, DTE, a local energy company that will provide a connection to the electricity grid for the electric road, and ROUSH CleanTech, which converts commercial vehicles into EVs, and will provide an electric truck for the project.
Electreon, based in Israel, has similar pilot projects already operating in Germany, Italy, and Sweden—and is currently preparing to provide a wireless charging network in Israel for 200 public buses in Tel Aviv. The company’s inductive in-road charging technology was adopted last year by the “Arena of the Future” project near Milan, in Brescia, Italy. Read more on the project here.
Additional helpful and informative links
- Heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case – Nature Magazine
- U.S. authorizes new antibody drug to fight omicron – AP News
- Opinion: Immunocompromised people need greater access to monoclonal antibodies – Stat News
- Authorization of new COVID-19 monoclonal expands arsenal of options against Omicron and its sister variant – Stat News
- CDC finds COVID booster effectiveness wanes, but remains strong – NBC News
- Long-COVID symptoms less likely in vaccinated people, Israeli data say – Nature Magazine
- Opinion: Why Covid-19 vaccines are a freaking miracle – Stat News
- Many faith leaders wary of religious exemptions for vaccine – AP News
- Omicron's surprising anatomy explains why it is wildly contagious – Scientific American Magazine
- The U.S. still isn't getting Covid-19 data right – CNN
- Why millions on Medicaid are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead – NPR
- Seattle eviction moratorium will expire at end of February – The Seattle Times
- These scientists are fighting the pandemic with sewage – KUOW
- Washington's life expectancy one of the longest in America: CDC – Patch
- Drugs on buses have become an everyday hazard, Seattle-area transit workers say – The Seattle Times
- A King County caseworker-on-wheels brings housing to homeless people via the streets – The Seattle Times
- Billions of federal dollars headed to Western forests to manage fires – Crosscut
- Study finds Western megadrought is the worst in 1,200 years – KUOW
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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