News for the Week of March 29

News highlights for the week of March 29.

Latest Numbers. In Mercer Island, there have been 498 positive cases reported as of April 1. DOH reported a total of 340,371 confirmed cases as of March 29. There have been 5,237 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the latest city and county data, click here.

All Washington Adults Eligible for the Vaccine Beginning April 15. On March 31, the Governor announced that beginning April 15, all adults (16+) will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Click here for more information.

Vaccine Eligibility Now Open to Phase 1B3 and 1B4. On March 31, the state opened eligibility for people in Phase 1B3 and 1B4 which includes:

• Anyone 16 years or older with 2 or more co-morbidities or underlying conditions
• All people 60 years and older
• Anyone who lives, works, or volunteers in certain congregate living settings (Group homes for people with disabilities, Settings where people experiencing homelessness live or access services, Correctional facilities)
• Anyone who works in certain congregate settings (Restaurants, Food services, Construction and manufacturing)

APPLY NOW: Round Four of Working Washington Business Grants Open. On Monday, March 29, the Washington State Department of Commerce opened applications for the 4th round of Working Washington Grants. Applications are due April 9. This latest grant round focuses on brick-and-mortar businesses most directly impacted by COVID-19 public health measures. Business owners can find information about the program and a link to the application portal at commercegrants.com.

April 2 Situation Report. Click here for highlights and information from the 56^th week of the City’s response to the pandemic. Available here.

Vaccine News

State's online eligibility tool no longer required starting March 31. Phase Finder will no longer be required to verify COVID-19 vaccine eligibility. Instead, people who want a vaccine should check DOH's priority guidance webpage and, if eligible, use the Vaccine Locator to find an appointment. Read the full news release here.

Pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccine. As of March 17, pregnant people in Washington state are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are pregnant or considering a future pregnancy, you probably have lots of questions around risks and benefits of the vaccine. We've provided answers to some of the questions you might have surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to learn more.

Bringing vaccination to communities that need access (and trust). Tsegar Berthe knew that members of Seattle's Eritrean community would only be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from someone they trusted. And he knew the perfect place to hold a clinic: The Eritrean Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. Follow this link for more info.

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

The COVID-19 vaccine is free to you. What does that mean? King County Public Health - Since the COVID-19 vaccine’s arrival, we’ve had many things to celebrate. As more people across the state prepare for their appointments, we want to remind you of one more piece of good news: the vaccine is free to all who want one. Click here to learn what this means.

Resources

Q&A discussion on COVID-19 vaccine in Korean on March 31 Public Health will be partnering with the Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to host a workshop in Korean about the COVID-19 vaccine, so that those who speak Korean will be able to confidently talk to your community about the vaccination process and accurately respond to common vaccine questions. Click here for information.

Last Call…

We just hit a *huge* milestone - 1 million COVID-19 doses administered in King County! Or to be exact, at least 1,071,586 total doses administered according to the King County COVID-19 data dashboard updated March 31 and linked here.