West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
Tonight’s pandemic toplines:
ONE VACCINE PAUSED: Today’s biggest pandemic news – one of the three COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is being “paused” nationwide because of a report that six women who received it suffered from an “extremely rare” blood-clotting problem. The vaccine has been given to 6+ million people in the U.S. so far. City-run vaccination hubs had some scheduled to get it this week but have switched those appointments to other vaccines. Meantime, FDA and CDC scientists are studying whether the problem is definitively linked to the vaccine, and federal regulators say the “pause” might just last a few days. Go here to listen to the FDA/CDC briefing about the decision.
WHAT IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVED THE J&J SHOT? That’s addressed in this local post.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Checking today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – here are the cumulative totals:
*91,802 people have tested positive, 87 more than yesterday’s total
*1,485 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,458 people have been hospitalized, 9 more than yesterday’s total
*992,402 people have been tested, 396 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 89,743/1,475/5,398/986,092.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 137.4 million cases worldwide, 31.3 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
PANDEMIC BRIEFING: At 8:30 am tomorrow online, state health officials will present their weekly briefing and media Q&A. Watch the livestream here.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Thursday’s the day everyone is eligible; here’s our ongoing list:
*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
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
(WSB file photo)
West Seattle’s only city-run outdoor swimming facility, Colman Pool on the Lincoln Park shore, will open this summer. That’s according to a preliminary Seattle Parks list of “summer fun” plans. No schedule announced yet, neither days nor hours; Colman Pool did not open at all last summer. No word yet on when/whether indoor Southwest Pool will reopen, and Parks is still deciding what to do about wading pools, but it looks like Highland Park Spraypark will reopen – the announcement says Parks is “planning to operate 11 unstaffed sprayparks this summer,” with the same hours as in the past, 11 am-8 pm. More info on summer plans when it’s available!
Just announced by the West Seattle Junction Association: The Summer Fest plan for this year. It’ll be another year without the traditional mega-street party. But other fun is planned – here’s the announcement:
For 39 years, the biggest festival in West Seattle has continued to evolve, starting out as the Sidewalk Sale, then the Street Fair, and now Summer Fest – it’s been a three-day celebration in the West Seattle streets and a tradition for many families. The festival has been a July tradition in West Seattle since 1982, the same year Seattle became the Emerald City. Even prior to the West Seattle bridge being built (but that’s another story…).
After much discussion, the Junction has made the safest decision for the community for the second year in a row, to cancel the in-person 2021 Summer Fest – July 9-11th. Bringing 35,000 of our favorite community members together isn’t safe, but that doesn’t mean the heart of Summer Fest and the Sidewalk Sale will be forgotten. We are planning (and hopeful) we will rise like a vaccinated Westside phoenix to bring back Summer Fest stronger than ever July 15th – 17th, 2022 (this being the 40-year anniversary!).
We’ll continue to monitor all health regulations, and sincerely hope the Junction merchants can show appreciation of the outpouring of community support by bringing you a combination of the good ol’ fashioned roots of the festival – The Sidewalk Sale – along with the popular boxes and tote bags full of Summer Fest feelings. There’s going to be plenty of ways to celebrate all the West Seattle goodness we’ve stored up through this pandemic.
Summer Fest Events 2021
July 8th: Paint and Sip Art Walk night – virtual
July 9th and 10th: sidewalk sale (no street closure) 11 AM to 6 PM
July 9th: Music Trivia Night w/Pegasus Books (with a band set) 7 PM
July 10th: Mayoral Virtual Town Hall – moderated by West Seattle Blog
July 10th: Beer Tasting (w/kettle corn, meat, cheese) – virtual (with a band set)
Kids: Summer Fest craft and summer box
All boxes and tote bags, along with trivia night spots, will go on sale May 11th.
Watch wsjunction.org – and WSB – for that news when it happens.
Early in the pandemic, West Seattle Junction businesses helped pioneer 5-minute on-street parking spaces for quick stops to pick up takeout food/beverages and other merchandise. After months of continuing to work with the city, The Junction has secured final approval for converting some of those spaces to 15-minute spots – for business visits when 5 minutes is not enough but an hour is overkill. Signs have been going up – the one you see above is along westbound SW Oregon west of California SW, by Brunette Mix (WSB sponsor), Café Mia, Dumplings of Fury, and Mystery Made. You’ll also find the 15-minute signage at several spots along California, Alaska, 42nd, and 40th, as the result of a business survey; 5-minute spaces remain in some areas too.
(WSB file photo – sign at entrance to SWAC vaccination/testing site)
10:30 AM: As you might already have seen in national coverage, the FDA and CDC are recommending a pause in use of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine while investigating reports of blood clots. One WSB reader reports he had an appointment for J&J at the city-run Southwest Athletic Complex vaccination hub today but has already received notification it’ll be Pfizer instead. We checked with mayor’s office spokesperson Kelsey Nyland to see if they’re expecting to cancel any appointments here or at other city sites because of the J&J pause. Short answer: No. Longer answer; “In terms of the operational impact, we are switching from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the Pfizer vaccine for today’s appointments at the Community Vaccination Hub in West Seattle. We have also been using a small number of Johnson & Johnson for people living in permanent supportive housing. Those appointments will switch to either Moderna or Pfizer. All other clinics have been using either Moderna or Pfizer. At this time, we don’t have any plans to cancel appointments.”
11:54 AM: The state Health Department has a statement too.- see it here.
Our nightly roundup of local pandemic information:
STILL PHASE 3: No change for King County when the governor announced the first county-by-county every-three-weeks status check today.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*91,715 people have tested positive, 277 more than yesterday’s total
*1,483 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,449 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday’s total
*992,006 people have been tested, 319 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 89,643/1,472/5,381/981,183.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 136.6 million cases, 2,946,000 deaths – 562,000 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Two more days until everyone’s eligible. Here’s our ongoing list – updated when we get tips or find new links:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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
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!
As noted in last night’s pandemic-news roundup, today’s the day the state planned to announce which counties qualified to stay in Phase 3 and which would have to roll back. The decision is in:
As shown on that map from Gov. Inslee‘s office, only three counties have to roll back to Phase 2 – Pierce, Cowlitz, and Whitman. King County will stay in Phase 3. (King County was close to flunking one of the requirements, as shown here.) The next evaluation is due in three weeks – Monday, May 3rd.
Tonight’s pandemic news:
PHASE NEWS TOMORROW: Though Gov. Inslee insists it won’t be “Judgment Day,” tomorrow nonetheless is the day on which he and state health officials will announce whether any of the state’s counties will have to change reopening phases. Last week he announced that counties would have to fail both metrics to be forced to roll back. As of Friday, King County was close to the danger zone, but not in it. Any changes announced tomorrow will take effect Friday.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the King County Daily Summary Dashboard page, the cumulative totals:
*91,438 people have tested positive, 384 more than yesterday’s total
*1,483 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*5,446 people have been hospitalized, 7 more than yesterday’s total
*991,687 people have been tested, 754 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 89,356/1,472/5,372/976,899.
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, 120 positive test results; 95 in the 2 weeks before that; 77 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 from last week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 135.8 million cases and 2,935,000+ deaths, 562,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? Here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
A quick look at tonight’s pandemic notes:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*91,054 people have tested positive, 473 more than yesterday’s total
*1,483 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*5,439 people have been hospitalized, 5 fewer than yesterday’s total (data adjustment)
*990,933 people have been tested, 845 more than yesterday’s total
ONE WEEK AGO: Last Saturday, those numbers were 89,039/1,472/5,366/976,357.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 135.2 million people have tested positive, and more than 2,926,000 people have died; U.S. deaths exceed 561,000. Most cases: U.S., Brazil, India, France, Russia (same as last week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
COVID CLOSURE: Today Talarico’s in The Junction renewed the closure it first mentioned last Tuesday
COUNTDOWN TO VACCINE ELIGIBILITY: 4 more days of restricted eligibility – then on Thursday (April 15th), everyone in our state 16 and up is eligible to be vaccinated.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? If you’re seeking an appointment, here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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, 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
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Lafayette Elementary is offering those couches free for the taking. We posted the listing in the Freebies/Sales section of the WSB Community Forums, but we just went by and they’re still available, so we’re mentioning it here too. They’re along the SW Lander side of the building (the street is one way eastbound there, across from the Good Society outdoor seating). They used to be in classrooms but that doesn’t work with the pandemic layout, we’re told, so they had to go.
Tonight’s pandemic headlines:
KING COUNTY NUMBERS: First, the latest stats from the Public Health daily-summary page, cumulative totals:
*90,581 people have tested positive, 219 more than yesterday’s total
*1,483 people have died, 2 more than yesterday’s total
*5,444 people have been hospitalized, 15 more than yesterday’s total
*990,088 people have been tested, 1,476 more than yesterday’s total
On to our weekly check of key numbers on the COVID Vaccination Among King County Residents dashboard:
*842,660 people have received one dose
*504,4026 people have received both doses
*1,244,985 doses have been allocated to King County (not counting pharmacy programs)
One week ago, the first four totals were 88,786/1,471/5,354/975,969, and the vaccination totals were 727,140/422,486/1,083,085.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 134.6 million cases, 2,915,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER’S BRIEFING: In his weekly briefing, Dr. Jeff Duchin ran through q long list of King County trends. “Cases and hospitalizations are still substantial and holding steady.” Deaths are down, and he attributes that to vaccination success – but warns yet again that “vaccination alone is not enough,” so keep distancing and wearing your mask. “To abandon COVID-19 precautions now is like sending the Fire Department away while your house is still burning.” He also warned that there’ll be a continuing “mismatch between supply and demand” for vaccine in the next few weeks, so if you’re seeking an appointment, be patient. As for reopening phases, right now King County is still likely to stay in Phase 3, depending on how things go over the weekend.
SO IF YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR VACCINE – here are links to try (the clinic we mentioned earlier appears to be fully booked, by the way):
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco, Bartell Drugs
*Sea Mar clinics
NEED IN-PERSON HELP FINDING A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Get in-person help in West Seattle tomorrow – with free food offered at that event, too.
IF YOU NEED TESTING SATURDAY: Since the city extended the operations of the West Seattle test site (2801 SW Thistle), you can still get tested there Saturdays (as well as weekdays) until further notice.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
If you are vaccine-eligible, looking for availability, and available to travel off-peninsula, we’ve been asked to share this announcement for tomorrow:
Pliable LLC, a nurse practitioner-owned practice, will be hosting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic tomorrow, 4/10/21, at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (3639 Martin Luther King Jr Way S.). We are partnering with Neighborhood House and ACRS to serve eligible community members. This is for the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine. We look forward to serving you!
You can register by going here. Pliable tells us that these appointments are only being released publicly at the last minute after ample community recruiting that still has left numerous openings.
(WSB photo from 2019 Chief Sealth IHS commencement ceremony)
Two weeks ago, we reported that Seattle Public Schools was close to a decision on whether to have in-person graduation ceremonies this year. We checked back with district spokesperson Tim Robinson, who replied with this statement from the district official overseeing planning:
We have shifted to an in-person model based on the governor’s change in level and further direction from OSPI. All of our comprehensive schools will graduate at Memorial (Stadium). That is the only venue that meets the guidelines. We are working on a plan to allow ticketed guests in limited numbers. For our small schools we are working on other sites and options.
Local students launched a petition drive in February asking the district to allow in-person ceremonies this year. SPS high-school students will return to campuses for part-time in-person instruction starting April 19th; next week is spring break.
Tonight’s roundup starts with the situation report:
STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: Six key points in the new report:
COVID-19 transmission is increasing statewide.
Statewide daily case counts began increasing in late March following a plateau in mid-February.
The biggest increases are in younger people, who are less likely to be vaccinated and can still get very sick or die of COVID-19.
Hospital admissions remained flat overall over the first three weeks of March, but are increasing as of more recent, incomplete data.
The number of hospital beds occupied by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients began to flatten or increase in mid-March, following previous declines.
Read the full report by going here.
NEWEST NUMBERS: Here’s the latest on King County, from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard – today’s cumulative totals:
*90,362 people have tested positive, 336 more than yesterday’s total
*1,481 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,429 people have been hospitalized, 21 more than yesterday’s total
*988.612 people have been tested, 2.185 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 88,369/1,466/5,345/972,246.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 133.8 million cases worldwide, 31 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
ROLLBACK OR HOLD STEADY? Gov. Inslee‘s briefing this afternoon had a lot of questions about what’s ahead on Monday, when the state will assess counties to see whether they will stay in Phase 3 or change. He said they’ll use “the most recent, complete numbers” that are available that day, to make decisions. He also reminded people that with the vaccine, masking, and distancing, “this is in our control.”
COVID CLOSURE: A reader notes that Talarico’s in The Junction has been closed for a few days. Its website has this message:
For the safety of the community and out of precaution we will be closed today (April 6, 2021) starting at 3 pm. A family member of Talarico’s staff has tested positive for Covid 19. Talarico’s will be closed until all staff tests negative and the entire establishment has been sanitized. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at talaricoswest@gmail.com Thank you! We will see you in a few days!
NEED HELP? On Saturday afternoon, the Greater Seattle Filipino-American SDA Church is offering free food and assistance in booking vaccination appointments.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE BY PHONE? You can use this hotline – 800-525-0127.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE ONLINE: Try these links:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco, Bartell Drugs
*Sea Mar clinics
GOT INFO/PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Another pandemic-assistance event is coming up this Saturday afternoon (April 10th) at the Greater Seattle Filipino-American SDA Church in West Seattle (2620 SW Kenyon). 2-4 pm, you can visit the church for in-person help in registering for a vaccination appointment. At the same time, they’re also giving out free food. Anyone in need of either or both of those types of help is welcome.
Tonight’s local/state pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals:
*90,026 people have tested positive, 283 more than yesterday’s total
*1,480 people have died, 5 more than yesterday’s total
*5,408 people have been hospitalized, 10 more than yesterday’s total
*986,427 people have been tested, 335 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the four totals we track were 88,067/1,464/5,331/969,956.
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.
$ FOR ‘SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATORS’: Nightclubs, movie theaters, and other venues hit especially hard by pandemic shutdowns will be able to apply for grants from a new fund. Starting Thursday, the city is offering technical assistance.
STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS’ BRIEFING: The weekly briefing by Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah happened this afternoon. Vaccination was as usual a big topic. On some recent days, the state says, 80,000 shots were administered. Watch the briefing here.
IF YOU’RE VACCINE-ELIGIBLE AND LOOKING FOR IT … here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments here; 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, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco, Bartell Drugs
*Sea Mar clinics
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
For a year, West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) has opened its doors to shoppers 60 years and older only on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 7-9 am. Now with a high rate of vaccination among seniors, Thriftway is cutting back to one morning a week – Tuesdays, 7-9 am, will continue to be reserved for shoppers 60+. The store also continues to offer curbside service on weekdays – here’s how that works.
(Southwest Branch, WSB file photo)
It’s the news Seattle Public Library patrons have been awaiting – SPL is reopening some branches for in-building service. OF the first three branches to reopen, one is in West Seattle – the Southwest Branch at 9010 35th SW. Here’s the SPL announcement of what it’ll offer starting Tuesday, April 27th:
The schedule for in-building services will be Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. with closed cleaning breaks between public use sessions. Patrons will be able to enter the buildings at 25% capacity during public-use sessions to pick up available holds and check them out, use a physically distanced computer, use a restroom, speak to a Library staff member, charge a device, or sit and read. Masks will be required of all patrons and staff.
The opportunity to browse a branch’s collection or use meeting rooms or study rooms will not be available initially. The Library will continue to expand services and access to the collection and other Library spaces as state health guidance, Library safety protocols, and staffing allow.
These are the first three branches to offer in-building services since the Library’s systemwide building closure in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More locations will open incrementally as it is safe and feasible to do so, similar to the rollout of the Library’s Curbside Pickup Service that began last August and is now provided at 15 libraries.
Highlights of in-building services include:
· Public sessions: Patrons may enter the building when a public-use session (around 90 minutes) begins; once the capacity limit is reached, the Library will allow new patrons to enter only as others leave. Patrons may enter the Library for multiple time blocks a day. In between public sessions, Library staff will clean and reset the interior space.
· Physically distanced layout: Seating, tables, computer stations, and other furniture have been rearranged to enable physical distancing. Plexiglass will be installed between computers and in other service areas.
· Computers, wi-fi, printing: Library cardholders can use public computers on a first-come first-served basis for up to two hours a day. Patrons will be able to print, copy or scan up to 10 pages of black-and-white pages for free a day (faxing is also available at the Beacon Hill Branch). Staff assistance with technology support or information requests will be offered at a distance. Free wi-fi is also available.
· Charging stations: Two charging stations at each location will allow patrons to charge their devices. As with computers, these will be available on a first-come first-served basis.
· Safety first. Masks will be required for all patrons, staff and visitors entering Library buildings; disposable masks and hand sanitizer will be available on site. (If you require an accommodation, call 206-386-4636.) Eating and drinking in public areas of the building will not be allowed. As always, the Library Rules of Conduct will be enforced to ensure the safety of patrons and staff.
· No meeting room use: For now, meeting rooms and study rooms will remain closed to the public.
Learn more about in-building Library services at spl.org/InBuilding. Curbside Pickup Service for holds will continue to be available at 12 other locations and bookdrops (which also accept DVDs and audiobooks) will continue to be open at 19 locations. Check www.spl.org/Hours for a complete list of services and hours at each branch.
The other two branches that will offer in-building service starting April 27th are Beacon Hill and Lake City.
Tonight’s pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Checking today’s daily summary from Seattle-King County Public Health – here are the cumulative totals:
*89,743 people have tested positive, 100 more than yesterday’s total
*1,475 people have died, 3 more than yesterday’s total
*5,398 people have been hospitalized, 17 more than yesterday’s total
*986,092 people have been tested, 4,909 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 87,726/1,462/5,333/969,362.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 132.3 million cases worldwide, 30.8 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
PANDEMIC BRIEFING: At 2 pm tomorrow online, state health officials will present their weekly briefing and media Q&A. Watch the livestream here.
CITY’S BIGGEST VAX WEEK EVER: The city says it’ll vaccinate more people this week than any other so far – 30,000 doses.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Here’s our ongoing list – updated when we get tips:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments (updated) here; 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, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco, Bartell Drugs
*Sea Mar clinics
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
This week, the city says it’ll be administering the highest number of vaccine doses of any week since it started vaccinating people in January – 30,000. That includes 8,000 at Lumen Field tomorrow, its biggest day since opening last month. And the West Seattle hub at Southwest Athletic Complex is giving almost 6,000 shots of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week; the city’s update says that will be done “with a focus on critical workers.” So we asked mayoral spokesperson Kelsey Nyland how they are carrying out that focus. She replied, “Through our notification list, we have the ability to be as broad or as targeted as we want with registrations. For Johnson & Johnson, we wanted to focus in on critical workers for whom it would be difficult to identify – because of their work schedule – a concrete time to schedule a second appointment. So we sent West Seattle registration links first to construction, food service, manufacturing, and restaurant workers, and then we sent it to public transit/rideshare drivers, social workers, and homeless shelter staff.” Eligibility barriers fall next week, when everyone 16 and up becomes eligible in our state on Thursday, April 15th. Meantime, to get a notification from the city when it adds appointments, get on the list here or call the city’s Customer Service Bureau at 206-684-2489 Monday through Saturday, between 8 am and 5 pm. The city efforts, also including mobile teams, are just part of the local vaccination availabilities, which also involve health-care providers and pharmacies. We include links in our nightly pandemic-news roundups every night (here’s the roundup from last night).
(Photo courtesy Pegasus Book Exchange)
Thanks to Sue for the tip. Pegasus Book Exchange in The Junction has a crowdfunding campaign going – not the first local independent business to try one to survive the COVID crunch, but the first that we’ve heard of citing this reason: The lifeline promised by a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan has been dangled for so long, they’re out of personal bridge funding:
We got the PPP2 loan, which was going to cover our payroll until we can all get vaccinated and open to in-store shoppers again! Hooray! Right?
Except…the bank has been telling us we will have the money “soon” for over a month now. :( In the meantime, two paydays have come and gone, and the only way we made it through was by me (Emma) and the owners (Fred and Lanthe) loaning Pegasus money, as well as not drawing our own pay. We just can’t do this again. :(
Our landlord has been flexible and we’ve reduced our new book inventory, but payroll is by far our largest expense. No reduction of expenses is going to even remotely touch what we need to pay our employees.
The Pegasus team explains further on the donation page. Not a Pegasus customer? You can learn a bit about the shop’s backstory in this 2019 story.
Our nightly roundup of local pandemic information:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health daily summary:
*89,643 people have tested positive, 604 more than yesterday’s total
*1,472 people have died, unchanged since yesterday
*5,381 people have been hospitalized, 15 more than yesterday’s total
*981,183 people have been tested, 4,826 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 87,567/1,461/5,303/964,809.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 131.7 million cases, 2,860,000 deaths – 555,000 in the U.S. See the other stats – nation by nation – here.
FAMILY SURVEY: If you have a Seattle Public Schools 6th through 11th grader, the survey on whether you’ll xtick with all-remote learning or go hybrid is due tomorrow.
LOOKING FOR A VACCINATION APPOINTMENT? Here’s our ongoing list – updated when we get tips:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments (updated) here; 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, etc.)
*covidwa.com (volunteer-run aggregator) – you can also follow its tweets for instant notifications
*The state’s Vaccine Locator
*The CDC’s Vaccine Finder
*Pharmacies big and small – Safeway, Rite Aid, QFC, Pharmaca, Costco, Bartell Drugs
*Sea Mar clinics
NEED FOOD? This week’s nearest Food Lifeline distribution is 2-5 pm Friday (April 9th) 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:
*89,356 people have tested positive, 253 more than yesterday’s total
*1,472 people have died, 1 more than yesterday’s total
*5,372 people have been hospitalized, 12 more than yesterday’s total
*976,899 people have been tested, 388 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 87,382/1,461/5,288/959,558.
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, 103 positive test results; 97 in the 2 weeks before that; 66 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, one more than last week.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 131.2 million cases and 2,852,000+ deaths, 555,000+ of them in the U.S. – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
BACK TO SCHOOLS: Seattle Public Schools elementary students return to part-time in-person learning starting tomorrow.
LOOKING FOR VACCINE? Here are links to try:
*Check for West Seattle city-run site appointments (updated) here; 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, 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
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
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