News for the Week of October 18

News highlights for the week of October 18.

Latest Numbers. In Mercer Island, there have been 943 positive cases reported as of October 21. DOH reported a total of 625,677 confirmed cases as of October 20. There have been 8,417 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the latest city and county data, click here.

Cases, hospital admissions, and hospital occupancy have declined in King County and Statewide. DOH's latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report shows case counts, hospital admissions, and hospital occupancy have declined, yet these levels remain high. Hospitals across the state are operating at full capacity, and projections suggest high levels of occupancy are likely to continue through the fall months. Read the full news release or check-out the latest County and State data dashboards.

King County’s vaccine verification mandate begins Monday. Learn more about acceptable COVID-19 tests and other information needed to follow the mandate. Learn more here.

Situation Reports. The next SitRep will be available the afternoon of October 22. Click here to catch up on the latest information and reports.

Information for Businesses

For King County businesses: How to request technical assistance to improve indoor ventilation and air quality. King County businesses can request technical assistance from Public Health to improve your business's ventilation and indoor air quality. You may also qualify for a HEPA air filtration unit by completing a request form found on the page linked above.

Vaccine News

COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough report. Between January 17, 2021 – October 9, DOH officials have identified 55,518 vaccine breakthrough cases in the state. Of the cases that have data available (about half), 89% reported symptoms, 9% were hospitalized, and 527 people died. Read the latest report.

Booster doses now available for all three COVID-19 vaccine types for certain individuals. DOH is expanding the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for certain individuals following recommendations from the FDA, CDC, and Western States Safety Review Group. While not fully approved, providers can now offer booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines to those who are eligible including: those 65 and older, those 18 – 64 who live in long-term care settings, those 18 – 64 who have underlying medical conditions or those at increased risk of social inequities, and those 18 – 64 who work or live in high-risk settings. Learn more here.

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

Need vaccine support? Call the DOH support line 1-833-VAX-HELP for assistance.