Big day in pandemic news:

WEST SEATTLE VAX HUB CLOSING: The city says June 9th will be the last day for the West Seattle vaccination hub at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, after three months. Main reason: Dramatic drop in demand, with a sizable percentage of West Seattleites already vaccinated.

WANT TO GET VACCINATED IN ADMIRAL TOMORROW? UW Medicine emailed us tonight to say that tomorrow’s pop-up clinic outside West Seattle High School is open to everyone 12+, student or not. 1:30 pm-5:30 pm Friday (3000 California SW).

DON’T DROP THE MASK YET INDOORS One week after the CDC announced fully vaccinated people could quit wearing masks in most situations, King County’s health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said he’s advising everyone to keep wearing them indoors unless there’s a way to prove absolutely everyone is vaccinated. Hours after issuing the directive, he gave a video briefing and answered media Q&A – watch the video here.

NEWEST NUMBERS: Now the update from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:

*107,871 people have tested positive, 212 more than yesterday’s total

*1,566 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total

*6,072 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total

*1,075,688 people have been tested, 2,919 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the four totals we track were 101,881/1,552/6,004/1,063,643.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 165.5 million cases worldwide, 33 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.

GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

West Seattle’s COVID-19 vaccination hub will close after June 9th. We confirmed that with mayoral spokesperson Kelsey Nyland today, after a tip from Jim, who had just gotten a first dose there and been told the second dose would have to happen elsewhere. Nyland tells WSB that the West Seattle hub has given 48,135 doses of vaccine in three months, but it’s closing “due to a significant drop in demand.” She sent this chart to explain:

Nyland added, “Even with a temporary surge when 12 – 15 year-olds became eligible, demand at the West Seattle hub has been plummeting over the last month, and it has gotten to a point where it does not make operational sense for the Seattle Fire Department to continue staffing the hub. The City will not launch additional fixed sites in West Seattle, but the SFD Mobile Vaccination will continue to be in West Seattle as part of the ongoing efforts to bring the vaccine directly to Seattle residents.”

Last Saturday’s Junction pop-up, which resulted in 93 vaccinations, was part of that, and the city’s also sending its mobile teams to local breweries as well as the school clinics we’ve mentioned – public schools here, charter and private schools here (the Summit Atlas dates, not available when we published the linked story, are May 27th and June 17th).

Nyland also noted, “Across West Seattle, nearly 80% of residents have started the vaccination process, and nearly 60% are fully vaccinated. This incredible trend leads the national average, and West Seattle has some of the highest vaccination rates in King County. Because of this, along with SFD’s ongoing mobile and in-school operations, and the community health clinics, pharmacies, and primary care providers administering vaccine in the area, we are confident West Seattle will continue to have accessible and convenient vaccination opportunities.”

The hub in the parking lot at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) started as a testing site last August, then added vaccinations in March, then stopped offering testing in mid-April. But you can still go there to get vaccinated – no appointment needed – through June 9th.

Lots of confusion in the week since the CDC‘s sudden shift in mask-wearing advice. In last night’s pandemic roundup, we noted that state health officials suggested forthcoming state/local guidance might help clarify things for businesses. And today, here it is, from Seattle-King County Public Health:

King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin has issued a Local Health Officer Directive that strongly urges residents to continue wearing a face mask in indoor public settings, whether or not they are vaccinated. Public Health – Seattle & King County recommends that businesses who serve the public continue policies to ensure customers and employees wear masks indoors.

“Continued use of face masks for everyone five years of age and older within indoor public spaces is reasonable and necessary in King County to reduce the risk for COVID-19 transmission until more of the population is protected through vaccination and COVID-19 disease rates decline,” the Directive states.

In addition to the local Directive, the Washington State Department of Health Order continues to require everyone to wear face masks in schools, public transportation, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and health care settings, including doctor’s offices, long-term care, and hospitals.

You can read the rest of the announcement by going here; the full directive is here.