News for the Week of April 19

News highlights for the week of April 19.

Latest Numbers. In Mercer Island, there have been 537 positive cases reported as of April 23. DOH reported a total of 363,840 confirmed cases as of April 21. There have been 5,428 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the latest city and county data, click here.

Public Alert: Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, but avoid unusual testing operations. Recently, Public Health – Seattle & King County became aware of a small number of unusual COVID testing operations in King County that the public should avoid. Their practices raise several concerns, including providing potentially inaccurate results. Click here for information about how to identify official (and unofficial) testing locations.

COVID-19 immunity increasing, but not enough to slow transmission. All Washingtonians, including those who are fully vaccinated, still need to take steps to slow the spread while more people are being vaccinated. Read the full news release here.

Many new COVID-19 vaccine appointments available in South King County. A large number of new COVID-19 vaccine appointments are open now at King County’s Auburn Outlet Mall and Kent ShoWare clinics for King County residents, ages 16+. Appointments are open from today through Monday, April 26. Registration required at CovidVaccine.KingCounty.gov. For assistance by phone (interpretation available), call 206-477-3977 any day 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM.

New ventilation guidance is now available. Click here for more.

Situation Reports. The City has moved to monthly Situation Reports (SitReps), available the first Friday of the month. The next SitRep will be available the afternoon of May 7. Click here to catch up on the latest information and reports.

Information for Businesses

Financial Relief Programs Available for Businesses. Programs are available to help businesses. Here are a few of the latest resources:

• The American Rescue Plan Act Restaurant Revitalization Fund has made $28.6b in federal grants for eating & drinking establishments is available. We’re still awaiting application guidelines but know the program will be administered by the SBA. Learn more from the National Restaurant Association’s FAQs factsheet: https://restaurant.org/downloads/pdfs/business/faq_revitalization_grants
• The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant application opened on April 8 via the SBA. This program provides $16b in grants to support organizations like theaters, museums, concert venues, and more that had to close during the pandemic. Learn more and apply here: https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/
• Did you receive a PPP loan and need assistance with the loan forgiveness process? REACH and Business Health Trust partnered to provide FREE CPA assistance to small businesses in the region. E-mail leighj@seattlechamber.com to get connected with CPA services from Clark Nuber.

Vaccine News

Allocation update. The State’s three-week vaccine forecast shows allocations for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna will remain fairly consistent. The forecast is an estimate that helps with planning at the state and local level. The numbers are subject to change as vaccine availability from the federal government may change.

• Week of April 25: 370,340 total doses (191,680 first doses, 178,660 second doses)
  • This includes 212,940 doses of Pfizer and 157,400 doses of Moderna
• Week of May 2: 377,360 total doses (191,680 first doses, 185,680 second doses)
  • This includes 219,960 doses of Pfizer and 157,400 doses of Moderna
• Week of May 9: 383,360 total doses (191,680 first doses, 191,680 second doses)
  • This includes 219,960 doses of Pfizer and 163,400 doses of Moderna

In addition to Pfizer and Moderna, the forecast shows Washington will receive 4,300 doses of the J&J vaccine in early May. We hope to learn more from our federal partners about the J&J vaccine at the end of the week.

King County COVID-19 Vaccine Data At-a-Glance. Page updated daily here.

COVID-19 Vaccines: Just the Facts! (Part 2). As part of King County Public Health’s ongoing efforts to dispel rumors and provide factual information, they are answering frequently asked questions. Click here for the latest installation. (Missed COVID-19 Vaccines: Just the Facts! (Part 1)? Not to worry – just click here for the post!)

Resources

Coping with COVID: Mindfulness and Self-Care. In this episode of DOH's behavioral health podcast on coping with COVID-19, Kira Mauseth, Ph.D., and Doug Dicharry, M.D., discuss how we can practice mindfulness and self-care to reduce stress and anxiety. Listen to the episode here.

Last Call…

Online presentation requests via King County COVID-19 Speakers' Bureau. Is your community group looking for a presentation on COVID-19? Public Health offers free customized presentations. Their professional speakers offer presentations with the latest information, resources, and guidance on COVID-19 to communities in King County. They are also able to provide presentations in various languages including Arabic, English, Spanish, and more. They can provide fully accessible webinars, including live captioning, ASL interpreters, materials available in advance, and translation of materials into Braille. Click here for more information.