West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
As announced earlier this month, the city-supported COVID vaccination clinic in West Seattle – at Neighborhood House High Point – is closing after its next Friday/Saturday sessions. NH, a regional nonprofit, sent this announcement to thank the community:
Next Saturday, February 26, 2022 is the last day of the West Seattle Vaccination Clinic run by the city at Neighborhood House High Point.
Neighborhood House is honored to be have been able to partner with the city to provide this clinic space in our High Point building to connect community members to the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
Thank you to the West Seattle community – we were so proud to serve you! Since the clinic opened in late October 2021, the Seattle Fire Department along with inaugural health partners Pliable have administered tens of thousands of shots, to children as young as 5 and grandparents and great-grandparents of all ages.
The dates and hours of operation as well as appointments for the High Point clinic can be found at www.seattle.gov/covid-19/vaccinations.
For over 100 years, Neighborhood House has created opportunities for those facing cultural, language, and systemic barriers to live longer, happier, and healthier lives. Learn more about this work throughout King County and Seattle at nhwa.org.
The city-supported COVID testing site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex will remain open.
In the wake of this week’s major announcements about end dates for mask requirements and vaccination verification, we checked countywide and West Seattle trends via the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard.
*42 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 798 new daily cases countywide (down from 1,415 when we last checked a week and a half ago)
*5 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 22 new hospitalizations daily (down from 29 a week and a half ago)
*13 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past two weeks than the two weeks before (the dashboard didn’t offer a one-week increment)
*Currently averaging 7 new deaths daily (down from 8 a week and a half ago)
For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons:
*559 cases between 1/31 and 2/14, down from 1,618 between 1/16 and 1/30
*8 hospitalizations between 1/31 and 2/14, down from 15 between 1/16 and 1/30
*2 deaths between 1/31 and 2/14, down from 6 between 1/16 and 1/30
And checking vaccination rates for the first time in a while:
*79.5 percent of all King County residents have completed the series
*84.1 percent of all King County residents ages 5 and up have completed the series
*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 – 86.2%
98116 – 91.6%
98126 – 82.2%
98136 – 92.6%
98146 – 80.7%
One day after Governor Jay Inslee‘s announcement that most statewide mask mandates, including schools, would end March 21st, Seattle Public Schools has just published its reaction:
Seattle Public Schools is aware of Governor Inslee’s plan to lift the state mask mandate on March 21, 2022.
Implementation in the school district must meet the unique health and safety needs of our students, families, and staff. Seattle Public Schools continues to look to guidance from Public Health – Seattle & King County.
SPS will:
-Continue until further notice with our current policy requiring mask use by all students, staff, visitors and others while they are indoors and outdoors at all SPS buildings;
-Continue to require mask use on school buses, as required by federal law;
-Base updates to current masking policy on the specific needs of the district, informed by local public health guidance.
-Negotiate with the Seattle Education Association, as required by the current collective bargaining agreement, to arrive at a mutually agreeable position regarding any permanent change to mask use requirements throughout the district.
Future decisions on mask use within the district will be made in partnership with public health, and its implementation will be established after consultation and mutually agreed upon guidelines that are reached through bargaining with our labor partners.
COVID case numbers in the district, as in the general local population, continue declining, according to the SPS dashboard.
2:06 PM: Happening now in Olympia – click into the livestream here or above – Governor Jay Inslee is announcing “the latest COVID-19 trends and plans for transitioning to the next phase of Washington state’s COVID-19 response.” He’s being joined by state school superintendent Chris Reykdal and state health secretary Dr. Umair Shah. We’ll update as it goes.
He opened by hailing a “significant decline” in COVID cases though he said the case and hospitalization rates are still “high” and still need to be “knocked down.” He says modeling projects that the “knocking down” to a safe point is likely to happen by March 21st. “Considering these projections,” he said, the state mask mandate for schools and public indoor spaces will be removed on that date. There will be exceptions, he noted, such as health-care facilities and transit (the latter, he said, is federally required). He thanks people statewide for what they’ve done on this “long, long journey” but cautions it would not be safe to “do this today” – “We need to finish this job and do what’s scientifically safe.”
2:18 PM: He says people will have the right to continue choosing to wear masks if they want to “and we will protect that right.” Next, Dr. Shah speaks, saying he is “hopeful for where this pandemic is going,” nationwide as well as in our state. He reiterates the “strong protection” provided by vaccines. He adds, “Living with COVID means we don’t know how long it’s going to be around.” He also points out that the statewide mandate end will not rule out local health jurisdictions, businesses, etc. keeping their. own rules in place. Overall, this is an “incredibly important milestone,” he concludes.
2:25 PM: Now state superintendent Reykdal is speaking. He echoes what the previous speakers have said, thanking everyone for what they’ve done to stay safe. Then back to the governor, who says he knows some may think the mandate should end sooner – “We lost a thousand people in January to this disease, and when we make decisions, we should have a recognition of how dangerous and deadly this is … and we’re not yet where we need to be as a state to be safe.”
2:30 PM: On to reporter Q&A. Will the emergency order be lifted March 21 too? No, says the governor – for one, it needs to stay in place for the state to be eligible for federal funds, plus it confers protections of various kinds, such as allowing testing in schools. “There’s no dedicated end date to the emergency order.” … In response to another question, Dr. Shah reiterates, “March 21st is such an important milestone, but it does not mean the pandemic ends then.”
2:56 PM: The Q&A continues. One question was about the declining case rate; what’s on the state dashboard is most current, was the reply, showing a peak of 1,740 cases per 100,000 people over 7 days in mid-January, and then by early February that was down to 645 cases per 100,000 people over 7 days.
3:10 PM: The briefing has concluded. The video window above should show the recording soon. When the governor’s office issues a written version of today’s announcements, we’ll link it here. We also have a followup out for clarification with Seattle Public Schools regarding what the end of the statewide mandate would mean in local schools.
3:56 PM: Here’s what the governor’s office has since posted. Key point:
Businesses and local governments can still choose to implement vaccination or face mask requirements for workers or customers, and school districts can still choose to have students and teachers wear masks. Federal law still requires face masks in certain settings such as public transportation and school buses.
As noted in our morning preview, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell planned to announce a change in the vaccine-verification policy this afternoon. From the announcement (which you can read in full here):
The vaccine verification policy in King County will no longer be in effect as of March 1. Businesses will no longer be required to check customers’ proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test, to enter restaurants and bars, indoor recreational events and establishments, or outdoor events.
With new COVID-19 cases and hospitalization decreasing, and over 87% of King County residents over age 12 fully vaccinated, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced Public Health – Seattle & King County is lifting the local health order requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry into indoor recreational settings, or outdoor events. The vaccination verification policy will no longer be in effect as of March 1. Businesses and organizations may continue to implement their own vaccination verification rules for their establishments. Additionally, King County and the City of Seattle announced their remote employees would begin returning to offices in March.
“From the beginning of this pandemic, our aim has been to protect the health of our community and save lives. Our public health experts believe that now is the appropriate time to lift vaccine verification, based on high rates of vaccine coverage and the decrease in new cases and hospitalizations across the county. We are moving in the right direction, and can continue taking additional steps toward recovery,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “King County businesses and community members have been instrumental in encouraging nation-leading vaccination verification rates, and I’m grateful for the extra effort to keep our community safe over these last several months.”
“The steady decline in positive cases is much needed positive news. Seattle will continue to follow public health guidance and adopt strategies that best keep our communities safe,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “These steps forward show we are moving in the right direction and reflect that our region’s strong COVID response is the result of a united team effort. With City employees who had previously been working from home beginning to return to office in mid-March, I look forward to keeping up this collaborative spirit as we drive forward an equitable, community-focused recovery.”
“We announced the vaccination verification policy in anticipation of a fall and winter surge in cases. The intent was to reduce COVID-19 transmission in high-risk indoor settings and thereby reduce the burden on our hospitals, while providing time for more people to get fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Following the record-breaking Omicron surge, we’re have seen a steady reduction in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and hospital capacity is improving. In addition, since this policy was adopted, over one-quarter of a million King County residents have gotten vaccinated, meaning nearly 80% of King County residents are now fully vaccinated and 92% of those eligible have started the vaccination series.”
“Although our mandatory vaccine verification requirement is ending, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain elevated and layered COVID-19 prevention remains important. Everyone should continue to take steps to reduce COVID-19 risk, including getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible, using high quality, well-fitting face masks, improving indoor air quality through ventilation and filtration, and limiting time in crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. Businesses should continue to support employees in getting vaccinated and staying home when sick.”
“We are thrilled to hear that recent public health data has encouraged King County leaders to move our community and our businesses into the next phase of the pandemic and prepare for the sunset of vaccine verification,” said Rachel Smith, president and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce. “This is our moment to celebrate the tremendous work the county, businesses, and customers did to make public health a priority – saving lives and keeping our economy moving. Vaccine verification was a win-win: our businesses got to keep their staff on payroll and keep their doors open, while prioritizing safety. Our top priority has been to support the King County business community as it navigated changes in regulations, and it can expect that same high level of support and resources from the Chamber to help ensure safety for our community moving forward.”
King County’s vaccination verification policy went into effect on October 25, 2021. The policy required either verification of full vaccination or a recent negative test to enter indoor entertainment and recreational events or establishments, indoor restaurants and bars, and outdoor events with 500 people or more.
The policy was announced in September 2021 as a temporary measure during the Delta variant surge and to prepare for a potential fall and winter surge. The intent of the policy was to give additional COVID-19 protection to employees and patrons in high-risk indoor settings while providing more time for people to get fully vaccinated. Modeling produced by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) predicted the vaccine verification could have a significant positive impact in reducing infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
The policy was supported by healthcare organizations, business groups, and arts and culture organizations. Multiple King County business owners and major sports teams had already implemented their own vaccination verification policies. King County worked with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to gather business feedback to inform the policy and conduct outreach and technical assistance once the policy was in place.
That’s Seattle singer/songwriter Ariana DeBoo performing at Easy Street Records in The Junction tonight during the record-release party for Rain City Relief. Along with her solo work, you might also know her from Macklemore‘s 2016 song “Drug Dealer.” She’s one of 10 artists featured on the Rain City Relief album, one of three to play mini-sets at tonight’s party. The record is part of an ongoing campaign to raise money for musicians suffering because of pandemic disruptions. You can donate here, with the limited-edition-vinyl record available for a donation of $25+.
Though the city is making plans to close its ongoing vaccination clinics in a few weeks (as reported here Friday), Seattle/King County Public Health will continue to partner with community organizations for pop-up clinics. And we have word today of one set for next Saturday, February 19th, at the West Seattle YMCA (3622 SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor). You can make an appointment now (limited walk-in spots are expected that day) by going here – everyone welcome, not just Y members, for first/second shots or boosters. Next Saturday’s pop-up is set for noon-4 pm; here’s the flyer.
Today’s second pandemic-related announcement from the city, another one that’ll kick in at month’s end: The city-run West Seattle vaccination clinic will be shut down. It will continue operating at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) 4:30 pm-7:30 pm Fridays and 8:30 am-4:30 pm Saturdays – all ages, walk-ins or appointments – through February 26th. The city will close its Rainier Beach vaccination clinic in early March, too. The announcement (see it here) basically says the clinics aren’t being utilized enough, so the city “will pivot to a mobile, partner-led strategy to better reach unvaccinated families.” The Neighborhood House clinic opened in late October, more than four months after the city closed its original West Seattle vaccination site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex. (That location still has a testing site, which is not part of today’s clinic-closure announcement.)
On the second anniversary of the first King County COVID cases, Seattle’s pandemic-related eviction moratorium will expire. So says this announcement sent by the mayor’s office:
Today, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that residential and commercial eviction moratoria will expire at the end of the month of February. Mayor Harrell will issue an Executive Order extending the residential eviction moratorium from February 14 through February 28, after which the moratorium will not be renewed.
“With COVID cases steadily declining, the time has come for the City to move on from the broad approach of the eviction moratoria and instead drive more deliberate and focused efforts to support those most in need,” said Mayor Harrell. “In addition to distribution of all available emergency rental assistance, truly vulnerable tenants – those still suffering significant pandemic-related financial hardships – will continue to have enhanced eviction protections, while at the same time small landlords have needed clarity as they evaluate how to move forward.”
All residential tenants who demonstrate enduring financial hardship preventing them from paying rent will receive continued eviction protections for at least six months after the end of the moratorium, providing additional security for those most at risk through a specific legal defense created by ordinance. Seattle residents facing eviction are also afforded a right to legal counsel and additional eviction protections based on time of year. Landlords will be able to move forward with evictions proceedings for other purposes, such as those listed in the Just Cause Eviction Ordinance.
Mayor Harrell’s latest Executive Order comes after convening a work group of tenant advocates and small landlords, who through multiple meetings with Mayor Harrell provided input around impacts of the pandemic and the effects of the eviction moratorium informed by lived experience.
During the next two weeks, Mayor Harrell will review reports created by interdepartmental City teams defined in his previous Executive Order to evaluate data, improve existing efforts, and seek additional solutions.
As part of those efforts, Mayor Harrell has directed the Office of Housing to urgently distribute over $25 million in identified funding to support renters and small landlords, complementing funding being allocated by King County.
Mayor Harrell has also directed the City staff to develop a website to connect tenants and small landlords to available financial resources, information on rights and protections, and other critical updates needed as the moratoria ends.
“As we work together toward to a new normal, we know we’re not yet out of the woods of this pandemic,” said Mayor Harrell. “The City of Seattle will continue to take action to support those most in need – striving to protect the health and well-being of our residents, prevent homelessness and undue financial hardship, and build One Seattle with abundant opportunity for all and thriving, vibrant, connected communities.”
Pandemic updates:
WHAT THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED, AND DIDN’T: As mentioned in our daily preview list, Gov. Jay Inslee had a media briefing/Q&A this afternoon (you can watch it here). He announced that three emergency measures would be allowed to expire next week:
*The Washington National Guard’s deployment to hospitals will end February 17th
*Hospitals will be allowed to resume non-urgent procedures February 18th
*The statewide outdoor-event mask mandate will end February 18th
As for indoor masking, the governor said he’ll have something to say about that next week. State school superintendent Chris Reykdal said today that he supports ending the statewide mask mandate for schools, leaving it up to local districts to set their own policies.
LOCAL NUMBERS: A few readers asked today about local updates. Since the winter wave has clearly peaked, we’re re-evaluating the best way to provide periodic updates. Here are current toplines, from the Public Health – Seattle/King County dashboard:
*44 percent fewer cases countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 1,415 new daily cases countywide
*32 percent fewer hospitalizations countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 29 new hospitalizations daily
*12 percent fewer deaths countywide in the past week than the week before
*Currently averaging 8 new deaths daily
For West Seattle, we have two-week comparisons:
*1,748 cases between 1/22 and 2/5, down from 2,470 between 1/7 and 1/21
*16 hospitalizations between 1/22 and 2/5, down from 24 between 1/7 and 1/21
*3 deaths in each of those two 2-week periods
Every Monday, once the Seattle Public Schools COVID-19 data dashboard has been updated, we publish an update listing the changes in local schools’ cumulative case counts. This past Monday, one school – West Seattle HS – showed a startling change, with the new cumulative count more than double what was shown a week earlier. Since we hadn’t seen an anomaly like that before, we asked the district about it. Here’s the explanation from SPS spokesperson Tim Robinson:
The issue here is one of a reflection of data availability, not trend shifts.
The dashboard was updated 1/24. The next day, dozens of rows were added to the WSHS database used by nurses entering the information. Consequently, the dashboard reflected older cases that had not yet been entered, which gave the appearance of a significant case jump.
The actual data from WSHS tells a positive story of decreasing cases. WSHS week-to-week data:
9/4/2021 – 9/10/2021: 1
9/11/2021 – 9/17/2021: 1
9/18/2021 – 9/24/2021: 1
10/23/2021 – 10/29/2021: 1
11/20/2021 – 11/26/2021: 1
11/27/2021 – 12/3/2021: 1
12/11/2021 – 12/17/2021: 5
12/18/2021 – 12/24/2021: 10
12/25/2021 – 12/31/2021: 3
1/1/2022 – 1/7/2022: 15
1/8/2022 – 1/14/2022: 55
1/15/2022 – 1/21/2022: 39
1/22/2022 – 1/28/2022: 7
Dashboard users can see and adjust the week-to-week data by using the sliding date filter in the upper left corner of the dashboard. (Pro tip: click on the date rather than use the slider, as that brings up a calendar that allows you to enter the specific date.)
Lastly – please see the note in red type at the bottom of the dashboard: “Due to high community transmission, contact tracing efforts have been prioritized to focus on notifying confirmed cases. Data continues to be processed as it becomes available so counts displayed here are subject to change.” While there may be a data lag on the dashboard, necessary action of communicating to those who require information is prioritized and does not lag.
The end dates on the time spans above are Fridays – each Monday’s dashboard update reflects case counts through the preceding Friday. Comparing the totals shown in the two previous weeks to the adjusted data, the January 24th increase was 30 below what it should have been, and the January 17th increase was 50 lower than the real number.
(King County video: Presentation begins 55 minutes in)
“This is a tension between public health and public safety.” That’s what King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg told the County Council’s Law, Justice, Health, and Human Services Committee this morning. His presentation was related to a Department of Public Defense proposal to further restrict what kind of crimes can result in jail bookings. The proposal is rooted in pandemic-related concerns such as COVID-19 spread and staffing challenges at the jail, which has had booking restrictions since shortly after the pandemic began. Here’s the slide deck that Public Defense Director Anita Khandelwal presented to the committee today, also proposing that prosecutors cut back on filing charges:
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says this new proposal would mean no jail bookings for suspects “including repeat felony offenders, sex offenders, and felony home burglary suspects, among others accused of serious felony crimes,” as listed in the Public Defense slide deck. A KCPAO spokesperson says, “We believe that thoughtful, individualized case reviews are better to balance public safety and public health, and we have been doing those.” At today’s meeting, the KCPAO criminal-division chief Dan Clark said, “The problem with the blanket prohibition on certain felony crimes is that it is not a nuanced approach … if you have somebody who steals a catalytic converter every day or somebody who breaks into a home every day and the police finally catch them, if there’s these restrictions in place they can’t book them anymore. The better system is the one we have now that actually takes the opportunity for those high-impact offenders to be in front of a judge and then the judge makes a call.” The KCPAO prosecutes felonies and a handful of misdemeanors. Public Defense represents many of the suspects, and its members said at today’s hearing that their clients are not just at risk of COVID, but are being kept in inhumane conditions because of jail-staffing challenges.
Since the County Council spotlighted this issue, we asked West Seattle’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott via email where he stands. His reply:
Booking policy in the Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention within King County is an Executive Branch policy. The Council does not generally adopt or vote on the policies.
Through the pandemic, the County has intentionally decreased the number of people incarcerated from about 1900 to about 1350, and the January COVID spike is in deep decline already, with currently 61 incarcerated positive for COVID and 62 in quarantine, down from numbers approaching 200 and 250 respectively earlier this month.
Given the previous decrease in population and declining cases, I would not look favorably at a decision not to book further felonies at this point.
“Executive-branch policy” would ultimately be up to King County Executive Dow Constantine, who is quoted here as saying the county already has taken many steps to address concerns. Some councilmembers at today’s hearing said rather than change booking policy, they’d rather see steps taken to address some of the specific conditions cited as concerns.
As usual on Mondays, Seattle Public Schools updated its COVID-19 case-numbers dashboard this evening. Districtwide, the cumulative SPS case total for this school year is now 5,682, 1,095 more than a week earlier. Here’s the local school-by-school breakout (as always, these totals also are cumulative):
West Seattle High School – 140, up 87
Chief Sealth International High School – 122, up 20
Madison Middle School – 88, up 15
Denny International Middle School – 77, up 29
West Seattle Elementary – 75, up 23
Arbor Heights Elementary – 74, up 14
Fairmount Park Elementary – 69, up 14
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 57, up 9
Highland Park Elementary – 54, up 8
Concord International (Elementary) – 51, up 10
Gatewood Elementary – 49, up 18
Genesee Hill Elementary – 48, up 9
Sanislo Elementary – 47, up 8
Lafayette Elementary – 43, up 12
Roxhill Elementary – 42, up 6
Pathfinder K-8 – 39, up 8
Alki Elementary – 32, up 3
BRIDGES @ Roxhill – 2, unchanged
TESTING & VACCINATION AT SCHOOLS: Denny IMS (2601 SW Kenyon) continues to serve as a regional testing site for SPS students, families, and staff, 4-8 pm weekdays. …
Ten days after the state launched a website for ordering free COVID-19 rapid-test kits – and quickly ran out – they’re back in stock. Go to sayyescovidhometest.org to order up to 5 free tests. The state’s announcement says, “Recipients will get those tests delivered at no cost, but only while supplies last. When more supplies become available, the state will open the portal again.” They served 340,000 households the first time around and have enough more for about 120,000 this time around, so if you’re interested, hurry.
Two pandemic notes today:
VACCINATION CLINIC: A health-care professional volunteering at the city-run vaccination clinic at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) today texted to say there’s lots of capacity for walk-ins today. Kids, teens, adults; first or second shots or boosters – just show up before 5 pm.
FREE MASKS: The federally funded free N95 masks are starting to show up in local pharmacies. We’ve received reader reports today of availability at Bartell Drugs stores in Jefferson Square and Admiral. Let us know if you’ve seen them elsewhere!
Still seeking COVID-19 vaccinations for kids/teens? If they are Seattle Public Schools students, you have options. Out of the WSB inbox this morning, this reminder:
Please call the following clinics for COVID vaccine appointments for ages 5 years to 11 years:
Highland Park Elementary: 206-455-9025
Roxhill Elementary: 206-452-2660
West Seattle Elementary: 206-548-3164Please call the following clinic for COVID vaccine appointments for ages 12 to 18 years:
Madison Middle School: 206-933-7842
Our weekly look at countywide and West Seattle numbers from Public Health-Seattle & King County has moved to Tuesdays for now, given the frequency of Monday holidays in the winter, so here’s what’s happened since last Tuesday:
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS (through today):
*319,373 cases – 30,565 more than our last check one week ago (12,140 total in West Seattle, up 1,299)
*10,645 hospitalizations – 371 more than one week ago (305 total from West Seattle, up 13)
*2,299 people have died – 53 more than the previous update (81 total in West Seattle, up 1)
TRENDS
The number of new cases over the past week countywide was 3/4 the number of the previous week … the number of new hospitalizations was down too … the number of deaths was slightly higher … The West Seattle case, hospitalization, and death increases were all lower than the previous week.
VACCINATION RATE
83.1% of King County residents 5+ have completed their vaccine series – up .3% from one week ago.
By West Seattle zip code – note that these numbers are NOT available as 5+, so they reflect the percentage of 12+ population:
98106 – 89.2% completed series (54.7% of them have been boosted)
98116 – 92.1% completed series (67.1% of them have been boosted)
98126 – 83.8% completed series (62.3% of them have been boosted)
98136 – 93.6% completed series (70% of them have been boosted)
98146 – 84.3% completed series (51.2% of them have been boosted)
(Find more COVID-related King County stats here.)
GETTING TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE
-The city-sponsored, UW Medicine-run West Seattle testing site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) is open Mondays-Saturdays, limiting testing to symptomatic and exposed people. Appointments can be made here (if you find an opening).
–Curative continues operating two West Seattle testing locations – at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) and at Summit Atlas School (9601 35th SW)
For Seattle Public Schools students, staff, and families, a walk-in testing site is open 4-8 pm weekdays at Denny International Middle School (2601 SW Kenyon).
GETTING VACCINATED IN WEST SEATTLE
The city-run vaccination hub at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) continues Friday and Saturday operations; here‘s where to look for an appointment. Pliable‘s next Sunday clinic (same location) is this weekend (January 30th).
Tonight Seattle Public Schools updated its COVID-19 case-numbers dashboard. Districtwide, the cumulative SPS case total for this school year is now 4,587, 997 more than a week earlier – which is two-thirds the size of last week’s increase. Here’s the local school-by-school breakout (as always, these totals also are cumulative):
Chief Sealth International High School – 102, up 25
Madison Middle School – 73, up 22
Arbor Heights Elementary – 60, up 20
Fairmount Park Elementary – 55, up 28
West Seattle High School – 53, up 9
West Seattle Elementary – 52, up 9
Louisa Boren STEM K-8 – 48, up 16
Denny International Middle School – 48, up 8
Highland Park Elementary – 46, up 31
Concord International (Elementary) – 41, up 13
Genesee Hill Elementary – 39, up 8
Sanislo Elementary – 39, up 3
Roxhill Elementary – 36, up 8
Lafayette Elementary – 31, up 11
Gatewood Elementary – 31, up 6
Pathfinder K-8 – 31, unchanged
Alki Elementary – 29, up 6
BRIDGES @ Roxhill – 2, unchanged
Denny IMS (2601 SW Kenyon) continues to serve as a regional testing site for SPS students, families, and staff, 4-8 pm weekdays.
We’ve mentioned that Pliable‘s next Sunday vaccination clinic at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) is set for Sunday, January 30th. That’s now eight days away, and registration is open online. They usually welcome walk-ins too, but if you want to ensure a spot, you can go here and follow the links to sign up. The appointments listed as available right now are between 8:30 am and 11:45 am.
11:22 AM: First the feds – now the state. If you’re interested in getting free home COVID-19 tests, the state has just launched its own website where you can order up to five tests per household. (First thing they ask for is your zip code to check eligibility; we tested all five West Seattle zips, and they all show as “eligible.”) They’re offering up to five free tests per household. Read the full announcement here.
7:56 PM: Commenters are noting that tonight, the state site is telling them it’s all out. (added) Via Twitter, the Health Department says, ” If you were not able to place an order, we expect more tests will be available soon.”
After a series of spot closures, the Seattle Public Library system is now moving to a reduced schedule citywide because of “ongoing staffing shortages related to the current surge of COVID-19 cases in the community.” We’ve compared the new hours for local branches with the current hours – two local branches will have no changes, three will each be closed one day a week. Here are the West Seattle/South Park schedules from the list that SPL says will take effect tomorrow (Friday, January 21st):
Delridge Branch, 5423 Delridge Way SW – adding Saturday closure
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
o Closed Friday and SaturdayHigh Point Branch, 3411 SW Raymond St. – no change
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
o Noon to 5 p.m. SundaySouth Park Branch, 8604 Eighth Ave. S. – adding Sunday closure
o 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday
o 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
o Closed SundaySouthwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. SW – no change
o 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
o Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. SundayWest Seattle Branch, 2306 42nd Ave. SW – adding Friday closure
o 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Saturday
o Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
o Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
o Closed Friday
The SPL announcement says the “new, temporary schedule was created based on factors such as geographic spread, staffing availability in the region, and neighborhood use.” Book drops will remain open on days that branches are closed.
One more COVID-19 update tonight – our one-day-delayed weekly look at countywide and West Seattle numbers from Public Health-Seattle & King County, which did not update on the holiday:
KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS (through today):
*288,808 cases – 40,033 more than our last check 8 days ago (10,841 total in West Seattle, up 1,596)
*10,274 hospitalizations – 524 more than eight days ago (292 total from West Seattle, up 15)
*2,246 people have died – 50 more than the previous update (80 total in West Seattle, up 3)
TREND
The West Seattle case total averages out to just under 200 per day, compared to 190 per day in last week’s update
VACCINATION RATE
82.8% of King County residents 5+ have completed their vaccine series – up .4% from one week ago.
By West Seattle zip code – note that these numbers are still NOT available as 5+, so they reflect the percentage of 12+ population:
98106 – 88.9% completed series (52.1% of them have been boosted)
98116 – 92% completed series (64.7% of them have been boosted)
98126 – 83.7% completed series (60% of them have been boosted)
98136 – 93.5% completed series (67.9% of them have been boosted)
98146 – 84% completed series (48.6% of them have been boosted)
(Find more COVID-related King County stats here.)
GETTING TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE
-The city-sponsored, UW Medicine-run West Seattle testing site at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) is limiting testing to symptomatic/exposed people. Appointments can be made here (if you find an opening).
–Curative continues operating two West Seattle testing locations – at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) and at Summit Atlas School (9601 35th SW)
GETTING VACCINATED IN WEST SEATTLE
The city-run vaccination hub at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW) continues Friday and Saturday operations; here‘s where to look for an appointment. Pliable‘s Sunday clinics (same location) are on hiatus until January 30th. Pop-up clinics continue, including one for Seattle Public Schools students tomorrow at Denny IMS.
P.S. If you missed it, SPS published its weekly case-numbers update Monday despite the holiday, so we had the local breakouts last night.
A two-part announcement from Denny International Middle School (2601 SW Kenyon):
VACCINATION CLINIC TOMORROW: 4-6 pm Wednesday (January 19th), Seattle Public Schools students who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations can get them at a one-day walk-in clinic at Denny. Here’s the flyer.
AFTERSCHOOL TESTING: Starting tomorrow, an afterschool testing site will be set up weekdays at Denny, 4-8 pm, open to all SPS students, families, and staff. This too is walk-in, but you can register in advance here (or use the QR code on the flyer).
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