Tag Archives: covid-19

Boosted: Seattle clinics ready to top-off your COVID-19 pokes

Posted on by

Many of the already vaccinated in Seattle spent the weekend feeling a little off and maybe a little achy — with the CDC’s recommendation, COVID-19 booster shots are now widely available in the city.

Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all adults. The CDC is now recommending boosters for Pfizer/BioNTech’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines for all adults six months after they finish their first two doses.

Previously, the CDC recommended boosters after two months for the 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Continue reading →

Seattle Public Schools facing COVID-era staffing shortages, too, cancels a day of school

Posted on by

(Image: Seattle Public Schoools)

As Capitol Hill’s reopening continues, staffing shortages seen across the country are also an important issue for organizations and businesses here.

We notice missing workers mostly with things like the daily cancellations of multiple Metro bus runs, usually early in the mornings or late at night. We notice favorite bars and restaurants operating with limited hours. We notice occasional inventory issues at groceries and stores as the distribution chains break without enough drivers and delivery people.

And now, we’re going to notice it in our schools. Continue reading →

The Capitol Hill COVID Remembrance Project: ‘TAKE A RIBBON — WRITE THE NAME OF SOMEONE WHO HAS PASSED…’

Posted on by

(Images: CHS)

A Capitol Hill faith community has created a modest memorial to honor the lives of those lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can add to the love on display at the corner of 19th and Aloha.

Sunday, the St. Joseph Parish held a small opening service for the Capitol Hill COVID Remembrance Project, an effort through November to provide a space for the community to remember friends, family, and loved ones lost to the virus.

White ribbons have been tied to the church’s fence, many bearing the names of loved ones who have died. A box of ribbons and a pen waits for anybody who would like to add to the memorial. Continue reading →

Hey Seattle kids, it’s time to get your COVID-19 pokes — UPDATE

Posted on by

(Image: CDC)

Parents and guardians across Seattle have begun scheduling appointments for their kids for the COVID-19 vaccine but officials say, while urgency to help make children aged 5 to 11 safer is good, there will eventually be plenty of doses to go around as pharmacies, city clinics, and new school-based clinics ramp up and prepare to serve this final key population in the pandemic puzzle.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week approved use of the smaller doses on children under 12 setting off a rush to provide the vaccine even as formalities like approval from the Western States Scientific Review Group were still playing out.

Commercial pharmacies led the way with many parents reporting scheduled appointments in coming days. The City of Seattle’s downtown Vaccination Hub and city clinics and large health providers like Polyclinic and Kaiser Permanente were also preparing to vaccinate kids. Officials said there will also be efforts to establish clinics at public schools across the area.

UPDATE: The county says it is making plans to help ensure the “equitable” distribution of vaccine for kids:

The initial local allocation of these doses in the first few weeks may not be enough to meet the initial expected demand from all families. Public Health expects enough doses in the weeks ahead to ensure vaccination will be available for every child across King County.

 

There are approximately 183,000 children ages five to eleven in King County, officials said.

The approvals come as transmission rates remain at “substantial” levels in Seattle and King County’s vaccination rate has stubbornly sat around 83% for weeks. As of late last month, nearly 2,000 have died here. In King County, unvaccinated people are 3x more likely to catch the virus, and 14x more likely to die from COVID-19 complications. Continue reading →

City launches $16M Seattle Relief Fund — Meanwhile, ‘Guaranteed Basic Income’ program plan proposed for 2022

Posted on by

The city is launching a new $16 million Seattle Relief Fund designed to provide households during the pandemic from $1,000 to $3,000 in financial support. Meanwhile, a program to set the groundwork for a larger Universal Basic Income system in the city could move forward during the ongoing 2022 budget process.

Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office announced the new relief fund Monday for “households that were unable to access state unemployment, had no health insurance, didn’t receive federal stimulus payments, or experienced housing instability or mental health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic” — Continue reading →

Nearing 2,000 lives lost, King County proposal would begin planning for COVID-19 memorial

Posted on by

An image from 2020’s Mask Parade, a curation of face masks made by 27 different artists, at First Hill’s Museum of Museums

Plans are being put in motion for a memorial to lives lost to COVID-19 in King County.

As of this week, 1,974 people have died here since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Deaths continue. The county says in recent weeks around three people suffer COVID related deaths here every day, a rate that has remained unfortunately steady through the early fall.

Under legislation proposed by King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, the county’s 4Culture agency would help develop a report by next summer with potential locations for the memorial, as well as costs and possible sources of funding and donors. Continue reading →

Latte to go? Mask up and grab it — But bring your vaccination proof if you’re planning to hang around your favorite Capitol Hill cafe, bars, and restaurants

Posted on by

Coffee at The Buzz at Seattle Central (Image: Seattle Culinary Academy)

You won’t have to show it if you’re just picking up coffee but if you want to hang around and linger in your favorite Capitol Hill cafe, you’re going to need your proof of vaccination.

Monday brings the October 25th deadline for the new health order across the county requiring proof to be shown for entry to indoor areas of restaurants and bars, live music events, performing arts, and gyms, as well as large outdoor events like professional sports with 500 or more people in attendance.

Smaller restaurants and bars with a seating capacity no greater than a dozen people will have until December 6th to implement the requirements. Continue reading →

‘KEEP EACH OTHER SAFE’ — Another COVID-19 milestone, October 25th deadline will require proof of vaccination at bars, restaurants, more

Posted on by

With the October 18th state, county, and city worker vaccination deadline here and seemingly in hand in Seattle, attention now turns to another important October COVID-19 recovery milestone.

Starting October 25th, a new vaccination verification system will be in place in King County requiring proof to be shown for entry to indoor areas of restaurants and bars, live music events, performing arts, and gyms, as well as large outdoor events like professional sports with 500 or more people in attendance.

Smaller restaurants and bars with a seating capacity no greater than a dozen people will have until December 6th to implement the requirements.

Capitol Hill restaurants, bars, and shops again on the frontlines of dealing with new pandemic-era requirements are getting support and resources, officials said Monday. Continue reading →

October 18th vaccination deadline arrives in Seattle

Posted on by

(Image: King County Metro)

October 18th has arrived and, so far, it’s just another Monday morning in Seattle. But the deadline for city, county, and state workers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination comes along with new challenges.

Most immediate, many Seattle Public Schools families scrambled over the weekend to figure out how to get kids to campus after the district said it was canceling more than 140 bus routes: Continue reading →

Seattle ready to ramp vax efforts back up with new downtown Vaccination Hub, boosters, and plans for kids

Posted on by

The Seattle “megasite” clinic won’t be coming back… hopefully (Image: City of Seattle)

Nineteen months after the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the City of Seattle is again ramping up its vaccination efforts with mobile teams, partnerships, booster shots, a new high-capacity downtown “Vaccination Hub,” and new preparations to finally vaccinate kids as winter approaches and transmission rates remain at some of their highest levels of the pandemic.

The efforts will be able to provide approximately 10,000 vaccinations per week, officials said Monday, “with the ability to surge capacity if needed.”

The plans come as Seattle prepares for another fall and winter under pandemic conditions with more than 400 cases still being identified daily in the county. The terrible math continues. Every day, 14 people are hospitalized with COVID. Every day, three more people die.

Though it is only slowly climbing, there is progress in getting more people vaccinated. King County totals have now tipped over 81% fully vaccinated. Here in the central city, ZIP code 98112 covering eastern Capitol Hill and nearby neighborhoods have an estimated 88% completed vaccination rate. But it is sandwiched between areas with younger, more diverse, less wealthy demographics where the county says vaccination rates are lower. ZIP code 98102 covering the core of the Hill has a 71% completion rate, the county says, while the population of the 98122 area covering most of the Central District has reached 75% fully vaccinated. Continue reading →