West Seattle, Washington
21 Wednesday
Time to start Saturday with grocery-shopping updates. The only major change this past week is that Westwood Village QFC has launched curbside pickup; Christine from the store’s e-commerce team told us it’s being rolled out at most QFCs, and that the usual service fee is being waived during the coronavirus crisis. … Hours at local standalone stores, including senior/at-risk shopping hours, stayed unchanged (here’s our standing list). We’re only shopping once a week, so we can’t scout all the stores for you, but readers have reported in each week, and it sounds like the safety measures are getting to be almost universal: Plexiglas, masks, floor spacing, etc. The main variable: Your fellow shoppers. They’re not all masking up, or paying attention to the one-way-aisle markers. (So don’t be THAT shopper!) Looking to avoid crowds? Shop in the first or last hour that your chosen store’s open. And let us know if you discover something new/changed! (Example: West Seattle Thriftway [WSB sponsor] says it has a new supply of garden seeds!)
As expected, the governor has given one industry a partial clearance to get back to work, and that tops tonight’s roundup, exactly eight weeks after the first King County COVID-19 case was announced:
GOVERNOR SAYS SOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS CAN RESUME: Gov. Inslee was joined at midday by industry and union reps with whom he said a safety plan had been worked out, in a process that he called a potential template for restarting other industries (no timeframe, though). Our coverage includes the video; here’s the announcement on the governor’s website, including the full list of rules.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:
*5,689 people have tested positive, up 120 from yesterday
*387 people have died, up 3 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 4,902 and 331.
2 DEATHS AT THE MOUNT: West Seattle long-term care/assisted-living center Providence Mount St. Vincent announced late today that two residents/patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 have died. (It’s in the zip code with the most deaths of any West Seattle zip code, per the data dashboard – 98126, with 5.)
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: See them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: See them – nation by nation – here.
BENCH BACKTRACK: We reported Thursday that Seattle Parks had installed boards to thwart use of benches along Alki. This morning’s reply to our request for comment said they would leave some open for use by those who needed them. Then this evening, after tips, we went to Alki and confirmed that Parks crews were removing what looked like more than “some” bench barriers:
We were going to go back in the morning to check if they all were being removed, but Parks has just saved us the trouble, tweeting as we wrote this: “Earlier this week the parks department placed barriers at benches to help encourage visitors to keep moving and avoid congregating. Understanding that our seniors and those who are differently abled use benches to temporarily rest, we’ve decided to replace barriers with signs.”
ALSO SEEN ON ALKI: The SPD Mounted Patrol was back today:
Thanks to GT for the photo.
SPEAKING OF THE CITY … they’re capping the percentage that third-party restaurant-delivery services can charge, after the request from the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. (At least one local restaurant that’s been totally closed may be able to reopen as a result, we’re told.)
SPEAKING OF FOOD: If you can donate some, Sunday will bring a local donation drive.
NEIGHBORHOOD SIGHTING: Thanks to the texter who sent this:
GOT INFO? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Another fundraising auction that had to go online because of the coronavirus crisis is happening right now – here’s the announcement from Holy Rosary School:
Due to COVID-19, Holy Rosary School’s annual auction has moved ONLINE. The great news is you don’t need a ticket to participate. EVERYONE IS INVITED! Over 125 items will be up for bid between today and Saturday evening. Closings are staggered, starting at 6:30 pm on Saturday.
In addition to merchandise, getaways and services, Holy Rosary School has two funds available for straight donations. The Holy Rosary Fund A Need will go towards providing scholarships for those students in our community whose families are facing financial hardships due to COVID-19. The Fund A School will assist Holy Family Bilingual School, located only 4 miles from Holy Rosary. Holy Family has been awarded a $1,000,000 building grant from Shea Homes Charities, but they need to raise 5% of these funds in order to secure the grant. More than ever, we need to come together as a community and support each other.
Please consider bidding on items or donating to one of the school funds. If bidding, please read all restrictions thoroughly. Winning bidders will be notified to pick up their items when the Stay at Home has been lifted or shipping is available at the winning bidder’s cost. Thank you in advance for your support.
For additional information, visit the Holy Rosary School website.
(WSB photo, last week)
Two Providence Mount St. Vincent residents/patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. The Mount announced that in an update sent today, eight days after announcing that 15 residents/patients and 10 caregivers there had tested positive. At the time, The Mount said a second round of testing was planned, and this update includes news on that:
Thank you to our West Seattle friends, neighbors, and family members of The Mount for continuing to express care and concern for the residents, patients, and caregivers at The Mount. We have been humbled by the outpouring of love we have received in the form of handmade masks, deliveries of flowers and goodies as well as messages of support. We hope you know how much this all means.
Thanks to Providence ExpressCare, we did a second round of COVID-19 rapid testing this week where we tested 732 residents/patients and caregivers. Due to the tremendous work of our team, we are doing an excellent job at controlling the spread of COVID-19 by caring not only for our patients and residents, but also in taking care of each other. The results of our second round of testing show a stabilization of the spread of COVID-19.
One new resident/patient tested positive and two caregivers tested positive. Additionally, several of those patients/residents who previously tested as positive, are now in the process of clearing with first step negative test results. These will be confirmed with a second test. Today there are 8 residents/patients who are positive for COVID 19. Caregivers will be cleared to return to work through caregiver health.
We are deeply saddened that two of our residents/patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. These two individuals were cherished members of The Mount family and our collective hearts are broken. We extend our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones and we are keeping them in our prayers in their time of loss.
The safety and well-being of our residents, patients, their families and our caregivers remains our top priority, especially at this time. Even with signs of improvement, we will not let our guard down as we know how quickly this virus can spread. Our heightened infection control protocols, including the use of appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE), remain in place and we continue daily monitoring of all residents, patients, and caregivers for any signs of illness. COVID-19 has our full attention and we are committed to protecting everyone in our care. We will continue to share updates with the community as needed.
The Mount (4831 35th SW) is West Seattle’s largest long-term-care/assisted-living facility, with other programs on site including the Intergenerational Learning Center day care.
Last night, we reported on the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s letter to the City Council asking for a cap on third-party restaurant delivery fees, noting that other cities have taken similar actions. This afternoon, Mayor Jenny Durkan, City Council President Lorena González, and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold just announced an emergency order to do just that – and more. Here’s the announcement:
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Council President M. Lorena González, and Councilmember Lisa Herbold today announced a new Emergency Order to impose a 15 percent commission cap on third-party delivery services. The necessary statewide ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order has caused restaurants to rely solely on delivery and takeout services for revenue, and many restaurants use third-party delivery services to meet the needs of their customers and keep their staff safe. The 15 percent commission cap will remain in place until restaurants are allowed to offer unrestricted dine-in service in the City of Seattle.
“We know that so many of our small businesses are hurting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that delivery services have been a lifeline for our restaurants during this unprecedented time. Unfortunately, some third-party delivery services are charging exorbitant commission fees, which exacerbates the financial hardship many restaurants are already experiencing,” said Mayor Durkan. “This commission cap will be critical to ensuring that delivery and takeout remain viable options and don’t cause increased financial hardship. At the City, we’re doing everything we can locally to support our small businesses during this unprecedented moment in history. We’ve identified millions of dollars to invest directly in our most vulnerable small businesses and are working with our partners across government and in the private sector to help many who are struggling. With many of our neighborhood restaurants still open, we can support our small businesses by ordering pickup or delivery during this time.”
“Our beloved main street restaurants are reeling from this economic crisis and exorbitant delivery service charges further threaten their ability to weather this storm. Restaurant owners across Seattle have adapted their business models to delivery or takeout only service, resulting in the unemployment of thousands of service industry workers and even thinner margins for these important small businesses. With tight margins, every dollar paid to an app-based delivery service is a dollar taken from our local restaurants, economy and workforce. We know some of these corporations are imposing inflated fees and profiting from this crisis on the backs of our main street. We cannot allow that to happen. This Emergency Order will provide much needed relief and establish a system that is more fair and equitable to our restaurants,” said Council President M. Lorena González.
Councilmember Herbold, representing Seattle’s District 1, thanked the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce for their early advocacy on this issue and recognized that the West Seattle Chamber shared their members’ experiences of these apps unfairly charging local businesses 30 percent on deliveries. The West Seattle Chamber has written that these apps have been “using this opportunity during the COVID-19 challenge to tell consumers that using their services are helping small businesses when the only one benefiting from these programs are these corporations.”
Restricting restaurants to takeout and delivery service disproportionately impacts small, independently-owned or minority-owned businesses that already operate on thin margins, adding to financial pressures in the industry that predate the current public health crisis. Many residents support local restaurants by using third-party, app-based delivery services, and these third-party platforms charge commission to restaurants based on the purchase price. Each service agreement between restaurants and third-party companies varies, but some include commissions that are 30 percent or more of the purchase price. These unregulated charges place an undue burden on small business owners and require some of them to turn over a significant percentage of their badly-needed revenue to a third-party.
To further protect delivery drivers who, as independent contractors, are often shut out of federal unemployment relief, the Emergency Order requires that 100 percent of tips go to the drivers, and it includes provisions to make clear that it is illegal for a third-party platform to reduce driver compensation rates as a result of this order going into effect for the duration of the order.
“Marination and Super Six currently rely on takeout and delivery in order to have an opportunity to survive in this new economic environment. Because so many of these platforms charge such high fees, we have started to handle all takeout and delivery orders in-house. But this commission cap will allow us to transition to a third-party delivery service without facing further financial stressors and allows third-party platforms and restaurants to do what they do best,” said Kamala Saxton, co-owner of Marination and Super Six.
The 15 percent commission cap will take effect immediately and will remain in place until restaurants are allowed to offer unrestricted dine-in service. Violating the 15 percent commission cap is a misdemeanor offense and would be prosecuted by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office. Restaurants who wish to report a violation of the commission cap should call the Seattle Police Department’s non-emergency line at 206-625-5011.
After more than five weeks, we’re still updating our list of West Seattle restaurants (and other prepared-food providers) and beverage businesses, as hours change and some reopen (as of today, A La Mode Pies in The Junction joined the latter category). See the list of 140+ businesses by going here. Thanks to everyone who continues to send us updates – both restaurateurs/staffers and customers – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/call 206-293-6302.
P.S. Some other lists have sprung up too; one that’s exclusively local, and locally created, is westseattle.delivery. The West Seattle Junction Association also has a list on its website.
11:32 AM: Gov. Inslee is having another news-media briefing right now, scheduled to be joined this time by building-industry representatives. Click into the live coverage above; we’ll be adding notes as it goes.
He opens by thanking people for continuing to follow “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” and cites various polls showing support for it, while declaring that it’s “working” by saving lives. He then goes on to say “we’ve found a way (for) low-risk construction that’s under way to resume.” He says a working group came up with recommendations to shape that and expects it to be “a good template” for other industries. But he says he still can’t say “when other businesses could reopen. … The day of reopening our whole economy is not today … it would be way too dangerous.”
11:40 AM: He outlines the safety plan for construction sites, including that “if it can’t be done with social distancing, it can’t be done.” Every jobsite will have to have a safety supervisor.
For other industries, he says, his office and the Department of Commerce “will convene stakeholder groups” to come up with plans.
11:47 AM: After a few statements from building-industry group reps, it’s on to Q&A. First Q: How many projects will be able to resume? Probably most, but the plan addresses “types of tasks” that can be done safely, rather than types of projects, one rep replies. Second Q is about test-kit availability, and the governor says he’s continuing to work on that. Third Q, when will this enable resumption of some construction work? As soon as the governor signs the order, later today.
In response to another question, he repeats that data and science will drive when other industries can reopen, and says that “probably tomorrow” that data will be discussed in detail. On the next followup, he repeats that the aggressive measures were necessary to “bend the curve … We now have bent the curve,” but reopening the rest of the economy has to be “an incremental process.” But “if we push that green button too soon, a lot of people are going to die.”
What will reopen next? As he said earlier in the week, they’re looking at elective surgery and outdoor recreation.
12:06 PM: The briefing/Q&A is over. The video should be available for playback above shortly; we’ll also add any links that become available with details of the governor’s construction-industry order.
3:11 PM: Here’s the governor’s post, with more details.
(Photo courtesy Alki UCC, April 12th)
That’s part of what was donated outside Alki UCC on Easter Sunday two weeks ago, and they’ve sent a reminder that you have another chance this Sunday:
Thanks to our community’s generosity, Alki United Church of Christ (Alki UCC) will once again be accepting donations outside our building for an In-Person, Socially-Distanced Food Drive this Sunday, April 26 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Contributions of non-perishable food and other items will be distributed via the White Center Food Bank; top requests include Canned Meat/Soup/Fruit (pop‐top cans preferred), Rice, Noodles, Peanut Butter, Oats, Toilet Paper, Diapers, Similac Formula, Cleaning Supplies, Hand Sanitizer, and Baby Wipes.
The drive will benefit our vulnerable neighbors in need, those who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID 19. The food drives will continue every other Sunday (May 10 and 24) until further notice. Check alkiucc.org for updates.
The church is at 6115 SW Hinds.
One more summer-event cancellation has been announce: Delridge Day. But the community group that makes it happen has found a way to ensure the festival’s gifts are given anyway. From Pete Spalding:
After much discussion, thought and contemplation of options. Visualizing Increased Engagement in West Seattle (VIEWS) has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 edition of the Delridge Day Festival.
One of the things that VIEWS prides itself on is our commitment to giving back to the community that supports us. As you might be aware. we make donations each year after Delridge Day to help support community organizations. We have made the decision to dip into our reserves this year to continue to support vital community organizations that are on the front lines in helping our neighbors during this crisis. So we are making our own stimulus payments to:
$1,200 West Seattle Food Bank
$1,200 White Center Food Bank
$1,200 Southwest Youth & Family servicesVIEWS plans at this point include a Gathering of Neighbors event during the first quarter of 2021. A part of this event will be a segment where we plan on recognizing the Heroes of Delridge who are making a difference during this crisis situation that we are going through right now.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to the 2021 edition of the Delridge Day Festival on the second Saturday of August.
The governor’s making an announcement tomorrow morning, and that tops tonight’s roundup:
GOVERNOR’S NEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: It’s set for 11:30 am Friday, and you can guess the subject from the guest list:
The governor will be joined by Greg Lane, executive vice president, Building Industry Association of Washington and Mark Riker, executive secretary of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council.
Gov. Inslee had said earlier this week that a resumption of residential construction was likely soon. You can watch his remarks and media Q&A via livestream here.
BUT WHAT ELSE IS AHEAD? From the state Health Department‘s daily bulletin:
Our epidemiological data suggest that COVID-19 activity peaked in Washington at the end of March. While activity declined during early April, this decline may have slowed during the past week. Data from the past week are always preliminary and difficult to interpret so we will not fully understand these data for another week. The public health system in Washington is currently responding to outbreaks of COVID-19 in long term care settings, homeless shelters, food processing plants and among agricultural workers.
The Department of Health has convened an expert group of modelers to analyze our epidemiologic data. This group predicts with a high degree of confidence that relaxation of social distancing conditions to pre-covid19 levels will result in a sharp increase in the numbers of cases after 2 weeks. The group also believes that current diagnosis counts are still too high to lessen social distancing measures within the next two weeks.
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:
*5,569 people have tested positive, up 120 from yesterday
*384 people have died, up 5 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 4,809 and 320.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: More than 2 million cases. See how that breaks out, nation by nation, here.
‘KEEP IT MOVING’ = NO SITTING: A new level of restrictions spotted at Alki Beach Park:
(Photo by Victoria Gnatoka)
The park may be open, but the benches are “closed,” with boards across them, as of late today. We have an inquiry out to the city to ask where else this is being done.
ALSO NOT HAPPENING AT ALKI: This year’s Alki Art Fair is the latest big spring/summer West Seattle event to be canceled – but watch for online spotlights next month.
FIRST SERVICE CUTS, NOW CAPACITY CUTS: More changes for those who need to ride Metro buses in these pandemic times.
NEED A MASK? Local family’s making them to raise money for local nonprofits.
NEED FOOD? Here’s the menu for the free meal available via KBM Commissary on Delridge – home to many food-truck and catering chefs – this weekend.
WHY TAKEOUT IS BETTER THAN DELIVERY … for the restaurants fighting to stay afloat.
DIFFERENT DELIVERY: Tomorrow night, SFD and SPD vehicles will be out for a second round of “Friday Night Lights.” If you see them, please send a pic!
GOT INFO? Email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com or phone us, text or voice, at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Another major West Seattle summer event will take this summer off amid COVID-19 uncertainty. From Alki Art Fair organizers:
It is with great sadness that we must cancel the 23rd annual Alki Art Fair. This was an incredibly difficult, but, necessary decision to make to minimize the potential spread of the coronavirus and to honor our responsibility to keep our community and families safe.
Although we are disappointed that we are unable to showcase art and music in our usual beautiful beach location, we are excited to announce the launch of Alki Art Fair at Home – a Virtual Art Fair throughout the month of May. Over the next few weeks we will feature some of the artists and performers who would have participated in our fair on our social media platforms, so please follow us on Facebook and Instagram
Let #AlkiArtFairatHome brighten your day by bringing art and music into your homes during this challenging time. We would urge you to support our artists in whatever way you can – purchase their art and their music, and, or, follow them on social media. They need all of our help right now.
And, finally, mark your calendars for the 24th annual Alki Art Fair – July 24-25, 2021. We very much look forward to welcoming you in-person next summer for a celebration of local art and music.
Stay safe, friends!
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce is joining a nationwide movement to seek caps on what third-party delivery services charge restaurants. Here’s the letter they’ve sent the city:
Attention: City of Seattle Council Members
We are urgently requesting that the Council enact a cap on delivery fees for companies such as Postmates, Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and the like. They have an advantage on delivery and are unfairly charging our local businesses 30% on their deliveries in a time of crisis. They have also been using this opportunity during the COVID-19 challenge to tell consumers that using their services are helping small businesses when the only one benefiting from these programs are these corporations. They do not have the restaurant’s interest at heart, this is merely an opportunity to further their growth and outreach to a new consumer base and increase revenues.
Many restaurants lose money on their deliveries during normal market conditions, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Board and its members are asking that you follow suit with San Francisco and now New York in limiting the fees that are able to be collected in the interest of our local businesses.
We recommend a cap of 15% to allow these businesses to continue to operate. The Chamber is concerned for our members. We must preserve some profit for restaurants so they can serve the West Seattle residents who rely on restaurants to cook their meals and allow these businesses to retain their employees.
Reducing these fees would encourage more restaurants to get off the sidelines and reopen if they knew they could pay a fair commission rate. Our goal is to Bring back much needed jobs and stability to our service industry workers.
Sadly, these companies have stood firm around not negotiating fees since the start of this crisis, all these businesses are asking for is a fair charge.
We hope that you will help make this right .
Respectfully,
Julia Jordan
CEO, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco ordered a 15 percent cap two weeks ago.
Got your own mask yet? Making them is suddenly a booming business. Some are making and selling them to raise money for nonprofits – like the family members our area’s State Sen. Joe Nguyen emailed to tell us about:
My awesome mother, who is a retired seamstress, has been making masks for the community and using it to raise donations for nonprofits that serve West Seattle and beyond.
In the past 2 weeks we’ve been able to raise over $4,500 and made nearly 1k masks.
Funds have gone to:
– White Center Food bank
– West Seattle Food bank
– El Centro De La Raza COVID relief fund
– Southeast Asian Coalition
The fine folks at Bakery Nouveau ordered masks and not only did they make a generation donation of funds they included baked goods to help keep the operations going!
Here’s the form, should folks want to get a mask and donate to a good cause.
In the photos sent by Sen. Nguyen are his mom Neo Nguyen as well as Lauryn Nguyen, a junior at West Seattle High School, and Alex Nguyen, a WSHS graduate; he says, “their mother Anna Nguyen has been organizing all of this as well.”
4:28 PM: That photo of a boarded-up bench at Alki came in just as we heard about this new “Keep It Moving” action from reader John, who had emailed Seattle Parks to ask if “Keep It Moving” also meant to keep people from resting on benches – as he and his spouse do while out walking – or to stop parents of little kids from sitting on the beach while their children played. The reply he got from a Parks staffer:
… We don’t have the staff capacity to sift out more and less appropriate activities, so we’re using the “blunt instruments” such as the Keep Moving initiative and partial closures such as at the beach where people tend to congregate and party. These measures are the best we can feasibly do at this time.
Of course parks are not only for the young and fit, but it seems relevant that persons who are older and less fit are at the highest risk from the virus. We’re doing our best, with the tools available to us, to keep people safe during this public health crisis.
John included that im a note to us, cc’d to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, reading in part:
[That is] the answer we finally got from the Parks Dept in reply to our asking if it was okay for my wife and I to rest on a park bench while taking our daily walk.
As I write this, Park Dept staff is bolting boards to park benches to render them unusable. The staffer’s answer also seems to somewhat bluntly suggest that older citizens really shouldn’t be in the parks due to their high risk status.
Young people walk and run to get fit and lose weight. Older people take their daily walk as a prerequisite to staying alive, and with proper social distancing the Parks Dept should have no objection to them doing it.
My wife and I both judged the staffer’s reply to be word salad, and we already hear enough of that on TV. We think this is ridiculous. We live at Alki and watch it all day long. There are no real problems here. The Easter closure was an excellent idea, as was reopening it on the following Monday.
I want to know the official justification for the bench banning. And are all park benches throughout the city going to be boarded up? …
We’ll be asking Parks about that.
ADDED 10:05 AM FRIDAY: Got a city response this morning:
Alki saw significant crowding on Sunday, April 19. We are implementing two additional strategies to deter crowding this coming weekend: 1. Adding additional signage. 2. Deterring congregating in picnic shelters and benches through caution tape and placing boards or signs on seating. We will leave some benches open through the park to serve those with disabilities. These efforts are in hopes that we will not have to close Alki Beach due to persistent crowding.
Our goal is that people would stay home, and when they go out to recreate that they walk in their neighborhood or use neighborhood parks. If folks do want to use Alki we would like them to keep it moving when they are there—walk, run, or bike, and try and visit the park during a less busy hour.
The response included two sheets related to social-distancing observations by Parks personnel – we’ll add those a bit later after converting them to PDF.
9:04 PM FRIDAY: As noted in comments – and seen by us at the park a few hours ago – Parks crews were REMOVING the boards tonight, and the department has just confirmed via Twitter that it’s removed them all.
(WSB photo, last month)
Two weeks ago, we reported on the plan for prepared-food sellers based at KBM Commissary to offer free meals weekly, with a rotating menu. KBM’s Keith Mathewson just sent word of how the first round went, and what’s ahead:
Last week was the first day that the kitchen distributed meals. We produced food for 400 people and ran out. This week Ka Pow Thai and the people in the kitchen are going to produce up to 600 meals. Meals again will be family style and will be distributed this Sunday from 4 PM until 6 PM. The menu will be stirfried chicken with rice and mushrooms. Anyone who is suffering as a result of the shutdown is welcome to come by. We are asking that people remain in their car and meals will be passed through the window on a long pizza board to maintain distance.
KBM is at 5604 Delridge Way SW. Mathewson has been underwriting the project but donations are welcome if you want to help – as mentioned in our first report, there’s a crowdfunding page.
P.S. Some of the KBM-based businesses are also selling from the window, as noted last month, and are part of our ongoing West Seattle list.
Two Metro notes:
NEW RIDERSHIP LIMITS: In the comment discussion following our coverage of last night’s West Seattle Bridge town-hall meeting, readers pointed out citywide-media reports about new temporary limits on Metro buses. Sorry we missed this – turns out it was announced in this Metro blog post last night, including this graphic:
If you are currently riding Metro, read the post for all the details. Meantime – this part of the restrictions has drawn some concerns: “The optimal number of passengers in the ADA priority seating area is one, which will be counted as part of the total number. However, if the ADA seating area is empty, a customer needing that space will be allowed to board.” Metro also says, “Customers with disabilities whose essential travel needs are not being met during Reduced Schedule can also use Metro’s Access Paratransit service—even if the customer is not a certified user and would not normally be eligible. Contact the Access Transportation Call Center at 206-205-5000 for assistance.” The post includes reminders that Metro is currently running on a (very) reduced schedule; you can check the canceled-trips list here.
WSTC TONIGHT: Got a question about that or about Metro’s role in getting people on and off the peninsula now that the West Seattle Bridge is closed? Participate in tonight’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting, 6:30 pm online, with Metro and SDOT reps – access info is in the preview we published Wednesday.
Two months into the COVID-19 outbreak in our region, health-care workers’ need for PPE (personal protective equipment) remains great. The Seattle Mask Brigade – a volunteer effort – asked us to remind you how you can help with what they’re doing = “collecting donated masks from around the greater Seattle area and delivering them to hospitals and nursing homes that are running out”:
Most donations are just a few masks (less than 20) that people have lying around in their emergency kit, but they all add up! So far we have coordinated deliveries of over 25,000 donated masks to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, shelters, food banks, and more. We usually distribute masks within a day of receiving them.
Our small group has helped folks in over a dozen cities around the country launch their own mask brigades, from Los Angeles to New York to Louisville.
Our website is seattlemaskbrigade.org. There’s a form on our website where people can sign up to donate N95 masks, surgical masks, homemade cloth masks, and nitrile gloves (we will accept opened/unsealed boxes of masks). Our volunteers pick them up from donors’ porches within a day or two. We also have a form where health-care workers can request masks.
The need for masks is critical. Even with PPE arriving from the government, we are still receiving urgent requests and we need more donations to be able fulfill them. In the past week donations have been decreasing, but requests for masks have not. Recently we’ve received a lot of requests for homemade cloth masks that can be reused.
Questions? Email seattlemaskbrigade@gmail.com
Sorry for the lateness of tonight’s roundup, but it’s been a very busy night – all about The Other Big Story. So now let’s take a break from the bridge and check the pandemic-related news:
WHAT THE GOV SAID TODAY: Gov. Inslee had another media briefing this afternoon. No big announcements. We listened in on his remarks and the followup Q&A – here’s the video – and it seemed again to be largely a reaction to the spots in the state where some officials are dissing the stay-home order. (He and Attorney General Bob Ferguson released this statement about that.) He did say that after tomorrow’s modeling comes in, he hopes to have news about those possible restriction relaxations he mentioned Tuesday.
NEWEST LOCAL NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:
*5,449 people have tested positive, up 70 from yesterday
*379 people have died, up 7 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 4,697 and 312.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them, county by county, on the state Department of Health page,.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: More than 2.6 million cases, almost a third of them in the U.S. See how that breaks out, nation by nation, here.
BE CAREFUL WITH CLEANING PRODUCTS: The Washington Poison Center has a warning for you.
ANOTHER TOWN HALL AHEAD: Mayor Durkan has just launched a series of weekly virtual town halls around the city. First one is tomorrow in the Central District; no date yet, but one focused on West Seattle is promised too. (The focus is supposed to be COVID-19-related resources, but we imagine another topic will come up …)
NO PLUG-PULLING: City Light is pausing “planned outages” for the rest of the stay-home period, we found out when asking about an alert a reader had received.
MORE SIGNS: The city’s announced 1,000 more signs are going up. This time, though, it’s not messaging but instead, art.
SPEAKING OF SIGNS: No rallies or cleanups this Earth Day because of COVID-19, so it was time for creative signage at (or near) home – here’s some of what your neighbors did!
QUARANTINE BEAR: So far this week, we’ve had a dragon and a reindeer. Tonight, a teddy bear with an unusual perch:
The bear is near the dragon in Gatewood, says Kanit Cottrell, who sent the photo.
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Though the governor annoonced his “recovery plan” tonight, it was devoid of dates. That tops tonight’s roundup:
‘A SAFE RETURN TO PUBLIC LIFE’: That seems to be the subtitle for what Gov. Inslee discussed in tonight’s short speech; our coverage, with video, is here, including notes from the non-streamed media Q&A shortly afterward. His office has since published a “policy brief” including this visual explanation:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:
*5,379 people have tested positive, up 86 from yesterday
*372 people have died, up 12 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 4,620 and 303.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
BUDGET HIT: The city estimates COVID-19 will take $210 million to $300 million from its coffers. This news release explains some of what’s being done about that.
CO2 SHORTAGE? Reader Lara called our attention to this report in The Guardian, suggesting a pandemic-related carbon-dioxide supply shortage,might affect water treatment. She hadn’t seen anything about it in local media. So we asked the city about it. The response:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) was made aware of a supply chain issue involving CO2 in early April 2020. We quickly worked to find solutions to the potential issue, including identifying back-up chemical suppliers and sourcing options.
After detailed discussions with the vendor and other utilities, SPU determined that its vendor can meet the Utility’s CO2 supply needs. The vendor considers SPU an essential customer, a designation which gives highest priority for deliveries. To date, there has not been any interruption in CO2 delivery.
SPU will continue to closely monitor its chemical storage levels, future chemical needs and vendor supplies.
SPU has identified backup treatment options if future CO2 supplies become limited. Even if there was a shortage of carbon dioxide in the future, water delivery from the treatment plant would not be compromised.
SPU uses CO2 “for pH adjustment at the Tolt Treatment Plant,” which supplies about 30 percent of Seattle water. (More background on city water, by the way, is in this WSB story from 2016.)
SCAM ALERT: Scammers are continuing to try to take advantage of people worried about COVID-19. Here’s the latest warning.
QUARANTINE REINDEER: In last night’s roundup, we featured another cheer-providing display, an inflatable dragon. Tonight – Diane‘s photo of Rudolph‘s springtime return.
She spotted Rudolph east west of Westwood Village.
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4:59 PM: That’s the TVW livestream of Gov. Inslee announcing his plan for the state’s recovery. We’ll be adding coverage notes of both his speech and a media Q&A scheduled at 5:45 pm.
“The spread of COVID-19 is likely declining in Washington,” the governor says he’s been told. He acknowledges that people are eager to get back to work and reopen businesses. He says reopening will be “more like turning a dial than flipping a switch.” But “we will not be able to lift many of the restrictions by May 4th.”
He says it will be a “strategic” recovery plan that “begins with widely available testing for individuals who may have had COVID-19” and contact tracing that he says 1,500 people will be working on “by the second week of May.” But the state is lacking in testing supplies – it has “more lab capacity than test kits,” he says. About 4,000 tests are being processed per day and that should be more like 20,000, he says.
Workplaces “are going to look much different” until there’s a vaccine, he says. “We’re going to provide guidance to let industries know when and how they can reopen. … We’re going to have to steel ourselves against this virus … for many months.” He says many innovations will be needed for “life in the era of COVID-19.” He will be appointing “three groups consisting of key community leaders” soon, focused on reopening as well as social services.
He concludes his speech at 5:10 pm with no mention of dates. We’ll pick up the coverage again when his media Q&A, scheduled for 5:45 pm, begins.
5:45 PM: The video window above now shows the governor’s speech, archived. We are listening to the media briefing via phone. The governor’s chief of staff David Postman reiterates what the governor mentioned as three areas that will likely see relaxed restrictions in the “near term” – elective surgery, residential construction, and outdoor recreation.
Overall “it’s not going to be a simple process” of restarting multiple industries, he says, “lot of work to be done on that.”
First question is about time frames. “Some of the things the governor mentioned could happen before May 4th.” What kind of a heads-up would other industries get? The state would want to “work with them so they are ready when it’s time.” How soon can the testing needs mentioned by the governor get ramped up? That’s unknown because of “supply chain issues.”
Then: What “modeling” was the governor referring to, that he hopes to see later this week for potential decision-making? One # is the infection rate – they’re looking for each infected person to be infecting fewer than one other.
Then: What does “outdoor recreation” refer to? Too soon to say. After that, another question trying to clarify time frames. “We have work to do between now and May 4th on” the aforementioned three things, the chief of staff says, but no elaboration beyond that.
6:05 PM: As for working toward reopening more businesses, the Commerce Department director says they want to hear from businesses – especially” “small and main-street businesses” about what they need to operate safely.
Then: What industries after medical and construction? “We don’t have that answer,” says Postman. Can cities/counties go rogue and reopen before the state gives its OK? They can be stricter, but not looser, than the state requires, he says. (Franklin County is going rogue and Postman says they are “preparing a letter” because “it’s not legal.” He adds that it’s important to hear from local officials who support the restrictions to speak up, too.)
6:24 PM: Another question about the frustration felt by people who think it’s time to reopen; Postman says the governor understands that, but protests like the one last weekend in Olympia are not going to change their “data-driven” course. “Nobody should think they are out of the woods on this,” he warns, even the counties that have not been hit hard. He also says he hopes people will be encouraged by some restrictions possibly lifting in the “days or week ahead.”
The Q&A ends at 6:26 pm.
8:14 PM: Here’s the governor’s office’s writeup, which in turn links to this “policy brief” (PDF).
Governor Inslee has just announced a 5 pm speech that he says will “lay out Washington’s plan for recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.” This comes with two weeks to go until the current expiration of the stay-home order. It’ll be livestreamed via TVW; we’ll also carry it here, with as-it-happens notes, including coverage of a media briefing/Q&A he and other state officials are having at 5:45 pm.
Two weeks to go in the current stay-home order; no state, county, or city executive statements (about that or anything else) today, but we do have a variety of notes in our nightly roundup:
NEWEST KING COUNTY NUMBERS: From the Seattle-King County Public Health data dashboard:
*5,293 people have tested positive, up 121 from yesterday
*360 people have died, up 14 from yesterday
One week ago, those totals were 4,549 and 296.
STATEWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
WORLDWIDE NUMBERS: Find them here.
FIRST QUARANTINE-FACILITY DEATH: The King County isolation/quarantine facility n Top Hat (east of White Center) has not opened yet. But the first death at one of the facilities the county has opened – a former motel in Kent – was reported today.
UNEMPLOYMENT-APPLICATION DELUGE: On the second day since the state opened applications to an expanded group – adding self-employed people and independent contractors – they’re still having some online struggles. Here’s the latest.
GETTING GRADED: Seattle Public Schools‘ struggle to ensure equitable education for its 50,000+ students during building closures has led to a new grading policy for high-schoolers.
‘QUARANTINE DRAGON’: You’ve seen teddy bears and other critters in neighbors’ windows. But have you seen the “Quarantine Dragon”?
It guards a garage in Gatewood. Thanks to Michelle for the photo!
GOT INFO? PHOTOS? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com or text/voice 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Our previous story covered one aspect of how education has changed for high-school students because of campus closures. So what’s their view of how life has changed in general because of the stay-home order? This video is a mini-doc by one local student, West Seattle High School senior Riley Nachtrieb, recently featured here after winning an award for another short film, about her . Olympic Discovery Trail run last August. Her new film “People vs. Pandemic” was mostly shot in West Seattle. Got 6 1/2 minutes? Watch above (or here)!
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