We’re still checking countywide and West Seattle COVID stats at the end of each weekend, so here are the current trends: Cases are up countywide for a seventh week, at a slower rate; hospitalizations are barely above the previous week; deaths continue decreasing. Here are the specifics, from the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard:

*16 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 946 new daily cases countywide (up from 796 when we checked a week ago)

*1 percent more hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 11 new hospitalizations daily (up from 10 a week ago)

*6 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 1 death daily (same as the two-week average last week)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*687 cases between 4/18 and 5/02, up from 435 between 4/3 and 4/17
*5 hospitalizations between 4/18 and 5/02, down from 6 between 4/3 and 4/17
*No deaths between 4/18 and 5/02, same as between 4/3 and 4/17

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.9 percent of all King County residents have completed the initial series (unchanged from a week ago)
*85.7 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*48.8 percent of all King County residents have had the initial series plus a booster (up .2% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (reminder, 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 88% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 52.9% have had a booster
98116 – 92.8% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 64.6% have had a booster
98126 – 83.5% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 54.7% have had a booster
98136 – 93.7% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 67.8% have had a booster
98146 – 83.1% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 47.8% have had a booster

VACCINATION AND TESTING, UPDATED HOURS: No pop-up clinics on the near-future schedule, so you can look for vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, 8 am-noon Tuesday-Friday). … If you need to report self-test results, that’s explained on this page.

Hours after last week’s update, Public Health Seattle-King County announced we’re now at “medium” COVID level. Authorities stressed that’s not a cause for worry, just for cautiousness. Checking countywide and West Seattle stats as we do at the end of each weekend, here are the trends: Cases are up for a sixth week, hospitalizations are up (countywide but not locally), and deaths continue going down. As we noted last week, all three categories remain far lower than the winter peaks, as shown on the graphs featured on the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard:

*22 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 796 new daily cases countywide (up from 644 when we checked a week ago)

*46 percent more hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 10 new hospitalizations daily (up from 5 a week ago)

*27 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 1 death daily (same as the two-week average last week)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*553 cases between 4/11 and 4/25, up from 331 between 3/27 and 4/10
*5 hospitalizations between 4/11 and 4/25, same as between 3/27 and 4/10
*No deaths between 4/11 and 4/25, same as between 3/27 and 4/10

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.9 percent of all King County residents have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*85.6 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*48.6 percent of all King County residents have had the initial series plus a booster (up .1% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (reminder, 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.9% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 52.8% have had a booster
98116 – 92.7% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 64.5% have had a booster
98126 – 83.4% completed initial series (same as a week earlier), 54.5% have had a booster
98136 – 93.6% completed initial series (up .2% from a week earlier), 67.6% have had a booster
98146 – 83% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 47.6% have had a booster

VACCINATION AND TESTING, UPDATED HOURS: No pop-up clinics on the near-future schedule, so you can look for vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, 8 am-noon Tuesday-Friday). … If you need to report self-test results, that’s explained on this page.

8:50 PM SUNDAY: As each weekend ends, we look at the local COVID trends. Cases are up for a fifth week, hospitalizations are up, and deaths are down. All three categories remain far lower than the winter peaks you can see on the graphs that are shown on the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard:

*19 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 644 new daily cases countywide (up from 635 when we checked a week ago)

*16 percent more hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 5 new hospitalizations daily (up from 4 a week ago)

*11 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 1 death daily (same as the two-week average last week)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*489 cases between 4/4 and 4/18, up from 202 between 3/20 and 4/3
*5 hospitalizations between 4/4 and 4/18, up from 2 between 3/20 and 4/3
*No deaths between 4/4 and 4/18, unchanged from between 3/20 and 4/3

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.8 percent of all King County residents have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*85.5 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*48.5 percent of all King County residents have had the initial series plus a booster (up .4% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (reminder, 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.8% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 52.6% have had a booster
98116 – 92.6% completed initial series (up .2% from a week earlier), 64.4% have had a booster
98126 – 83.4% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 54.3% have had a booster
98136 – 93.4% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 67.3% have had a booster
98146 – 82.9% completed initial series (up .2% from a week earlier), 47.4% have had a booster

VACCINATION AND TESTING, UPDATED HOURS: No pop-up clinics on the near-future schedule, so you can look for vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, 8 am-noon Tuesday-Friday this week). … Last week a commenter asked about reporting self-test results. That’s explained on this page.

ADDED 10:39 AM MONDAY: Public Health Seattle-King County announced this morning that the county has now crossed the threshold to “medium” COVID level as defined by the CDC. A briefing is planned at noon – you can watch live here.

COVID cases are up for a fourth week, while hospitalization and death rates are down. The weekend’s end brings our weekly check of key local numbers, via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard:

*37 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 535 new daily cases countywide (up from 384 when we checked a week ago)

*21 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 4 new hospitalizations daily (down from 5 a week ago)

*60 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 1 death daily (same as the two-week average last week)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*365 cases between 3/28 and 4/11, up from 134 between 3/13 and 3/27
*2 hospitalizations between 3/28 and 4/11, down from 3 between 3/13 and 3/27
*No deaths between 3/28 and 4/11, unchanged from between 3/13 and 3/27

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.7 percent of all King County residents have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*85.4 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the initial series (up .1% from a week ago)
*48.1 percent of all King County residents have had the initial series plus a booster

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (reminder, 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.7% completed initial series (up .2% from a week earlier), 52.2% have had a booster
98116 – 92.4% completed initial series (unchanged from a week earlier), 64.1% have had a booster
98126 – 83.3% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 54% have had a booster
98136 – 93.3% completed initial series (up .1% from a week earlier), 67% have had a booster
98146 – 82.7% completed initial series (up .2% from a week earlier), 47.1% have had a booster

VACCINATION AND TESTING, UPDATED HOURS: No pop-up clinics on the near-future schedule, so you can look for vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, 8 am-noon Tuesday-Friday this week).

It’s now been about a month since many pandemic restrictions, particularly regarding masks, lifted. Weekend’s end means our weekly check of where key local numbers stand, via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard. It shows COVID cases up for a third week, with hospitalizations also rising but deaths continuing to drop:

*36 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 384 new daily cases countywide (up from 281 when we checked a week ago)

*52 percent more hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 5 new hospitalizations daily (up from 3 a week ago)

*63 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 1 death daily (down from 2 a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*228 cases between 3/21 and 4/4, up from 126 between 3/6 and 3/20
*3 hospitalizations between 3/21 and 4/4, up from 2 between 3/6 and 3/20
*No deaths between 3/21 and 4/4, unchanged from between 3/6 and 3/20

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.6 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)
*85.3 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.5% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98116 – 92.4% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98126 – 83.2% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98136 – 93.2% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98146 – 82.5% (up .3% from a week earlier)

VACCINATION AND TESTING, UPDATED HOURS: No pop-up clinics announced recently, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 9 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, but it’s closed this week).

After a third week of reduced restriction, it’s time to again check where key local numbers stand, via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard. Cases are up for a second week, but hospitalizations and deaths continue trending downward:

*51 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 281 new daily cases countywide (up from 183 when we checked a week ago)

*23 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 3 new hospitalizations daily (down from 4 a week ago)

*38 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 2 deaths daily (down from 3 a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*157 cases between 3/14 and 3/28, up from 140 between 2/27 and 3/13
*4 hospitalizations between 3/14 and 3/28, up from 3 between 2/27 and 3/13
*No deaths between 3/14 and 3/28, down from 1 between 2/27 and 3/13

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.4 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)
*85.2 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.5% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98116 – 92.2% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98126 – 83% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98136 – 93.2% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98146 – 82.2% (up .1% from a week earlier)

VACCINATION AND TESTING: Although the city’s West Seattle clinic has permanently closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, 9 am-5:30 pm Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, 7:30 am-3 pm Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, 8 am-noon Tuesday-Friday).

Local health-care providers Pliable have just sent word of a booster-only COVID vaccination event in West Seattle this Sunday morning, “with room to extend depending on demand”:

*COVID BOOSTER EVENT*
SUNDAY 4/3
PLIABLE
Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) 8 am-12 pm

Those eligible include:
ages 50+ Moderna/Pfizer who are at least 4 months from prior booster dose
ages 18+ Moderna/Pfizer who received J&J as initial dose/booster at least 4 months ago
ages 12+ Pfizer who are immunocompromised and received prior booster at least 4 months ago

Register at www.bepliable.com (registration strongly encouraged due to supply, walk-ups welcome while supply allows)

Here’s the update today from the CDC and FDA regarding second boosters for some people.

After a second week of reduced restrictions, here’s where key local numbers stand, as drawn from the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.

*7 percent more cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 183 new daily cases countywide (up from 170 when we checked a week ago)

*19 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 4 new hospitalizations daily (up from 3 a week ago)

*25 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 3 deaths daily (unchanged from a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*137 cases between 3/7 and 3/21, down from 187 between 2/20 and 3/6
*2 hospitalizations between 3/7 and 3/21, down from 3 between 2/20 and 3/6
*No deaths between 3/7 and 3/21, down from 1 between 2/20 and 3/6

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.3 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)
*85 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.4% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98116 – 92.1% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98126 – 83% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98136 – 93.1% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98146 – 82.1% (up .1% from a week earlier)

VACCINATION AND TESTING: Although the city’s West Seattle clinic is closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. If you want to get tested and don’t have a kit at home, public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, Monday-Friday), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, Tuesday-Friday).

After the first full week of semi-masklessness, here’s our weekly update of key local numbers, from the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.

*25 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 170 new daily cases countywide (down from 226 when we checked a week ago)

*53 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 3 new hospitalizations daily (down from 6 a week ago)

*48 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 3 deaths daily (down from 4 a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*153 cases between 2/28 and 3/14, down from 254 between 2/13 and 2/27
*1 hospitalization between 2/28 and 3/14, down from 6 between 2/13 and 2/27
*No deaths between 2/28 and 3/14, down from 1 between 2/13 and 2/27

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.2 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)
*84.9 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .1% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87.2% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98116 – 92% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98126 – 82.8% (unchanged from a week earlier)
98136 – 93.1% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98146 – 82% (up .3% from a week earlier)

Although the city’s West Seattle clinic is closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. Public testing sites include the city-supported site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle, Mondays-Saturdays), the Curative kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1220 Harbor SW, Mondays-Fridays), and the Curative van at Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, Mondays-Fridays).

With many pandemic-related requirements now lifted or scaled back, it’s time for what will serve as a baseline update of key local numbers. So here’s what we’re seeing on the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.

*23 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 226 new daily cases countywide (down from 291 when we checked a week ago)

*40 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 6 new hospitalizations daily (down from 11 a week ago)

*49 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 4 deaths daily (down from 5 a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*192 cases between 2/21 and 3/7, down from 330 between 2/6 and 2/20
*3 hospitalizations between 2/21 and 3/7, down from 4 between 2/6 and 2/20
*1 death between 2/21 and 3/7, down from 3 between 2/6 and 2/20

And checking vaccination rates:
*80.1 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)
*84.8 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 87% (up .3% from a week earlier)
98116 – 92% (up .3% from a week earlier)
98126 – 82.8% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98136 – 93% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98146 – 81.7% (up .2% from a week earlier)

Although the city’s West Seattle clinic is closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup.

As of tomorrow (Saturday, March 12), the county and state indoor mask mandates are over. But that doesn’t mean masks are optional everywhere. Here’s the thumbnail reminder:

Also, Seattle Parks and Recreation said today that its mask requirement will stay in effect until April 4th – as explained here.

Plus, some businesses can and will choose to continue to require masks. Among them, Pegasus Book Exchange in The Junction. Eric emailed today to ask us to mention this: “For the time being, until we see the stats in a few weeks, we will be continuing to require customers and staff to wear masks in our shop.” Mashiko noted a similar sentiment via social media, saying they’re continuing to require masks at least a little while longer: “We just want to feel this out for few weeks before we tear off the bandaid.” Youngstown Coffee in Morgan Junction says it’s requesting masks but not requiring them. (Any other businesses/venues requiring/requesting masks, you’re welcome to email us so we can mention you too.)

Most masking may be over, but, officials stress, COVID-19 is not. Among them, King County Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin, who held a briefing/media Q&A session this morning – here’s what he said:

P.S. If you’re not vaccinated/boosted yet but thinking about it, the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) has its next pop-up clinic tomorrow.

The King County vaccination-verification requirement is lifted; most indoor mask requirements end one week from today. But the pandemic’s not over, so how are the key numbers going locally? Here are the latest countywide and West Seattle trends and totals, via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.

*29 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 291 new daily cases countywide (down from 407 when we checked a week ago)

*1 percent more hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 11 new hospitalizations daily (up from 10 a week ago)

*36 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 5 deaths daily (down from 6 a week ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons (these are the combined totals from two “health reporting areas,” labeled West Seattle and Delridge):
*272 cases between 2/14 and 2/28, down from 560 between 1/30 and 2/13
*5 hospitalizations between 2/14 and 2/28, down from 9 between 1/30 and 2/13
*1 death between 2/14 and 2/28, down from 3 between 1/30 and 2/13

And checking vaccination rates:
*79.9 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)
*84.6 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 86.7% (up .2% from a week earlier)
98116 – 91.7% (same as a week earlier)
98126 – 82.6% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98136 – 92.8% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98146 – 81.5% (up .4% from a week earlier)

Though the city’s West Seattle clinic is closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup. We’ll also continue spotlighting pop-up clinics, such as the one the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) is hosting next Saturday, March 12th, noon-4 pm.

Many mask mandates are ending. That doesn’t mean mask-wearing is ending for everyone. Some people will still be required to; some will still choose to. Many elected and community leaders have stressed the importance of not hassling those who continue to wear them. We received this report from Gary about an incident today:

Our son is 19 years old and high-functioning autistic. He is part of the Seattle Public Schools BRIDGES program, aimed at helping Special Needs kids integrate into adult life / society.

After getting off the bus [with his teacher] and walking around 26th and Roxbury on the way to class [at the former Roxhill Elementary building], a large truck decided to stop, pull out his phone, start recording them, yelling and swearing how he is brainwashed and doesn’t need to wear a mask outside. Although not “illegal,” I’m sure many parents can understand the emotions that it brings. We now have to pay attention if this has caused additional apprehension about riding Metro, the community, and people in general. All of which are difficult for kids with special needs.

It was handled well by the teacher, and the truck moved on… just truly a shame how selfish and rude people are, unaware of the damage and setbacks something like this could actually cause to somebody.

Last weekend brought the end of West Seattle’s long-running city-supported COVID-19 vaccination clinic. But three local pop-ups have been announced for this month. For everyone eligible, the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) is offering a community vaccination clinic noon-4 pm Saturday, March 12th; limited walk-in opportunities are expected, but you can also make an appointment – this flyer explains how. Meantime, for Seattle Public Schools students and staff, the district is promoting two upcoming clinics – 3-5 pm tomorrow (Thursday, March 3rd) at Upton Flats (35th/Graham) in High Point, and 9 am-1 pm Saturday, March 19, at Concord International (723 S. Concord) in South Park. For other availability, the state continues offering an online locator tool.

11:34 AM: Just in: As of March 12th, the state and King County will lift their indoor-mask rules. That’s nine days earlier than Gov. Jay Inslee announced last week. His new statement – issued in conjunction with the governors of Oregon and California – says in part:

This new date does not change any other aspect of the updated mask requirements Inslee announced last week. Masks will still be required in certain settings including health care, corrections facilities, and long-term care facilities. The Washington State Department of Health will be issuing new guidance for K-12 schools next week so schools can prepare to implement updated safety protocols.

Here’s a graphic from the governor’s office, with more details:

The governor’s office says the new date is possible because “of new [CDC] guidance and continued decreases in hospitalization rates.” We’ll add to this as more information becomes available.

11:55 AM: Gov. Inslee plans a media briefing at 1 pm – you can watch here. You can read the three governors’ joint statement here.

1:08 PM: The governor has just begun speaking. Meantime, the King County decision is explained here.

1:56 PM: The governor’s briefing/Q&A has just concluded. He said he does not anticipate changing the date again. He also says (as he did last week) that the emergency declaration regarding the pandemic will remain in place, in part because that facilitates some policies staying in place such as the health-care masking requirement.

8:02 PM: If you’re wondering about schools, Seattle Public Schools has reiterated that its policy will remain in place TFN.

Monday (February 28th) will mark two years since the first King County COVID-19 case was announced. It’ll also be the last day of the King County vaccination-verification requirement. And today was closing day for the city’s West Seattle vaccination clinic. Amid all this, the key pandemic numbers continue dropping. Here are the latest countywide and West Seattle trends and totals, via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.

*42 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 407 new daily cases countywide (down from 798 when we last checked a week ago)

*29 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 10 new hospitalizations daily (down from 22 a week ago)

*35 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard doesn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 6 deaths daily (down from 7 a week and a half ago)

For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons:
*343 cases between 2/7 and 2/21, down from 1,030 between 1/23 and 2/6
*4 hospitalizations between 2/7 and 2/21, down from 16 between 1/23 and 2/6
*2 deaths between 2/7 and 2/21, down from 4 between 1/23 and 2/6

And checking vaccination rates:
*79.7 percent of all King County residents have completed the series (up .2% from a week ago)
*84.4 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series (up .3% from a week ago)

*In West Seattle, here are the zip-code vaccination rates for ages 5 and up (note that 98106 and 98146 are not entirely within WS):
98106 – 86.5% (up .3% from a week earlier)
98116 – 91.7% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98126 – 82.5% (up .3% from a week earlier)
98136 – 92.7% (up .1% from a week earlier)
98146 – 81.1% (up .4% from a week earlier)

Though the city’s West Seattle clinic is now closed, you can still find vaccination locations via this statewide lookup – for example, it brings up a clinic at the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) on March 12th.