West Seattle, Washington
09 Thursday
1:52 PM: From King County’s public-health officer Dr. Jeff Duchin to Gov. Inslee, many officials are “strongly recommending” that everyone go back to wearing masks indoors, to try to stop what the governor said Wednesday could become a “fifth wave” of COVID-19. For fully vaccinated people, that remains a recommendation, not a mandate (except for K-12 schools). But businesses and other venues are free to make their own decisions whether to require masks for vaccinated customers – and some are doing that. In a spot check, we’ve so far found at least four West Seattle establishments announcing they’re returning to requiring customers to mask up indoors unless actively eating/drinking. Here’s how Youngstown Coffee in Morgan Junction announced it: “Let’s keep our kids and our vulnerable communities safe from all variants of COVID-19.” At The Westy in Sunrise Heights, the announcement notes, “We like having you all back in, sitting at the bar top and at our tables, and want to protect our ability to continue to offer it.” Il Nido on Alki simply says they’re reinstating the mask requirement because “We are committed to the safety of our guests and staff.” Cupcake Royale in The Junction, and the chain’s other locations, explains its decision, “This is in effort to protect our staff, families, and guests, many of whom fall below the vaccination age.” We’ll add any place else we find.
9:32 PM: Thanks to commenter Jeff for pointing out that West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) has reinstituted its mask policy too, as confirmed by this sign we photographed outside the entrance tonight:
PCC is now asking that everyone wear masks, too.
ADDED FRIDAY: Mashiko also is requiring masks.
ADDED SATURDAY: Nos Nos Coffee House, too.
Every Sunday night, we’re publishing weekly pandemic updates. Tonight, the third one. First, the newest local numbers.
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:
115,479 people have tested positive – 1,250 more than a week ago (4,019 in West Seattle, up 44)
6,640 people have been hospitalized – 44 more than a week ago 201 in West Seattle, up 3)
1,684 people have died – 2 fewer than a week ago (67 in West Seattle, down 1) *data adjustment*
VACCINATION RATE:
74.5% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .6% in the past week)
By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 77%
98116 – 83.7%
98126 – 72.7%
98136 – 85%
98146 – 71%
THE WEEK’S HEADLINES
Briefing: “The Delta variant is a game-changer,” said King County Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin during his briefing on Friday. Watch it here:
He said Delta is identified in 56 percent of the sequenced cases in King County right now. This briefing is also where he recommended indoor mask wearing, even if you’re vaccinated. Not a mandate – but a recommendation, as an “extra layer of protection.” You can hear his explanation starting at 13:29 in.
‘Power of Providers’: The state announced an initiative to encourage health-care providers to proactively encourage patients to get vaccinated, and to encourage those who are to share their status with people they know.
NOT VACCINATED YET?
Go here to see where you can change that.
Though we ended our nightly pandemic roundups at the end of June, we’re now publishing weekly updates. Tonight, the second one. First, the newest numbers.
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:
114,229 people have tested positive – 945 more than a week ago (3,975 in West Seattle, up 39)
6,596 people have been hospitalized – 46 more than a week ago (198 in West Seattle, unchanged)
1,684 people have died – 12 more than a week ago (68 in West Seattle, unchanged)
VACCINATION RATE:
73.9% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .7% in the past week)
By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 76.5%
98116 – 83.3%
98126 – 72.3%
98136 – 84.7%
98146 – 70.3%
THE WEEK’S HEADLINES
Milestone: Statewide, as of last Monday, 70 percent of those 16+ had received at least one dose of vaccine.
Briefing: Missed the briefing by state health officials last Wednesday, first one in a while? Watch it here:
Main message: “The pandemic is not over.” If you want to dive deep into details, the latest report on variants/sequencing is here, and the latest report on breakthroughs (cases that defy vaccination, though the state says we’re not having much of a problem) is here.
Winner: A 23-year-old from South King County won the $1 million grand prize in the state’s vaccination lottery.
Border: Canada’s government says it MIGHT reopen the border to vaccinated travelers next month. We should hear more about this tomorrow morning.
NOT VACCINATED YET?
Go here to see where you can change that.
When we ended our nightly pandemic roundups after 16 months, we promised weekly updates. Here’s the first one. These are baselines – so next week we’ll be able to start adding the week-to-week comparisons. The state and county are only updating stats on weekdays now, so these are the newest numbers.
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:
113,294 people have tested positive (3,936 in West Seattle)
6,550 people have been hospitalized (198 in West Seattle)
1,672 people have died (68 in West Seattle)
VACCINATION RATE:
73.2% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series
By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 73.9%
98116 – 83%
98126 – 71.8%
98136 – 84.3%
98146 – 69.5%
THE WEEK’S HEADLINES
CDC and FDA say, no booster shot recommended right now. (Here’s their announcement.)
CDC updates its school guidelines – recommending masks only for the unvaccinated.
$1 million vaccination lottery grand-prize drawing is Tuesday.
NOT VACCINATED YET?
Go here to see where you can change that.
(WSB photo, December 2020)
Bus stops along two West Seattle Metro routes have been bagged like that for the past half-year. This September, one set of stops will reopen. Metro plans to continue “suspension” of Route 37. But it is planning to bring back Route 22, which runs between Arbor Heights and The Junction. This was not in the tentative plan Metro had presented to a County Council committee earlier this year, but it was added by the time Metro returned to the council’s Environment and Mobility Committee last week. (Here’s the presentation, which notes that the Route 22 restoration was added to its fall plan because of survey feedback.) We didn’t hear about it until local transportation writer Ryan Packer mentioned it in a WSB comment discussion; we followed up with Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer, who confirmed, “Route 22 will be returning with weekday service with the fall service change, operating between 6 AM-9 PM. Similar to service levels pre-pandemic, service will be hourly.”
Two things happening right now in the West Seattle Junction:
FREE PIZZA: There’s a line outside Pagliacci (4449 California SW) because they’re giving away free slices, chain-wide, until 3 pm, as a reopening celebration. Limit two slices per person. Full details are on the Pagliacci website.
Kitty-corner from there, outside the Senior Center of West Seattle, another reopening celebration:
‘FUN & FESTIVE FRIDAYS’: The Senior Center wants everyone to know it’s open, so today they’re kicking off “Fun & Festive Fridays,” with refreshments & cookies outside until 1 pm, and live music by The Ukes, 2-4 pm. The center’s message: “We’re excited to welcome back the community!”
ADDED: Joining the celebration, Dan Jackson, photographed by Jerry Simmons:
Got a reopening celebration/special/event? Let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Look closely at the lower half of our photo from midday last Sunday and you’ll see the pink tape that has marked the perimeter of the West Seattle Farmers’ Market for months, restricting entry and exit to its south and north ends. Turns out last Sunday was its last hurrah. Market management has notified the West Seattle Junction Association that the reopening changes mean it can drop the tape – so starting this Sunday (July 4th), you’ll be able to move freely between businesses and market booths. The market will no longer require masks for entry, either. And other changes may be ahead – stand by. Throughout the pandemic, despite being an outdoor venue, the market has had to deal with tough restrictions, especially from the city, which wouldn’t even let farmers’ markets open for two months, despite the governor having designated them as “essential.”
ADDED: More from the Farmers’ Market newsletter:
In accordance with the Washington State Department of Health masking order, fully vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask while in our markets.
-There are no longer capacity restrictions or lines to enter the market!
-Eating and drinking in the markets is allowed.
-NFM and Public Health no longer regulate touching/handling of produce handling, however, individual farm and market businesses may set their own safety requirements; please read signage at stands or ask if you’re unsure.Oh Happy Day! Music, entertainment, and market events will be returning shortly.
(Photo from spl.org)
The last Seattle Public Library branch in our area to reopen for in-building services will do so next Tuesday – the West Seattle (Admiral) Library at 2326 42nd SW will reopen July 6th. SPL is announcing some systemwide changes too. From the announcement:
In light of Washington state’s move to full reopening on June 30, the Library is making other changes: All reopened locations will be open at 100% capacity, will not require physical distancing, and will reintroduce additional computer stations and seating. However, for now, mask requirements remain in place for all City of Seattle buildings, including libraries. …
Thanks to $1.1 million in funding from the City’s Seattle Rescue Plan, the Library anticipates returning to pre-pandemic staffing levels to support the reopening of all locations and the expansion of open hours. With this funding, the Library can work toward full reopening throughout the summer to support Seattle’s children returning to in-person school this fall.
The announcement also notes: “Meeting rooms, study rooms, and in-person programs are not yet available at reopened Library locations.” Hours/days/services for all locations can be found here.
We’ll be publishing reopening news as we get it (westseattleblog@gmail.com if/when your business/organization announces changes) – among the first announcements in, transit systems around Puget Sound have sent word that they’re returning to full capacity. Here’s the news release, with dates for the systems operating in or near West Seattle:
Riders soon will have more public transportation options as buses, trains and ferries in the Puget Sound region are returning to full capacity and opening all seats starting in July.
Governor Inslee is dropping state social distancing restrictions for transit as part of his decision to reopen the state. As vaccination rates continue to climb in the Puget Sound region and other state restrictions are relaxed, even more people are expected to use transit this summer.
Passengers still must wear masks on transit and at indoor transit facilities in compliance with the federal Transportation Security Administration mandate. Passengers also must continue to maintain a six-foot distance from bus drivers, except when paying fare.
The following agencies are removing signs or barriers that have blocked off seats during the pandemic: Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, and Washington State Ferries.
[From that list, here are local-to-our-area dates]
Starting Saturday, July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Metro buses, on-demand services such as Via to Transit, Seattle Streetcar, water taxis, community vans and shuttles, vanpools, and Access paratransit.
Starting July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Link light rail and ST Express bus routes operated by King County Metro (Routes 522, 542, 545, 550 and 554). On Sounder, Tacoma Link and all other ST Express routes, normal capacity will resume starting July 1.
Starting July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on ferries, and customers will no longer be encouraged to stay in their vehicles.
This is it – our final daily roundup, 16 months after our first one. We’ll move to weekly Friday night updates for now. But first, the Tuesday news, on Reopening Eve:
GOVERNOR’S STATEMENT: No in-person statement from Gov. Jay Inslee, but we and other media received this:
Washington has come a long way since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country was found in our state January 2020, and that is in no small part due to Washingtonians’ dedication and resilience in protecting themselves and their communities throughout the pandemic.
Because folks listened to science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore masks, and got vaccinated, we can now safely fully re-open our state’s economy and cultural centers after 15 long months. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of how Washingtonians came together, persevered and sacrificed to fight this virus, and now we’re finally in a place that is safe enough to end this chapter.
Even though Wednesday marks a new stage in our continued efforts to defeat this pandemic, we still have work to do. Continued success depends on everyone getting vaccinated and encouraging any loved one who has not yet received this lifesaving vaccine to do so, and quickly. Let’s keep it up, Washington – get vaccinated and stay safe.
BRIEFING TOMORROW: State health officials are still having their weekly media briefing on Reopening Day – this time, 2:15 pm Wednesday. You can watch live here.
NEWEST NUMBERS: Checking the daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health:
*112,514 people have tested positive, 34 new since yesterday
*1,657 people have died, unchanged since Saturday
*6,502 people have been hospitalized, 6 more than yesterday
One week ago, the totals were 111,757/1,618/6,314.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 181.8 million cases worldwide, 33.6 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
MASK DIRECTIVE LIFTED: King County has ended the recommendation – but that does NOT mean you can’t or won’t be asked to wear a mask at a business, institution, etc., so keep one handy.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Read the full announcement here.You might recall that even after the state said it’s OK to be indoors in most circumstances without a mask, King County urged that people keep wearing them a while longer. Today – as planned – that directive has ended. From the county announcement:
Two days until The Grand Reopening – a quick look at tonight’s pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*112,480 people have tested positive, 39 more than yesterday
*1,657 people have died, unchanged since Saturday
*6,496 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Monday, the three totals we track were 111,706/1,616/6,317.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Check the state dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 181.4 million cases, 3,930,000+ deaths – 604,000+ in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
VAX STATS: In King County, 78.2 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose; 71.8 percent are fully vaccinated. In West Seattle, the most-vaccinated zip code is still 98136 – 89.2 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose. (Maps and stats are here.)
RETIRING THE ROUNDUP: We’d been thinking about retiring our daily pandemic roundup after Reopening Day. An announcement by Public Health today cements that decision – they’re going to cut back on dashboard updates, weekdays only. We will likely launch a weekly local update, probably on Friday nights.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic notes, with 3 days until The Grand Reopening:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page:
*112,441 people have tested positive, up 63 from yesterday
*1,657 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*6,491 people have been hospitalized, up 1 from yesterday
One week ago, those three totals were 111,646/1,616/6,314.
WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Sunday roundups have featured our check of these numbers, shown in two-week increments on the “geography over time” tab of the countywide daily-summary dashboard. For WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 54 positive test results; 52 in the 2 weeks before that; 75 in the two weeks before that. … We also have been noting two other West Seattle stats each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 68, unchanged from last week’s total. And a look at hospitalizations: 198 total have been attributed to people in the two peninsula HRAs since the start of the pandemic, adding one this week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 181 million cases and 3,923,000+ deaths, almost 604,000 of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here
SUMMER MEALS FOR STUDENTS: Second week begins for Seattle Public Schools summer-meal sites, 11 am-1 pm daily – details and locations are here. (MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: The meal sites are closed today because of the weather.)
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic info, with four days to go until The Grand Reopening:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*112,378 people have tested positive, 87 more than yesterday’s total
*1,657 people have died, 1 fewer than yesterday’s total (data correction)
*6,490 people have been hospitalized, 2 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 111,584/1,616/6,312.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,917,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 603,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Turkey (unchanged again this week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
MORE CAPACITY FOR COOLING CENTERS: Pandemic-related capacity limits on cooling centers were lifted by the governor so more people can seek refuge during the heat wave.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic points, with 5 days until reopening:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the daily stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*112,291 people have tested positive, 43 more than yesterday’s total
*1,658 people have died, 10 more than yesterday’s total
*6,488 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday’s total
Now our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*1,520,955 people have received one dose (77.9% of everyone 12+)
*1,387,171 people have received both doses (71% of everyone 12+)
One week ago, the first three totals were 111,509/1,612/6,304, and the vaccination totals were 1,504,658/1,361,806.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180.4 million cases, 3,909,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
AFTER REOPENING, DON’T THROW YOUR MASKS AWAY: There might be reasons to wear one sometimes, even if you’re vaccinated, says King County Public Health.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Now less than a week until reopening – here’s the pandemic news:
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: No major announcements emerged when Gov. Jay Inslee briefed and took questions from reporters this morning. He announced what he called a “bridge” between the end of the state’s eviction moratorium and the start of relief programs. He also introduced a pre-nursing student from Eastern Washington as the latest $250,000 winner in the “Shot of a Lifetime” lottery. And he decried as “baloney and malarkey” vaccination misinformation on social media Watch the briefing here.
CONFUSED ABOUT REOPENING? The state’s launched a webpage to collect info on what it means.
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the update from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*112,248 people have tested positive, 84 more than yesterday’s total
*1,648 people have died, 30 more than yesterday’s total**
*6,483 people have been hospitalized, 164 more than yesterday’s total**
**The big jumps are explained on the county dashboard as the state Health Department adding “a large backlog” of 156 hospitalizations and 29 deaths, from November 2020 to June 2021.**
One week ago, the three totals we are now tracking were 111,425/1,611/6,300.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 180 million cases worldwide, 33.5 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!
With one week at most until full reopening, here are tonight’s local/state pandemic updates:
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS’ BRIEFING During state health officials’ weekly briefing today, Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said 68 percent of our state’s 16+ residents have received at least a first dose of vaccine. That’s only up .8 of a percentage point from a week earlier, so it seems unlikely we’ll hit 70 percent and reopen before June 30th.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: 10:30 am Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee will give his next media briefing on the pandemic. You can watch here.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*112,164 people have tested positive, 407 more than yesterday’s total (explanation: the state “released 314 delayed positive results”)
*1,618 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*6,319 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 111,353/1,610/6,292.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS PLAYGROUNDS REOPEN: The district had said it would decide at year’s end whether to reopen the playgrounds to the public – and it has announced they’re indeed open again.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Tonight’s local pandemic notes, with eight days at most until the planned June 30th reopenin:
BRIEFING TOMORROW: Any chance that vaccination goal will be met before the 30th? That’s one of the things we can expect to hear in state health officials’ weekly briefing at 8:15 am Wednesday. You can watch live here.
NEWEST NUMBERS: Checking the daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health:
*111,757 people have tested positive, 51 new since yesterday
*1,618 people have died, 2 new since yesterday
*6,314 people have been hospitalized, 3 fewer than yesterday (data correction)
One week ago, the totals were 111,242/1,616/6,285.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 179.1 million cases worldwide, 33.5 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
CAN YOU VOLUNTEER? Two ways to help fight pandemic-worsened food insecurity – meal delivery in High Point and various roles at the White Center Food Bank.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
With 9 days at most until full reopening, here is tonight’s roundup of local pandemic-related information:
STATE OF THE PANDEMIC: The state Health Department released the latest every-other-week “modeling and surveillance” report, with these toplines:
*Statewide case counts and hospital admissions continued to decline as of June 3, but were starting to flatten slightly.
*As of June 3, case rates continued declining in all age groups except people 70 and older, among whom rates remained flat.
*As of the end of May, statewide transmission levels remained relatively high.
*While vaccination has helped to reduce transmission, increases in estimated population immunity have started to flatten as vaccination rates slow.
*Vaccination is clearly protecting people from severe COVID-19 illness, as demonstrated by the very different hospital admission trends we are seeing in unvaccinated populations.
*Variants of concern continue to pose additional risks for outbreaks and impacts to the health system, especially in places where vaccination rates are lower.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*111,706 people have tested positive, 60 more than yesterday
*1,616 people have died, unchanged since Saturday
*6,317 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Monday, the three totals we track were 111,164/1,615/6,275.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Check the state dashboard.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 178.7 million cases, 3,873,000+ deaths – 599,945 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
VAX STATS: In King County, 77.4 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose; 70.3 percent are fully vaccinated. In West Seattle, the most-vaccinated zip code is still 98136 – 88.7 percent of people 12+ have had at least one dose. (Maps and stats are here.)
3RD VACCINATION LOTTERY TOMORROW: Tuesday brings the third drawing for the “incentives” announced by the governor.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic notes, with 10 days at the most until full reopening:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page:
*111,646 people have tested positive, up 62 from yesterday
*1,616 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*6,314 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday
One week ago, those three totals were 111,106/1,615/6,272.
WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Sunday roundups feature our check of these numbers, shown in two-week increments on the “geography over time” tab of the countywide daily-summary dashboard. For WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 53 positive test results; 54 in the 2 weeks before that; 98 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting two other West Seattle stats each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 68, which is one below last week’s total, so a recent state-database correction apparently removed one local death from the total. And a look at hospitalizations: 197 total have been attributed to people in the two peninsula HRAs since the start of the pandemic, adding one this week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here (but again, note there was no update this weekend).
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 178.4 million cases and 3,864,000+ deaths, almost 602,000 of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here
SUMMER MEALS FOR STUDENTS: No need to go hungry while school’s out. Seattle Public Schools summer-meal sites get going 11 am-1 pm today – details and locations are here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Last pandemic-news roundup before summer arrives (8:31 pm Sunday):
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*111,584 people have tested positive, 75 more than yesterday’s total
*1,616 people have died, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*6,312 people have been hospitalized, 8 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 111,051/1,615/6,271.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 178.1 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,859,000 people have died; U.S. deaths have passed 601,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Turkey (unchanged again this week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
SWIM TIME: Colman Pool welcomed swimmers today for the first time in more than a year and a half. We didn’t get to the pool today but The Seattle Times has some cool pics. Two West Seattle wading pools, and our area’s sole spraypark, open next Saturday, also for the first time since end-of-summer 2019.
NOT VACCINATED YET? Besides checking whether your health-care provider offers vaccinations, you can use this search tool or call 833-VAX-HELP.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic headlines, with 12 days at most until reopening:
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: Though the situation has greatly improved, Dr. Jeff Duchin warned that “COVID-19 is not gone. … The virus is suppressed, but not eliminated.” See the video here.
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the daily stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*111,509 people have tested positive, 84 more than yesterday’s total
*1,612 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*6,304 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
Now our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*1,504,658 people have received one dose (77.1% of everyone 12+)
*1,361,806 people have received both doses (69.7% of everyone 12+)
One week ago, the first three totals were 110,939/1,613/6,266, and the vaccination totals were 1,484,440/1,307,132.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 177.8 million cases, 3,851,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Just in from Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s office: She’s extending the eviction moratorium for residential renters and small-business/nonprofit tenants another three months, through September 30th. The announcement notes:
The City is in the process of delivering $23 million in rent relief to Seattle’s residential tenants and landlords. In the coming weeks, the City Council will consider an additional $28 million in rental assistance directly allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act to the City of Seattle. In sum, throughout the pandemic, city-funded rental and housing assistance total approximately $75 million for tenants, landlords, and city-funded affordable housing providers, in addition to State and County resources. …
The executive order continues tenant protections prohibiting landlords from issuing notices of termination or otherwise initiating eviction actions with the courts unless there is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community. Late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment of rent during the moratorium are not allowed. However, tenants are still legally obligated to pay rent during the moratorium, and landlords are encouraged to offer flexible payment plans. Residential tenants who receive an eviction notice during the moratorium should contact the Renting in Seattle hotline at 206‐684‐5700 or go online to submit a complaint.
The moratorium on eviction of nonprofit and small business commercial tenants applies to independently-owned businesses with 50 employees or fewer per establishment, state nonprofits, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The extension also prevents eligible small businesses and nonprofits from incurring late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment during the moratorium. For additional questions please see the Office of Economic Development’s COVID-19 Lease Amendment Tool Kit.
The mayor’s announcement covers more than the eviction moratorium. Here are the other extensions:
The executive order also extends certain suspensions put in place to limit the economic impact of the pandemic on Seattle residents and small businesses. These extensions include the Utility Discount Program’s Self-Certification Pilot Program, temporary loading zones for restaurants and small businesses, and non-booting of vehicles for unpaid parking tickets. The City continues to assess when to lift these individual suspensions as it relates to the COVID-19 emergency.
Mayor Durkan has also directed utilities to refrain from shutting off service to customers through December 31, 2021.
| 77 COMMENTS