West Seattle, Washington
21 Saturday
31 weeks ago tonight – on February 28th – King County announced its first case of COVID-19. Tonight, the pandemic’s at a new stage, with the President in the hospital. Locally, here are the toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*22,788 people have tested positive, 228 more than yesterday
*764 people have died, 6 more than yesterday (the first change in nine days)
*2,382 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday
*445,824 people have been tested, 4,215 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 21,896/758/2,353/425,279.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 34.5 million cases, 1,026,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
NEED TESTING? A reminder, the city-operated testing site in West Seattle – south side of the Southwest Athletic Complex parking lot (2801 SW Thistle) – is open Saturdays. Go here to choose an appointment time.
DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW: Donations of hygiene items and non-perishable food will be accepted during a special drop-in services day 10 am-2 pm Saturday at Our Lady of Guadalupe (north lot, 35th/Myrtle) – details here.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Pandemic-related news for the first night of October:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals – now with the total-tests number restored, too, after a state data adjustment:
*22,560 people have tested positive, up 160 from yesterday’s total
*758 people have died, unchanged since Wednesday 9/23
*2,378 people have been hospitalized, up 4 from yesterday’s total
*441,609 people have been tested, up 3,624 from last released total (our calculation)
One week ago, those totals were 21,803/758/2,342/421,832.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 34.2 million cases worldwide, 7.2 million of them in the U.S., now including the President. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING: Gov. Inslee tackled topics including the pandemic at a briefing/Q&A today. He cited progress against the virus – but said the long-term outlook remains uncertain, as fall weather arrives and more people go instead, so a “comprehensive approach” is needed. He was asked if he plans to extend the statewide eviction moratorium, which expires later this month; “probably,” he replied. You can watch the video here.
NEED FOOD? All are welcome Friday afternoon as the Greater Seattle Filipino-American Seventh-day Adventist Church, as they do a drive-up distribution of food boxes. 1:30-4:30 pm, 2620 SW Kenyon.
GOT PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Here’s our nightly update with local/regional pandemic-related toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals (keep in mind, these are the first since Monday):
*22,400 people have tested positive, 137 more than yesterday
*758 people have died, no change in the past week
*2,374 people have been hospitalized, 5 more than yesterday
*437,985 people have been tested, 2,791 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals (plus testing) were 21.677/758/2,340/(unavailable).
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
RAPID-TEST KITS ON THE WAY: From the state Department of Health:
Within the next five to ten days the Washington State Department of Health will receive and distribute the first batch of Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test kits for COVID-19 from the federal government. These are rapid tests that can return results in as little as 15 minutes. The first batch will include 149,000 kits, and the state anticipates receiving nearly 2.3 million total tests between now and December.
These rapid tests work best for and are approved for people with symptoms. This first batch will be distributed to community health centers, tribal clinics and critical access hospitals to increase access to COVID-19 testing in the communities they serve across the state. A plan for distribution of future shipments is in development.
VACCINE PLANNING: Also from the Health Department:
The Washington State Department of Health continues to make progress with our COVID-19 vaccine distribution planning efforts.
Yesterday we learned that on Friday, October 2, the National Academies will release the final Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine. This report will help guide equitable allocation of a limited initial supply of COVID-19 vaccine. We will be looking at that report and using it to inform our planning and thinking for how we prioritize vaccine until there is sufficient supply for demand.
In addition to an updated framework for equitable allocation, the report will include recommendations for ensuring equity in distribution, administration, and access to the vaccine; for effective community engagement, risk communication, and strategies to promote vaccine acceptance; and for equitable global allocation.
FARES RESUME: One more reminder – after months of free rides because of the pandemic, Metro buses and the Water Taxi resume fares tomorrow.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
The pandemic has been tough for everyone – but especially for seniors, whose vulnerability to COVID-19 has meant isolation at a time of life when connection is more important than ever. So today, organized by the city’s Lifelong Recreation program, “art cars” are journeying to several senior-living centers and care facilities in West Seattle to spread some joy.
We caught up with them as they got ready to head out from the West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) lot in Morgan Junction at mid-morning.
This isn’t an official public-viewing event for health/safety reasons – but the stops along the “parade” route had advance notice, of course.
After leaving Thriftway, over the span of about two hours, they were scheduled to visit The Mount, Brookdale West Seattle, Westwood Heights, and The Kenney.
If “art cars” are new to you – here’s a bit of background.
Nine years ago, they had a meetup in West Seattle.
Tonight’s toplines, as we start the eighth month of the pandemic response:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative totals:
*22,263 people have tested positive, 51 more than yesterday’s total
*758 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,369 people have been hospitalized, 7 more than yesterday’s total
*435,194 people have been tested, 1,052 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 21,590/753/2,337/(unavailable).
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 33.5 million cases worldwide, 7.1 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
PROPERTY TAXES: From King County:
Seniors, people with disabilities, and others with qualifying conditions who applied for property tax exemptions or deferrals but are still waiting for a determination will be able to extend payments until January 31, 2021.
Affected property owners will be contacted, and will need to notify the Assessor’s Office via the web at kingcounty.gov/taxreliefextension, call 206-296-3920 or email exemptions.extension@kingcounty.gov to opt in to this program. The statutory deadline of November 2 remains in effect for all other property taxpayers.
BRIEFING TOMORROW: Want to hear firsthand what state health officials are saying about the pandemic? You can watch tomorrow’s weekly briefing live at 2 pm here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Seven months ago tonight, King County announced its first COVID-19 case. Our nightly pandemic-related toplines continue:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:
*22.212 people have tested positive, 94 more than yesterday’s total
*758 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,362 people have been hospitalized, 7 more than yesterday’s total
*434,142 people have been tested, 2,280 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 21.533/753/2,324/unavailable.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
WHY 98116’S DEATH TOLL DOUBLED: Earlier this month, we noted the death toll in 98116 going from 3 to 6 in the span of one week. Those 4th, 5th, and 6th deaths were all residents at Aegis Living of West Seattle in west Admiral, the company confirms. Aegis says it does not currently have any cases among the residents or staff there. (Thanks to Jennie for the tip.)
NEED FOOD? One place to get some free – Food Lifeline will distribute emergency boxes to anyone who shows up, 2-5 pm Friday (October 2nd) at its South Park HQ, 815 S. 96th.
MEALS FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES: All students/parents/guardians – regardless of family income – are welcome to pick up meals at 7 Seattle Public Schools sites in West Seattle/South Park, 11:15 am-1:15 pm weekdays. (Also at that link: Info on the one bus route by which meals are delivered in north WS.)
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Pandemic-related toplines for the end of September’s final weekend:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*22,118 people have tested positive, up 118 from yesterday’s total
*758 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,355 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday’s total
*431,862 people have been tested, up 2,879 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 21,459/748/2,313/417,239.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 32.9 million cases and more than 996,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: The newest one is out tonight, and the state declares we’re at a pandemic “crossroads.” From the announcement:
oday the Washington State Department of Health released the latest statewide situation report. The report shows COVID-19 case counts continue to decrease overall in both eastern and western Washington, though some counties are experiencing plateaus or increases in disease activity.
Report findings include:
*We can crush the curve heading into fall if we all make some small improvements to our current efforts to contain the virus. We’ve held the reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) close to one across the state since July. As of September 10, the best estimates of the reproductive number were 1.14 in western Washington and 0.92 in eastern Washington. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining.
*We continue to see significant differences in disease activity from county to county. Benton, Clark, Franklin, Pierce and Spokane counties are experiencing plateaus in their case counts. This is a concerning trend, since COVID-19 risk may increase going into the fall. In Spokane County, we’re seeing increases in case counts after September 10, which is particularly notable because data for that time period is not yet complete and we anticipate case counts will continue to rise as more test results are reported.
*We are at a crossroads statewide as people begin to spend more time indoors and some schools move to hybrid or other in-person models. Even slight increases in transmission due to these changes, may result in exponential growth. However, if we collectively make small improvements to our behavior and environments, we could decrease transmission enough to allow further K-12 school reopening. To illustrate, the report includes projections for Pierce County if transmission continues at current levels and if transmission decreases to mid-August levels.
Read the full report here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Halfway through the first weekend of fall, here are tonight’s virus-crisis notes:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*22,000 people have tested positive, 104 more than yesterday*
*758 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*2,353 people have been hospitalized, unchanged from yesterday*
*428,983 people have been tested, 3,704 more than yesterday*
*As has happened on occasion lately, some “new since yesterday” calculations on the Public Health website diverge from the difference we have noted in recording the county reports each night, so we’re going with our calculations.
One week ago, those totals were 21,399/748/2,313/407,865.
WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers accessible in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, checking the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 44 positive test results were reported; 45 in the 2 weeks before that; 45 in the two weeks before that – so we seem to have plateaued.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 32.7 million people have tested positive, and more than 993,000 have died; U.S. deaths are just under 205,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, Colombia (Peru dropped from #5 to #6 in the past week). Of interest: The UK is 5th in deaths, but 14th in cases. See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
DONATION DRIVE TOMORROW: One more reminder – if you can help, here’s how, 10 am-3 pm Sunday.
HALLOWEEN, PANDEMIC STYLE: We know many are starting to think about Halloween. (We have neighbors who put up decorations already.) Here’s some food for thought from Public Health.
MONSTER DASH: Some of the fall traditions are reformatting for this pandemic season, too – like the West Seattle Monster Dash.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
30 weeks ago tonight – on February 28th – King County announced its first case of COVID-19. Here’s what’s new:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*21,896 people have tested positive, 93 more than yesterday
*758 people have died, unchanged since Wednesday
*2,353 people have been hospitalized, 11 more than yesterday
*425,279 people have been tested, 3,447 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 21,304/748/2,313/406,682.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
STATE-NUMBERS CAVEAT TODAY: A news release from the state notes, “The Department of Health reported 992 new cases of COVID-19 today. This includes 486 cases from Clark County that had been previously reported but had not been entered into the state’s data system. DOH and Clark County are actively collaborating to ensure that any remaining discrepancies are resolved promptly.”
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 32.4 million cases, 987,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
SSC TESTING SITE CLOSES: Today was the last day for weekly Friday testing at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). The college says UW Medicine informed them that funding for the SSC site has ended, but UWM is still involved with the city’s six-days-a-week testing at Southwest Athletic Complex, so if you can’t get a test through your provider, go there.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(WSB photo, Beach Drive “Keep Moving Street” in May)
Also from West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s weekly update, new information on options SDOT is considering for the future of what’s currently a “Keep Moving Street” on both sides of Alki Point. Three weeks ago, SDOT announced those sections of Beach Drive and Alki Avenue would keep their no-through-traffic status at least until King County moved to Stage 3 of COVID-19 recovery. Nearby residents have been collecting petition signatures in support of making it permanent, as Herbold notes in her update, saying she “support(s) the continued efforts of constituents advocating for a permanent Stay Healthy Street.” She says she contacted SDOT with questions about the status and in reply, the department told her five options are under consideration:
1. Return to previous street operation
2. Convert to a neighborhood greenway, changes would include:
-Stop signs at intersecting streets will be added where they currently operate as neighborhood yield intersections (64th Ave SW, Point Pl SW, 64th Pl SW, 64th Ave SW)
-Additional traffic calming so that spacing of speed humps and raised crosswalks is approximately every 300 feet
-Approximately 3-4 speed humps or speed cushions would be added.
-Connectivity to the citywide bicycle network would be enhanced through the addition of sharrow pavement markings and wayfinding signs.3. Upgrade to a permanent Stay Healthy Street, changes would include:
-All of the neighborhood greenway enhancements listed above
-Street Closed and Stay Healthy Street signs at every intersection with durable materials4. Upgrade neighborhood greenway with additional space for walking adjacent to beachside curb.
-All of the neighborhood greenway enhancements listed above
-Removal of parking and delineation (tuff curb and post) of additional space for walking adjacent to the existing sidewalk adjacent to the beach
-Increased space for walking would be adjacent to park beach only, not continuous where buildings are between roadway and beach.5. Convert street to operate as one-way northbound for vehicles, providing shared walking and biking space adjacent to beachside sidewalk
-Delineation of a continuous shared walking and biking space adjacent to the existing beachside curb (8’ to 15’ wide)
-Continuous shared walking and biking space would connect from the existing Alki Trail to the end of the Alki Point Keep Moving Street.
-Adjustment of the roadway to operate as one way northbound for vehicles, preserving parking primarily adjacent to east/south curbs.
Herbold says SDOT assured her the street’s status wouldn’t change “until the community engagement process concludes and there is a final determination regarding a permanent configuration.” There’s no elaboration on exactly what the “community engagement process” entails, but the Stay Healthy/Keep Moving Streets project webpage has a contact email: StayHealthyStreets@seattle.gov.
Pandemic-related news for the first Thursday night of fall:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals – now with the total-tests number restored, too, after a state data adjustment:
*21,803 people have tested positive, up 38 from yesterday’s total
*758 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total
*2,342 people have been hospitalized, up 2 from yesterday’s total
*421,832 people have been tested, up 4,593 from last released total (our calculation)
One week ago, those totals were 21,196/748/2,310/407,596.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 32.1 million cases worldwide, 6.9 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
SAFER FLYING: That was the spotlight topic during Gov. Inslee‘s briefing/media Q&A session this afternoon. Airline executives joined him to run through the many policies and precautions in effect on airplanes and in airports. You can watch the video here.
TESTING TOMORROW: Reminder that the weekly testing at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) continues on Fridays (info in the Seattle list here) as well as the six-days a week testing at Southwest Athletic Complex. At SSC, no appointment needed – drive/ride into the north parking lot, 7 am-1 pm.
TESTING MILESTONE: The city says its sites – including SWAC – have now administered more than 200,000 tests.
DONATION DRIVE SUNDAY: Alki UCC‘s twice-monthly outdoor donation dropoff event, 10 am-3 pm Sunday – here’s the announcement:
Alki UCC invites our generous neighbors to bring donations of school supplies and men’s casual/work clothing as well as non-perishable food to our bi-monthly donations drives to benefit our vulnerable neighbors in need.
Food and basic supplies such as toilet paper and diapers are distributed through the White Center Food Bank. We’re accepting school supplies for all grades on behalf of one or more local schools to be distributed when students are back at in-person learning. Suggestions include backpacks, #2 pencils, black and blue ink pens, crayons, lined paper, glue, small scissors, colored pens, writing notebooks, and colored paper.
Donations of clean, new, or used men’s casual/work clothing are distributed through the Westside Interfaith Network’s hot lunch program for people experiencing homelessness, The Welcome Table. There is a constant and growing demand for denim apparel, khaki’s, hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts, clean underwear, socks, shoes, and all kinds of outerwear for the fall and winter. Please … NO dress shirts, sport coats or suits.
GOT PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Here’s our nightly update with local/regional pandemic-related toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals (keep in mind, these are the first since Monday):
*21.677 people have tested positive, 87 more than yesterday*
*758 people have died, 5 more than yesterday
*2,340 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday*
*Again tonight, the “new since yesterday” numbers on the county dashboard don’t all match the increases from what was on the dashboard 24 hours ago (as captured in our Monday roundup), so we’re using our calculations. Also, for a third night, the county has no stats on how many people have been tested, saying the state’s “data systems error” has not yet been resolved.
One week ago, those totals (plus testing) were 20,440/748/2,317/405,290.
ANOTHER AREA DEATH: One of the five zip codes that are partly or entirely in West Seattle, 98146, has recorded another death; now it has the most of those five zip codes, 16.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
VIRTUAL RESOURCE CENTER: Announced today:
To provide King County residents with ready access to dozens of community service providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic, King County District Court is making available a Virtual Resource Center (VRC). Operated as part of the court’s community court program, the VRC is open to anyone in the community to visit via Zoom videoconference or by telephone. Services at the VRC include access to education, work training, substance abuse treatment, transportation discounts, Public Health / DSHS, and many more.
Prior to COVID-19, King County District Court operated in-person community resource centers in Redmond, Shoreline and Burien. To help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the in-person options have been replaced by the VRC until they are safe to re-open after the pandemic.
To find out how and when you can use the VRC, go here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: The announcement for his 2:30 pm Thursday briefing:
Gov. Jay Inslee will address media Thursday via streaming video and telephone to discuss the state’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic and new protocols for safe airline travel in Washington state.
The governor will be joined by:
Max Tidwell, vice president of safety and security, Alaska Airlines
Tony Gonchar, regional vice president, Delta Air Lines
Lance Lyttle, managing director, aviation division, Port of Seattle
Brooke Vatheuer, vice president of strategic performance for Seattle, Alaska Airlines (Q&A only)
The speakers will discuss how they have taken the baseline guidance and expanded upon it.
It’ll be livestreamed – and available for playback later – here.
NEED FOOD? Food Lifeline has gone back to weekly distributions of emergency food boxes at its South Park HQ, 815 S. 96th – 2-5 pm this Friday (September 26th).
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Tonight’s virus-crisis updates:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative totals:
*21,590 people have tested positive, 57 more than yesterday’s total*
*753 people have died, unchanged from yesterday’s total*
*2,337 people have been hospitalized, 13 more than yesterday’s total*
*Again tonight, the “new since yesterday” numbers on the county dashboard don’t match the increases from what was on the dashboard 24 hours ago (as captured in our Monday roundup), so we’re going with our calculations. Also, for a second night, the county has no stats on how many people have been tested, saying the state’s “data systems error” has not yet been resolved.
One week ago, the totals were 21,013/747/2,309/403.349.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 31.4 million cases worldwide, 6.8 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
‘MISCELLANEOUS VENUES’ GUIDANCE: New from the state:
Gov. Jay Inslee today issued guidance for miscellaneous venues, including convention/conference centers, designated meeting spaces in hotels, events centers and other similar venues as part of Washington’s Safe Start phased reopening plan.
The guidance allows business meetings, professional development training and testing, and substantially similar activities to occur away from business premises and with additional attendees, as long as all requirements are met.
Read the full guidance document here, and the associated memo here.
‘SEAT FLEET’ FUNDRAISER: Did you buy a cardboard cutout for the pandemic-abbreviated Mariners season? The team says those who did, hit it out of the park:
The Seattle Mariners today announced that Seat Fleet fan cutout purchases have resulted in a donation of over $70,000 for All In WA, a coordinated, statewide relief effort that supports workers and families who have been acutely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
Nearly 15,000 cutouts were purchased by Mariners fans and placed in the stands at T-Mobile Park during the 2020 60-Game Season. The physical presence of the cutouts helped bring color and atmosphere to the ballpark at a time when fans were not allowed to attend games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:
*21.533 people have tested positive, 74 more than yesterday’s total*
*753 people have died, 5 more than yesterday’s total*
*2,324 people have been hospitalized, 11 more than yesterday’s total
*The “more than yesterday’s total” calculations are ours, compared to our report of what the dashboard showed 24 hours earlier, and these two calculations differ from what the dashboard shows, unexplained
**No testing totals tonight; this IS explained, attributed to incomplete results from “a data systems error” that’s expected to be remedied tomorrow.
One week ago, the totals were 20.931/743/2,305/401,635.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
UTILITY RELIEF: The city wants to remind you that it’s still available.
‘STAY HEALTHY BLOCKS’: The city has announced community groups and nonprofits can apply for temporary permits “to temporarily close blocks to thru-traffic for increased access to outdoor recreation space and improved mental health.” Non-arterials only. Full details here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Time for our nightly virus-crisis update:
KING COUNTY’S NEWEST NUMBERS: First, the cumulative totals from the Public Health daily-summary dashboard:
*21,459 people have tested positive, up 60 from yesterday’s total
*748 people have died, unchanged since Wednesday
*2,313 people have been hospitalized, unchanged since Friday
*417,239 people have been tested, up 9,374 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 20,868/743/2,301/398,514.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 30.9 million cases and more than 959,000 deaths – see the nation-by-nation breakdown here.
STATEWIDE SITUATION REPORT: The newest one was made public today. From the announcement:
Today the Washington State Department of Health released the latest statewide situation report. The report shows an overall decline in COVID-19 cases in western Washington and a plateau in eastern Washington, with significant differences from county to county.
Report findings include:
The reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) was close to one in both western and eastern Washington as of August 29. The best estimates of the reproductive number at that time were 1.07 for western Washington and 0.94 for eastern Washington. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining.
We’re seeing an overall decline in case counts in western Washington and an overall plateau in eastern Washington. These trends are not uniform and we continue to see very different trends from county to county. In western Washington, the decrease has slowed in Clark, Pierce, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties, and cases are increasing in Lewis County. In eastern Washington, decreases have plateaued in Benton, Franklin, Grant and Spokane counties, and cases are increasing in Adams and Whitman counties,
These overall trends also differ by age. The recent increase in cases among 18 to 24 year olds in eastern Washington was driven by an outbreak in Whitman County. In western Washington, we’re seeing moderate increases in cases among people age 0 to 17 and 25 to 39. Because increased disease activity in younger populations tend to spread into older and more vulnerable groups, these trends are cause for concern.
Risk remains high throughout the state. Because the vast majority of the population does not have immunity to COVID-19, an outbreak can quickly spread through a community and into the most vulnerable populations.
Read the full report here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Halfway through the last weekend of summer, here are tonight’s virus-crisis notes:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here are the cumulative totals from Public Health‘s daily-summary dashboard:
*21,399 people have tested positive, 95 more than yesterday
*748 people have died, unchanged from yesterday
*2,313 people have been hospitalized, unchanged from yesterday
*407,865 people have been tested, 1,183 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 20,800/743/2,294/396,731.
WEST SEATTLE TREND: Here’s our weekly check of this stat, with numbers accessible in two-week increments via the “geography over time” tab on the daily-summary dashboard, checking the West Seattle and Delridge “health reporting areas.” In the past 2 weeks, 36 positive test results were reported; 53 in the 2 weeks before that; 45 in the two weeks before that.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 30.6 million people have tested positive, and more than 955,000 have died; U.S. deaths are just under 200,000. Most cases: U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, Colombia (Peru dropped from #5 to #6 in the past week). See the breakdown, nation by nation, here.
FUNDRAISER SUCCESS: Earlier this week, we published word of a flower-sale fundraiser for farm families hard hit in these pandemic times. Cynthia Yongvang of the Hmong Association of Washington tells us it was a success – the White Center location alone (nearest one) had 177 bouquet orders.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
29 weeks ago tonight, King County announced its first case of COVID-19. Here’s what’s new:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily summary:
*21,304 people have tested positive, 127 more than yesterday
*748 people have died, unchanged since Wednesday
*2,313 people have been hospitalized, 3 more than yesterday
*406,682 people have been tested, 2,609 more than yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 20,699/743/2,294/389,459.
ONE MORE AREA DEATH: One of the five zip codes that are entirely or partly within West Seattle, 98146, recorded another death since our last check Tuesday and is now up to 15.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 30.4 million cases, 950,000+ deaths – see the nation-by-nation numbers here.
PROPERTY TAXES: Earlier this year, King County property owners who pay taxes directly, instead of through a lender, got an extension of the year’s first payment deadline. The Assessor’s Office announced today that it will NOT extend the deadline for the year’s second payment. So King County property owners who pay their property taxes themselves, rather than through a mortgage lender, have until Monday, November 2 to pay the second half of their 2020 bill. After that date, interest charges and penalties will be added to the tax bill. But a “payment-plan program” is still available. Find out about it by going here.
RENT RELIEF FOR CITY’S TENANTS: The city is a landlord for dozens of business and nonprofit spaces. It’s extending rent relief – deferral for the former, waiver for the latter – for its tenants, through year’s end.
NEED FOOD? Volunteers at the Greater Seattle Filipino Seventh-day Adventist Church will be handing out free boxes of food tomorrow at 2620 SW Kenyon.
GOT DONATIONS? Hope Lutheran Church‘s drive-up donation dropoff is also tomorrow, at 42nd/Oregon.
GOT INFO OR PHOTOS? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
What’s missing in the lanes at West Seattle Bowl? You! lf you heard bowling was only open to league play – WS Bowl actually has a “club” you can join, which allows you to come in and play (2 bowlers maximum per lane). The bowling center explains:
In collaboration with the Governor’s office and Department of Health, the bowling industry in Washington has developed protocols which have allowed us to be open in Phase 2 & 3.
We are allowed to be open for club/league play and practice – see our VIB/Starter Clubs page under the Leagues tab for more details on how you can easily become a Club member.
-Masks must be worn at all times (without exception).
-6′ social distancing must be maintained everywhere in the center.
-The most noticeable change will be a limitation of 2 bowlers per lane maximum, as well as restrictions against movement throughout the center, with no spectators allowed.
Here’s a direct link to the club-signup page. WS Bowl is open 1-10 pm Mondays, 3 pm-10 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays, 2 pm-10 pm Fridays, 9 am-10 pm Saturdays, 9 am-7 pm Sundays.
Pandemic news on a still-smoky Thursday night:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS, WITH A CAVEAT: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals – but with this caveat, “An issue with duplicate records that affected the number of positives, people tested, and hospitalizations was corrected. Due to this correction, the column named ‘New since yesterday’ displays negative numbers of hospitalizations and a low number of new positives. There were 86 new cases and no new hospitalizations reported on 9/16.” That said, here’s what’s on the dashboard summary:
*21,196 people have tested positive, up 38 from yesterday’s total
*748 people have died, up 0 from yesterday’s total
*2,310 people have been hospitalized, down 7 from yesterday’s total (see above)
*407,596 people have been tested, up 2,306 from yesterday’s total
One week ago, those totals were 20,566/743/2,288/386,709.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Just passed 30 million cases worldwide, 6.6 million of them in the U.S. See the nation-by-nation breakout here.
IT’S OK TO NOT FEEL OK: That was the message of mental-health professionals who were featured during the governor’s media briefing today. A situation like the pandemic affects everyone’s mental health, they said, urging people to reach out for help. You can watch the briefing here.
NEED FOOD? Saturday afternoon, all are welcome at a drive-up distribution in West Seattle.
IF YOU CAN DONATE FOOD … Saturday is also when there’s a drive-up donation event in West Seattle. (Toiletries, too.)
GOT PHOTOS/TIPS? 206-293-6302, text or voice, or westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s pandemic-related toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Public Health daily-summary dashboard, the cumulative totals (keep in mind, these are the first since Monday):
*21.158 people have tested positive, 145 more than yesterday
*748 people have died, 1 more than yesterday
*2,317 people have been hospitalized, 8 more than yesterday
*405,290 people have been tested, 1,841 more than yesterday
One week ago, those four totals were 20,440/741/2,283/386,938.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them, nation by nation, here.
VACCINE PLAN: In today’s weekly state Health Department briefing, it was noted that states have to get their vaccine-distribution plan ready for the feds by October 16th, so they’re working on it. “Essential” workers such as health-care workers are likely to be the first to whom a vaccine would be made available. More than 40 potential vaccines are in clinical trials around the world, Secretary of Health John Wiesman said.
ALSO AT THE BRIEFING: State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy talked about new data regarding contact tracing (here’s the news release) – in short, many are reluctant to participate. Watch the full briefing here.
WEDDINGS & FUNERALS: New rules announced today by the governor’s office:
The update allows wedding and funeral receptions to resume, as long as they meet specific requirements.
-Receptions and ceremonies must be capped at 30 people, or 25% of venue occupancy, whichever is less
-All tables at the reception must be seated by household, with table sizes capped at 5 people
-Facial coverings are required, and social distancing must be maintained
Read the full guidance document here, and associated memo here.
TWO WAYS TO HELP: Order flowers ASAP to help farmers; donate food and/or toiletries at a drive-thru event on Saturday.
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Mid-September virus-crisis updates:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative totals:
*21,013 people have tested positive, 82 more than yesterday’s total
*747 people have died, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*2,309 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*403.349 people have been tested, 1,714 more than yesterday’s total
NO ONE-WEEK-AGO COMPARISONS … because last Tuesday was the day when county and state stats were down.
ONE MORE AREA DEATH: One of the five zip codes that are entirely or partly within West Seattle, 98146, recorded another death in today’s report and is now up to 14. (Cross-referencing the daily by-city stats, it appears this is a Burien death, as that jurisdiction is shown with 1 in today’s report, while Seattle and White Center both show 0.)
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
NATIONAL/WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: 29.5 million cases worldwide, 6.6 million of them in the U.S. – see other nation-by-nation stats by going here.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TODAY: He talked about COVID-19 as well as wildfires – you can see the video here; he turns to the pandemic just past 17 minutes in, starting with words of concern about college-community outbreaks, particularly what happened in Pullman, and continuing with a graph showing a possible uptick in virus activity overall. “This virus hasn’t gone away,” reminded Secretary of Health John Wiesman.
STATE HEALTH LEADERS’ BRIEFING TOMORROW: You can get a full update on the statewide situation by watching the media briefing with the state’s COVID-19 response leaders tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2 pm; it’ll be streamed here.
COVID CLOSURE: Walgreens confirmed to WSB today that the High Point store’s Friday and Saturday closure was COVID-19-related.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
Late in the day Friday, we got a couple questions about a sudden closure of the Walgreens store in High Point, which continued Saturday, with the store reopening Sunday. The closure notice posted on the store door did not cite a reason. We asked corporate media relations on Monday via email: “Was this a COVID-related closure?” and corporate spokesperson Erin Loverher responded this morning:
Yes, this location was temporarily closed and is now open. When notified of a confirmed or presumed positive COVID-19 case, we take actions meeting or exceeding recommendations from the CDC, OSHA, public health officials and other credible sources while following federal, state and local health advisories. Our clinical and safety teams work closely with our field and store leadership to respond accordingly, which may include identifying and contacting individuals who may be at risk in order to self-quarantine or self-monitor their health, as well as third-party, industrial cleaning and disinfecting the location or impacted areas of the store. Cleanings may require temporarily closing a store, at which time customers may visit a nearby store location for their prescription needs.
We are actively reviewing our policies and procedures as guidelines evolve, and will continue to adjust our safety protocols accordingly to promote the safety and wellbeing of our team members and customers.
As we reported in this July story, businesses are not required to disclose to customers if one or more staff members tests positive. Some have done so proactively anyway, or in response to inquiries like this.
Our nightly pandemic toplines:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: Here’s today’s daily summary from Public Health – the cumulative countywide totals:
*20.931 people have tested positive, 63 more than yesterday’s total
*743 people have died, unchanged since Friday
*2,305 people have been hospitalized, 4 more than yesterday’s total
*401,635 people have been tested, 3,121 more than yesterday’s total
One week ago, the totals were 20.320/734/2,264/385,152.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
CITY TESTING SITES TO REOPEN TOMORROW: They were closed today because of the air quality, but the sites – including Southwest Athletic Complex in West Seattle – are expected to be open Tuesday.
GROCERY-SHOPPING UPDATE: With one chain store changing its senior/at-risk hours, we checked to see where other stores stand with those.
GOVERNOR’S BRIEFING TOMORROW: At 2:30 pm Tuesday, Gov. Inslee plans a briefing that is expected to cover the COVID-19 response as well as the ongoing wildfire disaster. You’ll be able to watch here.
GOT SOMETHING TO REPORT? westseattleblog@gmail.com or 206-293-6302, text/voice – thank you!
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