Pandemic blog: Updates for Seattle and the NW

Updated news on the coronavirus pandemic in Seattle and Washington state.

According to the Washington State Department of Health dated September 19, 2021:

• 66.6% of eligible Washingtonians (ages 12+) are fully vaccinated. Since children are not yet eligible for a Covid vaccination, it means that Washington state is 56.8% fully vaccinated.
• 7,271 deaths related to Covid-19; 1.2% death rate since the start of the pandemic; 560,224 confirmed cases.
• Compared to Whites and Asians, the rate of Covid cases, hospital admissions and deaths was higher for Blacks, Hispanics and Native Washingtoners compared to their proportion of the state’s population.
• According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, 83.7% of people hospitalized with Covid were not fully vaccinated.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Hospital stays in Washington are on the decline

The Washington State Hospital Association reports that the number of hospital patients in the state has decreased over the past week. At the same time, deaths rose.

That creates another dire problem: overcrowded morgues.

“There are a number of counties that are either ordering additional morgue capacity through refrigerated trucks or working with their morgues to see how capacity can be increased,” said Cassie Sauer of the State Hospitals Association. “This is not how we want to create hospital capacities.”

According to the association, there were 1,673 Covid patients in Washington hospitals last week. This week it’s 1,504.

But even with the decline in hospital admissions, Sauer says, hospitals in east Washington – and particularly near the Idaho border – are still close to or at full capacity.

“Idaho is a real challenge for our hospitals in east Washington,” said Sauer. “And it’s very frustrating for Washington hospitals to feel like we are the stopgap solution to ineffective Covid practices in Idaho.”

This story has been updated with additional reports

– Eilis O’Neil, Oxley dyer

Gov. Inslee asks the federal government for personal support

With hospitals across Washington state remaining near or at full capacity due to Covid-19 hospital stays, Governor Jay Inslee has asked the federal government for staff support.

According to a report by The Associated Press, Inslee wrote to White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeffrey Zients that the state’s Department of Health has asked 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff to help in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

“Our hospitals in Washington state are currently at full or underutilization and we need additional help at this point,” the letter said. “Our hospitals were nearing capacity this summer – before the Delta variant hit our state. Much of this volume was due to the delayed supply during the early phase of the pandemic. “

A spokesman for the regional council said the state had not yet received a response.

– The Associated Press

US opens up more travel to vaccinated foreigners

NPR reports that the Biden administration will ease restrictions on foreign nationals flying into the US.

Travelers can enter the US from the beginning of November if they present proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test within three days of their flight.

The move will change a number of travel bans that were imposed during the Trump administration. It does not affect land travel from Canada or Mexico.

Unvaccinated Americans are also allowed to fly back to the United States, but must show a negative test within one day of the flight.

– Dyer Oxley

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th

Kirkland opens application for new Covid aid program

Renters and homeowners struggling to pay their rent, mortgage, or utilities in Kirkland can apply for a new financial assistance program.

The new relief program, funded by the American Rescue Plan, is open to all Kirkland residents who have experienced financial difficulties due to Covid and who have an income equal to or less than the median income for the region.

For a single person, the median income in King County is $ 81,000.

Applicants will be contacted by the city to provide documents proving their hardship, such as: B. Tax returns, receipts, medical bills and unemployment application documents.

– Paige Browning

Do you want to see the OL Reign? You need to be vaccinated

OL Reign is the Northwest’s newest sports team to require fans to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to participate in games.

The Reign, a National Women’s Soccer League team, plays at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium.

The vaccination mandate starts with their next game on September 26th.

– Paige Browning

About 1/3 of the exception requests approved at UW Medicine

By Friday afternoon, UW Medicine had received around 60 medical exemption requests and 300 religious exemption requests from the state’s Covid vaccination requirement.

Around a third of all exemption applications were approved.

Tim Dellit, Chief Medical Officer of UW Medicine, reported the numbers on the current pandemic situation during a town hall on Friday afternoon.

Jerome Dayao, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Associate Administrator at UW Medicine, also spoke during the meeting and noted that some employees chose to vaccinate because of the mandate.

He also said that UW Medicine can likely find replacements for any staff they lose because of the mandate. Dayao said the hospital has spoken to medical travel organizations (who are providing temporary staff) and he believes UW Medicine can replace staff if necessary.

Governor Jay Inslee announced a vaccination mandate in August for a number of professions, including healthcare. Affected employees must be fully vaccinated by October 18.

– Dyer Oxley

A potential new Covid vaccine is being tested at UW Medicine

UW Medicine is looking for volunteers for an experimental Covid vaccine booster.

The three vaccines currently in use in the US target the coronavirus spike protein. This experimental version targets a variety of proteins with the aim of provoking an immune response from multiple angles. The researchers hope that the approach creates better defense against variants of the virus.

We are looking for participants who have already been fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“With the advent of the Delta and other Covid-19 variants, we need to be one step ahead of the virus by developing effective vaccines that will help prevent all strains of Covid,” said Dr. Anna Wald, Director of the UW Medicine Clinic for Virology Research.

More details here.

– Dyer Oxley

Seattle Mayor: “… we will do what we must to protect the companies that are doing the right thing.”

When King County’s mandate to prove vaccination goes into effect in late October, it will be up to employees in bars, restaurants, and other businesses to enforce it.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is hoping customers will stick to it and be vaccinated. She adds that no one deserves to be harassed for their work.

“If there are certain areas where there are problems, we will do what we have to do to protect the companies that are doing the right thing,” Durkan told KUOW.

The new rules don’t apply to al fresco dining, takeout orders, or places like grocery stores.

Read the full story here.

– Kate Walters

Business associations are responding to King County’s new vaccine mandate

Business organizations are responding to King County’s new requirement for customers in restaurants, bars, and other locations to provide proof of vaccination.

“The feedback I’ve got from members of the Downtown Seattle Association is that vaccination regulations are a good thing and can help us get over that hump and get over 90 percent vaccination in Seattle and King Counties and this pandemic To put an end to it so we can all get around it … ”said Jon Scholes, President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association.

Scholes notes that the region is “in a really strong position” as more than 80% of eligible people are vaccinated. But more is needed to improve pandemic conditions.

“Vaccination is the only way to end this pandemic and move forward as a community,” he said.

But not all business organizations are in favor of King County’s latest vaccine mandate. Anthony Anton, CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association, says restaurants and bars are getting too busy.

“The data shows without a doubt that Covid is spreading everywhere, and any policy to reduce the spread must apply equally everywhere. Anything other than that boils down to using our industry – by far the hardest hit – as the carrot and stick “for the small percentage of people in King County who did not want to be vaccinated.”

Anton asks the public to be kind to hotel staff.

– Kate Walters