West Seattle, Washington
24 Tuesday
Tonight’s pandemic toplines:
STILL LOTS OF APPOINTMENTS: For a third day, the city is urging people to take advantage of its many open appointments. They also announced today that if you got your first dose somewhere else, you can get a city appointment for your second dose – info here. Meantime, we’ve been hearing from other providers – Neighborcare Health at High Point is offering Saturday appointments. If none of that works for you, see our list of other options in this recent roundup.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Checking today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – here are the cumulative totals:
*96,744 people have tested positive, 147 more than yesterday’s total
*1,505 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,742 people have been hospitalized, 29 more than yesterday’s total
*1,032,976 people have been tested, 4,194 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 94,250/1,498/5,590/1,016,855.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 148.3 million cases worldwide, 32.1 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
PANDEMIC BRIEFING: At 8:15 am tomorrow online, state health officials will present their weekly briefing and media Q&A. Watch the livestream here.
VACCINATION PROGRESS: 61.7 percent of King County residents 16+ have had at least one shot.
NEED TO BE VACCINATED BUT CAN’T LEAVE HOME … because of an injury, disability, or other medical problem? King County mobile teams might be able to help. Here’s how.
\GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Two days after opening a firehose of vaccination appointments, the city is no longer limiting them to people getting their first shots – this afternoon, they announced you can now sign up to get a second dose even if you got the first one elsewhere. Here’s the announcement; the appointment link is here.
(Photo courtesy Neighborcare)
If going to the city-run West Seattle site doesn’t work for you but you’re still looking for a vaccination appointment on the peninsula, we’ve received another announcement:
Neighborcare Health at High Point is offering COVID-19 vaccines by appointment only to anyone 18 and older at the clinic on Saturday, May 1 between 10 am and 4 pm. You don’t have to be a current Neighborcare Health patient. To make an appointment, call 206-461-6950. The clinic is located at 6020 35th Avenue SW.
Neighborcare tells us they’ll be giving the Moderna vaccine, and these are first-dose appointments.
Our nightly roundup of local pandemic-related information:
STILL THOUSANDS OF APPOINTMENTS: On Sunday, we reported that the city was suddenly energetically encouraging anyone and everyone to use this link to get a vaccination appointment. Today, they shouted it even louder, including an AlertSeattle bulletin. At last check, they still have 15,000+ appointments available at city-run sites including Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). If you don’t want a city appointment – see our list of other options in Saturday’s roundup.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*96,597 people have tested positive, 256 more than yesterday’s total
*1,503 people have died, unchanged since Saturday
*5,713 people have been hospitalized, 21 more than yesterday’s total
*1,028,782 people have been tested, 398 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 93,937/1,493/5,590/1,009,048.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 147.5 million cases, 3,117,000 deaths – 572,000 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
ONE WEEK TO NEXT REVIEW: One week from today is the state’s next assessment to decide whether counties can stay in their current phases or move backward/ahead. If the decision was made today, King County would be rolling back, because we’re flunking both of the criteria, as shown here.
VACCINE DAY OFF: Arthur’s in Admiral will be closed tomorrow (Tuesday, April 27th) so its staff can get vaccinated.
NEED FOOD? Two opportunities this week – both on Friday (April 30th): The nearest Food Lifeline distribution is 2-5 pm Friday at 815 S. 96th; Highland Park Elementary is offering drive-up grab-n-go food boxes during that same time period (1012 SW Trenton).
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic news:
THOUSANDS OF APPOINTMENTS: Need a vaccine appointment? Suddenly the city has thousands. Here’s the link. (If you are looking for other options, see the list in last night’s roundup.)
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:
*96,341 people have tested positive, 463 more than yesterday’s total
*1,503 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*5,692 people have been hospitalized, 28 more than yesterday’s total
*1,028,384 people have been tested, 3,974 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 93,854/1,493/5,573/1,008,756.
WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Time for our weekly check. These numbers are shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the countywide daily-summary dashboard; to determine WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 180 positive test results; 129 in the 2 weeks before that; 99 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 65, unchanged again in this past week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 146.8 million cases and 3,106,000+ deaths, 572,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here
SCHOOL CASES: 19 in local Seattle Public Schools so far this year, and one just reported.
NEED A TEST? Since the city is no longer offering it at the West Seattle hub, here are nearby options
Curative walk-up kiosk @ Don Armeni Boat Ramp (1222 Harbor SW, Monday-Saturday 8 am-3 pm, book online)
Curative van @ Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 am-2:30 pm, book online)
Neighborcare‘s High Point clinic (6020 35th SW – call 206-461-6950 for appointment)
City drive-up site in SODO (3820 6th Ave. S., Monday-Saturday, 9 am-5:30 pm, book online)
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Three notes about West Seattle schools:
COVID CASE: Genesee Hill Elementary families received email sent by principal Gerrit Kischner on Friday afternoon announcing a student had tested positive:
… I am writing to let you know that one of our students is confirmed to have COVID-19. The student was last in the building April 19th after exposure during Spring Break. Students and adults who came in close contact with this student have been identified, notified, and are following Public Health guidelines to isolate and/or quarantine for 10 days.
With sports and other activities restarting, several families have notified us this week that they have kept their children home for testing \because of possible exposure in the home or community. We are glad that this appears to be a single positive case at this time, with no transmission in the building. Please continue to notify us of possible concerns so that we can remain vigilant. …
Thanks to the reader who forwarded that email. They also noted that the district is keeping a public dashboard of cases, by region rather than by school; it shows the Southwest region – West Seattle and South Park – with 19 cases reported this school year, 12 students and 7 staffers.
COHORTS MERGE: Last weekend we noted that Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer had told families that if more students didn’t sign up for the hybrid option, they would merge cohorts, instead of one group having in-person classes Monday/Tuesday afternoons and another having them Thursday/Friday afternoons. This weekend, she notified families that the merger is indeed on, so the only days with in-person learning at Sealth will be Mondays/Tuesdays.
GRADUATION DATES: As first reported here two weeks ago, the district will have in-person graduation ceremonies after all. The dates/times are now set – Chief Sealth IHS and West Seattle HS will both have ceremonies on Saturday, June 12th – WSHS at 11 am, CSIHS at 5 pm. Interagency Academy, which includes two West Seattle locations, will graduate at 5:30 pm Thursday, June 17. Those and most other Seattle Public Schools graduations this year will be at Memorial Stadium downtown.
For a while, the city was quite guarded about vaccination appointments – even canceling ones made via links that they claimed were shared without authorization. Then, just days ago, they were sending special signup codes to people on the waitlist. Suddenly today, a direct link is being widely and officially shared for ~20,000 appointments available at the city’s hubs, including West Seattle’s hub at the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). Anybody 16 and up who hasn’t been vaccinated yet can start here.
Here’s where the pandemic stands tonight, 14 months in:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*95,878 people have tested positive, 408 more than yesterday’s total
*1,503 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,664 people have been hospitalized, 19 more than yesterday’s total
*1,024,410 people have been tested, 1,318 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 93.510/1,493/5,569/1,008,219.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 146.1 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,096,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 571,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
J & J VACCINE GETS WESTERN STATES’ CLEARANCE: One day after the feds “un-paused” the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, our state and its partners in the Western States review group cleared resumption of its use. About those potential effects, a rare blood-clot syndrome called TTS, the state’s announcement says, “On Friday, the CDC said a total of 15 cases of TTS have been reported, which includes the original six cases. All the cases occurred in women between the ages of 18 and 59, occurring six to 15 days after vaccination. DOH is not aware of any cases in Washington.” That’s 15 cases out of 8 million shots given nationwide, the state notes.
J & J VACCINE AVAILABILITY: At the Westwood Village Rite Aid.
OTHER WAYS TO CHECK FOR VACCINE: Here’s our ongoing list:
*Here’s how to sign up for the aforementioned city notification list – go here.
*Reminder that if you’re 60+ you can just walk up to the West Seattle hub (2801 SW Thistle) 9 am-4 pm Mondays-Saturdays and get vaccinated – the “Good Neighbor” who brings you, regardless of their age, can too.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
FOOD DRIVE TOMORROW: Another chance to help a Yakima Valley community without leaving West Seattle.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
1:35 PM: Looking for vaccine? We just got a phone call from the Westwood Village Rite Aid, which has Johnson & Johnson vaccine that needs to be used soon, and they asked us to help them get the word out. As reported in our pandemic roundup last night, the FDA has “un-paused” use of this one-shot vaccine after investigating what health authorities call “very rare” side effects. If you’re interested in getting this one-shot vaccine, call Rite Aid at 206-938-4253 and check with the pharmacy about availability. They’re open 8 am-9 pm.
4:09 PM: The state, meantime, announced this afternoon that the J & J vaccine has cleared the extra Western States safety review.
Tonight’s pandemic headlines:
J & J VACCINE UN-PAUSED: The FDA decided the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine can be used again – with a warning about potential, rare side effects. Read the full announcement here. The special Western states review group was scheduled to meet tonight to decide whether to go ahead and clear it for use in our state and others – no word yet how that went,
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: Dr. Jeff Duchin talked about the J & J unpause and a variety of other topics. He warned that King County is at risk of having to roll back to Phase 2 when the next state assessment happens a week from Monday – King County’s cases are over the state-set maximum for Phase 3, and hospitalizations are almost there. Case numbers this week are 11 percent higher than last week; hospitalizations are up 25 percent. More of those needing hospitalization are 20-29 than 70+. Virus variants are an increasing problem, too; they only test a sample of cases but even with that, more than 1,400 variant cases have been detected. Watch his entire briefing here.
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Now, the daily stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*95,470 people have tested positive, 408 more than yesterday’s total
*1,502 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,645 people have been hospitalized, 24 more than yesterday’s total
*1,023,092 people have been tested, 4,537 more than yesterday’s total
On to our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*1,076,724 people have received one dose
*681,274 people have received both doses
*1,511,775 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)
One week ago, the first four totals were 93,046/1,493/5,532/1,003,142, and the vaccination totals were 962,030/596,525/1,380,455.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 145.6 million cases, 3,086,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
CITY GETS MORE VACCINE: The city expects to give more than 50,000 shots next week, with its biggest allocation of vaccine yet. The announcement urges everyone in King County who’s seeking vaccine to sign up for the Seattle notification list. (We have reason to believe they’ve opened appointments – two people we know who have been on the list got notification tonight of a code they could use to sign up.)
IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR VACCINE – here are links to try:
*Here’s how to sign up for the aforementioned city notification list – go here.
*Reminder that if you’re 60+ you can just walk up to the West Seattle hub (2801 SW Thistle) 9 am-4 pm Mondays-Saturdays and get vaccinated – the “Good Neighbor” who brings you, regardless of their age, can too.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Here’s what you need to know about the pandemic tonight:
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the latest on King County, from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – today’s cumulative totals:
*95,062 people have tested positive, 448 more than yesterday’s total
*1,500 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,621 people have been hospitalized, 20 more than yesterday’s total
*1,018,555 people have been tested, 779 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 92,599/1,491/5,503/1,002,141.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 144.7 million cases worldwide, 31.9 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
‘FOURTH WAVE’: Gov. Inslee warned at his briefing this afternoon that this is the “beginning of a fourth wave,” especially hitting the 20- to 50-year-old age group. He also tried to reassure people who are “on the fence” about getting vaccinated that the vaccines are “very safe.”
STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: The newest report is out. Its toplines:
*Population immunity is helping control transmission, but isn’t enough to counteract risky behavior.
*At the start of April, the best model-based estimate of overall population immunity was 26.8%.
*The estimated percentage of the population with active COVID-19 infections almost doubled between March 1 and April 2.
*Statewide case counts and hospital admissions are increasing.
*Case rates are increasing across all ages, except people 70 and older.
*Cases associated with variants of concern (disease strains that may spread faster, cause more severe illness or affect antibodies’ ability to recognize the virus) are increasing.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE BY PHONE? You can use this hotline – 800-525-0127.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE ONLINE: Try these links:
*For city sites, the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s local/state pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*94,614 people have tested positive, 364 more than yesterday’s total
*1,499 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,601 people have been hospitalized, 11 more than yesterday’s total
*1,017,776 people have been tested, 921 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 92,158/1,489/5,490/1,001,280.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health data page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS’ BRIEFING: The weekly briefing by Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah and other officials happened this morning. Watch the briefing here. Highlights included Dr. Shah announcing a new goal of 90,000 vaccinations in the state every day. Right now, the average is 58,000, according to the new vaccination-situation report. He also warned that while “the state is close to turning the corner,” we also “are seeing the beginning of a fourth wave.”
VACCINATION WALK-INS: The city confirmed today what we reported Tuesday thanks to a reader tip – if you’re 60+ you can just walk into the city-run West Seattle hub and get vaccinated; if someone else brings you, as a “Good Neighbor” that person can get a shot too.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT … here are links to try:
*For city sites, the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
If you can give, your next chance to help fight hunger is this weekend. C & P Coffee Company (#SB sponsor) is hosting a pop-up food drive for Washmasks, described as “a Mutual Aid organization supporting migrant & indigenous farmworkers through PPE Aid, Food Aid, & Financial Aid.” Here are the food items that would be most helpful:
Donations collected by WashMasks this month will help “Mabton’s community distribute 250 Week-of-Eats Food-Boxes during their socially distanced Food & Art Community Day.” Mabton is in the Yakima Valley. C & P is at 5612 California SW and will accept donations noon-4 pm both Saturday and Sunday (April 24-25).
On Tuesday, we published a reader tip that the city-run West Seattle vaccination site (2801 SW Thistle) was offering shots to people 60+ without appointments. Today, the city confirms that vaccinations are indeed available without appointments for that age group at both the West Seattle and Rainier Beach hubs. And as also explained in the announcement, anyone 16_ who brings a senior to get a shot can get one too, as part of the new “Good Neighbor” program (one additional person per senior vaccination recipient). The West Seattle site is open 9 am-4 pm, Mondays-Saturdays.
Tonight’s pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Checking today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – here are the cumulative totals:
*94,250 people have tested positive, 313 more than yesterday’s total
*1,498 people have died, 5 more than yesterday’s total
*5,590 people have been hospitalized, 0 more than yesterday’s total
*1,016,855 people have been tested, 7,807 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 91,802/1,485/5,458/992,402.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 142.6 million cases worldwide, 31.7 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
ANOTHER TESTING SITE: As we mentioned last night, Councilmember Lisa Herbold said the mayor’s office told her another independent-provider testing site would be opening in our area, to help with the void left by the end of testing at the city’s West Seattle hub. Tonight, checking the website for Curative – which runs the kiosk at Don Armeni Boat Ramp – it appears they’re sending a van to Summit Atlas (35th/Roxbury) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’ll follow up on this tomorrow.
PANDEMIC BRIEFING: At 8:15 am tomorrow online, state health officials will present their weekly briefing and media Q&A. Watch the livestream here.
VACCINATION PROGRESS: 55.4 percent of King County residents have had at least one shot.
NEED TO BE VACCINATED BUT CAN’T LEAVE HOME … because of an injury, disability, or other medical problem? King County mobile teams might be able to help. Here’s how.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Today’s reader tip – if you’re over 60, try walking up to the city-run Southwest Athletic Complex site (2801 SW Thistle) without an appointment. If you’d rather have something more certain, here’s our ongoing list of what to try:
*For city sites, the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – reader recommendation: Try this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Our nightly roundup of local pandemic-related information:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*93,937 people have tested positive, 83 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,590 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total
*1,009,048 people have been tested, 292 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 91,715/1,483/5,449/992,006.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 142 million cases, 3,029,000 deaths – 567,000 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
TESTING IN WEST SEATTLE: As reported over the weekend, Saturday was the last day for COVID-19 testing at the city-run “hub” in the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot, which is now a vaccinations-only site. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said at today’s council briefing meeting that the mayor’s office told her they’re working on a new testing provider somewhere else and will have more news on that in May.
PROPERTY-TAX DEFERRAL? Business property owners might be eligible, King County says – info’s here.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Here’s our ongoing list – updated when we get tips or find new links. (Sometimes we get last-minute tips like today, which we mentioned on Twitter and in comments here.)
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
NEED FOOD? This week’s nearest Food Lifeline distribution is 2-5 pm Friday (April 16th) at 815 S. 96th.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic news:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:
*93,854 people have tested positive, 344 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,573 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*1,008,756 people have been tested, 537 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 91,438/1,483/5,446/991,687.
WEST SEATTLE TRENDS: Time for our weekly check. These numbers are shown in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard; to determine WS status, we combine the totals from the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas” (HRAs): For the past two weeks, 165 positive test results; 103 in the 2 weeks before that; also 103 in the two weeks before that. … We also are noting WS death totals each week. The total deaths for the entire pandemic in the two HRAs comprising West Seattle: 65, unchanged again in this past week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 141.4 million cases and 3,019,000+ deaths, 567,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? Here are links to try:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Even if you don’t have a student in the house, we want to remind you that Seattle Public Schools‘ middle- and high-school campuses reopen for part-time in-person learning starting tomorrow. Here on the peninsula, that means increased activity at Chief Sealth International High School, Denny International Middle School, Madison Middle School, and West Seattle High School, as well as Louisa Boren STEM K-8 and Pathfinder K-8. For students and their families the district has these reminders:
Daily Health Screening
If the student will be attending in-person school, they will need to complete the daily health screening prior to 7 a.m. for the morning session or 10 a.m. for the afternoon session. (More information about schedules can be found here.) The health screening will be delivered by email (also can be received by text). The daily health screening will be sent by 5 a.m. every school day. 6-12 grade students can fill out the health screening themselves once a parent or guardian gives permission. Learn more about the daily health screening. If the daily health screening isn’t complete before the student arrives at school, it can be done on site.Keeping School Communities Healthy
To keep SPS school communities healthy and safe, students and families are reminded:
• If the student is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, including fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea – they should not come to school.• If a student has traveled during spring break, we recommend families follow public health guidance and quarantine. Contact the school’s attendance office to communicate the student’s absence.
Masks
Students are encouraged to bring their own mask to school. The mask should fit above the nose, chin, and snugly against the face. Students can watch a short video about how to wear a mask.Student Devices
6-12 grade students returning to buildings should bring their SPS-issued laptops, or a personal device, for their in-person learning session. Instructions for helping students connect with their personal devices in the classroom have been provided to educators. Elementary students may be asked to bring their devices into their classrooms to support learning. Students should bring devices fully charged and in a backpack or other protected cover or case.Meals
District meal distribution site hours have changed to support in-person learning. The 40 meal sites will now be open from 10:45 a.m. -1:15 p.m. Bus routes will deliver meals on Wednesdays only. All students can access hot, prepared meals at meal sites. Grab and go breakfast and lunch will also be available for students learning in-person at each school site.Public Transportation: 6th-12th grade students
If a student plans to use public transportation, they are urged to have their Orca card. If a student doesn’t have an Orca card, it can be requested at school when the student arrives to school. Students can use the Metro Trip Planner or contact Metro customer service for help at 206-553-3000. All students should allow extra time to reach school and when leaving school. More tips and links for students and families are on the Metro Matters Blog.
As announced when a tentative agreement was reached April 1st, middle- and high-school students who chose to return to in-person learning will attend their schools two afternoons a week, with remote learning continuing the rest of the week. For middle-schoolers at K-8s, it’s up to the school whether their in-person classes are in the mornings or afternoons.
9:55 PM: Hybrid learning may not have had an overwhelming reception, at least at CSIHS, whose principal told families in email tonight that they have until Friday to change their choice, and “if the in-person numbers do not increase, we will collapse the two in-person cohorts into one cohort.”
Tonight’s pandemic notes:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*93.510 people have tested positive, 464 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*5,569 people have been hospitalized, 37 more than yesterday’s total
*1,008,219 people have been tested, 5,077 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 91,054/1,483/5,439/990,933.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 140.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 3,010,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 566,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, France, Russia (India moved from #3 to #2 since last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? If you’re seeking an appointment, here are links to try:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic headlines as we head into a summer-like weekend:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the latest stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*93,046 people have tested positive, 447 more than yesterday’s total
*1,493 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,532 people have been hospitalized, 29 more than yesterday’s total
*1,003,142 people have been tested, 1,001 more than yesterday’s total
On to our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*962,030 people have received one dose
*596,525 people have received both doses
*1,380,455 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)
One week ago, the first four totals were 90,581/1,483/5,444/990,088, and the vaccination totals were 842,660/504,402/1,244,985.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 139.9 million cases, 2,999,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: In his weekly briefing, Dr. Jeff Duchin updated King County trends. Good news: “Deaths have fallen dramatically.” Also good: 51 percent of people in King County age 16 and up have received at least one vaccine injection. Otherwise, “cases are substantial but holding steady.”
IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR VACCINE – here are links to try:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if travel time is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
IF YOU NEED TESTING SATURDAY: It’s the last day for the West Seattle test site (2801 SW Thistle), which will become vaccinations0-only on Monday.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
The reprieve for West Seattle’s city-run COVID-19 test site ends after tomorrow. Last month, as first reported here, a plan to end testing at the Southwest Athletic Complex parking-lot site was announced. Then, a week later, the city announced an extension of testing services there until at least April 17th. That’s tomorrow, and Seattle-King County Public Health said today that Saturday will indeed be the last day of testing at SWAC, with the site converting to all-vaccination status as of Monday. City Councilmember Lisa Herbold said in her weekly newsletter this afternoon that “The Mayor’s Office had previously assured me that if the SW Thistle site were to stop testing, they would place a Curative testing kiosk in the near vicinity, similar to the kiosk at Don Armeni” – but there’s no word of one yet. The Curative kiosk at Don Armeni, though, continues in operation, as do a few other test sites mentioned in Herbold’s newsletter.
A new slogan tops our pandemic news check tonight:
‘TAKE IT OUTSIDE’: That’s the slogan Gov. Inslee unveiled during his mid-afternoon briefing, He urged people to take advantage of the warm weather by spending time outdoors, where transmission risk is lower. He in fact held the briefing outdoors:
He warned that cases and hospitalizations are still on the rise – “we’ve knocked this virus down three times, now we have to knock it down a fourth time.”
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the latest on King County, from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – today’s cumulative totals:
*92,599 people have tested positive, 441 more than yesterday’s total
*1,491 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,503 people have been hospitalized, 13 more than yesterday’s total
*1,002,141 people have been tested, 861 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 90,362/1,481/5,429/988.612.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 138.8 million cases worldwide, 31.4 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
‘VAX DAY’: Today’s the day that everyone in our state 16 and up became eligible to get vaccinated in our state.
CITY VAX STATUS: The city’s vaccination efforts have now passed 100,000 shots given. Here’s the overview for city sites/teams this week.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE BY PHONE? You can use this hotline – 800-525-0127.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE ONLINE: Try these links:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that the official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if traveling a distance is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup for potential appointments within a few hours’ drive.
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s local/state pandemic toplines:
ELIGIBILITY EVE: Thursday’s the day all those months of often-confusing vaccine-eligibility rules end – everyone 16 and up in our state is eligible. That means 1.5 million more people eligible, according to the state’s newest vaccination-situation report.
J&J VACCINE STATUS: The special FDA committee reviewing the situation of a rare possible side effect decided Wednesday to keep the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on nationwide “pause.”
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals – note that the source page mentions a data adjustment, which might explain the fluctuating numbers:
*92,158 people have tested positive, 356 more than yesterday’s total
*1,489 people have died, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*5,490 people have been hospitalized, 32 more than yesterday’s total
*1,001,280 people have been tested, 8,878 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 90,026/1,480/5,408/986,427.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find all the numbers, county by county, on the state Department of Health data page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS’ BRIEFING: The weekly briefing by Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah happened this morning. Watch the briefing here. Among the topics, an update on “vaccine breakthroughs” – see that info here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING THURSDAY: Gov. Inslee plans a 2:30 pm briefing/media Q&A. It’ll be streamed here.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT … here are links to try:
*If you’re looking for a city-site appointment, note that they canceled appointments they claim were posted on unspecified “social media” without authorization. The official advice is to sign up for the city’s notification list for all four of its sites here.
*Health-care providers (particularly bigger ones like UW Medicine (one reader specifically recommends Valley Medical Center), Franciscan, Swedish, Kaiser Permanente, Neighborcare, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator (as mentioned above)
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco
*Sea Mar clinics
And if traveling a distance is not a barrier – Beth recommends this lookup.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
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