by Jack Russillo
By the end of June, Washington state could see all of its restrictions lifted and be fully reopened, Governor Jay Inslee announced on Thursday.
Continue reading Washington’s Vaccination Efforts Enough to Fully Reopen State by End of June, Inslee Saysby Carolyn Bick
There was nothing but good news at the Public Health – Seattle & King County COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, May 12.
Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin announced in the press conference that the data suggests that not only has the County started to “turn the corner” on its most recent surge of COVID-19 cases, but that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has officially approved the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to young people aged 12-15.
Continue reading Seattle and King County 12-15-Year-Olds Become Vaccine-Eligibleby Elizabeth Turnbull
Though COVID-19 disease activity remains high, and there are suggestions the pandemic curve might be starting to flatten, King County remains in Phase 3 of the Gov. Inslee’s reopening plan. And in South and Southeast King County there are concerns that certain communities of color have received the least vaccine coverage.
Continue reading King County Still in Phase 3, South King County Remains Less Vaccinatedby Carolyn Bick
King County and more than a dozen other counties will stay in Phase 3 of the State’s reopening plan, despite the fact that they have exceeded the metrics required to stay in Phase 3, Gov. Jay Inslee announced in a press conference on Tuesday, May 4.
Inslee said that the State will be “pausing” the regular two-week county metric evaluations for two weeks, which effectively means that no counties will be evaluated for another two weeks. It was widely expected that Inslee would move King County back into Phase 2 of the State’s reopening plan, but because the county’s case rates and hospitalization rates have flattened, for the most part, King County will not be moving back.
Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC), explained in the press conference that the case rate for the County has stayed fairly level for the last two weeks. He also said that King County hospitals have seen a plateau in emergency visits for COVID-like illness.
The case rate metric to stay in Phase 3 is at or less than 200 cases per 100,000 people. According to data from the Roadmap to Recovery dashboard, King County sits at almost 243 cases per 100,000 people. This data is current as of May 2, 2021.
Continue reading State Officials Pause Reopening Plan Evaluation, Keeping King County in Phase 3by Emerald Staff
Continuing its limited reopening of branches, the King County Library System (KCLS) announced on Monday that the Skyway branch will reopen on Tuesday, May 4. The branch is one of five locations added this week to a growing list of KCLS libraries where you can browse the shelves, check out books, print documents, and use computer terminals to search the internet. In addition, KCLS will also reopen the Black Diamond, Carnation, and Lake Forest Park branches this week.
KCLS has been gradually phasing in reopening of its branches across the county, with south King County branches in Kent, Muckleshoot, Tukwila, and Woodmont (Des Moines) opening their doors on March 3, and Federal Way/320th joining that list on April 6. There are now a total of 17 branches in KCLS currently offering in-building services.
Continue reading Skyway Library Reopens May 4by Carolyn Bick
Unless State officials change the Roadmap to Recovery metrics before Tuesday, May 4, these same officials will likely move King County back into Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, due to the fact that the County has exceeded both case and hospitalization rate metrics required to stay in Phase 3.
“Our 14-day new case rate is 242 [people] per 100,000 [people], and the metric for Phase 3 calls for that number to be below 200,” Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin said in a press conference on Friday, April 30. “Our seven-day hospitalization rate is 5.8 [people] per 100,000 [people], and [the Phase 3] metric calls for that number to be below 5.”
Continue reading As COVID-19 Surges Yet Again, King County Poised to Move Back to Phase 2by Elizabeth Turnbull
On Thursday, leaders at the local and national level gathered at the Rainier Beach COVID-19 vaccination site where they urged Seattle residents to get vaccinated and addressed the city’s evolution since becoming one of the first outbreaks of the virus in the U.S.
“A lot of people lost loved ones, a lot of people lost jobs, a lot of people lost hope, [this] felt like a long dark tunnel and today we are here in the light,” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said at the briefing. “For months now we’ve been saying you’ve got to sign up for appointments, you have to wait your turn, you have to wait for your age group. That is not the case anymore.”
Continue reading Leaders Celebrate COVID-19 Response, Push Vaccine Access in South King Countyby Liz Covey, LMHC
Question: I am going crazy trying to figure out what I am allowed to do right now, versus last month. And being recently fully vaccinated makes it all the harder to figure out. Especially with others who may or may not be, such as strangers in the park. How on earth am I supposed to cope with all this stress of not knowing??
Continue reading Ask a Therapist: Finding ‘Flow’ Amid the Stressors of a Slow Re-Openingby Mark Van Streefkerk
It’s been more than a (very long) year since we could visit any branches of the Seattle Public Library (SPL), but the wait is over for three branch locations restarting select in-building services next week. SPL announced that starting Tuesday, April 27, Lake City, Southwest, and Beacon Hill branches will be open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Each branch location will offer 90-minute public use sessions at 25% capacity, with cleaning breaks between sessions. Masked and socially-distanced visitors may enter the library for multiple sessions in a day. Patrons can check out materials on hold, use a computer, print, copy and scan, use the restroom, get help from SPL staff, charge devices, and sit and read. Although browsing the library catalogue and using study rooms and meeting rooms will be unavailable at this stage, the restarting of select in-building services is a major step on the road to expanding in-person service.
Continue reading Seattle Public Library Reopening Three Branches for In-Building Serviceby Elizabeth Turnbull
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that the state appears to be entering a fourth spike in coronavirus cases as mutations of the virus appear to be contributing to its spread.
“We have a situation that we’re dealing with right now, I wish it was otherwise,” Inslee said at a press briefing. “Unfortunately we now are seeing the beginnings of a fourth surge in the state of Washington.”
Continue reading State in Fourth Wave in COVID-19, Vaccination Sites Open in South King County
