by Alex Garland
In late August, King County began reaching out to “cities, small businesses, chambers of commerce, labor unions, trade associations, sports teams, venues, community groups, and faith-based leaders throughout the county” to attempt an equitable arrangement on a vaccine verification policy for businesses and residents.
Continue reading King County Will Require Proof of Vaccination at Outdoor Events, Indoor Restaurantsby Ashley Archibald
Health officials stressed the importance of vaccination as well as practicing social distancing and wearing masks, even in places where people are not required to do so, to protect students as they return to schools amid a spike in coronavirus cases caused by the delta variant across Washington State.
In a Sept. 2 press conference, health officials said that despite the surge in cases and concerns about hospital bed availability, it is important for the wellness of young people that they return to school. Officials emphasized masking, social distancing, vaccination for eligible students aged 12 and above, and observing COVID protocols in families’ daily lives.
Continue reading DOH Officials Emphasize COVID Protocols to Protect Returning Students Amid Delta Surgeby Carolyn Bick
Stating in no uncertain terms that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent masking recommendations are “uncoordinated and counterproductive,” Public Health — Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin announced in a May 20 press conference a new local health directive for all King County residents. The directive — which is effective immediately, regardless of vaccination status — asks that everyone continue to wear a mask in public indoor spaces, such as grocery stores.
Continue reading PHSKC Issues Health Directive for Everyone to Keep Masks On in Indoor Spacesby 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 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 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 Ashley Archibald
The number of new coronavirus infections has held fairly steady over the past two weeks but continue to be considerably higher than at the end of the winter surge, even as more King County residents get access to limited supplies of the vaccine, King County officials said at a press conference Thursday.
King County averaged 294 new coronavirus cases each day for the past week, double what was reported at the beginning of March, said Dr. Jeff Duchin, the health officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County. Infections have been increasing for all age groups except children below age 5 and adults above age 65, with the fastest jumps reported in people aged 18 to 24.
“We are at standoff with this virus currently,” Duchin said. “This is not the time to blink.”
Continue reading Case Numbers Hold Steady but Health Officials Warn, ‘Not the Time to Blink’by Carolyn Bick
Because of Washington State’s decision to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to indefinitely pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against the novel coronavirus, following incidents of serious blood clots in a handful people in the United States who have gotten the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, thousands of King County residents now do not know when they will be able to get vaccinated.
Continue reading Vaccination Path Forward Temporarily Unclear for Thousands of King County Residentsby Carolyn Bick
There appear to be a small, but growing number of COVID-19 outbreaks among youth sports teams in King County, most of which have occurred in the South End. As of this writing, there have been 10 outbreaks this year, sickening 34 youths and eight adults.
Continue reading County Faces Steep Decline in Available Vaccines, Youth Sports Teams See Outbreaksby Carolyn Bick
Even as Washingtonians mark their calendars for April 15, the day everyone aged 16 and older in the state will be able to get vaccinated, the viral storm clouds on the horizon are growing darker.
In the last week, the average daily COVID case rate in King County alone has risen to 250 new cases per day, Public Health — Seattle & King County (PHSKC) Public Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin told listeners in an April 2 press conference. This represents a 26% increase from the week before, and an 86% overall increase from the beginning of this most recent rise, which likely represents a fourth wave beginning, Duchin said.
Continue reading New COVID Cases Outpacing Vaccinations, Highest Among 18 to 24-Year-Olds
