11:15 AM: One month after the city announced it would open a new West Seattle COVID-19 vaccination hub – 4 1/2 months after closing the previous one – the location has finally been made public. During this morning’s City Council briefing meeting, a weekly chance for councilmembers to present quick updates, West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold said the location would be Neighborhood House, which has a center at 6400 Sylvan Way SW in High Point. She said the official announcement is planned tomorrow (Tuesday, October 26). The city’s announcement last month said West Seattle would be one of three new vaccination hubs to help with the increased volume following booster recommendations. So far it’s opened one downtown but the West Seattle and South Seattle plans had remained undisclosed.

2:48 PM: We’ve since received the advisory that Mayor Jenny Durkan and Councilmember Herbold will be at Neighborhood House tomorrow morning for the announcement. The partner will be Pliable, the mobile health service that’s already had multiple pop-ups around West Seattle. According to the advisory:

Over the coming weeks, the clinic will operate on most Fridays from 11 am to 7 pm and on most Saturdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Appointments and more information is available at seattle.gov/vaccine.

We’re checking to see if its first day will be this Friday.

Every week on Sunday night, we update local pandemic stats and recqp ihe week’s news.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS (through Friday – they’re not updated on weekends):

*161,406 cases – 2,813 more than a week ago (5,769 total in West Seattle, up 84)
*8,344 hospitalizations – 95 more than a week ago (245 total from West Seattle, up 3)
*1,970 people have died – 28 more than a week ago (73 total in West Seattle, unchanged)

VACCINATION RATE

82.4% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .5% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 84.2%
98116 – 88%
98126 – 79.9%
98136 – 89.7%
98146 – 79.9%

(Find more COVID-related King County stats here)

VACCINATION VERIFICATION

Tomorrow’s the day the new King County requirements take effect for:

*Restaurants/bars (if you’re dining/drinking indoors)
*Indoor recreational events or establishments (that includes many Seattle Parks facilities/programs)
*Outdoor events with 500 people or more

Details, and how to show your vaccination status (or a negative test result), are here.

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that. Otherwise, for everybody waiting for the city to announce its promised West Seattle vaccination hub – no word yet; the last update was that they hoped to have it in operation by “early November.”

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service in the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES

Boosters – After this update from the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, they’re now recommended in our state for all J&J recipients and certain Moderna recipients, plus the previously recommended Pfizer recipients. See the newest details here.

Grants – This week, the city announced a new round of small-business-stabilization grants.

Today’s the day city employees had to either be vaccinated or be exempt. Advance concern focused on the police and fire departments, which already had staffing struggles. Here are the newest numbers released by Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s office:

Citywide

99% of our 11,000 employees have complied

94% vaccinated
5% exemptions
1% not submitted – approximately 150 individuals

Seattle Fire

93% vaccinated
6% exemptions
1% not submitted
Only 16 individuals have not submitted

Seattle PD

91% vaccinated
7% exemptions
2% not submitted
Only 24 individuals have not submitted

Both SPD and SFD had contingency plans if needed; City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, explained them at the council’s briefing meeting this morning – watch starting at 41:15:

In short, SPD, if necessary, would move to “Stage 3 operations,” in which all sworn personnel would be ready to staff precincts if needed; SFD’s contingency plan also would include moving personnel from desk to operations jobs, along with steps such as reducing the number of units initially dispatched to certain types of calls.

As the weekend wraps up, here’s our weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS (as of Friday – they’re not updated on weekends):

*158,593 people have tested positive – 3,267 more than a week ago (5,685 total in West Seattle, up 126)
*8,249 people have been hospitalized – 95 more than a week ago (242 total from West Seattle, unchanged)
*1,942 people have died – 22 more than a week ago (73 total in West Seattle, unchanged)

VACCINATION RATE

81.9% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .5% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code (note: all zip codes have risen at least one full point since last week, more than previous weeks):
98106 – 83.8%
98116 – 87.5%
98126 – 79.5%
98136 – 89.4%
98146 – 79.2%

(Find more COVID-related King County stats here)

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that. Also note the South Park Senior Center is hosting a pop-up clinic on Tuesday, 9 am-1 pm – details are in our calendar listing.

THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES

Vaccine-mandate deadline – Monday is the deadline for many government workers in our state to show proof of vaccination. How many won’t? The City of Seattle, for example, released some stats on Friday:

As of Thursday, October 14th, more than 25 departments have 95%+ of employees vaccinated.

As of October 15, the Seattle Fire Department is at 88% vaccinated, SPD is at 82% vaccinated, Seattle Department of Transportation is at 91% vaccinated, Seattle City Light is at 90%, and Seattle Public Utilities is at 90%.

Briefings – Two this past week, both with some encouraging news. State health officials held theirs on Wednesday:

And the governor on Thursday:

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

Two notes about COVID-19 vaccination in our area:

NEXT POP-UP CLINIC: Just received this announcement from Our Lady of Guadalupe:

On Sunday, October 17, Our Lady of Guadalupe will host a COVID vaccine clinic in the Walmesley Center (3410 SW Myrtle St.) from 9:30 am-1:30 pm with both the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine. You can get your first, second, or booster shot.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following groups should receive a Pfizer booster at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer primary series: people aged 65 and older, residents aged 18 years and older in long-term care settings, people aged 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions. They also recommend the following groups may receive a Pfizer booster: people 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, people aged 18-64 years at increased risk for COVID exposure and transmission because of occupational and institutional setting. The CDC also recommends that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional dose at least 28 days after a second dose of Pfizer.

You can book an appointment here. Walk-ups welcome as space allows. Learn more about CDC recommendations here.

CITY VACCINATION HUB IN WEST SEATTLE: Though the city announced two weeks ago that its plan for a new West Seattle vaccination hub would be finalized by “early October,” it’s not set yet. The city announced other plans today – new hubs elsewhere, and a revival of its mobile teams, but mayor’s office spokesperson Kelsey Nyland tells WSB, “We’re still finalizing details on the West Seattle hub – we hope to announce specifics in the next two weeks and have it operational by early November.”

Sunday night brings our weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS (as of Friday – they’re not updated on weekends):

*155,326 people have tested positive – 3,044 more than a week ago (5,559 total in West Seattle, up 145)
*8,154 people have been hospitalized – 105 more than a week ago (242 total from West Seattle, unchanged)
*1,920 people have died – 25 more than a week ago (73 total in West Seattle, up 1)

VACCINATION RATE

81.4% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up 1% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code (note: all zip codes have risen at least one full point since last week, more than previous weeks):
98106 – 83.3%
98116 – 87.2%
98126 – 79%
98136 – 89.2%
98146 – 78.7%

(Find more COVID-related King County stats here)

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that.

THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES

County situation ‘improving’ – This week, King County Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin gave a briefing, saying rates are going down. and “The big-picture COVID-19 pandemic forecast is improving …” Watch the full briefing here:

Among the trends he mentioned: There’s been no increase in case rates among youths since in-person school began last month.

Seattle Public Schools cases – And indeed – this week, the dashboard showed a number of new cases comparable to the week before.

Still waiting – It’s now been almost two weeks since the city promised a new West Seattle site for boosters. We checked again this week – they’re not ready to say where yet. Meantime, no booster (or other) pop-up clinics announced in our area for the week ahead, so far. (If you know of any, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

Here’s our weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:

*152,282 people have tested positive – 3,329 more than a week ago (5,414 in West Seattle, up 114)
*8,049 people have been hospitalized – 107 more than a week ago (242 from West Seattle, up 2)
*1,895 people have died – 41 more than a week ago (72 in West Seattle, up 2)

VACCINATION RATE

80.4% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .5% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 81.8%
98116 – 86.2%
98126 – 77.9%
98136 – 87.7%
98146 – 77.5%

(More COVID-related King County stats here)

THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES

Encouraging trends – This week’s briefing by state health officials included the news that infections and hospitalizations statewide are trending downward, while remaining high. Watch the full briefing here:

West Seattle to get a city vax site again – Four months after the city closed its West Seattle vaccination site, it announced plans to open a new one for boosters – no word yet on where.

Seattle Public Schools cases – This week, the dashboard added fewer new cases districtwide than the previous week.

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that.

The city says it’ll open three new COVID-19 vaccination sites to help with boosters, now that they’re officially recommended for people in some groups. King County has already begun offering them at its sites. From today’s announcement:

Working with health care partners, the City of Seattle will be opening three additional vaccination sites beginning in October that will host weekly clinics to increase access to vaccinations. Sites are expected to serve West Seattle, South Seattle, and Central Seattle with partners, locations, and hours announced in early October. The City of Seattle will also relaunch mobile teams to focus on delivering boosters to older adults. To date, the City of Seattle administered nearly 260,000 vaccinations.

The city closed its West Seattle vaccination hub almost four months ago.

Here’s our delayed-by-breaking-news weekly collection of local pandemic updates, starting with the newest numbers.

KING COUNTY CUMULATIVE NUMBERS AS OF FRIDAY:

*148,953 people have tested positive – 3,291 more than a week ago (5,300 in West Seattle, up 98)
*7,942 people have been hospitalized – 132 more than a week ago (240 from West Seattle, up 3)
*1,854 people have died – 19 more than a week ago (70 in West Seattle, down 1)

VACCINATION RATE

79.9% of King County residents 12+ have completed their vaccine series (up .7% in the past week)

By West Seattle zip code:
98106 – 81.2%
98116 – 85.9%
98126 – 77.5%
98136 – 87.5%
98146 – 76,9%

(More COVID-related King County stats here)

THE WEEK’S PANDEMIC HEADLINES

Eviction moratorium extended – By order of the mayor, who also told utilities to keep refraining from shutoffs.

Seattle Public Schools cases – The second dashboard update of the school year added almost 100 cases districtwide. Next update should happen later today.

Boosters or not? Here are the new recommendations for certain categories of people who got the Pfizer vaccine (no booster recommendations for the other vaccines so far).

NEED TO GET TESTED IN WEST SEATTLE?

The UW Medicine testing service at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) continues to operate; you can make an appointment here, though readers report walk-ups have been accepted. Meantime, the Curative testing kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW) is also still operating. In addition, both West Seattle Walgreens stores are offering drive-up testing (35th/Morgan and 16th/Roxbury) – more info here.

NOT VACCINATED YET?

Go here to see where you can change that. Also note a clinic next weekend: Chief Sealth International High School next Saturday (flu shots as well as COVID vaccine).

Just announced by the city:

As federal funds for rental assistance continue to be distributed, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced today that she is extending the moratoriums for residential and commercial evictions through January 15, 2022 through Executive Order 2021-07. The order will also modify additional COVID-related relief measures related to utility assistance. This marks the sixth extension of the eviction moratorium as part of the COVID-19 civil emergency since March 14, 2020, when Seattle declared one of the first eviction moratoriums in the country. As reported by SCC Insight, Magistrate Judge Richard Creatura found the city and state eviction moratoriums to be constitutional in a recommendation on September 15, 2021, to Judge Richard Jones. …

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.

The moratorium on eviction of nonprofit and small business commercial tenant 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.

Currently, upon expiration, Ordinance 126075 will take effect, providing additional tenant protections including the start of a six-month period in which a renter may claim a defense against eviction for non-payment of rent if they can demonstrate financial hardship due to COVID-19. This timeline protects tenants from evictions for non/late payments through mid-June 2022.

The executive order also extends certain suspensions put in place to limit the economic impact of the pandemic on Seattle residents and small businesses. The Utility Discount Program’s Self-Certification Pilot Program, as announced in Executive Order 2020-03, will be extended through October 31, 2021. Mayor Durkan has also directed utilities to refrain from shutting off service to customers through January 15, 2022. Temporary parking zones for hospital and human services staff, as announced on March 26, 2020, will be resumed and be extended through January 15, 2022. The City continues to assess when to lift these individual suspensions as it relates to the COVID-19 emergency.