The long holiday weekend’s ending – hope yours has been safe and healthy. Just a few notes tonight:

KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – keep in mind that testing availability was reduced during the holiday weekend:

*43,740 people have tested positive, up 356 from yesterday’s total

*858 people have died, up 2 from yesterday

*3,190 people have been hospitalized, up 26 from yesterday’s total

*626,435 people have been tested (the state backlog of negative results hasn’t been resolved yet, so King County calls this number frozen, but it’s still changing – up 340 from yesterday)

One week ago, the King County totals were 38,672/835/2,973/620,676.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 62.7 million cases and 1,459.000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

PARKS PROGRAMS, AT HOME: Seattle Parks is out with a brochure for December’s virtual programming, since in-person programs are still on hold.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? OR? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

Nine months ago tonight, King County’s first COVID-19 case was announced. Now, we have news of hundreds more each night, including tonight:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*43,384 people have tested positive, 481 more than yesterday’s total

*856 people have died, 3 more than yesterday’s total

*3,164 people have been hospitalized, 35 more than yesterday’s total

*626,095 people have been tested (the county continues to say this number was frozen 11/21, but it’s 451 more than yesterday)

One week ago, those totals were 38,012/835/2,931/615,038.

WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” We need to note first that it’s not clear how – whether – the recent state results backlog is affecting this; the page days data is through 11/13, but still shows a sizable number for the past two weeks: 372 positive test results; 324 in the 2 weeks before that; 79 in the two weeks before that.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 62.2 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,451,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 266,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

WILL SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS STAY REMOTE ALL YEAR? The next school board discussion of how remote learning is going and what might be next this year is set for 4 pm Monday, online. Viewing info is part of the agenda.

DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW: Last chance to donate to the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle toy drive, which has been collecting at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, 10 am-1:30 pm. New, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots are appreciated.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

39 weeks now since the Friday night announcement of the first King County case of COVID-19 – here’s the latest:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:

*42,903 people have tested positive, 800 more than yesterday’s total

*853 people have died, unchanged since Wednesday

*3,129 people have been hospitalized, 65 more than yesterday’s total

*65,644 people have been tested (the county still says this number is “frozen” but we note it’s 798 more than yesterday)

One week ago, those totals were 37,435/835/2,914/612,290.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 61.6 million cases, 1,442,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

DONATION DRIVE SATURDAY: If you can give, here’s an opportunity:

West Seattle YMCA Pajama & Toy Drive

Join us for a drive-thru pajama & toy drive on Saturday, November 28, from 12:00 – 3:00 pm at the West Seattle Y [36th/Snoqualmie] to support Y families this holiday season. We are looking for warm pajamas, sizes 5T through size 16, and unwrapped toys. A few favorites include Legos, art kits, board games, Paw Patrol, Hot Wheels, and all kinds of balls. If you are not able to join us for the drive-thru, please see our online wish list.

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

Even on this holiday, there’s pandemic news:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*42,103 people have tested positive, up 603 from yesterday’s total

*853 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*3,064 people have been hospitalized, up 9 from yesterday’s total

*624,846 people have been tested (this number still “frozen” while state resolves a results backlog)

One week ago, those totals were 36,797/834/2,901/608,055.

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

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 60.9 million cases worldwide, 12.8 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.

COVID CLOSURE: Realfine Coffee in The Triangle announced this morning that an employee has tested positive: “We will be temporarily closing the West Seattle store until further notice so we can take the necessary steps to safely reopen.”

TESTING: The city’s West Seattle site (Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot, 2801 SW Thistle) reopens tomorrow.

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

Here are the local/state pandemic-related toplines on Thanksgiving Eve:

STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: The newest one is out and as you might guess, it’s not good. Here are the toplines:

*COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly throughout the state.

*Daily case counts have skyrocketed in both eastern and western Washington.

*If disease transmission continues at the same pace observed early this month, by early December the number of daily hospital admissions could be double current numbers.

*Cases are increasing across all age groups, including older people, who are more likely to become seriously ill, require hospitalization and stay in a hospital for longer.

*Growth in cases is widely distributed across the state, with the majority of counties seeing accelerating rates.

*Even small counties are affected by the surge.

*The overall percentage of Washington state residents with active COVID-19 infection is higher than the peak in late March.

Read more details here.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Now, from the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*41,500 people have tested positive, 764 more than yesterday’s total

*853 people have died, 4 more than yesterday’s total

*3,055 people have been hospitalized, 25 more than yesterday’s total

*624.246 people have been tested++++

One week ago, the four totals we track were 35,993/834/2,903/603,808.

++++Because of the state test-results backlog first mentioned Saturday, this number is “frozen” since 11/21, the county says, although we note that tonight’s tally is up 752 from a day earlier.

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

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.

WHERE IT’S SPREADING: Need yet another reason to not have Thanksgiving dinner with anyone outside your household? SKC Public Health has an enlightening new report. From the summary:

A new report on outbreaks and exposure settings from Public Health—Seattle & King County describes settings where people may have become infected and finds the most common reported sources of potential exposure in recent weeks are in households, in a variety of community or social activities and gatherings, and in workplaces. Examples of community and social activities include get-togethers with family and friends, birthday parties, house or dinner parties, larger celebrations such as weddings, activities at a place of worship or visiting food service establishments. These activities, as well as out of state travel, have increased over the course of the pandemic while cases associated with long-term care and other healthcare facilities have decreased.

See the full 18-page report here.

NEW HEALTH/DENTAL RULES: From the governor’s office:

Gov. Jay Inslee today announced additional requirements for health and dental facilities to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks.

“With the increase in COVID outbreaks in health care facilities, it is important that we continue to protect patients and health workers from contracting COVID in a place where they feel safe, especially as we see COVID activity increasing dramatically across the state.” Inslee said.

Proclamation 20-24.2 amends the existing non-urgent medical and dental procedures proclamation to increase requirements on PPE use, testing of health care professionals, notifications of outbreaks, and distancing requirements in non-clinical areas of health facilities.

Read the proclamation here. Its provisions take effect December 3rd.

NEED TESTING? The city’s West Seattle testing site is closed tomorrow for the holiday.

GET READY TO APPLY: Applications will be accepted starting next week for those added state small-business grants recently announced.

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

The surge goes on – here are the pandemic toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – the cumulative totals:

*40,736 people have tested positive, 671 more than yesterday’s total

*849 people have died, 14 more than yesterday’s total

*3,030 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than yesterday’s total

*623.494 people have been tested++++

One week ago, the totals were 35,710/833/2,890/600,335.

++++Because of the state test-results backlog first mentioned Saturday, this number will be unchanged TFN.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 59.7 million cases worldwide, 12.5 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.

OUTBREAK AT THE MOUNT TAKES MORE LIVES: Providence Mount St. Vincent sent an update on their latest outbreak, including three more deaths.

GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: Gov. Inslee held a media briefing today and reminded people to stay safe through the holiday. He also said vaccinations could start as soon as mid-December. You can watch the video here.

NEED FOOD BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS? Three things to know about tomorrow:
West Seattle Food Bank (35th/Morgan), distributing food 10 am-3 pm
Seattle Public Schools – last meal distribution until Monday, 11:15 am-1:15 pm
Food Lifeline (815 S. 96th) – distributing food boxes 2 pm-5 pm

CAN YOU DONATE? WSFB is still accepting turkeys tomorrow. If you can bring one or more – preferably small/medium – stop by 9 am-2 pm.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

One week after we reported a new, deadly COVID-19 outbreak at Providence Mount St. Vincent in West Seattle, the facility says three more people have died. Since the pandemic began last spring, The Mount has lost a total of 11 people to COVID-19. Right now, The Mount says in an announcement this afternoon, 15 residents and 11 caregivers have tested positive in the current outbreak. The first outbreak was back in spring, and the facility got it under control by “rapidly implement(ing) screening procedures, visitor restrictions and physical barriers” as well as closing communal dining, and requiring universal masking, as well as facility-wide testing, twice-daily temperature and oxygen monitoring on every resident and patient, and screening and temperature checks of all staff upon entry. No residents tested positive for 6 months, but the current surge led to the return of the virus at The Mount, which describes itself as “a residential community serving nearly 400 elders with an average age of 94. It is challenging to help them follow all precautions, such as mask wearing, social distancing, and staying in their rooms most of the time. Many have some level of dementia which exacerbates this challenge.” So here’s what they’re doing now:

As we face this second outbreak, we are co-horting every resident who has tested positive either in a private room or in a dedicated unit on our 5th floor. This includes any person who may have been exposed, as we presume that they are positive while awaiting test results.

In anticipation of the continued surge in our region over the Thanksgiving holiday, we are increasing our caregiver testing to twice per week.

We are encouraging residents to stay in their rooms, but we must also balance the physical and emotional impact of complete social isolation. Their spirit, heart, cognition and physical well-being must also be supported as we navigate this pandemic.

As a higher number of positive cases occur in the region, it becomes more challenging to prevent it from entering the Mount.
Additionally, as people rush to get tested so that they may justify traveling, they have caused a higher volume of testing and thus a slower turnaround of test results for vulnerable elders in communities such as ours.

We believe there is hope on the horizon, but we must shut down the virus at the broader community level first. This requires hard work and a lot of difficult decisions.

The direct caregivers who are working the front lines must be honored for the sacrifices that they are making. Many are facing losses of loved ones as well as detrimental financial impacts in their own families and yet show up to serve every day. The public at large perhaps doesn’t see in full view the tremendous sacrifices and loving care that is taking place.

The announcement concludes with a poignant plea:

“Let’s not forget that we all depend on each other,” said Dr. David Roesel, MD , and provider at Providence Mount St. Vincent. “Every action will affect another person. The elders in our care built the very society that we enjoy. They deserve our very best efforts to keep them safe. Each human life is more important than the economy. We can figure out the finances later, but once a life is gone, it’s gone. Be careful. Wear a mask. Stay at home. These are real human souls among our elders who are bearing the brunt of this pandemic. When you see the finish line, is not the time to stop running.”

The Mount is just south of The Triangle, and along with its health-care services, it’s home to an internationally renowned preschool and hosting community events every year such as an outdoor concert series.

Here’s tonight’s roundup of virus-crisis news:

FROM THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT: First a warning: “We are in a very dangerous time of this pandemic—health care workers, other essential workers, our elders, persons with chronic diseases, and our family and friends all need your help staying safe.” Then a note that the backlog of test results, first mentioned Saturday, has been cleared as of today, but the numbers are high statewide as a result, and that goes for the local stats. Here’s the full statement from the Department of Health.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: On to today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:

*40,065 people have tested positive, 1,393 more than yesterday’s total

*835 people have died, unchanged from Friday

*3,020 people have been hospitalized, 47 more than yesterday’s total

*622,741 people have been tested, 2,065 more than yesterday’s total++++

One week ago, the totals were 35,209/829/2,867/598,646.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.

COVID RELIEF RESOURCE REMINDER: Applications are open through next Monday for the next round of Small Business Stabilization Grants, and other programs continue, the city wants you to know.

NEED FOOD? Pre-Thanksgiving distributions continue at the West Seattle Food Bank (35th/Morgan) again tomorrow and Wednesday, 10 am-2 pm. Also on Wednesday, food boxes will be available 2-5 pm at Food Lifeline (815 S. 96th).

AND IF YOU CAN GIVE … WS Food Bank needs turkeys.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

One week after the governor’s announcement adding restrictions, here’s what’s new in the virus crisis:

KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: The surge continues, as shown by the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:

*38,672 people have tested positive, up 660 from yesterday’s total

*835 people have died, unchanged since Friday

*2,973 people have been hospitalized, up 42 from yesterday’s total

*620,676 people have been tested, up 5,638 from yesterday’s total

One week ago, the King County totals were 34,537/828/2,834/597,550.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 58.6 million cases and 1,388.000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.

NEED A TEST? For now, the official advice is, don’t get tested unless you have been exposed or are having symptoms. Test sites have been very busy. But that aside, we’ll note again that one of the citywide teseting sites is in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle), Mondays through Saturdays, 8:45 am-5:30 pm (closed this Thursday for Thanksgiving). Go here to make an appointment.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT? OR? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

Here’s our nightly update on the pandemic:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:

*38,012 people have tested positive, 577 more than yesterday’s total

*835 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*2,931 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total

*615,038 people have been tested, 2,848 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 33,995/828/2,798/592,199.

WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, combining the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” As with the county in general, we’re continuing on a big upswing – in the past 2 weeks, 359 positive test results were reported; 216 in the 2 weeks before that; 49 in the two weeks before that.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 58.1 million people have tested positive, and more than 1,380,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 255,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (same top three as last week, while #4 and #5 traded places). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.

STATE TEST RESULTS BACKLOG: You’ve heard – maybe even seen – that testing sites are jammed. So, it turns out, is the state results-processing system, according to this news release:

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is asking the state’s laboratories that conduct the largest volume of tests to temporarily stop sending individual negative COVID-19 test results, and instead send us the aggregate number of negative test results per day. During this time, our dashboards will report positive cases each day, but not the total number of daily tests or percent positive.

Our disease reporting system can receive and process approximately 33,000 total results per day. We are currently receiving 30-50 thousand records per day, leading to a backlog. As of Saturday, there are 53,000 backlogged results which accumulated over the past two to three days. They are a mix of negative and positive COVID-19 tests, and test results for other notifiable conditions such as tuberculosis. Testing volumes are expected to increase further in the coming weeks because both disease and demand for testing are increasing, and more testing sites and types of testing are coming online across our state. We have been working to expand the system’s capacity to receive additional results in anticipation of a surge, but recent disease growth and the associated testing volumes have outpaced our efforts. Without this pause, we will fall further behind.

We need to take this temporary step to ensure state and local public health officials receive positive results for all reportable conditions in a timely enough manner to carry out effective case investigations and contact tracing and to have real time visibility of the incidence and trajectory of COVID-19 cases (positive results) as well as other reportable disease cases.

The backlog of results means that the number of new COVID-19 cases reported the last two days is an undercount and likely does not reflect disease trends. Our temporary action will ensure we receive positive COVID-19 results and the DOH dashboard of the epidemiologic curve and the Governor’s Risk Assessment dashboard of the rate per 100,000 newly diagnosed cases reflect disease trends.

This is likely to affect the King County numbers we publish nightly, as the top of the county’s “daily summary” page explains the state is the source of the stats.

DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW: The weekly reminder – the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle is at California/Alaska every Sunday, by the Farmers’ Market entrance, 10 am-1:30 pm, collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!

38 weeks now since the Friday night announcement that King County had its first case of COVID-19 – now, we’re dealing with a surge, and here’s the latest:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:

*37,435 people have tested positive, 638 more than yesterday’s total

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

*2,914 people have been hospitalized, 13 more than yesterday’s total

*612,290 people have been tested, 4.135 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 33.368/828/2,791/587,735.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 57.5 million cases, 1,372,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.

IF YOU’RE STILL PLANNING A HOLIDAY GATHERING: Please don’t, local and state authorities said again today. King County’s public-health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin held a media briefing and outlined various troubling trends, including a current positivity rate of tests around 7 percent (South/Southeast King County are the major hot spots). Current COVID-19 hospitalizations are more than twice what they were earlier this fall. Overall, Dr. Duchin said, “There’s way too much contact going on in every area of our lives.” Watch his briefing here.

FINANCIAL HELP Gov. Inslee had a briefing today too. He announced more financial relief in the works:

$70 million in business support grants.
$30 million for the recovery loan program.
$20 million for rental assistance.
$15 million for energy bills for low-income households.

In the Q&A, he was grilled again about the newest business restrictions. He insisted that the state is “on fire” with the virus and as a result “it’s beyond risky to be in a restaurant right now,” among other places. You can watch his briefing here.

REOPENINGS: After weeklong COVID-related closures, Supreme and Ma’ono in The Junction (which share owners) reopened tonight.

SPEND LOCAL: Another tool to help you do that was launched today by the city – Shop Your Block.

FREE CHILD CARE: The city is making it available to income-eligible families through year’s end.

NEED FOOD? Three one-time pre-holiday distributions are happening in West Seattle tomorrow.

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

One week before a Thanksgiving we’re urged to spend at home, here’s where the pandemic stands:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*36,797 people have tested positive, up 804 from yesterday’s total

*834 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total

*2,901 people have been hospitalized, down 2 from yesterday’s total (“data correction” per PHSKC)

*608,055 people have been tested, up 4,247 from yesterday’s total

One week ago, those totals were 32,570/826/2,772/583,480.

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

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 56.8 million cases worldwide, 11.7 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.

CAMPUS CASE: A staff member at Denny/Sealth tested positive, the district says.

SENATOR EXPLAINS LETTER: Late last night, a reader sent us this link to an Everett Herald story about nine state legislators sending a letter to Gov. Inslee opposing his ban on indoor dining, Among them, our area’s State Sen. Joe Nguyen. We talked to him about it today. He said the letter was drafted before the governor’s announcement, mostly out of frustration that they hadn’t been briefed on the criteria for the drastic decision. Sen. Nguyen says they’ve learned more since, and he fully supports the action now, adding that the focus has turned to what can be done for workers, particularly lower-income workers bearing the brunt of pandemic-related job losses. He told us about getting takeout from a worker who was in tears, expecting to get laid off for a second time. He said there should be some news about economic help soon – and in the meantime, he supports raising “progressive revenue” such as capital-gains tax or a high-earners tax to raise money to help.

URGING FEDERAL HELP: The governor, meantime, sent the feds a letter urging them to get back to work on pandemic relief.

LOCALS HELPING LOCALS: The next two days bring four events distributing free food – the weekly 2-5 pm distribution at Food Lifeline tomorrow (815 S. 96th), and three in West Seattle on Saturday.

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

Tonight’s local pandemic-related toplines:

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:

*35,993 people have tested positive, 283 more than yesterday’s total

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

*2,903 people have been hospitalized, 13 more than yesterday’s total

*603,808 people have been tested, 3,473 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the four totals we track were 31,948/816/2,753/579.089.

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

WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.

COVID OUTBREAK: Providence Mount St. Vincent reports 19 cases and another death.

NEED TESTING? West Seattle has one of the major citywide free testing sites, in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot at 2801 SW Thistle, open 8:45-5:30 Mondays through Saturdays. Go here to get an appointment.

NEED FOOD? Three holiday-food distribution events in West Seattle are now set for Saturday.

‘STAY HEALTHY BLOCKS’ EXTENDED: The city is extending this program until February, and inviting you to register your non-arterial block for a “Streetsgiving” event.

GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!

(WSB file photo)]

Providence Mount St. Vincent is dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak, with one life lost. Here’s the announcement we received tonight:

Thank you to our West Seattle friends, neighbors and family members for continuing to express care and concern for the residents, patients and caregivers at The Mount. We remain humbled by the outpouring of love and support we have received.
 
Following nearly 6 months with no positive cases among the residents of Providence Mount St. Vincent, we now have 10 residents/patients who tested positive and 9 caregivers who tested positive. This increase is unfortunately consistent with the surge in positive cases throughout our region, our state and our country.

We have been testing caregivers weekly for many months and target-testing residents and patients. We believe a caregiver became sick between their weekly tests and unknowingly spread the virus in primarily one localized area of the building.

Affected caregivers are quarantining at home and will be cleared to return to work through Providence Caregiver Health. We are deeply saddened that one resident/patient who tested positive has died due to complications of COVID-19 while also facing other compromising health issues. Our hearts go out to the family and the caregivers of this beloved member of The Mount community.

The safety and well-being of our residents, patients, their families and our caregivers remains our highest priority. While the virus is surging throughout the broader community, we are employing every possible method to contain further spread. Our highly-trained caregivers are continuing to follow all infection control protocols, including the use of appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local King County Department of Health and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines, while providing our residents/patients expert and compassionate care.

We continue daily monitoring of all residents, patients, and caregivers for any signs of illness, especially a fever or cough. We remain closed to visitors, with the exception of end-of-life visits which are accommodated on a person-by-person basis. Window and video visits remain open for scheduling. Outdoor visits are temporarily on hold.

We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as the CDC, to ensure we continue delivering safe, high quality care for all residents and patients. We have notified the families of all residents and patients, and the Intergenerational Learning Center families, about the situation and will continue to share updates with the community as needed.

As of last week’s weekly King County long-term-care status update – before this announcement – The Mount had lost seven people.

As the last of the new statewide restrictions take effect, here’s tonight’s roundup:

NO MORE INDOOR DINING/DRINKING: For at least four weeks, starting tonight at 11:59 pm, 24 hours after the rest of what the governor announced Sunday. Here again is the full list. The governor repeated the importance of taking action now as he held a media briefing today – you can watch it here.

NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Meantime, the virus rages on. Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative totals:

*35,710 people have tested positive, 501 more than yesterday’s total

*833 people have died, 4 more than yesterday’s total

*2,890 people have been hospitalized, 23 more than yesterday’s total

*600,335 people have been tested, 1,689 more than yesterday’s total

One week ago, the totals were 31,576/816/2,744/575,514.

STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.

NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 55.6 million cases worldwide, 11.3 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.

BRIEFING TOMORROW: State health authorities will talk about the pandemic at 2 pm tomorrow; you can watch live here.

THANKSGIVING TRADITION CANCELED: First The Hall at Fauntleroy was going to make its annual free feast a takeaway event this year – but now because of the pandemic, that’s canceled too.

GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!