Executive Constantine statement on updated COVID-19 restrictions
"Like everywhere in the state, our case counts are soaring, and that is also true nationally. The number of hospitalizations in King County last week increased by over 70 percent compared to the previous four weeks.
"In fact, it was just earlier this week that I was reflecting that our hospitalizations had not increased dramatically, and then later that afternoon I was informed that we had seen a 30 percent increase in one day in hospital bed use. There are twice as many people in local hospitals with COVID-19 as there were just a month ago.
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Health officer statement on new COVID-19 measures
Statement from Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County, on Governor Jay Inslee’s announcement of new measures to control the surging outbreak of COVID-19 in Washington state:
COVID-19 transmission and the number of people being infected are at all-time highs in King County and the outbreak is growing in size faster than ever. In the past week, hospitalizations have increased by 70%. Cases are on a trajectory to continue to increase and will be followed by even more hospitalizations and deaths. Read more.
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Stay informed in inclement weather
Getting timely, accurate information in an emergency or inclement weather event is critical. Make sure you're getting the latest King County information on how you are affected, at work and at home:
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KCInform: Make sure you can be reached in a major emergency. If you haven’t yet registered your County provided mobile phones and employees personal contact information in KCInform, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov anytime or 206-296-3830 between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
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Call the Employee Hotline—206-205-8600 (save it to your phone now).
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Check your King County email for specific directives and updates. Log on at outlook.kingcounty.gov.
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Contact your supervisor for instructions.
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Visit kcemployees.com for the latest employee information.
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Follow King County on Twitter—@kcemployees, @KingCountyWA, and @kcmetrobus.
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Check your agency website or Intranet (if applicable).
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Visit the Emergency News page at www.kcemergency.com for regional impacts and monitor local media channels.
HR Policies: When an agency remains open, but conditions prevent you from reporting to work or from reporting on time, notify your supervisor as soon as possible. You may request leave, subject to approval by your supervisor. If you have no leave accrued, your supervisor may approve leave without pay to cover absences. Sick leave may not be used. Refer to HR Bulletin 2011-0009 County Operations During Emergency Situations and Inclement Weather (Sheriff’s Office employees refer to KCSO Inclement Weather Policy. Superior Court and District Court employees please check court policies).
Always have a plan if you need to commute in inclement weather, dress warmly, and let safety be your guide when making travel decisions.
More than 500 nurses urge King County to confront the surge
In the midst of an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases, more than 500 King County nurses are issuing an urgent call to renew efforts to turn around this troubling trend.
“It’s been a tough year, and we’ve all sacrificed so much to stay safe. But now, with cases skyrocketing in King County, it’s more important than ever to stop the spread,” reads the nurses’ message, published Sunday in a special wrap-around section of the Seattle Times. Read more.
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2020 Employee Giving Drive ends Friday, Nov 20
King County’s annual Employee Giving Drive ends this Friday, Nov. 20 (2020). This week, we’re featuring nonprofits whose work supports the LGBTQ community:
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Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center (9216) – As the leading provider of HIV/STI testing in King County, our mission is to cultivate access and connections to promote self-determination, liberation, and joy in our communities
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Lambert House LGBTQ Youth Center (9332) – Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth programs for ages 11-22. Develops leadership, social, and life skills through 48 programs in 9 locations in King County.
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LGBTQ Allyship (0971) – Builds power among LGBTQ communities and allies in Washington State to work towards economic, racial, and gender justice.
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Investor relations website launched
King County’s first-ever Investor Relations website is now live. The site, maintained by a third-party vendor, BondLink, greatly improves the potential investor experience with links in one place to Official Statements, ratings, budgets, Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs), policies and more.
With voters approving a $1.74 billion bond measure for capital improvements at King County-owned Harborview Medical Center, the website comes at the perfect time.
“We are hoping King County sees an increase in the pool of potential investors and bidders by leveraging the BondLink communication functionality,” said Carol Basile, Treasury Manager. Read more.
Elections Building selected for Round 1 of PSE Community Solar Program
Puget Sound Energy has selected King County’s Elections Building in Renton to be one of the sites for Round 1 of its Community Solar Program, currently under development.
“This is a really great opportunity to shine a light on renewable energy in general and Elections specifically,” said Sarah Calvillo Hoffman, Energy Manager for Facilities Management Division in Executive Services. “Elections is really interested in doing more sustainable things in general. There are lots of people who go to that building, and there will be signage about the project.” Read more.
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Join the Executive Department at the Harvest Festival II: Ultimate Zoom tomorrow, November 18
The Executive Department Senior Leadership Team is excited to invite employees to Harvest Festival II: Ultimate Zoom, which includes a drawing to benefit organizations doing important work in the community and on issues critical to King County’s priorities.
Donations can be turned into drawing tickets until 11 a.m. tomorrow. Make a donation and be entered into the drawing here. Prizes include bottles of wine and a tasting voucher, state and national parks passes, board games and puzzles, and a stay at the downtown Fairmont Olympic. Winners will be announced tomorrow.
Hear from Executive Constantine, the Senior Leadership Team, and enjoy a special performance local songwriter and activist Cameron Lavi-Jones of King Youngblood.
This event will be held tomorrow, Nov. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Join the Zoom here, meeting ID: 959 9158 1775, passcode: 157392.
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Representation of Native Americans in Law and Justice webinar tomorrow, November 18
Please join the King County Superior Court in celebration of Native American Heritage Month at a Presentation of Native Americans in Law and Justice Panel Presentation. The event will feature a facilitated question and answer session with guest panelists, including keynote speaker Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, Ms. Sarah Roubidoux Lawson, Professor Gregory Silverman, and Mr. Rion Ramirez. This presentation is sponsored by the Superior Court’s 2020 Courts and Community Committee.
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Join the virtual blood drive for King County employees, November 23–December 7
Bloodworks Northwest is hosting a virtual blood drive for all King County employees. Employees are encouraged to the give the special code KING when registering to help keep track of all King County employees who are participating to help save a life. Make an appointment at a donor center, or pop up donor center at the link below for anytime between Nov. 23 and Dec. 7.
All donations are by appointment only to provide the safest possible donation environment. Additionally, no walk-ins, guests or people under age 16 are permitted onsite, and masks (or an appropriate face covering) are required.
Make an appointment online here at a donor center or pop-up donor center location, and select an available time period listed. For questions about eligibility or for more information about blood donation visit www.BloodworksNW.org or call 800-398-7888. Please note, this drive does not replace the King Street Center (KSC) virtual drive planned Dec. 21–Jan.4. KSC employees should feel free to donate at either blood drive, and of course all employees can donate whenever fits their schedule best.
Learn about Medicare options, December 15
Are you reaching Medicare age? Do you want to learn more about Medicare and your options as a King County employee? SIgn up for Medicare 101, an upcoming seminar featuring guest speaker Jean Cormier, who will discuss Medicare basics. In addition, Jenny Stark from Regence BlueShield and Hannah Bachelder from Kaiser Permanente will discuss their Medicare Advantage plan options.
This seminar takes place Tuesday, Dec. 15 from 2:30–3:30 p.m. Register here.
Please note, attendance is strictly voluntary, on your own time, and non-work related. For more information, contact Carmen Johnson.
Training Spotlight for November 17
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Race: The Power of an Illusion – Online – This training is provided by an external consultant, and will use the three-part video series "Race: The Power of an Illusion" to explore the construct of race, how it has been used to channel benefits to those viewed as white, and why racial inequities persist. This training takes place on Nov.19 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $150.00 and space is limited. Register here
Tech Tip: Remember: A good way to help identify potential phishing
Phishing attacks continue to hit employees at King County, just like other local jurisdictions. Because of this, KCIT wants to remind employees about the banner which identifies emails sent from outside of the county. The banner is used because a common phishing tactic employed by the bad guys is sending emails in which the display name in the “From” field looks like it’s been sent by someone within King County, but that email address is fake and actually from someone making a phishing attempt.
Unfortunately, users do not always notice when such an email is a phishing attempt. This makes employees vulnerable to viruses and other problems.
When any email is delivered from an outside email address, the following is added. This warning message appears in the body of the email message.
Remember, this warning message will let employees know the email came from outside the County and has the potential to be a phishing scam.
Pet of the Week: Elvis
Hi! My name is Elvis and I am available for adoption. I am a very smart dog! At the shelter I am practicing how to sit. I also know how to open chain link gates! I am an independent dog who likes to do my own thing! I enjoy affection, but I really love to use my sniffer to smell all the smells! I am full of energy! I tend to calm down more when the people around me stay calm. I do best when I have lots of exercise and something to keep my mind busy. I would love to show you my beautiful singing voice!
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story.
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Featured Job: Fare Policy Lead (Transportation Planner IV)
Salary: $100,134.11 - $126,926.18 Annually
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: MTD - Metro Transit
KC Headlines
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