City of Des Moines issued the following announcement on April 10.
ALL CENTERS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRIES.
Public Health-Seattle & King County – 206-477-3977
For King County residents who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19, or for healthcare providers with COVID-19 questions. This helpline is open daily from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. and operators are able to connect with a third-party interpreter.
Washington State Department of Health – 800-525-0127 and press #
For general questions about how the virus is spread and what to do if you have symptoms. This helpline is open daily from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
UPDATED NUMBERS
COVID 19 Cases: Tested Positive
World: 1,632,614 - up 94,660 in 24 hours
United States 475,237 - up 39,456 in 24 hours
WA State 9,740 - up 398 in 24 hours
King Co. 3,886 - up 198 in 24 hours
DEATHS
World 97,583 - up 7,623 in 24 hours
United States 17,055 - up 2,190 in 24 hours
WA State 455 - up 24 in 24 hours
King Co 258 - up 14 in 24 hours
KING COUNTY DASH BOARD for 98198 https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/data-dashboard.aspx
98198: 82 have tested positive, up 4. 2 deaths, up 1. Public Health is no longer reporting the number of TESTED individuals
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Century Link Field Hospital being dismantled and redeployed to another state. There are other states that need this resource more than us as we are flattening the curve
Redondo on street parking, boat launch and restrooms have been closed to the public to encourage social distancing.
Washington State Department of Health Coronavirus Website: www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus
Public Health Seattle and King County Coronavirus Disease: www.kingcounty.gov/covid
Public Health Seattle and King County Health Blog: publichealthinsider.com
UW analysis suggests death rate/hospitalizations may have peaked in WA: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/new-uw-analysis-lowers-coronavirus-death-projections-and-suggests-hospitalizations-may-have-already-peaked-in-washington/
Gov. Inslee announces statewide food relief fund… https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/as-coronavirus-economic-effects-strain-food-banks-gov-inslee-announces-statewide-food-relief-fund/
and support for small business and non-profits: https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-department-commerce-announce-support-small-businesses
Team Rubicon (above) helps ready Assessment/Recovery Centers: https://twitter.com/KingCountyWA/status/1247567472732942336?s=20
Inslee sending back CenturyLink field hospital so feds can help others: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-sending-back-centurylink-field-hospital-to-federal-government-to-help-states-hit-harder-by-coronavirus/
Seattle-area businesses applying for federal loans see potential and problems: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/local-business/seattle-area-small-businesses-applying-for-federal-coronavirus-loans-see-potential-and-problems/
Bored? Need a quick project that builds stronger communities? Visit http://2020Census.gov and ensure #KingCountyCounts
Public Health-Seattle & King County
Public Health Insider highlights for April 7:
Public Health Data dashboard provides visual of King County COVID-19 outbreak; updated daily.
- Household safety during stressful times: tips for gun owners
- Emergency food access resources
- **FLASH** - Public Health recommendations in 16 languages have been updated:
- https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus.aspx
Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, French, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Marshallese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese
The full list of grantees can be found at www.seattlefoundation.org/COVIDGrants .
Reminder: Don’t call 9-1-1 if you see a business acting badly; there’s an online complaint form to use instead.
- Non-medical masks – to wear or not to wear? That is the question.
- New! Latest guidance from WA State Dept of Health.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that people who are in areas such as King County, with significant community-based spread of COVID-19, should wear cloth face coverings when they are in a public setting where it is difficult to keep six feet away from others (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies).
- The most important ways of preventing COVID-19 are frequent hand washing, avoiding touching your face, staying away from ill people, staying home and avoiding all non-essential activities and contact with others. Mask use does not replace the need to follow these important precautions to prevent illness, but it can serve as a supplement.
- Earlier guidance emphasized that anyone who is ill should wear a mask in public or around others – this guidance still stands. Wearing a fabric mask can help prevent the spread of infection to others when the mask is worn by someone who already is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, even if they don’t have symptoms. The mask will block infectious droplets from spreading when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes and, to a lesser degree, speaks.
- The CDC has created DIY-cloth-face-covering-instructions-CDC.
- The following advice on how to wear a mask safely comes from the World Health Organization:
- Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
- Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
- To remove the mask: remove it from behind – do not touch the front of mask; discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Medical masks should be reserved for healthcare providers who are on the front lines working to protect us all. Please avoid shopping for surgical, N95 respirator, or other medical masks.
- Give blood. Save lives.
- Every day, patients in King County depend on a safe and reliable local blood supply from Bloodworks Northwest. These patients include people with cancer, trauma victims, transplant surgeries, premature babies, mothers experiencing life-threatening bleeding after giving birth, and even severely ill COVID-19 patients.
- For the health of our community, it’s critical that 1,000 people donate blood every day. Many in our community have stepped up to provide this life-saving resource, stabilizing the current blood supply.
- Blood is perishable, so it will take a community commitment to keep the shelves stocked for the transfusion needs that are coming.
- Make your appointment at one of the King County donor centers (Bellevue, Central Seattle (First Hill), Federal Way, North Seattle, and Tukwila) by visiting bloodworksnw.org, or by calling 800-398-7888
- Non-medical masks – to wear or not to wear? That is the question.
Governor Inslee announced the state of Washington will return more than 400 ventilators received from the Strategic National Stockpile to help states facing higher numbers of COVID-19 cases.
New dashboards make statewide COVID-19 data visual; updated daily.
Guidance on cloth face coverings (April 3).
Event: “Surviving the Coronavirus Infodemic” – Free and open to the public livestream event on Thursday, April 9, from 4-5 p.m. Learn more and register.
Enforcement of the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order
Gov. Jay Inslee announced guidance today for state and local enforcement of his recent “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. Inslee stressed that although the vast majority of individuals and businesses were complying with the order, the state has received many reports about non-compliance. The state has created an online form to fill out specifically to report businesses in violation of the order. To report individuals or groups not complying with the order, Complaints about groups of individuals violating the order should be made to local law enforcement. Residents should contact their police departments directly and not call 911 to report gatherings. Visit the enforcement website to learn more about the enforcement policy, read the recommendations and FAQ page, and ask a clarifying question about what type of business the state considers essential.
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND STATE DEPARTMENTS
- Inslee, leading nonprofits launch fund for state’s food banks (includes video PSA)
- Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal: School Buildings Closed, But Learning Continues
- Reminder, DOH dashboard makes statewide COVID-19 data visual; updated daily.
- Expanded hours to answer your questions about coronavirus: Call 1-800-525-0127, text 211-211 or visit the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak website
- WA AG launches “See, it, Snap it, Send it” anti-gouging campaign: https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-ferguson-launches-see-it-snap-it-send-it-campaign-encouraging-washingtonians
- Inslee, leading nonprofits launch fund for state’s food banks (includes video PSA)
- NEW guidance for solid waste and biomedical waste handling: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/communicable-diseases/disease-control/novel-coronavirus/waste-management.aspx
- Update from the King County Regional Donations Connector
- 32 organizations have requested donations of cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and non-perishable food
- 22 organizations have offered hand sanitizer and gloves
- 101 total donations have been logged
- 2 connections today:
- Sunrise Textiles donates 20K masks
- JP Morgan completes 25K mask donation
- Opened/small count PPEs? Try the Seattle Mask Brigade: https://sites.google.com/view/seattle-mask-donations/
“Surviving the Coronavirus Infodemic” – Public livestream event on Thursday, April 9, from 4-5 p.m. Learn more and register
- As COVID-19 continues to spread steadily, Public Health reminds community of the value of staying home
- Evidence continues to show the virus that causes COVID-19 is spreading in King County. With more than 100 new cases per day, staying home and avoiding all non-essential contact with others is the best way to stay healthy and keep others healthy.
- If you must go out, stay at least six feet apart from others at all times. Wash your hands with soap frequently and avoid touching your face. COVID-19 is highly contagious and each face-to-face interaction is an opportunity for it to spread.
- Everyone, even people who are young and healthy, must stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19.
- When distancing is difficult, non-medical masks can help limit the spread of COVID-19
- “Medical masks are needed for healthcare workers who are caring for patients with COVID-19. We need our healthcare workers to be able to safely continue providing their services during this pandemic,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health. “For the general public, homemade fabric masks, especially if well-made and fit, may provide some benefit.”
- To learn more, see Public Health Insider, the news blog for Public Health.
Schools in Washington State will be closed for the rest of the school year
- The governor’s proclamation prohibits in-person instruction through June 19, with exceptions for students with disabilities and English language learners for whom distance learning would present challenges.
- Facilities remain accessible for limited use, including providing child care and packing take-home meals for students’ families to pick up. All activities must follow Department of Health social distancing guidelines.
- Reminder: King County Public Health recommendations for gatherings of children and youth while schools are closed.
It is also possible for the virus to spread though droplets on hard surfaces. That’s why it’s important to wash our hands thoroughly and often with soap and water, and avoid touching our faces.
There is no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 is spreading through food – not through take-out orders, groceries, or produce.
- When you return home from the grocery story, please thoroughly wash your hands.
- Coronavirus fact vs. myth: Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. FEMA setup a website to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Cleaning and disinfection for households. These guidelines are focused on household settings and are meant for the general public.
- Cleaning refers to the removal of germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces. It does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
- Disinfecting refers to using chemicals, for example, EPA-registered disinfectants, to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.
- Fraud and scam protection: The Department of Justice is remaining vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis. Find out how you can protect yourself and helpful resources on DOJ’s Coronavirus Fraud Prevention website. The Federal Trade Commission has also established a website with helpful information to help consumers avoid coronavirus-related scams.
- Financial support for individuals.
- Cash assistance from the federal government’s stimulus package, of up to $1,200 per person depending on income, will be sent to households in early April.
- Mortgage and Rent assistance resources:
- If you don’t have enough money to pay your rent or mortgage, contact your lender or landlord immediately.
- For renters, the Governor issued a statewide moratorium on evictions of residential tenants for non-payment of rent until April 17.
- Washington Homeownership Hotline (877-894-HOME)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggestions
- Rental Assistance Programs & counseling (800-569-4287)
- List of Housing Counseling Agencies
- Washington State Resources for Housing Providers Impacted by COVID-19
COVID-19 key hubs of online information and resources:
Local – www.kingcounty.gov/covid
State – www.coronavirus.wa.gov
Federal – https://www.coronavirus.gov/ and www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
King County Regional Donations Connector – Matching donations of money, food, goods, and services to agencies in need: www.kingcounty.gov/emergency/donate. Direct questions to donations@kingcounty.gov
To report violators of the Governor’s Stay-At-Home order: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/09349a1c56844b539fea1c2cabd16d56
City of Des Moines, www.desmoineswa.gov or eoc@desmoineswa.gov
CALL CENTERS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRIES
Public Health-Seattle & King County – 206-477-3977
For King County residents who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19, or for healthcare providers with COVID-19 questions. This helpline is open daily from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. and operators are able to connect with a third-party interpreter.
Washington State Department of Health – 800-525-0127 and press #
For general questions about how the virus is spread and what to do if you have symptoms. This helpline is open daily from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Original source can be found here.
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