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. So relieved to see the downward trends continuing.
  
Quote of the Day:
"I finished the report and my name went on it, and that was the first time a woman in our division had her name on something." - Katherine Johnson, former NASA mathematician and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as quoted in Black Women Scientists in the United States, 1999.
COVID News
King County Health Officer to discuss COVID-19 trends and next phases of the pandemic
Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin of Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) will brief the public and take questions from reporters tomorrow, Friday, March 11 at 10:30 a.m. He will discuss the coming changes to state and local pandemic policies, as well as the latest updates on local COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and vaccination efforts.
The briefing will be livestreamed on the Public Health – Seattle & King County Facebook page. You should not need a Facebook account to access the link.
King County’s local indoor mask mandate to end Saturday
Based on the County’s current downward hospitalization and case rates, Public Health’s review of CDC’s guidance, and the state’s action (see below), King County’s local indoor mask order will end concurrently with the state’s order – after March 11th. In addition, King County will not be extending a local mask order for schools and child care facilities beyond the state’s order. I, however, will continue wearing a mask in public – indoors and mostly outdoors. And, see the graphic above on which settings will still require masks.
DOH updates school guidance as mask mandate lifts starting March 12th
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has released new guidance for schools, child care, day camps, and other youth activities, with changes to masking rules effective March 12th. This guidance is being announced in coordination with the end of Washington’s masking requirement, as part of the state’s continued COVID-19 recovery efforts.
The new guidance outlines a shorter set of requirements and continues to provide schools and child care providers with options they may utilize to prevent or mitigate transmission of COVID-19. The full guidance is available now with some additional supporting documents anticipated to be updated tomorrow, Friday, March 11th. Read the full story here.
The latest headlines on schools and ending of COVID requirements
 - Seattle Public Schools to lift mask mandate, but some say it’s too soon – The Seattle Times
- Some Seattle students upset about district lifting mask mandate – KNKX
- Washington schools to begin lifting mask requirements March 12th despite union pushback – MyNorthwest
- Pandemic updates: Seattle Public Schools going mask optional on March 14 – KUOW
- Masks work. But do mask mandates work in schools? That’s debatable – KUOW
- Masking helped protect children from the virus last fall, a C.D.C. study suggests. – The New York Times
- WA advisory group recommends against adding COVID vaccine to school-required immunizations – The Seattle Times
Mask use on public transportation extended through April 18th
 The TSA has just announced it will be requiring masks on public transportation – including flights, Metro and Sound Transit -- until April 18th. At the CDC’s recommendation, TSA will extend the security directive for mask use on public transportation and transportation hubs through April 18th.
During that time, the CDC will work with government agencies to help inform a revised policy framework for when, and under what circumstances, masks should be required in the public transportation corridor. This revised framework will be based on the COVID-19 community levels, risk of new variants, national data, and the latest science. We will communicate any updates publicly if and/or when they change. Metro’s current mask policies and communications are still in effect through April 18th. Also, see this article from the Associated Press (AP): US extends mask rule for travel while weighing new approach.
First anniversary of passage of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
The National Association of Counties (NACo) examined the impact American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have had in counties, in this very interesting article. The funding has been used for public health investments, wastewater upgrades, job training services, infrastructure improvements, small businesses and nonprofit support, covering revenue losses and more.
County Business and Other News and Events
Next week at the Council
Note: Council meetings are still being held remotely.
Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee: Tuesday, March 15th at 9:30 a.m. Action on appointments. Discussion and possible action on ordinances approving Fall 2022 public transportation service changes and the Salmon Habitat Plan 2021 Update, and on a motion on the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) 2022 Work Plan and Budget. The agenda, meeting materials and instructions on providing public comment are available on this page.
Full Council: Tuesday, March 15th at 1 p.m. Public Health update on COVID. Proclamations on Transit Appreciation Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Discussion and possible action on ordinances relating to the public safety advisory committee and revisions to King County voting precincts. Discussion and possible action on motions regarding an Equity Development Initiative and Restorative Community Pathways. The agenda, meeting materials and instructions on providing public comment are available on this page.
Committee of the Whole: Wednesday, March 16th at 9:30 a.m. Discussion and possible action on the appointment of Shawn Peterson to the King County gender identity and sexual orientation inclusion task force, representing the Na'ah Illahee Fund. Briefing on King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) Update and the Partnership for Zero. Discussion on an ordinance related to the Board of Health. The agenda, meeting materials and instructions on providing public comment are available on this page.
Regional Transit Committee: Wednesday, March 16th at 3 p.m. Briefings from Metro staff on Safety, Security, and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform Initiative; Federal and State Funding for Transit; and Metro’s Strategic Plan Performance Measures Dashboard. The agenda, meeting materials and instructions on providing public comment are available on this page.
Board of Health: Thursday, March 17th at 1 p.m. Briefing from Public Health, recap on the state legislative session, and proposed restructure of the Board of Health. The agenda, meeting materials and instructions on providing public comment will be available on this page.
Updates on the opioid crisis
 - UW survey of drug users shows fentanyl surge as King County sets record for overdose deaths – The Seattle Times
- The value of medications for opioid use disorder – Public Health Insider blog
- Opioid victims get long-awaited chance to confront Sacklers – AP News
And see the following blurb for more on the County’s response to the opioid crisis.
New Funding Opportunity: Low-Barrier Access to Buprenorphine
The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is pleased to release this Request for Letter-of-Interest and Qualifications for Low-Barrier Access to Buprenorphine with funding from the MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax which supports programs and services for individuals living with behavioral health conditions.
Buprenorphine is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). For full details on this funding opportunity, see this article on the DCHS blog.
For more information on preventing overdoses, see this King County webpage.
County support for Ukrainian refugees
Councilmembers last Friday received an email update from County Executive Constantine on actions the County is taking to help refugees from Ukraine. Listed below are a few highlights. For more information on helping Ukrainian refugees, see today’s “Moment of Inspiration” below.
- The Executive is activating the Employee Giving Program to allow employees to donate and is finalizing details;
- Public Health is reviewing its inventory for any excess medical or other supplies that can be distributed.
- The County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice has engaged the King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission regarding the situation in Ukraine to discuss how the Commission can engage community partners and provide feedback to the Executive.
- The Executive’s Office has also been in touch with local resettlement agencies and the Ukrainian Community Center of Washington to assess the current needs of the organization and refugees who may arrive in King County from Ukraine as a result of the conflict and identify opportunities for support. We will keep you updated on this outreach.
- The Executive’s strategic planning and budget offices conducted a review and determined that King County has no direct investments or contracts that benefit the Russian federation or the Republic of Belarus.
Metro service changes coming March 19
 After restoring 36 routes in October 2021, Metro will make further improvements starting March 19th. Riders will see more City of Seattle-funded bus trips added to Metro’s frequent transit network, as well as better access to hospitals on First Hill, improved connections to schools, and more night service in southeast and central Seattle. Read the full story here on the Metro Matters blog.
Update from Council staff on state capital, operating and transportation budgets as legislative session ends
Councilmembers received a helpful update from Council staff on the status of the state’s capital budget and on the supplemental operating budget as this year’s short legislative session comes to an end today. Several community projects in or near Council District 4 (my district) are included. Here are a few highlights from the update:
The agreement on the 2022 supplemental capital budget was released yesterday, and passage is expected before the legislature adjourns Sine Die for the year. Housing and behavioral health saw significant investments, including two King County-specific requests -- $10 million for crisis walk-in stabilization, and $6 million for Cascade Hall.
According to the Council staff, here are the high level numbers:
- Housing--$440 million
- Water--$251M ($236 million for water pollution control)
- Infrastructure--$200 million
- Broadband--$100 million
- School seismic--$100 million
- Behavioral Health and Crisis Stabilization--$98 million
And a few highlights on the statewide supplemental operating budget which has agreement to pass:
- Funding is provided for a 7% Medicaid provider rate increase, along with additional funding for non-Medicaid contracts that can be used for local crisis services, involuntary treatment judicial services and other non-covered costs.
- $4 million for King County mobile crisis response capacity
- $3.9 million for 3 King County behavioral health response teams
- $100 million to address behavioral health treatment access issues resulting from workforce shortages.
- $17 million for crisis, outreach and diversion services.
- $11.7 million for opioid response services
- $125 million for ongoing COVID-19 response
And the transportation budget is expected to pass:
- Washington state Democrats agree on $17 billion in transportation funding. – The Olympian
- Highways, transit, bikes and more: What’s in the new $17B WA transportation package – The Seattle Times
- WA lawmakers to vote on new budgets on Legislature’s final day – The Seattle Times
New countywide survey shows underinvestment in human services, lack of sustainable wages in the nonprofit sector
 The County Department of Community and Human Service (DCHS) has released the results of a nonprofit wage survey that was funded by the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy. The report, entitled, “PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST: King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey,” is a partnership between DCHS and 501 Commons.
The report provides data that largely confirm what County staff have been hearing from providers: The people doing some of our community’s most important work—sheltering, supportive housing, case management, outreach, gender-based violence prevention—are often paid at levels that make it difficult for them to do their work long enough to attain mastery and to live in the increasingly expensive communities that they serve. This letter from Executive Constantine explains why King County funded this Wage and Benefits survey and how the results will be used.
For more on the program see this page. To search salary information for 171 nonprofit employees in King County – based on the report – see this page.
The County is fighting climate change with greener buildings
On March 1st, the County Council unanimously passed an ordinance to update the County’s green building code. The new rules apply only to county-owned, leased and financed buildings, and infrastructure such as roads.
Buildings are large energy users: in the Puget Sound region, about 22% of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change are attributed to the building sector. Additional environmental impacts include contaminated storm water generated by continued creation of hard surfaces, and burdens on existing landfill space from construction and demolition debris generation. Green building techniques, coupled with upgrades and proper maintenance of existing buildings, can help reduce these impacts. Read more on this issue and find tools and information on building green on this page.
Request for Applications (RFA): Community Representative and Influencer for Farmers Market Promotion – Due March 18 at 5 p.m.
Public Health is recruiting community representatives to promote the awareness and use of SNAP and SNAP Market Match at farmers markets in South King County. The community representatives will work with Public Health, Farmers Market Managers, and a communications consultant to share digital information about SNAP and SNAP Market Match among their communities using methods that will be relevant and receptive for the audience. Additionally, community representatives will attend a designated market during the summer season to provide market tours, take photos, share on social media, and other outreach support. Up to 14 community representatives will be recruited. The applications are due March 18 by 5 p.m. For full details see this page.
Small business hazardous waste consultations, incentives and grants available
 An eligible business can receive up to $599 cash back for hazardous waste improvements that protect its workers and the environment. Reimbursement is available for lab testing, disposal and recycling, equipment and process changes (including secondary containment, spill control, and substitution of less toxic materials), and protective equipment for employees.
Know a small business owner with some hazardous waste to manage? Full details on the program are available on this page.
In 2020, the Haz Waste Program provided on-site consultation to more than 300 eligible businesses around King County to offer businesses solutions and incentives to manage their hazardous waste. In 2021, nearly half of businesses were BIPOC-owned businesses.
Next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.: Interbay/Ballard neighborhoods online public meeting on Sound Transit’s West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions, meetings for downtown and other neighborhoods to follow
 Learn more about the project in your neighborhood of interest at an upcoming online meeting. You will have the opportunity to learn about the project, get questions answered, and provide a verbal comment on Sound Transit’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Each online meeting will include a brief presentation, Q&A session, and oral testimony captured by a court reporter. Here is the meeting schedule:
- Interbay/Ballard: March 15th, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
- Downtown: March 22nd, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- CID/SODO: March 24th, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- West Seattle/Delridge: March 30th, 5:30-7:30 p.m
- Corridor-wide: In-person drop-in event* at Union Station: March 17th, 12 -7 p.m. (NOTE: The in-person event may transition to virtual, in accordance with public health recommendations.)
Registration in advance is not required. Sound Transit will have live closed captioning at each meeting and simultaneous interpretation at the CID/SODO and West Seattle/Delridge meetings. You can also contact Sound Transit at wsblink@soundtransit.org or 206-903-7229 about your accessibility needs in advance. For more details on the project and on participating in the draft EIS process see this page. We will also continue to update you here.
Ballard Food Bank
 Due to supply chain issues, the Ballard Food Bank is seeking donations of eggs, bread, rice, beef, hygiene items, pet food, and more. More info on how/what to donate is available on this page.
Fremont Rotary drops off sandwiches for sack lunches
 Delivering sandwiches to the Compass Center
Many thanks to constituent Rudy Pantoja for letting us know about the great work of the Fremont Rotary Club. Volunteers made and delivered 250 sandwiches for Compass Housing Alliance and Family Works in Wallingford to feed the homeless and hungry for the sack lunch program.
Today’s moment of inspiration
Seattleites and others helping Ukrainian refugees, and how you can help
 Screenshot from Yahoo: Seattle nurse Ben Sterciuc is on the right
Seattle teenager Avi Schiffmann has launched a new website called Ukraine Take Shelter, to aid Ukrainians seeking potential safe spaces. According to this article from Geekwire on MSN, “On Feb. 27 he tweeted his idea to build a site to match Ukrainian refugees with hosts in neighboring countries. He got out of bed that night and started working on it and within 24 hours he tweeted again that it was 90% built. Schiffmann enlisted the help of his friend Marco Burstein, a web developer at Harvard.”
Another Seattleite, Ben Sterciuc, a nurse who fled Romania in 1989, “…is on the frontlines of the Ukrainian refugee crisis, helping those who are trying to flee to neighboring Romania,” Sterciuc’s birth country. Read the full story here on Yahoo News.
And, see the following articles for more on supporting Ukrainian refugees:
- A wave of grassroots humanitarianism is supporting millions of Ukrainian refugees – Seattle P-I
- How You Can Help Ukraine from Seattle – Seattle Met
- Through Online Platforms, Thousands Open Their Homes to Ukraine’s Refugees – Reasons to be Cheerful
- AP PHOTOS: Ukrainians fleeing war 'can't leave' pets behind – AP News
- With 2M refugees fleeing war, Seattle mayor issues executive order ‘to support the people of Ukraine’ – Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
Additional helpful and informative links
- Live: Coronavirus daily news updates, March 10: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the world – The Seattle Times
- WHO reverses stances on COVID boosters, now ‘strongly supports’ extra doses – AP/PBS
- How will COVID end? Experts look to past epidemics for clues – AP News
- City’s focus switching to mobile clinics as some vaccination sites close in SeattleCity’s focus switching to mobile clinics as some vaccination sites close in Seattle – KIRO 7 News
- Restaurants Learned the Wrong Pandemic Lessons – The Atlantic
- What you need to know about mask, vaccine rules at Seattle-area arts and music events – The Seattle Times
- Partnerships key to downtown Seattle turnaround – The Seattle Times
- Opinion: Small and big acts of humanity can add up to bring back Seattle – The Seattle Times
- Some minority groups missed at higher rate in 2020 US census – AP News
- More air pollution present in areas with historical redlining – UW News
- King County to pay $750,000 to settle lawsuit about man who killed himself in Seattle jail – The Seattle Times
- Changing snowfall makes it harder to fight fire with fire – AP News
- Antibiotic used on food crops affects bumblebee behavior – UW News
Keep in touch
Thank you again for taking the time to read my updates, which I am now sending out once a week. 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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