[OLYMPIA, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced that the indoor mask mandate will end for most locations, including schools, on March 12. The change was made after the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated national guidelines on Feb. 25, and the rapidly declining new case and hospitalization numbers in Washington state.
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that the county would follow the state, and end its indoor mask mandate on Mar. 12.
The CDC also updated guidance removing mask requirements in schools and on buses and vans in counties with low and moderate transmission for COVID. At the time of the updated guidelines, over 70% of United States counties qualified. Masks will still be required in certain locations in compliance with CDC guidelines.
Public transporation such as buses, subways, trains, airplanes, ferries, and related transit terminals
Hospitals, nursing homes, dentists offices, and other medical facilities
Workers and residents of community living facilities such as jails, prisons, halfway houses, and homeless shelters
The requirement to show proof of vaccination at large events and indoor venues such as restaurants, bars, theaters, and gyms, is set to expire tonight. The ending of so-called vaccine passports comes two years to the day after the first Washington state COVID death was announced.
Over the last two years, 11,866 Washingtonians have lost their lives due to COVID. Nationally, 950,000 have died, equal to the entire population of Fort Worth, Texas, or almost equal to the population of Delaware.
The first official COVID death of a United States resident from community transmission happened on Feb. 26, 2020, during the nation’s first super spreader event, at Lifecare Center in Kirkland. The death was reported on Feb. 29 and EvergreenHealth Kirkland was overwhelmed with patients two weeks later.
New cases remain high from a historical standpoint according to the Washington State Department of Health (WSDoH). On Monday, WSDoH reported 241 new cases per 100,000 residents, down 85% of the Omicron peak in mid-January. Almost 81% of residents five and older have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, and 73.2% are fully vaccinated.
[OLYMPIA, Wash.] – (MTN) Governor Jay Inslee announced the statewide mask mandate in public schools, and most indoor venues will end on Mar. 21. The announcement came a day after King County officials announced the requirement to show proof of vaccination at restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues will end on Mar. 1.
Gov. Inslee showed a forecast that indicates that on Mar. 21, new COVID-related hospital admissions would drop to a level that is sustainable for medical facilities.
Additionally, the state requirement to show proof of vaccination at large events will end on Mar. 1.
Counties, municipalities, and businesses reserve the right to require mask wear or show proof of vaccination after the mandates expire next month.
COVID-related hospitalizations are down 35% from the record-setting January peak. During the week of Jan. 16, hospitals teetered on the edge of moving to crisis standards of care. the pause on non-urgent surgical procedures announced in January, expired today.
[OLYMPIA, Wash.] – (MTN) Governor Jay Inslee announced that the outdoor mask mandate would end on Feb. 18 and that it is, “no longer a matter of if, but when,” for the end of the indoor mandate.
The outdoor mask mandate was implemented on Sept. 13, as hospitalizations for the delta variant peaked in Washington. The requirement applied to large outdoor events with 500 or more people. Enforcement of the outdoor mask requirement was close to non-existent, with Lumen Field full of maskless fans through the fall and early winter, cheering for the Seattle Seahawks.
Data has shown that COVID transmission rates are significantly lower in outdoor settings and areas with excellent air circulation.
The statewide indoor mask mandate, that was brought back on Aug. 19 still stands. Gov. Inslee said that he was taking a wait-and-see approach, and would revisit ending the indoor mask mandate as early as next week. California, Illinois, New York, and Oregon have ended or announced they are ending indoor mask mandates this week.
Washington repealed almost all COVID restrictions on Jun. 30 as hospitals emptied of COVID patients and the statewide vaccination rate for residents 16 and over approached 70%. Less than two months later the state was facing record hospitalizations due to the more transmissible and virulent Delta variant, just as school was restarting.
Washington never fully exited the delta wave when the first omicron case was detected on Nov. 29. More than a half-dozen high school wrestling matches on Dec. 4 in Pierce and Thurston Counties became super spreader events. New cases of omicron exploded from the Canada border to the Columbia River flooding Western Washington hospitals during the last week of December. The combination of holiday travelers and lower vaccination rates in Eastern Washington created a secondary wave in January.
New COVID cases are declining across the state and hospitalizations have peaked on both sides of the Cascades. Despite the improvement, there are still over 1,700 COVID patients in Washington hospitals according to the Washington State Hospital Association.
With the hospital situation improving, the statewide pause of “non-urgent” surgical procedures announced last month, will come to an end on Feb. 17. When Gov. Inslee announced the 28-day pause on Jan. 20, many hospitals had already taken the extraordinary measure independently.
At the peak of the omicron wave, Washington medical facilities were brought to the brink of collapse. The darkest days were during the week of Jan. 16. In an unprecedented move during the COVID pandemic, a handful of patients were transferred by aircraft out of Western Washington to Eastern Washington and Montana hospitals. On Jan. 19, the demand for hospital beds was outstripping all available resources.
To avoid moving the state to crisis standards of care, the Washington Medical Coordination Center (WMCC) implemented a protocol called guaranteed-acceptance hospital rotation. During guaranteed-acceptance hospital rotation, larger regional hospitals took turns taking accepting transfer patients and finding some way to care for them. By Jan. 23, the peak of the crisis had passed, and the protocol was ended.
The WMCC, which operates out of Harborview Medical Center, provides assistance to hospitals that need to move patients when the institution has exhausted all other options.
In Idaho, new COVID cases peaked earlier this week with test positivity reaching 34%. Southern Idaho has been operating under crisis standards of care for almost a month, and some patients from the Boise area have been arriving in Eastern Washington hospitals. Historically Alaska, Idaho, Eastern Oregon, and Western Montana have relied on Washington hospitals to take in critically ill patients and specialized cases.
The positivity rate for COVID tests in Washington has dropped to 18%, according to the University of Washington Virology Lab. So-called stealth omicron has been detected in Washington, but there has not been an increase in cases.
Virologists believe that between the statewide vaccination rate and how transmissible the Omicron variant is, many residents have some degree of immunity. The United States Centers for Disease Control is not supportive of repealing mask mandates because nationally new case rates remain extremely high, with over 110,000 hospitalized COVID patients.
[OLYMPIA, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington Gov Jay Inslee and Washington State Secretary of Health Dr Umair Shah announced that all Washington hospitals will suspend non-urgent procedures and 100 national guard members are being deployed to support COVID overwhelmed hospitals.
Earlier on Thursday Washington State Hospital Association Executive Vice President Taya Briley, RN said, “This is the worst situation hospitals in Washington state have been in compared to any prior point during the pandemic,” adding, “We are experiencing a crisis across our medical system.”
As part of Gov Inslee’s announcement 100 National Guard troops are being activated to provide additional testing resources at four hospitals. Additionally, they are adding funding for 200 more traveling healthcare workers, expanding the contract to 1,200 specialists. Gov Inslee told reporters that 875 traveling medical workers were already deployed. The Adjutant General of the Washington State National Guard Major General Bret Daugherty added that 17 national guard members were already deployed and the rest would be in place by Jan. 24.
Last week the Washington State Medical Association appealed for National Guard support and aid in discharging hundreds of hospitalized patients that have no placement in long-term care facilities. To provide assistance, the state will be providing funds to add another 200 staff in long-term care facilities, which would help place up to 240 patients out of hospitals. Another 75 people still hospitalized are also awaiting guardianship, and the state will move to streamline that process. No timeline was given on how fast that would happen.
The impact of these changes is questionable. Currently, over 250 people a day are being admitted to Washington hospitals due to COVID. That number is forecasted to double over the next three weeks according to the IHME.
The Delta Wave over the summer never reached a true conclusion. In early December there were still 610 COVID patients in Washington hospitals. Hospital occupancy rates were also high because elective surgeries, cancer treatments, and other critical care had been postponed for almost two years. Additionally, pediatric hospitals were close to full due to RSV, a common childhood viral infection.
The first Omicron case was detected in Washington on Nov. 29. Over the weekend of Dec. 4, several high school wrestling matches turned into super spreader events with cases across the entire I-5 corridor and across the Cascades to Yakima. Unlike previous waves, Western Washington hospitals filled up first. During the previous weekend and on Monday, some patients were transferred by air ambulance out of Puget Sound to Moses Lake, Richland, and Missoula, Montana.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Officials in five states have reported Omicron cases from Hawaii to New York, as the world races to better understand the danger the new variant presents.
In Washington, the first set of local COVID data was made available in a week, indicating that hospitalizations are plateaued again and new cases are down. Twenty-six counties no longer have high rates of transmission. There was an increase in new cases among 20 to 49-year-olds compared to last week.
Governor Jay Inslee reported that FEMA was sending two mobile vaccination clinics to King County, with the first one opening on December 20 in Federal Way.
One-third of the 3.3 million booster eligible residents of Washington have leveled up, while in some areas people are searching for appointments to get a third dose.
Almost 75% of residents age 12 and over are now fully vaccinated, and 17% of all Washington children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Locally, new COVID cases in the Bellevue, Lake Washington, and Northshore School Districts were down from last week. Vaccination rates for children 5 to 11 that live in the three districts are remarkable with some zip codes reporting almost 60% of all kids already receiving their first dose.
In national news, the United States has confirmed ten Omicron variant cases in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, and New York. The infections in Hawaii, Minnesota, and several in New York were caused by community transmission.
President Joe Biden announced new programs to try and combat the spread of COVID in the United States, but Republicans in the Senate threatened to have the United States default on the national debt if he implemented meaningful strict measures.
In South Africa officials are becoming increasingly alarmed as new cases and hospitalizations increase exponentially. The Gauteng Province, home to 15.7 million is the hardest hit, but cases were increasing across the nation. Officials there reported COVID hospitalizations increased more than 23% overnight, and ICU admissions jumped almost 40%.
A study published tonight from South Africa reported that people relying on natural immunity had a 240% higher chance of reinfection with the Omicron variant, compared to the Beta or Delta variants.
In disinformation, we explore the claim that the Omicron variant is no worse than a cold or flu.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Washington State Update for December 2, 2021
Washington state Covid-19 update
After a six-day break from updated and accurate data from the Washington State Department of Health, we’re back. A week ago the question was how much would Thanksgiving travel impact new case rates. The Omicron variant has changed the plot.
Vaccination data for the state was updated. A couple of counties had numbers drop from last week. This has happened before as data gets validated but this update dropped Grant County below 50% – so the brackets changed.
Skagit and Whatcom Counties new cases rates are down about 40% from three weeks ago. The surge of cases among mostly unvaccinated residents is winding down. New
New cases have decreased a smidge compared to last week but do not reveal any significant trends.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70.00% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
127.7
60.00% to 69.99% (5 counties)
1,374,000
261.0
50.00% to 59.99% (15 counties)
3,420,400
227.8
40.00% to 49.99% (9 counties)
487,375
234.7
32.30% to 39.99% (6 counties)
151,850
176.7
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through December 2, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 203.2 Covid-19 cases per 100K, and the 7 day rolling average is 82.7.
No counties have a case rate over 400.0. per 100,000 residents. Twenty-six counties representing 5.65 million Washingtonians have a 7 day moving average case rate under 100.
New cases by age declined for every age group except 20 to 49-year-olds, which increased. Hospitalizations for ages 20 to 34 also increased.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
91.5
0.1
Ages 12-19
83.3
0.5
Ages 20-34
100.1
9.1
Ages 35-49
100.1 (not a typo)
5.5
Ages 50-64
73.8
8.8
Ages 65-79
44.1
10.2
Ages 80+
40.6
17.0
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker has not been updated since November 30 but reports 9,303 Washingtonians have died from Covid-19 related illness.
FEMA sending mobile vaccination clinics to Washington
Governor Jay Inslee announced that FEMA would be sending two mobile vaccination clinics to Washington. The first site will open on December 20 in Federal Way and is slated to operate for a month. A second location is planned but a date and location were not announced.
“This is great news in the ongoing fight against COVID. I am grateful for our strong partnership with the federal government, and these FEMA Family Mobilization Clinics coming to King County is a great result of that partnership,” said Inslee. “This is an innovative model that will help increase equitable access to vaccination for all Washingtonians.”
A constellation of partners is working with FEMA including the Washington State Department of Health, the King County Executive’s Office, and Seattle & King County Public Health.
Some people in Western Washington have reported problems in securing vaccination appointments for boosters due to high demand.
One-third of booster eligible Washingtonians have leveled up
The Washington State Department of Health reported 1.08 million of the 3.3 million eligible for boosters have rolled up their sleeves. There is significant evidence that vaccine and disease acquired immunity declines after five to seven months, but a number of factors such as age and other health issues can affect the duration.
There is some evidence within the genetic sequencing of the Omicron variant that disease-acquired immunity from previous mutations won’t be as strong as vaccine-based immunity.
Over 17% of Washington kids age 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the COVID vax
The Washington State Department of Health reported 116,121 children from 5 to 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine, about 17% of all eligible kids in Washington.
The Pfizer vaccine Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) was amended to include 5 to 11-year-olds. They receive two smaller doses and reach fully vaccinated after five weeks. Initial data indicates that due to the stronger immune response of children and adolescents, a booster or third dose is not needed. That could change with time or if another variant emerges that is vaccine-resistant.
Washington state approaching 75% of population 12 and older fully vaccinated
The Washington State Department of Health reported 80.8% of all Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 74.6% are fully vaccinated.
Although this is good news, Washington is starting to fall behind other states. The Mayo Clinic reported that Washington was in 10th place for 12 to 17-year-olds fully vaccinated, 9th place for 18 to 64-year-olds, and tied with 32 other states for first place for 65 and older.
Travel Advisories
Due to the confirmation of community transmission of the Omicron variant in the United States, we are advising our readers to reconsider air travel and recreational travel plans. Especially if those plans include going to places with large crowds or major events at enclosed buildings.
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King County, Washington is reporting over 85.0% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine has EUA approval for children 5 to 15 years old.
COVID vaccines and boosters are free for anyone 5 and older. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
It has been a week since the last report and hospital status has improved significantly while the number of COVID patients receiving care remains elevated. The Washington State Department of Health reported 89.4% of staffed acute care beds were occupied with 10.2% of patients infected with Covid-19. There are 706 COVID patients statewide with an estimated 212 in the ICU – 114 requiring ventilators.
Statewide, there are an estimated 753 acute care and 151ICU beds available.
On Wednesday, the 7 day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was statistically the same as last week – 65.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Blackwell (1*/4) – Dickinson/Explorer (2*/7) – Eastlake High (1*/3) – Ella Baker (1*/0) – Evergreen Middle School (1*/0) – Finn Hill Middle School (2*/18) – Inglewood Middle School (1*/0) – Juanita High (2*/39) – Kamiakin Middle School (2*/12) – Keller (2*/7) – Kirkland Middle School (1*/8) – Lakeview Elementary (2*/2) – Lake Washington High School (1*/7) – Mead (2*/7) – Northstar Middle School (12) – Redmond High School (1*/10) – Redmond Middle School (1*/19) – Rush (2*/8) – Thoreau (2*/6)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Bothell High School (3*/12) – Canyon Creek Elementary (5**/11) – Canyon Park Middle School (1*/4) – Crystal Springs Elementary (1*/17) – Fernwood Elementary (1*/0) – Frank Love Elementary (1*/10) – Kenmore Elementary (1*/6) – Kenmore Middle School (4*/32) – Kokanee Elementary (0/1) – Leota Middle School (1*/2) – Maywood Hills Elementary (3*/4) – Moorlands Elementary (1*/2) – Northshore Middle School (1*/13) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (0/1) – Shelton View Elementary (0/2) – Skyview Middle School (1*/4) – Sunrise Elementary (2*/2) – Timbercrest Middle School (2*/0) – Wellington Elementary (1*/1) – Woodin Elementary (0/2) Woodmore Elementary (0/4)
None
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases – (x*/y) x is positive cases and 7 quarantined, quarantined does not include positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
Based on reader feedback, and improvement in the data we are receiving, we have adjusted how we are reporting data. The Lake Washington and Northshore School Districts are now reported as (X*/Y) or (X**/Y). X represents the number of positive cases while Y represents how many are in quarantine. The number in quarantine does not include positive cases. If there are two asterisks, that indicates five or more confirmed cases within the last 14 days at that school.
Confirmed COVID cases were down in the three school districts we track. The Bellevue School District did not have updated data for quarantined students today.
The Lake Washington School District updates data once a week, and we’ve had no parent confirmed reports on new COVID cases this week.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. This change would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Bellevue-Bothell-Kirkland-Woodinville local COVID news
King County Public Health updated the vaccination rates by zip code and now reports the data from ages 5 and up. Vaccination rates for children between 5 to 11 remain remarkable for the region.
Percentage of King County Residents 5 and older who have received at least one dose of COVID vaccine, December 2, 2021
Zip Code
Percent vaccinated, at least one dose, 5 to 11 years old
Percent vaccinated, at least one dose, 5 and older
98155
46.8%
92.5%
98028
42.7%
88.5%
98011
37.2%
85.2%
98034
38.8%
84.3%
98033
59.5%
93.5%
98072
39.2%
88.2%
98077
35.7%
80.2%
98052
55.0%
94.6%
98004
51.3%
>95.0%
98039
44.6%
90.7%
98005
53.4%
94.8%
98007
32.3%
88.0%
98008
44.5%
91.2%
98053
46.0%
92.9%
98074
50.5%
>95.0%
98075
43.0%
>95.0%
Vaccination rates with at least one dose
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 137,602 new cases and 1,960 deaths nationwide on Thursday. New cases continue to grow at a significant rate in the United States. There is no way to know if Omicron is driving the increase, but current data indicates that over 99% of new cases are Delta or one of its sublineages.
At least 10 Omicron COVID variant cases confirmed in the United States
Health officials in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, and New York confirmed at least one case of the Omicron variant in their states.
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first Omicron variant case in the United States. The travel-related case was an 18 to 49-year-old male tested in the San Francisco area. They were fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine but not eligible for a booster because six months hadn’t passed since their second shot. They returned from South Africa on November 22 and tested on November 29. They have mild symptoms and are quarantined at home.
Late tonight, California officials reported a second travel-related case in Los Angeles county. That person traveled from South Africa to Los Angeles via London and returned on November 22. They are fully vaccinated but did not receive a booster. They are experiencing mild symptoms and are quarantined at home. Health officials reported they have already contacted and tested all close contacts, and didn’t find any new cases.
This morning Minnesota officials reported a community transmission case. The person identified as male, traveled to New York City to attend an anime convention at the Javits Center from November 19 to 21. The event had 53,000 attendees. They were fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine and had received a booster in early November.
Around lunchtime, Colorado officials reported a travel-related case. The woman was fully vaccinated but had not received a booster. She told authorities she had worn a mask during all her travels and developed symptoms after returning home from southern Africa last week. She has mild symptoms and is quarantined at home.
In the late afternoon, New York Governor Kathy Hochul reported five cases in the metro New York City area. There wasn’t little information available on each case, which is a combination of community transmission and travel-related. Two were in Queens, two in Brooklyn, one in Suffolk County, and one was not identified. The condition and vaccination status weren’t readily available.
Close to press time, officials in Hawaii reported their first case of an unvaccinated individual. The person had not traveled so officials believe it was caused by community transmission. The person is unvaccinated and was previously infected with COVID. They were tested on November 29, and currently are experiencing moderate symptoms. The press release from the State of Hawaii Department of Health did not indicate if they were hospitalized.
President Joe Biden announces winter battle plan to fight COVID
Under the threat of letting the United States default on its national debt, President Joe Biden conceded he would not push further vaccine mandates and announced other measures to combat COVID and the Omicron variant.
Requiring travelers entering the country by air to test negative for Covid-19 within a day of departure, regardless of vaccination status or nationality
Extending the requirement that masks be worn on airplanes, trains and public transportation to March 18
Requiring private health insurance companies to cover 100% of the cost of at-home tests for COVID
Public education to encourage 100 million eligible adults to get boosters shots
Editor’s Note: Consider us very underwhelmed.
Global update
New Omicron variant cases and hospitalizations skyrocket in South Africa
The number of new COVID cases and hospitalizations in South Africa is increasing at an alarming rate, with officials concerned that a record peak in infections is only 14 to 21 days away.
The South Africa Department of Health (SADOH) reported 74% of all detected COVID cases in November and 90% of new cases in the last week of the month were the Omicron variant. New cases have increased exponentially since November 24, the same day South African officials alerted the World Health Organization of the new variant.
Officials haven’t provided specifics on how much more transmissible Omicron is to previous variants, only saying that is higher.
New COVID cases in South Africa November 11 to December 2, 2021
SADOH reported 11,535 new cases today, an increase of 468% from a week ago. The 7 day rolling average for new cases jumped to 5,093. South Africa is testing about 52,000 people a day as the positivity rate increase at a significant rate. Officials reported 22.4% of the tests performed on Wednesday as positive for COVID infection.
In Gauteng Province, home to 15.7 million people, the number of hospitalized patients increased 23.4% overnight, jumping from 1,035 to 1,351 total patients. ICU patients increased by 38.5% while people needing oxygen held steady at 15% and ventilator use increased from 27 to 30.
Study from South Africa indicates COVID reinfection risk is very high
Researchers look at data from 2.8 million individuals who had lab-confirmed COVID positive tests at least 90 days before November 27, 2021. Among that group, they identified 35,670 lab-confirmed reinfections. The study found that reinfection with the Beta or Delta variant was infrequent, with disease acquired immunity providing protection. The research did not take the severity of illness into consideration for the initial or subsequent infections.
Reinfection rates from November 1 to November 27 increased by 240%, indicating that natural immunity may not provide much benefit. The results of the study could have implications on the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies, but more data is required.
The study was done by a number of respected individuals but has not been peer-reviewed.
Disinformation
Although some officials have stated that Omicron cases appear to be mild, disinformation campaigns have latched on to these statements and are claiming an infection is no worse than a cold or flu.
On November 26 and again on November 28, Dr. Angleique Coetzee said that the infections she saw in her private practice were ‘very mild.’ On November 28 she expanded her statement to say that the observation was ‘not anecdotally’ and other clinicians were echoing her findings. She also stated that hospitalizations were not increasing. Her comments were addressed in a World Health Organization Omicron update on the same day.
“There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks.”
We do not believe that Dr. Coetzee is actively spreading disinformation and is speaking from her direct experience as a clinician. We also believe that people are misunderstanding what a ‘mild’ case of COVID means. A mild case is a case that doesn’t require clinical intervention or hospitalizations. With Covid-19 that’s more than a cold or the flu.
Dr. Rudo Mathivha is the head of critical care at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, a level 1 trauma center and the largest hospital in the Southern Hemisphere with 3,400 beds. Dr. Mathivha did a series of interviews in South Africa yesterday and reported she was seeing an increase in hospital admissions in children under 5 years old accompanied by a dramatic increase in patients needing high care and admission to the ICU.
“The number of ill patients presenting to hospitals has increased exponentially,” she said.
“We are seeing definitely a change in the demographic profile of patients. We are seeing toddlers under five presenting with symptoms and they are sick enough to require admission and to require supplemental oxygen.”
Researchers don’t know how severe Omicron infections will be at this time, and anyone making claims on the severity, either way, is not presenting informed information. Anyone claiming that Omicron is just a cold is spreading disinformation.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New cases declined slightly while hospitalizations now rest on a seven-day-old plateau as Washington approaches the end of the 21st month fighting Covid-19. Sixteen counties no longer have “high transmission” rates.
In state news, British Columbia and Washington have eased border crossing rules, waiving COVID test requirements at some crossings. Drivers who need to bypass road closures due to flooding and mudslides can cross the border without the required PCR test, but only if they agree they are transiting between border crossing.
Governor Inslee backed down from plans to use stricter measures for Washington employers with 100 or more workers, as the nation waits to see what happens to the Biden Administration’s OSHA Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
The Washington State Department of Health announced that free in-home COVID test kits will be made available in nine counties.
Locally, the Bellevue School District is down to five confirmed COVID cases districtwide between students and staff. In the Northshore School District, Maywood Elementary is dealing with a surge of new Covid-19 cases, with 11 cases, eight confirmed this week.
Nationally the number of new cases is up 14% and more governors provided guidance or directives to make booster shots available to all adults. The vaccination deadline is ten days away from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The Pentagon reported 99% of sailors are vaccinated versus 93% of marines.
The NFL is dealing with another potential COVID scandal, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown accused of buying a fake vaccination card.
New Covid-19 case rates are showing a pattern of county hotspots instead of widespread transmission. As an example, Chelan County just rolled over 60% of all residents vaccinated this week but is dealing with a bump in new cases.
There remains a significant difference between lower-vaccinated counties and counties where at least 70% of the total population is fully inoculated.
If Washington state wants to ever get to a place of endemic spread, the data indicates the bare minimum vaccination rate would be 70% of the entire population.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70.00% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
167.4
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
328.5
50.00% to 59.99% (17 counties)
3,664,000
306.1
40.00% to 49.99% (9 counties)
375,575
285.1
31.80% to 39.99% (6 counties)
151,850
241.3
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through November 17, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 264.5 Covid-19 cases per 100K. There are signs that a new plateau is forming with transmission rates too high coming into the start of the holiday travel season.
Chelan, Douglas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Skagit, and Spokane counties have new case rates between 400.0 and 599.9. Okanogan and Grays Harbor Counties were just under 400.
Sixteen counties representing 3.52 million Washingtonians have a 7 day moving average case rate under 100.
The 7 day new case rate was unchanged and the hospitalization rate increased for elderly patients 80 and older..
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
119.8
0.7
Ages 12-19
111.1
0.9
Ages 20-34
116.7
2.8
Ages 35-49
125.3
5.9
Ages 50-64
94.9
9.6
Ages 65-79
64.0
16.0
Ages 80+
66.0
25.7 (up)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
“Given the current situation in B.C., travelers who must transit through the United States to get to their residence in Canada are exempt from the COVID-19 pre-arrival test, the test in Canada, and quarantine requirements,” stated a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson by email.
CBSA expects to be using pre-existing exemptions within federal government orders to apply to travelers who are simply transiting Washington State highways, such as between the Osoyoos border crossing and checkpoints entering Surrey.
Individuals will still need to present a valid passport to cross the international border.
Governor Inslee backs down on expansion of OSHA vaccine and test requirements
During media availability today, Governor Jay Inslee indicated the state was backing down on expanding pending Biden Administration rules that would require companies with more than 100 employees to have vaccinated staff or rest weekly. Earlier the governor had said the state was considering removing the testing requirement and applying the same standard to medium and large private employers that are required for state employees.
The new OSHA rules that were supposed to go into effect on January 5, 2022 are in limbo. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a stay of the mandate, calling it “staggeringly overbroad,” saying it failed to account for the different levels of risk faced by workers in different workplace settings. The court ruled OSHA may not implement the mandate unless another court overturns the ruling.
The 6th Circuit Court was selected using a ping pong ball to hear the broader case, which will likely head to the Supreme Court.
Nine Washington counties offering free at-home Covid-19 test kits
Nine counties in the northeastern, south central, and southwestern parts of Washington will offer free at-home COVID tests to residents.
Kira Lewis, a public health nurse at the Spokane Regional Health District, says at-home tests take about 10 minutes, and could be taken Thanksgiving or Christmas morning before going over to a family member’s house.
“More testing in the community that’s accessible to all members of the public helps people make good decisions about their social lives and interacting with others,” she said. “That is important for the individual and it’s important for our community as a whole moving forward, continuing to have high rates of transmission in our area. We need to meet that with high rates of available testing.”
The nine counties are Adams, Benton, Cowlitz, Ferry, Franklin, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Stevens.
Travel Advisories
Due to severe flooding and strained hospital resources, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to advise to avoid all nonessential travel to Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these states remain constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency.
Finally, we continue to recommend avoiding recreational travel to Wyoming. The situation continues to improve but hospital resources remain constrained.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Vaccination
More states open up booster shots to all adults
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Utah joined eight other states already opening up booster shots to all adults, as more governors try to get ahead of the start of a sixth wave.
New York and Rhode Island haven’t made boosters available to all adults statewide, but are asking healthcare providers not to turn anyone away in counties with high transmission rates.
If you are eligible for a Covid-19 booster shot Malcontent News strongly encourages you to not delay getting your second or third dose. It is fast, free, and easy. There is growing evidence that the half-life of Covid-19 vaccines is six to ten months, and the half-life for so-called natural immunity is 5 to 7 months.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, through November 7, 675,000 residents have received their Covid-19 booster. Over 1.8 million adults in Washington have a BMI of 25 or higher or are older than 65.
King County, Washington is reporting over 83.5% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The Pfizer vaccine has EUA approval for children 5 to 15 years old.
COVID vaccines and boosters are free for anyone 5 and older. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
Hospital readiness continues to slowly improve except on the Olympic Peninsula. Although the number of COVID patients under care is in decline, the total number of hospitalized patients is unchanged due to deferred elective surgeries, increased movement among the population creating more injuries, and other wintertime diseases.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91.2% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 12.3% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 633 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 87.6% of capacity statewide, with 20.2% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 238 patients with 49.1% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 147 additional ICU patients.
On Wednesday, the 7 day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 89. The Department of Health reported 882 Covid-19 patients statewide with 117 requiring ventilators. The number of hospitalized Covid-19 patients has been in the mid-800s to low-900s for seven days in a row.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
School Readiness
School District
Status
Less than 10 Active Cases
10 or More Active Cases
Bellevue
GREEN
– Bennett (1*) – Bellevue (1*) – International (1*) – Puesta del Sol (1*) – Somerset (1*)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott (3*/11) – Audubon (1*/7) – Blackwell (2*/3) – Carson (1*/3) – Clara Barton (4*/24) – Eastlake High (1*/17) – Ella Baker (2*/4) – Evergreen Middle School (1*/0) – Finn Hill Middle School (5) – Inglewood Middle School (5**/34) – Juanita High (1*/12) – Kamiakin Middle School (2*/27) – Kirk Elementary (3*/13) – Kirkland Middle School (1*/10) – Lakeview Elementary (1*/1) – Lake Washington High School (3*/7) – McAuliffe (2*/6) – Northstar Middle School (12) – Redmond High School (1*/12) – Renaissance Middle School (1*/6) – Rose Hill Middle (1*/7) – Rush Elementary (3*/0) – Sandburg/Discovery (1*/4) – Smith Elementary (1*/9)
None
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (0/1) – Bothell High School (5**/9) – Canyon Creek Elementary (4*/24) – Canyon Park Middle School (1*/12) – Crystal Springs Elementary (3*/34) – Eastridge Elementary (1*/3) – Fernwood Elementary (1*/2) – Frank Love Elementary (0/6) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (2*/0) – Inglemoor High School (4*/1) – Kenmore Middle School (1*/2) – Kokanee Elementary (1*/1) – Leota Middle School (2*/1) – Moorlands Elementary (0/5) – North Creek High School (2*/8) – Northshore Middle School (1*/9) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (1*/4) – Shelton View Elementary (0/1) – Skyview Middle School (0/1) – Sunrise Elementary (1*/4) – Timbercrest Middle School (2*/8) – Wellington Elementary (1*/5) – Westhill Elementary (2*/3) – Woodin Elementary (3*/5) – Woodinville High School (2*/2) – Woodmoor Elementary (2*/3)
– Maywood Hills Elementary (11**/5)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases – (x*/y) x is positive cases and 7 quarantined, quarantined does not include positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
Based on reader feedback, and improvement in the data we are receiving, we have adjusted how we are reporting data. The Lake Washington and Northshore School Districts are now reported as (X*/Y) or (X**/Y). X represents the number of positive cases while Y represents how many are in quarantine. The number in quarantine does not include positive cases. If there are two asterisks, that indicates five or more confirmed cases within the last 14 days at that school.
The Northshore School District moves to status red with Maywood Hills Elementary reporting 11 confirmed COVID cases and eight this week. It is the largest Covid-19 outbreak in terms of new cases reported at the same time in the three school districts Malcontent News tracks since school started.
The Bellevue School District stays status green with five confirmed cases in the last 14 days districtwide. Additionally, we can process quarantine data by the day, and we will start tracking those numbers next week.
The Lake Washington School District updates data once a week, and we’ve had no parent confirmed reports on new COVID cases this week.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. This change would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 111,106 new cases and 1,622 deaths nationwide on Wednesday. The Delta variant continues to target the unvaccinated and a very small, but growing number of people vaccinated more than six months ago. New cases are up 14% since last week.
Vaccination deadline looms for active duty U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel
The Pentagon reported that 99% of sailors and 93% of Marines were either fully or partially vaccinated, with the November 28 deadline ten days away. Among the five branches, the Navy has the highest vaccination rate while the Marines have the lowest.
Marines and sailors who choose not to get the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of November will be released from the service, in a general but honorable discharge, officials with those services have said, making them ineligible for some benefits from the GI Bill.
The Orange County Register reported a message sent to the troops said “Marines refusing to take the vaccine absent medical exemptions, religious accommodations or pending appeal,” will be processed for discharge and additional disciplinary action or even a court martial is not out of the question. The Navy has issued a similar message.
Army will push out soliders who refuse to get Covid-19 vaccine
Soldiers who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine and have not requested an exemption will no longer be allowed to re-enlist or be promoted, effectively ending their military careers, according to a report by Defense One. The new directive applies to active-duty troops as well as reservists and National Guardsmen, including those serving in states whose governors do not require the vaccine.
The Nov. 16 memo, signed by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, says troops’ service records will be flagged the day they make their final vaccine refusal, which follows a meeting with a medical professional and a second order to get vaccinated. This flag will bar them from being promoted, reenlisting, continuing to receive enlistment bonuses, attending service-related schools, or receiving tuition assistance.
“I authorize commanders to impose bars to continued service…for all soldiers who refuse the mandatory vaccine order without an approved exemption or pending exemption request,” Wormuth wrote in the memo. “The Soldier will remain flagged until they are fully vaccinated, receive an approved medical or administrative exemption, or are separated from the Army.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown accused of buying fake vaccine card
Days after brushing aside Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers less than truthful vaccination status, wide receiver Antonio Brown is accused by his former chef of buying a fake vaccination card, plunging the NFL into another public relations mess.
The Tampa Bay Times broke the story earlier today, with the chef claiming Brown bought the card to avoid NFL protocols. If true, Brown in theory could face massive fines from the NFL for repeated protocol violations. Aaron Rodgers broke as many as 16 Coivid-19 protocols but was ultimately fined $14,650 for attending an unsanctioned Halloween party.
EXCLUSIVE: Bucs receiver Antonio Brown obtained a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to avoid NFL protocols, according to his former live-in chef.
Brown could be in additional trouble with the FBI. Buying a fake vaccination card is a federal crime. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers issued a brief statement via Twitter, indicating they had collected all vaccination records during the preseason and “no irregularities were observed.”
Phoenix will require all city employees to be vaccinated by January 22, 2022, or face termination. Phoenix joins other cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle that already require government employees to be vaccinated against COVID.
A news release from UCHealth issued on Thursday states a team of about 20 nurses, providers, respiratory therapists, and administrators will be deployed to UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH) for about a month. The team is expected to ease capacity and staffing challenges. The request came from Gov. Jared Polis.
“We are so grateful that this team will assist us in providing exceptional care in northern Colorado,” said Kevin Unger, the president, and chief executive officer at PVH and UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. “We anticipate this additional support and other plans we already have in the works will help make a significant difference.”
District of Columbia
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington said on Tuesday that an indoor mask mandate in the nation’s capital would be eased on November 22, reflecting a shift away from mask requirements as coronavirus vaccination rates continue to rise and infections fueled by the Delta variant subside in the city.
The New York Times reported about 88 percent of the District of Columbia’s adult residents have received at least one vaccine dose, according to city health officials.
Masks will still be required in certain circumstances, including on public transportation, inside school buildings, and in congregate living facilities like nursing homes, college dormitories, and jails.
Idaho
In what could be read as a victory for Governor Brad Little and a blow to Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin, the Idaho legislature ended its special session making almost no changes to state COVID policies.
The Senate did adopt a memorial piece of legislation that sends a message to the president and Congress “to make a very forceful statement about our position on the presidential mandates related to Covid-19,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Winder.
The lawsuit alleges that the woman’s 15-year-old girl was vaccinated by a Walmart employee at the store’s pharmacy without parental consent. The 15-year-old girl wanted the COVID-19 vaccine so she could hang out with her friends.
“The biggest problem I have with this situation is that Walmart vaccinated my daughter without my consent and knowledge,” said the girl’s mom Michelle Tonkinson.
In a statement, Walmart said, “Walmart is committed to offering quality and compliant health care. We take allegations like this seriously. We will review the claims and respond with the court as appropriate once we are served.”
Massachusetts
Massachusetts health officials reported another 3,196 confirmed COVID-19 cases — the most in one day since February — and eight new deaths Thursday, according to a report by NBC 10.
The report pushed the state’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 826,996 since the start of the pandemic and its death toll to 18,834.
The number of new confirmed cases in Wednesday’s report from the Department of Public Health had been the most in one day since September, according to archival data. But that report included “a backlog of testing results” from several prior days. The prior single-day high had been in February — and February 6 was the last time more than 3,196 cases were confirmed in one day.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced the state was opening up booster shots to anyone over 18 years old, joining a growing list of states breaking with current FDA guidelines.
Minnesota
Hospitals across the state are delaying surgeries to free up bed space in the face of growing concerns over hospital capacity constraints, according to a report by KSTP.
“Things have been getting worse in the last couple of weeks,” said Rahul Koranne, president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association. “We have emergency departments that are full of patients. We have patients in beds in hallways. Our units are full.”
Only 1.1% of ICU beds and 0.5% of non-ICU beds were available in the metro Thursday, according to response capacity data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
“Everybody’s delaying surgeries. We’re pulling this lever across the board. Our care teams, our leaders, our surgical teams are making this decision minute by minute,” Koranne said. “Shoulder surgeries, knee surgeries, but even the last couple of weeks, what we are having to do unfortunately is push back some heart surgeries. At the end of the day, we only have a limited amount of care capacity available.”
Missouri
On Thursday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services once again reconfigured the state’s COVID data dashboard, adding thousands of previously unreported deaths and infections, according to a report by the St. Louis Dispatch.
Some date back to the spring of 2020, and many are instances of illness or death now attributed to Covid-19 but that weren’t publicly tallied by the state at the time.
As part of the update, the state also began reporting COVID cases that occurred after vaccination or prior infection. The numbers show that such cases have been remarkably rare, and are most common among those with underlying health conditions.
The department added 2,792 “probable” Covid-19 deaths, increasing the state total 22%
New Mexico
According to state health officials, around 25% of all COVID-19 cases in the last week were among children in a report by KOB.
School-age children are included in that group, so could this impact in-person learning? School districts around the state have new “enhanced” COVID procedures in place, in case the surge gets worse.
If a school has a certain percentage of COVID-positive cases, that facility would be required to start implementing those additional measures. The good news, so far, is that both Rio Rancho Public Schools and Albuquerque Public Schools said they have not reached that point, they hope to keep it that way.
Utah
For the third day in a row, 13 Utahns have been added to the death toll from COVID-19 — a number that now stands at 3,411 people, according to the Utah Department of Health in a story published by the Salt Lake Tribune.
The health department on Thursday also reported 1,789 new coronavirus cases in the past day. The rolling seven-day average for positive tests stands at 1,633 per day.
Intensive care units in the state remain near capacity, and over capacity in the state’s largest hospitals. According to the health department, 96.7% of all ICU beds and 101.8% of ICU beds in larger medical centers are occupied. (Hospitals consider anything over 85% to be functionally full.) Of all ICU patients, 44.2% are being treated for COVID-19.
Virginia
On Thursday, Sentara Healthcare faced off in court with one of their own doctors, Paul Marik, according to WTKR.
Marik, who is the director of the Critical Care Unit at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, is suing the healthcare system because they won’t allow him to treat COVID-19 patients with the drug ivermectin, along with a host of other drugs that make up his developed MATH+ Protocol.
“Almost all of the treatments we use have been demonstrated to be safe and effective in randomized controlled trials,” Marik said.
Marik claims that Sentara’s policy may have led to the deaths of four of his patients who were never given the opportunity to learn of or be treated with potentially life-saving medicines. He said these actions are criminal.
There is not a single peer reviewed study that used accurate placebo controlled double blind study data that indicates Ivermectin is effective as a preventative or treatment. The largest validated study to date indicated that for the sickest patients, the antiparisitic drug was counterindicated.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations remain stuck on a plateau exhausting medical personnel across the state. Skagit County has a significant surge in new Covid-19 cases that continued to grow over the weekend.
The United States is approaching 750,000 Covid-19 deaths while the world passed 5 million confirmed fatalities in less than 23 months today.
The eviction moratorium ended for most Washingtonians today, but help is available for Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, and King County residents.
Vaccination rates increased across the state and in King County, 88.6% of all eligible residents have had at least one dose.
A long list of public figures including Jen Psaki, Jason Momoa, Jon Bon Jovi, and Kristy Swanson reported they have Covid-19 in the last 48 hours. Only Swanson is in the hospital. After dire predictions in New York of thousands of police officers walking off the job, only 34 were suspended this morning.
The U.S. Marine Corps reported 93% of all active-duty troops are at least partially vaccinated with the deadline looming on November 28. The Corps made it clear they will take no prisoners among those who refuse to get vaccinated, and servicemembers will face discharge.
On Friday, Cornell Beard, the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Witchita, Kansas went on an anti-Semitic rant to the applause of the Kansas legislature. Not to be outdone, protesters outside New York governor Kathy Hochul’s house on Sunday said they will burn down schools and town halls.
In disinformation, we dive into why two different studies about myocarditis have been pulled by medical journals.
County vaccination data was updated today and the tiers for new case rates have been updated. The least vaccinated counties have 197% more new cases per 100,000 residents than the most vaccinated. The 7 day moving average new case rate in San Juan County has been under 25 for four days. It is the only county in the state where the Covid-19 situation could be called, “normal.”
For the first time since we started tracking new case rates by vaccinated population, a lower vaccinated group of counties has a lower rate. The number of new cases in Skagit County has increased over the weekend pushing up the average.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
220.4
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
356.3
50.00% to 59.99% (15 counties)
3,433,900
392.0
40.00% to 49.99% (9 counties)
599,225
378.5
31.20% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
434.3
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through October 31, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 334.6 Covid-19 cases per 100K – statistically unchanged from Friday.
No counties are reporting a new case rate above 800.0. This is the first time this has happened since August 17.
Four counties, Ferry, Klickitat, Lincoln, and Skagit, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9.
Asotin, Chelan, Cowlitz, Douglas, Garfield, Grant, Lewis, Mason, Okanagan, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, and Stevens counties have a new case rate between 400.0 and 599.9.
It appears new cases and hospitalizations dropped significantly for people over 79 years old. However, Monday’s report is typically incomplete and the numbers will likely be adjusted tomorrow.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
159.8
0.5
Ages 12-19
146.7
0.9
Ages 20-34
147.4
3.9
Ages 35-49
166.2
7.3
Ages 50-64
127.2
11.5
Ages 65-79
95.1
18.2
Ages 80+
80.8
26.8
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
Washington state Covid-19 related eviction and foreclosure moratorium ends
Almost 21 months since the first Covid-19 case was identified in Everett on January 21, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee let the eviction moratorium come to an end. The governor created a bridge over the summer, extending eviction relief until October 31 due to issues at a state, county, and local level in distributing funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan.
Seattle, Burien, and Kenmore extended eviction protections until early 2022.
The unemployment rate in Washington dropped to 4.9% in September.
Travel Advisories
We are very encouraged by the hospital readiness data for the East Hospital Region and believe we can end the travel advisory in the next five to 12 days. For now, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited.
Additionally, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska and the Idaho Panhandle are experiencing an extreme number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency. Data out of Wyoming is encourage and we may drop our travel advisory in the next 14 to 21 days.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The immune responses of children 5 through 11 were comparable to adolescents and young adults. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and no serious side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week on November 2 and 3 to discuss further clinical recommendations.
“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 is administered as a two-dose series, three weeks apart, as a 10 microgram dose. Individuals 12 years of age and older receive a 30 microgram dose. Full efficacy is reached two weeks after the final dose is administered.
Health and Human Services have purchased 28 million doses with regional distribution beginning next week.
King County, Washington is reporting over 88.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.2% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 641 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 88.7% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 295 patients with 54.0% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 137 additional ICU patients.
On Sunday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 94. The Department of Health reported 1,026 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 31, with 159 requiring ventilators. Data on Monday is typically incomplete and will likely be adjusted tomorrow.
Although the percentage of Covid-19 patients continues to slowly decline, most hospitals remain near capacity as elective surgeries restart.
During the Washington State Hospital Association briefing today, Dr. Mary Fairchok of Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma said during September 114 pediatric patients tested positive for Covid-19 in the emergency department. Almost 40% of those patients, 45, developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C). MIS-C is a rare complication that school-age children can get during and after a COVID infection. Discovered in the U.K in 2020, it is similar to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease.
The vast majority of hospitalized Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Alcott (5) – Bell (24) – Carson Elementary (6) – Clara Barton (3) – Eastlake High (48) – Ella Baker (6) – Finn Hill Middle School (6) – Frost (5) – ICS (4) – Juanita Elementary (1) – Juanita High (17) – Kamiakin Middle School (25) – Keller (6) – Kirk Elementary (10) – Lakeview Elementary (7) – Lake Washington High School (7) – McAuliffe (1) – Muir Elementary (1) – Redmond Middle School (1) – Redmond High School (52) – Rockwell (2) – Sandburg/Discovery (4) – Timberline Middle School (28) – Twain Elementary (15)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (5) – Bothell High School (21**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (4) – Canyon Park Middle School (2) – Crystal Springs Elementary (9) – East Ridge Elementary (7) – Fernwood Elementary (4) – Frank Love Elementary (17) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (1) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Kenmore Elementary (4) – Kenmore Middle School (6) – Kokanee Elementary (4) – Leota Middle School (1) – Lockwood Elementary (16**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (5) – Morelands Elementary (1) – North Creek High School (9**) – Northshore Middle School (11) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (14) – Shelton View Elementary (4) – Skyview Middle School (3) – Timbercrest Middle School (5) – Wellington Elementary (8**) – Westhill Elementary (9) – Woodin Elementary (10**) – Woodinville High School (7) – Woodmoor Elementary (14)
None
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Northshore School District moved back to yellow status with active Covid-19 cases dropping at Bothell High School and Lockwood Elementary School.
The Lake Washington School District added seven schools with active COVID cases, but total numbers remain low.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. We would also encourage parents to request the Bellevue School District include data on close contacts. These two changes would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
EvergreenHealth Kirkland reports hospital is treating 29 Covid-19 patients
EvergreenHealth in Kirkland reported they had 29 hospitalized Covid-19 patients on Monday afternoon, with five more admitted after 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
None of the ICU patients are vaccinated and four of the nine are on ventilators. The two breakthrough cases currently being treated are over 60 years old.
Local rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are available
Rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are available for the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville region.
The Bellevue City Council authorized $7 million from the federal American Rescue Plan to support residential rental and mortgage relief. The City of Bellevue Rental and Mortgage Assistance web page provides additional information and links to community organizations accepting applications.
Kirkland has a Rental Relief Resource Center to apply for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance. Additionally, rent and assistance are available for small businesses.
For people who live in unincorporated King County, rental assistance is available for low-income households through the Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program. Renters can visit the Tenant Registration page to learn about eligibility and apply for assistance.
Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event on November 6
The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Juanita High School. Hosted by the City of Kirkland in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, the event will provide Covid-19 vaccination, information, education, and more.
At this time, organizers are not planning to provide vaccinations for children 5 to 11 years old, according to David Wolbrecht, Senior Neighborhood Services Coordinator with the City of Kirkland.
Save the date! The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event takes place 10 am – 2 pm, Sat 11/6 at Juanita High School. We are partnering with @KCPubHealth to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine info & education, & much more! More information to come. pic.twitter.com/JJcFnqggrJ
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 17,599 new cases and 164 deaths nationwide on Monday. Most states don’t report data over the weekend so the number should be considered incomplete.
Johns Hopkins University also reported that the planet has recorded 5,005,344 Covid-19 deaths and 247,118,535 confirmed cases since SARS-CoV-2 appeared in China 23 months ago. Researchers believe both figures are undercounted, with the estimated death toll closer to 10 million.
Almost 15% of the confirmed deaths have been in the United States.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has Covid-19
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that she had tested positive for Covid-19. Psaki last met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday of last week, is vaccinated, and said she only has mild symptoms.
In a statement released on Sunday, Psaki reported “members of my household testing positive for Covid-19,” as the reason why she did not accompany President Biden on his European diplomacy trip.
“Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,” Psaki said. “However, today, I tested positive for COVID. While I have not had close contact in person with the president or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday — and tested negative for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency. I last saw the president on Tuesday, when we sat outside more than six feet apart, and wore masks.”
Actor Jason Momoa tests positive for Covid-19
Days after attending the Dune premiere in the U.K on October 15, the 42-year-old actor Jason Momoa reported he had tested positive for Covid-19 in an Instagram story.
“I got hit with COVID right after the premiere. There was a lot of people I met in England, and so got a lot of aloha from people.”
“And who knows? But either way, I’m doing fine. Thank you for all your concerns and love. And, yeah, I’m just camped out in my house.”
Jon Bon Jovi tests positive for Covid-19
Jon Bon Jovi tested positive for COVID-19 during a rapid test just before he was set to perform a concert in Miami Beach according to a report in the Idaho Statesman. An announcer took to the stage to give the crowd the bad news just before Saturday night’s concert at Loews South Beach was set to begin, WSVN in Miami reported. Bon Jovi, 59, and his bandmates took rapid tests just before the concert and Bon Jovi tested positive. He is fully vaccinated.
Actor Kristy Swanson hospitalized with Covid-19
Kristy Swanson has been hospitalized due to COVID pneumonia according to a tweet she posted early Monday morning. The 51-year-old actress who was Buffy in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie has expressed support for Ivermectin, doubts about the vaccine, and supports a variety of conspiracy theories. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital on Sunday.
“Prayers for me please,” she wrote. “Yesterday I took an ambulance ride to the hospital. I’m still here with pneumonia, I’m on oxygen etc, all covid related of course. I’m in good spirits and in great hands.”
🙏🏼 Prayers for me please. Yesterday I took an ambulance ride to the hospital. I’m still here with pneumonia, I’m on oxygen etc, all covid related of course. I’m in good spirits and in great hands. ❤️🙏🏼
In a follow-up, she tweeted more details about what led to her hospital stay: “I was just at the tail end of my Covid diagnosis when it jumped into my lungs. So they are treating me with Baricitinib & blood thinners so I don’t clot. I’m ok.”
After multiple news agencies reported on her previous Twitter history, she released a statement declaring she has never been “anti-vax.”
93% of U.S. Marines vaccinated as deadline looms on November 28
As of October 21, 93% of active duty U.S. Marines were at least partially vaccinated according to the Department of Defense.
Barring an approved administrative, medical or religious accommodation, or a pending appeal, Marines who fail to meet the deadline will be processed for administrative separation, the MARADMIN said. General court-martial convening authorities will “retain authority to take any additional adverse administrative or disciplinary action” deemed appropriate.
A Marine is considered to have “refused the vaccine” when they do not have approved administrative, medical, or religious accommodation or a pending appeal, and they “received and willfully disobeyed a lawful order from a superior commissioned officer to be vaccinated against COVID-19;” the MARADMIN said.
The Marine Corps had not approved any religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine as of Thursday, said Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesman.
State Updates
Alaska
Multiple hospitals operate under crisis standards of care across Alaska with 202 Covid-19 patients hospitalized and more than 1,500 new cases over the weekend. Health officials are reporting 610 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 8.5%, offering the first positive news in weeks. A number of hospitals continue to operate under crisis standards of care and 22 ICU beds were available on Monday afternoon.
Earlier in the month, a series of contentious meetings at Anchorage City Hall debating a mask mandate for Alaska’s large city turned into a super spreader event. Several members of Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration became sick with Covid-19, including some breakthrough cases. William Topel, a well-known anti-vaccination activist was among the hundreds of mostly unmasked people in the packed room.
Topel, 68, had multiple health issues became ill with Covid-19 shortly after the meeting, and quickly declined in health. He was hospitalized in Anchorage and died of COVID-related illness on October 13. His supporters remained defiant at his funeral on October 25, according to Alaska Public Media.
“God’s going to use this as a fulcrum to propel us into victory,” friend and fellow activist Dustin Darden told the crowd after Topel’s burial. “We’re going to take every square inch of Anchorage, everything that Bill stood for every time he was out there, it’s just been amplified 1,000 times.”
After more than a week of theatrics that included Mayor Bronson supporting the use of Nazi symbols, and seven meetings that frequently devolved into screaming matches, the Anchorage Assembly voted to issue an emergency mask mandate. On October 13, the same day Topel died, Bronson vetoed the decision. A day later, the Assembly overrode the veto by vote, requiring masks on October 14.
On October 27, the Anchorage Assembly meeting scheduled to discuss routine city business devolved into an anti-mask debate again.
Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson spoke at the “Alaska Early Treatment Summit” on Saturday. The summit included Covid-19 disinformation spreaders including Robert W. Malone MD, Ophthalmologist Richard Urso MD, and Ryan Cole, MD, who is the head of Ada County Health in Idaho and currently under investigation by the state medical board.
Malone claims he had Covid-19 in February 2020 and suffers from long hauler syndrome. He states he got the Moderna vaccine in hopes it would “cure” his symptoms, but believes the vaccination made it worse.
Paul Kendall, who ran for office several times without success, used the slur toward Chris Constant, a member of the Anchorage Assembly, during a September 29 meeting on a proposed mask mandate for the city. The assembly is Anchorage’s governing body, similar to a city council.
At the meeting, many residents who opposed the mandate spoke to the council. When Kendall took the mike, he said to Constant, “I thought you were just a cocksucker, but you’re a coward,” as documented on video by The Alaska Landmine, a news website. Some people cheered Kendall, who was then escorted from the building. He was later arrested for trespassing.
“I’ve been called worse by better,” Constant, who supports the mandate, said when the meeting closed.
Alaska remains at the top of the list for the highest rate of COVID-19 infection in the country, according to a report by Alaska Public Radio. And with a higher proportion of unvaccinated residents occupying hospital beds, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink is pointing to misinformation and distrust as major factors.
Zink recently wrote an editorial in The Washington Post reflecting on many issues around the pandemic. In part of the piece, Zink writes about treating an unvaccinated patient struggling with COVID-19 who had spent hundreds of dollars on unproven, online remedies that didn’t help.
May the odds ever be in your favor.
Idaho
Idaho reported 37 more Covid-19 deaths over the weekend with 17 in overwhelmed Kootenai County. The Gem State is now in its seventh week of rationing hospital care with no end in sight.
KMVT reported, “Idaho will be able to exit crisis standards of care when the surge of patients being driven by COVID-19 no longer exceeds the healthcare resources available,” said Dave Jeppesen, Director of the Department of Health and Welfare.
COVID data is beginning to show some promising signs of decline, but Jeppesen says the state is still not ready to begin actively restoring conventional care standards.
“Testing positivity declined to 12% this past week, marking the fifth week of decline, but still remains far above the target of 5%,” Jeppesen said. “The number of new cases remains high, but declining and hospitalizations remain too high, but with encouraging downward trends.”
Not only is the current hospital data not yet to a point that conventional standards of care would be possible, but other Idaho COVID trends offer more reason for healthcare officials to be hesitant.
Kansas
On Friday a special legislative hearing was held in Topeka where several state lawmakers met with members of the public to discuss the vaccine mandate pressed by the Biden administration.
“We’re basically saying you’re the modern-day Jew,” Beard told the committee on Friday. “You’re gonna wear that star … and we don’t give a damn if you complain about it or not.”
Several state representatives and senators also agreed with Beard’s comparison to what companies like Spirit and Textron have enforced following the executive order to have all federal contracted workers to be vaccinated by December 8, 2021
Committee Chair Brenda Landwehr, of Wichita, said she agrees with his comparison saying, …”you’re right and I thank you for saying that.” regarding the comments made by Beard of comparing mask-wearing and the stance of being against the mandate similar to being ‘a modern-day racist.”
Montana Public Radio is reporting provisional data show that 1,258 Montanans died last year due to COVID-19. So far in 2021, there have been more than 1,100 deaths due to the virus.
The state’s acting medical director, Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek, says the deaths are “almost entirely preventable” with the widespread availability of safe and effective vaccines to protect against the virus.
New York
Anti-vaccination, anti-mandate, and anti-government protesters gathered outside New York governor Kathy Hochul’s Staten Island home and cheered as a speaker declared that schools and city halls would be burned down. The speaker continued to mutilate U.S. history stating that in 1776 American Colonists didn’t talk they just took action.
"If theyre going to push this on the kids, without any type of you know [inaudible], I can guarantee you one thing, town halls and schools will be fuckin burned to the ground" – said speaker during Staten Island rally against the mandates. pic.twitter.com/11yOPsj6HH
After weeks of fear-mongering and predictions from the New York City Police union president that 10,000 officers would quit, only 34 NYPD commissioned officers were on unpaid leave for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Another 40 civilian employees were also on leave, representing just 0.15% of the entire force.
Data from Wyoming is more encouraging as new cases and hospitalizations start to drop. Officials reported 182 hospitalized statewide while the number of new cases dropped to 250 per day.
This is the second study withdrawn in less than 60 days. A study out of Ottawa, Canada was withdrawn on October 1 after it failed peer review. That study alleged to have found that one out of every thousand mRNA Covid-19 vaccinations causes myopericarditis to develop rapidly in otherwise healthy individuals.
The study was based on researching 32,000 doses and reviewing reports of adverse events. However, the actual number was 845,930 doses, resulting in an error that was 25 times smaller than the original result.
Some medical journals with official-sounding names are “pay to play” and there is tremendous competition to get published in the medical field. For smaller journals, tantalizing headlines equals clicks and subscribers which provides revenue. Regrettably, in the race to provide content, due diligence sometimes is delayed and for unethical publishers, ignored.
Myocarditis is a very rare condition that can occur after receiving a dose of an mRNA vaccine, particularly among young men. In the United States, Myocarditis has been reported less than 1,000 times to date.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New Covid-19 cases are stuck on a plateau while hospitalizations increased 7% over the last week. An analysis of available data provides strong evidence the pandemic of the unvaccinated continues.
The FDA has authorized the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in children 5 to 11 today. The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting on November 2 and 3. It is widely expected the panel will support the authorization. UW Medicine has announced a waitlist for parents who want to get their children immunized.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee expressed growing concern over the case rates and said the state is at a “fork in a road.” In what is likely the last broad challenge for the state vaccine mandate, a U.S. District Judge denied a last-ditch effort to block the public health rules on the grounds it was a violation of civil rights.
Data from August to September is supportive of following the Centers for Disease Control’s back-to-school guidelines, with Washington schools reporting 189 outbreaks statewide, with only a handful resulting in school closures.
A former naturopathic doctor on the Olympic Peninsula was convicted for misbranding drugs, reselling them, and making false claims of offering a COVID cure. Richard Marschall, 68, has been convicted for the third time since 2011. Washougal Physician Assistant Scott Miller will face the medical board on November 3, for allegedly spreading Covid-19 disinformation. Miller had his license suspended earlier this month after an investigation into his activities that started in August 2021.
Washington State University tried to counter the COVID misinformation former football coach Nick Rolovich believed as early as April 2021 to no avail.
Last week, Snohomish barber Bob Martin had two court hearings after a judge rejected his promissory note to cover $90,000 in fines he accumulated last year. Martin is tight-lipped about the hearings, and the court has yet to release the transcripts.
The Washington Medical Coordinator Center at Harborview, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Swedish Health Services each received the Community Health Leadership Award from the Washington State Hospital Association for their 2021 Covid-19 related efforts.
Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese is reported to be hospitalized and in “poor” condition. Toese was shot on September 4 in Olympia after the Proud Boys group he was with left an anti-mandate protest to go “hunting.”
COVID hospitalizations have increased 7% since October 22, reversing weeks of improvement. Unvaccinated people continue to hold up relief for the stressed medical system.
Malcontent News moved the Northshore School District to status red due to Bothell High School, and Lockwood Elementary reporting ten confirmed Covid-19 cases each on Friday.
Twelve states are suing the Biden Administration in an attempt to block a looming vaccination mandate.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, refused to block Maine’s vaccination mandate for healthcare workers. The decision may have further strengthened Jacobson versus Massachusetts.
The Pentagon reported that 96.4% of active-duty U.S. Air Force personnel and 98% of special forces are vaccinated. For the Air Force it still leaves up to 12,000 members facing disciplinary action.
In disinformation, we take a critical look at a September 30 article entitled, Increase in COVID-19 are unrelated to levels of vaccination across 68 countries and 2947 counties in the United States. Daniel Horowitz has held this up as proof that vaccinations don’t work. Is it true?
The New case rate was almost unchanged from yesterday. The least vaccinated counties have 228% more new cases per 100,000 residents than the most vaccinated. San Juan County reported a 7 day moving average of 11.5, which is considered “normal.” Three of the five counties with the lowest new case rate have more than 70% of their total population fully vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
214.3
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
335.9 (down)
50.00% to 59.99% (14 counties)
3,172,600
389.7
40.00% to 49.99% (10 counties)
860,525
406.7
30.80% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
467.8
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through October 28, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 335.5 Covid-19 cases per 100K – statistically unchanged from yesterday. Although new case rates are dropping in the eastern half of the state, they remain stubbornly high.
One county, Ferry, is between 800.0 and 999.9 with 859.7 new cases per 100K residents.
Four counties, Grant, Klickitat, Lincoln, and Skagit, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9.
New cases by age were unchanged while the hospitalization rate declined for geriatric patients over 79 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
150.8
0.5
Ages 12-19
146.4
0.8
Ages 20-34
146.4 (not a typo)
3.5
Ages 35-49
161.8
8.9
Ages 50-64
129.2
13.7
Ages 65-79
96.4
19.8
Ages 80+
90.2
35.9 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 31 Covid-19 related deaths in Washington state on Thursday. The Washington State Department of Health is reporting 8,628 Washingtonians have died since February 29, 2020. That is equal to every man, woman, and child in Hoquiam, Washington dying.
Governor Inslee express concern as Washington reaches a “fork in the road” with Covid-19
During a press briefing yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee (WA-D) expressed growing concern over plateauing cases and the potential for Washington state to move into a “sixth wave.”
“We still have an extremely dangerous pandemic on our hands,” Inslee told reporters, adding that the state is still seeing more than 2,000 new Covid-19 cases a day.
The plateau is concerning to public health officials because case rates and COVID hospitalization rates are still similar to last winter’s wave. Hospitals in Washington have limited capacity to care for a surge in patients over the winter if new case rates and hospitalizations don’t start to decrease again.
Inslee said the state has reached “a fork in the road.” Residents can either accept Covid-19 or continue to fight it, and the only way out is by getting vaccinated.
“Every day, I believe we should fight it,” he said.
New Covid-19 cases were declining from mid-September to mid-October, but are now stubbornly sitting at new normal that is well above what experts consider acceptable. Over the last week, COVID-related hospitalizations have increased 7%.
On October 20, Malcontent News predicted that another wave of Covid-19 will sweep across the United States starting in mid to late December and peak in February 2022.
Federal judge tosses civil rights based lawsuit attempting to block Washington state Covid-19 mandate
A federal judge in Eastern Washington on Monday denied a bid by firefighters, state troopers, and others to halt Washington’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for state workers and emergency responders. The Associated Press reported U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice denied the motion.
Dozens of municipal, county, and state workers sued Governor Jay Inslee, Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste, and others. The case was filed just days before the October 18 mandate deadline. The plaintiffs claimed their civil rights were being violated by the requirement they get vaccinated to continue in their jobs.
In his ruling, Rice wrote: “The Supreme Court has long endorsed state and local government authority to impose compulsory vaccines… Federal courts have routinely analyzed such cases using rational basis and regularly reject cases similar to this one that challenge vaccine mandates based on free exercise of religion.”
Rice was referring to the 1905 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Jacobson versus Massachusetts that decided the Tenth Amendment gave municipalities, counties, and states the power to make public health decisions that aim to protect the larger population. The decision has been challenged dozens of times in the last 116 years.
Judge Rice’s decision ended the last large-scale lawsuit attempting to block or pause the vaccine mandate. As of October 25, 94% of Washington state employees, 99.7% of Washington educators, and an estimated 97% of Washington healthcare workers, including firefighters, were fully vaccinated, completing vaccination, have an exemption review pending, or received an approved exemption with accommodation.
Following back to school guidelines by the CDC has had a positive impact in Washington
From August 1 to September 30, there have been 189 Covid-19 outbreaks in Washington schools involving 1,284 confirmed infections according to the Washington Department of Health.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist, Deputy Secretary of Covid-19 Response Lacy Fehrenbach, and Acting Assistant Secretary for the DOH Michele Roberts shared the information on Wednesday during a press briefing.
Almost 88% of the confirmed Covid-19 cases involved students. Unlike other states such as in the southeast, where dozens of children were sickened in superspreader events that closed entire school districts, the average number of cases per event was five.
“That relatively small number of cases in each outbreak is an indication that schools are continuing to do a really good job on layered prevention measures and responding when they have cases and outbreaks,” Fehrenbach said.
A few districts were forced to move single schools to remote learning to manage outbreaks including in Medical Lake, Edmonds, and Eatonville.
Former naturopathic doctor convicted of selling fake Covid-19 cures
A former Port Angeles naturopathic physician who falsely claimed that two substances containing garlic extract and larch tree starch could treat and prevent Covid-19 has been found guilty of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. The conviction of Richard Marschall, 68, was first reported by the Peninsula Daily News.
The federal jury last week found that Richard Marschall, 68, misbranded the drugs and fraudulently marketed them, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.
This is the third conviction for Marschall since 2011 for making false claims. On his Facebook page, he made claims that two supplements, allicin a garlic extract, and IAG a larch tree starch had antiviral properties that would cure Covid-19.
Both supplements are made in the United States and neither maker makes any claims that their products are antiviral. Marschall was charging $140 for the supplements plus shipping and handling. He added his own labels making false claims about the abilities of the combination.
A 60 count bottle of allicin is $21.95 and a 3.6 ounce bottle of IAG is $39.48 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. A 400 pack of ink jet-ready bottle labels is $9.99.
Washington physician assistant has November 3 medical board hearing after allegedly peddled Covid-19 disinformation
Washougal Physician Assistant Scott Miller is facing a medical board hearing on November 3 after state officials suspended his license on October 16 for allegedly creating and spreading Covid-19 disinformation.
Accusations against Miller included:
Starting a public camaign promoting ivermectin as a Covid-19 cure
Prescribing ivermectin to at least one patient without providing an adequate examination
Interfering with the care of hospitalized patients
Engaging in a hostile and threatening campaign against both hospitals and individual physicians regarding Covid-19 treatment
Lying on his licensing application and denying he was already under investigation by the state of California
Miller spoke at a Camas School Board Meeting in May of 2021 against mask mandates and promoted ivermectin as a “cure.”
“I don’t know anybody that’s died (from COVID-19),” Miller said. “I’ve treated 350 COVID patients. Do you know there’s treatment? … I treat people every day. I had 90 COVID patients come into my clinic last month.” Miller then went on to call the school board “pure evil.”
Miller runs Miller Family Pediatrics in Washougal, Washington. A GoFundMe for Miller was suspended on October 19. Organizers moved to the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo. On October 29, $11,477 had been raised to support his defense, which is far short of the $50,000 goal set by organizers.
Washington State University infectious disease professor attempted to explain Covid-19 vaccines to Nick Rolovich
In April 2021 when officials at Washington State University learned that former football coach Nick Rolovich was falling down a disinformation hole, they arranged a meeting between Rolovich and Dr. Guy Palmer, a world-renowned WSU regents professor of pathology and infectious diseases.
According to a report by ESPN, Rolovich drove a conversation that focused on topics that were consistent with what Palmer said has been shared by the “anti-vax crowd on social media” over the past several years.
Questions included if Bill Gates was behind the vaccine or if SV40 was in the Covid-19 vaccines.
“I just tried to address those kind of more specific questions that have come up and I think many of those concerns were widely shared on social media, by individuals, and I just addressed them with the best data that I could and tried to give him clear answers,” Palmer said.
Palmer says that Rolovich’s primary concern was around side effects and he never brought up religious beliefs or questioned if fetal cells were used in the testing, development, or manufacturing of the vaccines.
Rolovich, through his lawyer, announced his plans to sue WSU after his religious exemption was declined and he was terminated on October 18. Rolovich served as head coach of the Cougars for less than two seasons with a 5 and 6 record. During his time as head coach of the UH Rainbow Warriors, they achieved a record of 28 and 27. At the time of his termination, Rolovich was the highest-paid public employee in Washington state.
Snohomish barber goes before two judges to answer questions about his anti-lockdown actions
Bob Martin because a cause celebre when he refused to close his Snohomish, Washington barbershop in 2020 when the state was under lockdown. Over the months that followed, the retired Marine Corps veteran racked up over $90,000 in fines for his continued refusal to close.
The barbershop became a rallying point for people against lockdowns and to a lesser extent, people desperate for a haircut.
“I’m not going to let the parasites in Olympia tell me that I cannot work,” Martin told KOMO News. “It’s my right to work.”
Martin insists the $90,000 in fines has been paid to the state of Washington through a promissory note. Last week a Snohomish County judge told Martin that the note does not satisfy his debt. Martin had two court hearings last week but the results of those hearings and transcripts have not been released.
Three Puget Sound area hospitals lauded by the Washington State Hospital Association for Covid-19 related efforts
Three Western Washington hospitals are receiving the Community Health Leadership Award for taking an innovative approach to addressing the pandemic in 2021 according to a report by Patch.
The Washington Medical Coordination Center at Harborview Medical Center was recognized for helping triage and placing Covid-19 patients across the state, and from across the region.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health was lauded for its vaccination program that spanned across three counties. At its peak, the hospital system was vaccinated 3,100 people a day.
Swedish Health Services was commended for setting up 21 mobile vaccination clinics in under-served areas reaching out to rural, poor, and BIPOC communities. The hospital network partnered with the Ethiopian Community Center, and Pacific Islander Community Association.
Proud Boy shot after providing “security” at Olympia anti-vaccine mandate rally reportedly back in the hospital
Social media reports indicated Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, who was shot in the leg on September 4 shortly after providing “security” at an End the Mandate protest in Olympia, was back in the hospital and in “poor” condition.
On September 4 a group of 50 to 75 heavily armed Proud Boys roamed the streets of Olympia after leaving the End the Mandate protest to go “hunting,” as reported by independent journalists. The group assaulted several people who were not associated with any protest or counterprotest and attacked reporter Alissa Azar. Approximately 20 minutes after leaving the protest, they identified a small group of counterprotesters who were attempting to flee from the group.
Security camera video shows a man stopping, pulling out a handgun, and firing five shots. Toese was shot in the leg and required a short hospital stay in Olympia. A 36-year-old Olympia man was arrested on September 23 for the shooting and charged with first-degree assault.
Toese, who held more of an enforcer role, has been an acting regional leader for the Proud Boys since the January 6 Insurrection. Ethan Nordean of Washington is alleged to be the Proud Boy leader on January 6 after Enrique Tarrio was arrested on January 4. Nordean is currently in federal custody awaiting trial. Alan Swinney was arrested after multiple incidents in Portland, Oregon in August 2020 and was recently convicted on 11 of 12 charges, including one count of first-degree assault. Rufio Panman was also arrested for his involvement in the January 6 Insurrection and remains in federal custody.
Toese was seen at several anti-vaccination, anti-mask, and anti-mandate protests shortly after his shooting including an anti-mask protest on September 10.
No specific information on Toese’s condition was available beyond he is allegedly hospitalized and in “poor condition.” There was no information on if the hospitalization is related to the shooting or a different medical condition.
Travel Advisories
We are very encouraged by the hospital readiness data for the East Hospital Region and believe we can end the travel advisory in the next five to 12 days. For now, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited.
Additionally, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska and the Idaho Panhandle are experiencing an extreme number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency. Data out of Wyoming is encourage and we may drop our travel advisory in the next 14 to 21 days.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The immune responses of children 5 through 11 were comparable to adolescents and young adults. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and no serious side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week on November 2 and 3 to discuss further clinical recommendations.
“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 is administered as a two-dose series, three weeks apart, as a 10 microgram dose. Individuals 12 years of age and older receive a 30 microgram dose. Full efficacy is reached two weeks after the final dose is administered.
Health and Human Services have purchased 28 million doses with regional distribution beginning next week.
King County, Washington is reporting over 88.1% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.3% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 607 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 88.3% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 296 patients with 49.0% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 140 additional ICU patients.
On Thursday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 102. The Department of Health reported 1,096 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 28, with 144 requiring ventilators.
After declining for weeks Covid-19 hospitalizations increased 7% over the last 7 days. We analyzed the latest Covid-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths by Vaccination Status report by the DOH to determine if the growing hospitalization numbers are being driven by breakthrough cases.
From September 15 to October 12, unvaccinated individuals from 12 to 34 were 16 times more likely to be hospitalized, 35 to 64 were 18 times more likely, and 65 and over were 9 times more likely. The total number of vaccinated individuals. Statewide since vaccines have become available, 12.1% of hospitalizations have been breakthrough cases.
According to King County Health over the last 30 days, 3,248 unvaccinated people have been hospitalized with Covid-19, compared to 378 fully vaccinated individuals. The 10% rate aligns closely with the broader state average. No vaccine is 100% effective. Even if we make the bad assumption, statewide hospitalizations would still be close to 1,000. The growing hospitalization numbers continue to be fueled by the unvaccinated.
Hospital readiness gave back some improvements from earlier this week with the East Hospital Region going status red across all four metrics again.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Blackwell Elementary (4) – Carson Elementary (6) – Clara Barton (4) – Einstein (3) – Eastlake High (11) – Ella Baker (8) – Finn Hill Middle School (6 + 1 see notes) – ICS (4) – Juanita Elementary (3) – Kamiakin Middle School (20) – Kirk Elementary (2) – Lakeview Elementary (3) – Lake Washington High School (27) – Muir Elementary (1) – Redmond Elementary (9) – Redmond Middle School (64) – Redmond High School (46) – Timberline Middle School (45**) – Twain Elementary (27)
None
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (5) – Canyon Creek Elementary (5) – Canyon Park Middle School (2) – Crystal Springs Elementary (5) – East Ridge Elementary (7) – Fernwood Elementary (3) – Frank Love Elementary (24) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (2) – Inglemoor High School (13) – Kenmore Elementary (6) – Kenmore Middle School (17) – Kokanee Elementary (6) – Leota Middle School (1) – Maywood Hills Elementary (3) – Morelands Elementary (2) – North Creek High School (9**) – Northshore Middle School (16) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (68) – Shelton View Elementary (4) – Skyview Middle School (9) – Timbercrest Middle School (9) – Wellington Elementary (14**) – Westhill Elementary (11) – Woodin Elementary (50**) – Woodinville High School (7) – Woodmoor Elementary (5)
– Bothell High School (25**) – Lockwood Elementary (20**)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Northshore School District moved to red status with two facilities reporting ten confirmed Covid-19 cases each today. Bothell High School and Lockwood Elementary doubled the number of cases this week. There are four additional schools that have five to nine confirmed COVID cases.
We received a parent confirmed report of an additional Covid-19 case at Finn Hill Middle School. The Lake Washington School District only updates data. We rely on confirmed parental reports to provide additional details.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. We would also encourage parents to request the Bellevue School District include data on close contacts. These two changes would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
UW Medicine opens up Covid-19 vaccine waitlist for children 5 to 11 years old
With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting emergency use authorization to the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, UW Medicine has opened up a waitlist. Although the use of the vaccine has been authorized, federal supply rules require the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to formally recommend the protocol.
To join the vaccine waitlist, parents or guardians can call 844-520-8700. Individuals who register will receive a text or phone call when it is time to schedule an appointment. Scheduling is done online through a single-use registration link. UW Medicine is not accepting walk-in appointments for vaccination.
A CDC panel is meeting on November 2 and 3. A formal recommendation to vaccinate children from 5 to 11 is widely expected next week and the Seattle Times reported Central Puget Sound is receiving an initial shipment of 316,000 doses.
Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event on November 6
The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Juanita High School. Hosted by the City of Kirkland in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, the event will provide Covid-19 vaccination, information, education, and more.
At this time we do not know if vaccination for 5 to 11-year-olds will be available.
Save the date! The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event takes place 10 am – 2 pm, Sat 11/6 at Juanita High School. We are partnering with @KCPubHealth to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine info & education, & much more! More information to come. pic.twitter.com/JJcFnqggrJ
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 76,957 new cases and 2,141 deaths nationwide on Thursday.
12 states sue Biden administration over Covid-19 vaccine rule
Eleven states filed lawsuits Friday to stop President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing that the requirement violates federal law.
Attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming signed on to the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri.
The states asked a federal judge to block Biden’s requirement that all employees of federal contractors be vaccinated against the coronavirus, arguing that the mandate violates federal procurement law and is an overreach of federal power.
“If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a statement. “The federal government should not be mandating vaccinations, and that’s why we filed suit today – to halt this illegal, unconstitutional action.”
That lawsuit, along with one filed Friday by Texas and Thursday by Florida, brings to 12 the number of states challenging the Biden administration mandate in three federal courts.
Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming currently have hospitals operating at crisis standards of care due to a surge in COVID cases.
Supreme Court refuses to block Maine’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an emergency appeal from Maine health care workers to halt a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that took effect Friday.
Health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state risk losing their jobs if they are not vaccinated and religious exemptions are not being offered.
According to Fox News, three justices – Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito – signed on to a dissent written by Gorsuch, who suggested they would have adhered to the request from Maine health care workers.
“This case presents an important constitutional question, a serious error, and an irreparable injury,” Gorsuch wrote. “Where many other States have adopted religious exemptions, Maine has charted a different course. There, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered. All for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs.”
The case could be significant for future challenges to municipal, county, state, and private employer public health-related mandate challenges. In 2021, no case brought before the Supreme Court has given relief to plaintiffs looking to modify or block vaccine mandates. The 6 to 3 decision could have closed the door for those seeking public health exemptions based on religious grounds.
96.4% of active duty US Air Force personnel are vaccinated
The U.S. Air Force is reporting up to 12,000 personnel could be facing disciplinary action for refusing to get vaccinated for Covid-19. The Air Force is the first military branch to approach a vaccine mandate deadline.
Air Force officials would not provide any information on the status of the estimated 12,000 hold-outs. When compared to other mandates across the United States, a 96.4% vaccination rate is high before factoring in medical or religious exemption requests and previously planned retirements.
According to the Pentagon, only one active-duty service member has received an exemption.
Different military branches have different vaccination deadlines ranging from the U.S. Air Force November 1 deadline to a June 30, 2022 deadline for the National Guard.
So far In 2021, 71 military personnel have died from Covid-19 – none were fully vaccinated.
SOCOM’s commander, Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, shared the statistic during the annual Military Reporters and Editors Conference here and said that percentage includes special operators like SEALS and Green Berets, but also administrative and other troops that make up the joint force of roughly 70,000.
State Updates
Alaska
Multiple hospitals operate under crisis standards of care across Alaska with 232 Covid-19 patients hospitalized and a sky-high new case rate. Health officials are reporting 629 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 9.2%. Over 60% of new cases are among people under 40 years old. Although the transmission rate has plateaued, it has remained unchanged for more than six weeks as COVID rages through unvaccinated communities.
Earlier in the month, a series of contentious meetings at Anchorage City Hall debating a mask mandate for Alaska’s large city turned into a super spreader event. Several members of Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration became sick with Covid-19, including some breakthrough cases. William Topel, a well-known anti-vaccination activist was among the hundreds of mostly unmasked people in the packed room.
Topel, 68, had multiple health issues became ill with Covid-19 shortly after the meeting, and quickly declined in health. He was hospitalized in Anchorage and died of COVID-related illness on October 13. His supporters remained defiant at his funeral on October 25, according to Alaska Public Media.
“God’s going to use this as a fulcrum to propel us into victory,” friend and fellow activist Dustin Darden told the crowd after Topel’s burial. “We’re going to take every square inch of Anchorage, everything that Bill stood for every time he was out there, it’s just been amplified 1,000 times.”
After more than a week of theatrics that included Mayor Bronson supporting the use of Nazi symbols, and seven meetings that frequently devolved into screaming matches, the Anchorage Assembly voted to issue an emergency mask mandate. On October 13, the same day Topel died, Bronson vetoed the decision. A day later, the Assembly overrode the veto by vote, requiring masks on October 14.
On October 27, the Anchorage Assembly meeting scheduled to discuss routine city business devolved into an anti-mask debate again.
On Saturday, anti-vaccination activists are holding the “Alaska Early Treatment Summit” that includes Robert W. Malone, Ophthalmologist Richard Urso MD, and Ryan Cole, MD, head of Ada County Health in Idaho and currently under investigation by the state medical board.
Malone claims he had Covid-19 in February 2020 and suffers from long hauler syndrome. He states he got the Moderna vaccine in hopes it would “cure” his symptoms, but believes the vaccination made it worse.
Malone is also the originator of the disinformation claim that people who receive the Covid-19 vaccine will die within six months to three years. The first Phase 1 trials started in April 2020 and in the United States, four vaccine-related deaths have been reported due to an extremely rare but dangerous condition called VITT.
Idaho
Idaho is facing good news, bad news situations as new case rates and hospitalizations plateau and fall respectively, while Covid-19 continues to rage in Northern Idaho and the Panhandle. The apocalyptic forecasts of 30,000 new cases a week (that Malcontent News reported was likely too grim) have not materialized, however, new cases are still running between 8,000 and 10,000 a week. Test positivity dropped to 11.5% but remains well above the optimal rate of 3% to 5% which would indicate adequate testing.
The Panhandle District accounts for 22% of Idaho’s new cases and Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene has been operating in crisis standards of care for almost two months. State officials don’t see the hospital situation improving much with concerns over the approaching flu season and continued spread in the unvaccinated population.
Since Covid-19 first arrived in the Gem State, there have been 290,872 confirmed cases – 4.5% vaccination breakthroughs. The state has recorded 3,543 Covid-19 related deaths.
Dr. Kathryn Turner, the deputy state epidemiologist, said North Idahoans are also not very helpful when it comes to contact tracing for the coronavirus.
“People are not as cooperative as in other parts of the state,” Turner said.
Idaho does not provide daily hospitalization data. The most recent report stated 570 were hospitalized with Covid-19, 163 in the ICU, with more than half on ventilators. Under normal conditions, Idaho has 170 staffed ICU beds.
Only two “large” hospitals, Community Medical Center and Northern Montana Hospital had normal occupancy rates. The largest hospital, Billings Clinic, was caring for 277 patients, including 76 people infected with Covid-19.
To date, 5% of confirmed COVID cases require hospitalization. Currently, 1% of the entire Montana population is infected with Covid-19 every 14 days.
“It has been an exceptionally challenging week for us here, with record numbers of hospitalizations and very, very sick and very, very acutely ill patients hospitalized due to COVID,” said Katie Gallagher, Covid-19 public information officer for St. Peter’s Hospital.
St. Peter’s reports that, in October, 26 patients died due to complications from COVID – including five on a single day, the highest one-day total they’ve recorded. Gallagher said that was compared to nine COVID-related deaths in September.
More patients are also being hospitalized with COVID-related illnesses according to a report by KTVH. Gallagher says they have been averaging more than 30 over recent weeks, with the highest number being 44 – almost half of the available inpatient beds.
On Friday the Montana Nurses Association filed a motion to join a lawsuit by a coalition of medical providers and patients that seeks to invalidate Montana law that bars medical organizations from requiring employees to be vaccinated, saying it violates federal law and the U.S. and Montana constitution.
According to KTVQ, the original suit was filed in September in U.S. District Court in Missoula with the Montana Medical Association as the lead plaintiff. It challenges parts of HB 702 – passed by Republican majorities at the 2021 Legislature – saying it illegally prevents physicians, their offices, and hospitals from providing a safe environment for patients.
The nurses’ suit comes as Montana faces the worst rates for hospitalizations and death from COVID-19 in the United States, according to data from the Mayo Clinic.
New York
Six FDNY members of Ladder 113 have been suspended for allegedly driving their truck to a state senator’s New York City office and threatening his staff over the vaccine mandate for city workers according to a report by New York NBC 4.
The on-duty firefighters drove an in-service ladder truck to state Senator Zellnor Myrie’s office in Brooklyn on Friday and questioned staff as to where the politician lives, a department spokesperson confirmed. The crew is accused of telling his staffers they would have “blood on their hands” Monday when unvaccinated workers must go on unpaid leave.
The group of firefighters also allegedly told the staff that if a fire was reported at Myrie’s home they would not respond.
Commissioner Daniel Nigro says, “this is a highly inappropriate act by on duty members of this Department who should only be concerned with responding to emergencies and helping New Yorkers and not harassing an elected official and his staff."
New York City’s vaccine mandate deadline for municipal workers which includes fire, police, is November 1. Compared to other cities such as Seattle and San Francisco as well as the state of Hawaii, vaccination rates are alarming low.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, 33,400 city workers remained unvaccinated. The city said it would provide updated vaccine rates on Saturday.
The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while changing schedules, canceling vacations, and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.
Wyoming
Data from Wyoming is more encouraging as new cases continue to drop while hospitalizations remain very high. Officials reported 193 hospitalized statewide while the number of new cases is averaging 557 per day. Wyoming has lost 178 residents to Covid-19 in October and crossed the 1,000 death threshold this month. Over 15% of COVID-related deaths occurred in the last 28 days. On October 21, Wyoming set a new hospitalization record peaking at 249 patients.
Elective surgeries have been delayed for weeks, creating additional health problems, according to a story by Wyoming Public Media. Jeffrey Chapman is the chief medical officer at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center – one of the many Wyoming hospitals that have had to limit what procedures they can perform.
“For almost five weeks we’ve only been doing urgent and emergent cases,” he said.
From Sheridan to Casper to Rock Springs, hospitals are monitoring their capacity on a day-to-day basis. In Campbell County, the hospital system canceled all elective surgeries earlier this week. And at Cheyenne Regional, Chapman said they have to make decisions about which surgeries can wait and which cannot.
The anti-vaccination community has seized upon the Harvard study as proof that vaccines are ineffective, and the momentum has been further fueled by Daniel Horowitz of The Blaze. So who is right?
First, we should look to the main author of the paper S.V. Subramanian, a Harvard professor of population health and geography who is saying the anti-vaccination community has it all wrong.
“That conclusion is misleading and inaccurate,” Subramanian wrote in an email to Ali Breland, a journalist. “This paper supports vaccination as an important strategy for reducing infection and transmission, along with hand-washing, mask-wearing, and physical distancing.”
Second and more important, there are serious data issues, inaccuracies, assumptions, and questions about the co-author of the paper.
The data analysis starts at January 1, before anyone was fully vaccinated. Additionally vaccination programs targeted the elderly and those most likely to get severe Covid-19, and the analysis did not take into account the base rate. The data only considered hospitalization data through May 2021, just weeks after multiple states permitted vaccination to all age groups over 16.
The second author of the study is a high school student in Canada
Errors within the paper aside, Subramanian has stated the paper is supportive of vaccination as part of a holistic approach to defeating the pandemic.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New Covid-19 cases crept upward today while hospitalizations remain on a plateau. This appears to be a bump versus a new trend.
Washington State Ferries inched closer back to normal with three routes adding additional vessels today.
City of Seattle officials announced they were starting the termination process for 1611 five employees who have refused to get vaccinated.
In Benton County, the newly appointed sheriff announced he won’t require Covid-19 vaccinations for his staff. It’s a bit of non-news because the department doesn’t have a vaccine mandate.
Instead of taking the loss and calling it a day, the anti-vaccination leader Palmer Davis has another grift protest planned for Olympia on Friday.
We have expanded our recreational travel advisory to include all the counties on the Olympic Peninsula as hospitals reach the highest occupancy levels since the Delta surge began on August 17.
The CDC approved booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccine as well as agreed with the FDA on a mix-and-match strategy. The FDA is expected to issue final authorization as soon as tomorrow.
A new Covid-19 case was reported at Fernwood Elementary in the Northshore School District while the Bellevue School District inches closer back to status “green.”
In disinformation, the Chinese government has started a new social medial campaign suggesting that Covid-19 came from Maine lobsters. Is it true? Get your drawn butter and bib because it gets messy.
Finally, we hope to provide more in-depth national coverage again starting tomorrow.
New Covid-19 cases crept upward statewide. This is the first mid-week increase we have seen since September. The state opened several mass testing which may be pushing the numbers upward. Having access to accurate data on test positivity would help us understand if this is bump-up is an anomaly, a good trend, or a bad trend.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
60.00% or above (5 counties)
2,659,450
222.5 (up)
50.00% to 59.99% (16 counties)
4,098,600
373.4 (up)
40.00% to 49.99% (10 counties)
860,525
442.4
30.30% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
506.9 (up)
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Adjusted for Population
Through October 20, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling increased to 333.9 Covid-19 cases per 100K.
Ferry County (1,302.2) and Garfield County (1,213.5) continue to be hot spots.
Only two counties, Chelan and Grant, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K residents, and Chelan is 600.1.
Counties between 400.0 and 599.9 include Asotin, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, and Yakima.
New cases increased for pediatric and geriatric patients. Hospitalizations for ages 65 to 79 have increased for the second day in a row.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
154.2 (up)
0.6 (down)
Ages 12-19
166.9
1.6
Ages 20-34
154.2 (up)
3.8
Ages 35-49
167.4
9.1
Ages 50-64
125.8
12.2
Ages 65-79
101.1 (up)
18.8 (up)
Ages 80+
102.9 (up)
31.5
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
Washington State Ferries returning to normal on several routes
Less than a week after cutting ferry schedules in anticipation of vaccine-mandate-related staffing cuts, Washington State Ferries (WSF) announced that four routes are moving closer to normal operations.
The Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth went back to three boats in services while the Seattle/Bainbridge and Edmonds/Kingston route returned to two boat services.
Number of Seattle firefighters facing termination drops to 5
The City of Seattle has started the termination process for five firefighters while another 74 await a decision on their exemption requests. On Monday officials reported 16 firefighters had not turned in proof of vaccination. On Tuesday the number dropped to 11.
We have a report that minutes after a small group of protesters with SFD departed Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, the boots and shoes they left behind were collected and given to the houseless.
Benton County Sheriff says he won’t require vaccinations
Tom Croskrey, the new Benton County Sheriff announced he would not require employees to get vaccinated. The announcement seems to be a recruiting attempt directed at the City of Seattle, King County, and the Washington State Patrol. The Washington state employee vaccine mandate did not include law enforcement officers at a local or county level.
Hatcher was accused of domestic violence and then a cover-up that led to command staff and employees quitting in 2019 and 2020 due to a loss of confidence in his leadership abilities and a toxic work environment.
In the 2017 domestic violence case, Hatcher was charged in 2019 with fourth-degree assault with domestic violence and witness tampering. A Spokane County prosecutor decided not to move forward with prosecution in October 2019. Additional details emerged around the case that led to four police unions calling for Hatcher to resign.
On August 17 security cameras showed Hatcher had packed his office and left the department.
Palmer Davis inspired by her mentor Joey Gibson discovers another reason to protest
Despite vaccination rates rising significantly in the last month and minimal impact from the October 18 vaccine mandate, grifters need to make money Waking Up Washington is planning another protest. The protest will be against vaccine passports in Olympia at the capitol on Friday.
The number of people attending anti-vaccination, anti-mask, and anti-mandate protests has dwindled over the last month with a couple of exceptions.
Davis had called for a school walkout on October 18 which never materialized. Earlier in the month, she called for protests at Swedish Hospital and Harborview Medical Center and no one showed up.
Travel Advisories
Due to a continued high level of hospitalizations, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited, and the ratio of Covid-19 patients to other hospital patients is exceptionally high. Additionally, we are adding the Northwest Region, which includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties. We are making this change because hospitals are at or just under capacity across this region.
Please reconsider nonessential travel plans to these counties.
We are walking back that our travel advisory for the East Hospital Region will likely last through the remainder of 2021. Current data is somewhat encouraging, and we believe the situation could improve significantly in the next four weeks.
We strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care in Alaska, Idaho, and Montana if you experience a serious medical emergency.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The CDC left the same limits set by the FDA to persons over 64-years old, 18 to 64 years old and immunocompromised, and persons who work in occupations where they are frequently exposed to Covid-19.
The FDA is expected to update the Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna vaccine as soon as tomorrow.
Booster shots for Jassen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved by the CDC
The CDC also authorized a second “booster” shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months after receiving the first dose. Anyone who received the J&J vaccine is eligible for a booster regardless of age. The approval comes a day after an FDA panel made the same recommendation.
Unlike the Moderna vaccine, the CDC did not specify a protocol for which vaccine to get as a booster.
A final authorization could from the FDA as soon as tomorrow.
Mix and Match of Covid-19 booster shots approved by the CDC
In a third decision, the CDC approved mix and match Covid-19 booster shots a day after the FDA approved the recommendation.
The mix and match authorization will help innoculate vulnerable communities such as nursing home residents faster while enabling individual choice.
As an example, a woman who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and is currently taking birth control could get a Pfizer or Moderna booster as an alternative.
The FDA is also expected to authorize this measure quickly.
Respected epidimiologist recommends Moderna as the booster of choice for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Dr. Katelyn Jetelina made a series of recommendations in her newsletter day, that outlines in detail the pros and cons of each mix-and-match vaccine scenario.
However, Dr. Jetelina indicated that the choice may not be that simple for everyone, and mixing and matching the different vaccines come with different benefits and the possibility of adverse reactions.
King County, Washington is reporting over 87.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.4% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 619 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 85.5% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 291 patients with 51% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 171 additional ICU patients.
On Monday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 106. The Department of Health reported 1,101 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 19, with 149 requiring ventilators. The patient count is between 1,080 and 1,160 for the 11th day in a row.
Hospital readiness is starting to show signs of real improvement in the East Region. The North Region includes some of the highest vaccinated counties and is approaching normalcy.
The new trouble spot is the Olympic Peninsula where hospital resources are reaching full capacity.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
School and Education
School District
Status
Less than 10 Active Cases
10 or More Active Cases
Bellevue
YELLOW
– ESC East (1*) – Ardmore (1*) – Bennett (1*) – Interlake (1*) – Lake Hills (1*) – Newport (1*) – Newport Heights (1*) – Puesta del Sol (1*) – Sherwood Forest (1*) – Spiritridge (3*)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Bell Elementary (3*) – Blackwell Elementary (2*) – Carson Elementary (3*) – Einstein (1*) – Eastlake High (3*) – Finn Hill Middle School (3*) – Inglewood Middle School (1*) – Juanita Elementary (5*) – Juanita High School (4*) – Kamiakin Middle School (3* see notes) – Kirk Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (5*) – Lake Washington High School (4*) – Mead Elementary (2*) – Northstar Middle (1*) – Redmond Elementary (1*) – Redmond Middle School (2*) – Redmond High School (2*) – Rosa Parks Elementary (2*) – Rose Hill Middle School (1*) – Timberline Middle School (6*) – Twain Elementary (2*)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (2) – Bothell High School (34**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (9) – Canyon Park Middle School (22) – Cottage Lake Elementary (4) – Crystal Springs Elementary (27) – East Ridge Elementary (3) – Fernwood Elementary (3) – Frank Love Elementary (44) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (43) – Inglemoor High School (6) – Kenmore Elementary (3) – Kenmore Middle School (37**) – Kokanee Elementary (9) – Lockwood Elementary (11**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (1) – Moorlands Elementary (2) – North Creek High School (6) – Northshore Middle School (25) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (3) – Shelton View Elementary (1) – Skyview Middle School (2) – Sunrise Elementary (3) – Timbercrest Middle School (15) – Wellington Elementary (13) – Westhill Elementary (5) – Woodin Elementary (5) – Woodinville High School (3) – Woodmoor Elementary (3)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
No new cases were reported in the Bellevue or Lake Washington School Districts.
We received a parent confirmed report of three new Covid-19 cases at Kamiakin Middle School with 14 additional quarantines on Monday.
Fernwood Elementary in the Northshore School District reported a confirmed Covid-19 case and the number of staff and students who are Covid-19 positive at Lockwood Elementary increased to five.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 86,759 new cases and 3,071 deaths nationwide on Thursday. The death number is inflated after Oregon officials added 550 Covid-19 related deaths today due to a computer error.
Misinformation
Did Covid-19 cross over to humans from Maine lobsters?
As absolutely insane as that sounds, a disinformation campaign emerging out of China is claiming just that.
Zha Liyou, the Chinese consul general in Kolkata, India, tweeted an unfounded claim that Covid-19 could have been imported to China from the United States through a batch of Maine lobsters shipped to a seafood market in Wuhan in November 2019. It marks the latest in a series of theories that have been pushed by pro-China accounts since the start of the pandemic, according to a report in NBC News.
With some further digging, Schliebs uncovered a network of more than 550 Twitter accounts, which he shared with NBC News, spreading a nearly identical message, translated into multiple languages — including English, Spanish, French, Polish, Korean, and even Latin — at similar times each day between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. China Standard Time.
Some of the accounts were “unsophisticated sock puppets” with “very few or zero followers,” Schliebs said, while others appeared to be accounts that were once authentic but had been hijacked and repurposed to spread disinformation.
For whatever it is worth, the Maine CDC said the claims have no scientific basis.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.These words have never been more important for today’s update.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) The big story today is not local or even in the United States. It is the U.K. where a new variant of Delta is starting to establish itself and on the European continent where new Covid-19 cases are climbing again. With the holiday travel season just weeks away the timing of this new European surge is very troubling. Our view is a new surge is coming this winter, and if you want to skip ahead you can move to the National Update to read more.
Closer to home, new cases drifted downward in Washington especially east of the Cascades while hospitalizations remain plateaued.
State officials said some people who were fired or quit because of the vaccine mandate will probably qualify for unemployment benefits.
We have additional information on the Kirkland Fire Department and the status of 16 employees who were not fully vaccinated by October 18.
New Covid-19 cases were reported at Lake Hills Elementary in the Bellevue School District and Kamiakin Middle School in Lake Washington.
King County Sheriff employees were told to keep working “until further notice” even if they have not submitted their vaccination information. The number of Seattle Police Department officers seeking exemptions dropped further today. Seattle Public Schools reported over 99% of teachers and 100% of school principals are fully vaccinated or were granted exemptions. A small group of protesters gathered outside of Seattle City Light but for now, no one has been fired.
Former Washington State University Nick Rolovich has hired an attorney who announced on Twitter he is planning to sue for wrongful termination.
While some TV and radio personalities wrung their hands over police cuts that mostly didn’t materialize, none of them are addressing the 350 employees released by the Department of Corrections. They did however focus on a Washington State Patrol sergeant who issued a farewell in a viral video.
Access to parts of the capitol complex in Olympia is restricted to vaccinated people only through January 10, and some legislatures are very mad. On the subject of legislatures, Senator Doug Ericksen who in October 2020 demanded a special session to cut the state budget by $4 billion and furlough thousands of employees, called for Jay Inslee to resign due to state employee job cuts.
Nationally, the FDA authorized booster shots for Moderna and Johnson and Johnson and approved a mix-and-match approach to boosters. Approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected in the next couple of weeks, and the Biden Administration has already purchased 28 million doses. Finally, multiple news agencies reported tonight the FDA is seriously considering booster shots for people 40 and over.
We are now adjusting the 14 day moving average new Covid-19 case rate to account for population. This update provides a better view of how vaccination rates are impacting community spread. The new case rate is 230% higher in the least vaccinated counties versus the most vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
60.00% or above (5 counties)
2,659,450
216.4
50.00% to 59.99% (16 counties)
4,098,600
362.5
40.00% to 49.99% (10 counties)
860,525
441.7
30.30% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
497.2
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Adjusted for Population
Through October 19, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average dropped slightly to 325.7 Covid-19 cases per 100K.
Ferry County (1,314.8) and Garfield County (1,303.4) continue to be hot spots, otherwise, cases in Eastern Washington are declining rapidly.
Only two counties, Chelan and Grant, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K residents, and both are in the low 600s.
Counties between 400.0 and 599.9 include Asotin, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Yakima.
New cases by age group were statistically unchanged, while hospitalizations increased for people 65 to 79 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
146.1
1.0
Ages 12-19
160.5
1.9
Ages 20-34
144.6
3.7
Ages 35-49
161.6
9.3
Ages 50-64
119.0
12.6
Ages 65-79
94.1
17.1 (up)
Ages 80+
92.0
30.4
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 88 deaths on Tuesday. However, that number includes the weekend and Monday.
Some people who quit or were fired over vaccine mandate may qualify for state unemployment benefits
“The laws surrounding when someone is qualified to receive benefits are going to be intricate and complex,” said Scott Michael, legal services coordination manager at the Employment Security Department, during a meeting of the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Committee last month. “Each case always has to be decided on its own merits. Small differences in facts, in timing, in what was said, what was intended can lead to very different outcomes.”
Workers who requested a medical or religious exemption, had it granted, and were refused accommodation, will likely qualify for state unemployment benefits. The lack of accommodation despite recognizing their need for exemption creates a “good cause” for them to quit their position. However, a person filing for unemployment would need to show that they tried to negotiate with their employer in good faith and had their request rejected.
The minimum unemployment benefit in Washington is $285 a week, and the maximum is $929. The amount of weekly benefit is based on prior income. Individuals who made $10,000 a month or more for the six months before claiming unemployment would qualify for the state maximum. With the end of federal benefits on September 6, a person could claim unemployment for 26 weeks.
Individuals fired or who quit over principle, medical freedom, or refusing to get vaccinated likely have no recourse.
Unvaccinated King County Sheriff Office employees told to work “until further notice”
The King County Sheriff Office (KCSO) has not provided data on how many deputies are vaccinated because of a previous agreement made with the county to extend the vaccination deadline to December 2.
In an October 4 memo sent to the 1,100 KCSO employees were advised if they had not shown proof of vaccination by October 18, they should keep reporting to work “until further notice.”
The same memo also said that employees who had not provided proof of vaccination or requested accommodation would get a letter of pending separation around October 20.
402, 292, 200, 103, 93 SPD officers seeking exemptions
Yesterday the Seattle Police Department reported 103 employees sought medical or religious exemptions, and another six were facing termination after not getting vaccinated by October 18. The Seattle Times reported 93 commissioned officers are seeking exemptions.
The department has the budget to support almost 300 or more commissioned officers. Factoring the pending Loudermill hearings for the six who decided not to get vaccinated, the City has 1,037 available cops. If all 93 exemption requests are rejected, the department will lose 9% of the current force.
KOMO reported there “could be impacts to service” per SPD. The dire predictions of moving the department to emergency staffing conditions did not come to pass.
Former WSU coach Nick Rolovich to sue for wrongful termination
Nick Rolovich is going to sue Washington State University for “unjust and unlawful” termination, according to a statement released by the attorney representing the former WSU football coach.
In the statement posted on Twitter, the unnamed attorney claims that WSU Athletic Director Pat Chun had planned to fire Rolovich “since at least April.”
Just received this from an attorney representing Nick Rolovich, who plans to sue #WashingtonState for illegal termination. Accuses AD Pat Chun of “discriminatory and vindictive behavior.” pic.twitter.com/KTOnIchKXD
The letter claims that Rolovich has “sincerely held religious beliefs” and Chun was dishonest, discriminatory, and vindictive.
Rolovich was the subject of rampant speculation for months as he played a public relations cat and mouse game over his vaccination status. Rolovich told USA Today he was filing an exemption request based on religious grounds with little more than a week left before the state-mandated deadline.
Editor’s Note: We continue to believe this is just public relations theater. Our prediction is Rolovich will receive an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum with a gag order for all parties. In the end, this will be a loss for Washington state taxpayers.
Access to state capitol House and Senate buildings restricted to vaccinated only through January 10
Under a new rule adopted by a House committee last month, legislatures and employees needed to provide proof of vaccination by October 18 to access the House facilities through January 10.
Robinson clarified that the figure applies only to full-time staff with SPS, including teachers, principals, and management staff. Full-time employees with SPS account for 7,283 of its more than 12,000 total employees. The rest are hourly and seasonal personnel.
Robinson indicated 205 employees were granted religious or medical exemptions. Teachers were “over 99% compliance” along with 100% of school principals. Malcontent News estimates 30 to 35 full-time teachers are facing termination based on the data provided by Robinson and the staffing numbers in SPS before the October 18 deadline.
A small group protests outside of Seattle City Light over vaccine mandate
“They are not saying I am fired, to be clear, but what they are saying is to no longer have contact with anybody here,” said Jeremy Rowan, a City Light employee for nearly 20 years.
Seattle City Light has approximately 1,690 employees. City officials reported 1,573 workers were fully vaccinated, and another 84 have requested religious or medical exceptions that are under consideration. Based on the data provided, Malcontent News estimates 30 to 35 people are facing termination.
Despite fearmongering from Turning Point USA, the City indicates they do not expect any service-related issues.
What happens when a grid loses power and there’s not enough workers to get it running?
DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange did not provide data on how many correctional officers or supervisors were released but stated the terminations included medical staff, cooks, maintenance workers, and officers.
Strange said the prisons are safe as they were during and before the pandemic.
“We have not seen a significant impact to staff, or those in our care and custody, any uptick in injury or fights,” said Strange.
Editor’s Note: The DOC has been underfunded and short-staffed for years, partially due to Washington voters refusing to pass measures that would offer badly needed prison reform and provide adequate funding. Issues of improper staffing levels, low morale, assaults on inmates and employees, and poorly trained staff are well documented. Even if the vaccine-related terminations have not created “a significant impact to staff, or those in our care and custody,” this statement ignores the continuing issues in Washington state prisons.
Editor’s Note 2: We find it disingenuous that news personalities such as Brandi Kruse, Jason Rantz, and Dori Monson have amplified unrealized fears of a law and order disaster due to the vaccine mandate while not once mentioning corrections officers. The United States prison system is steeped in racism, inequity, and ineffectiveness. Almost 60% of Washington state inmates have a serious mental illness when they are incarcerated, setting up DOC staff and inmates for repeated failure. The United States has the largest prison population both per capita and in total numbers on the planet.
In final radio message farewell, former WSP Sergeant Kirk Schnider contradicts the number of job cuts
In a radio transmission on October 18, Washington State Patrol Sergeant Kirk Schnider stated, “due to my personal choices to take a moral stand for medical freedom and personal choice. I will be signing out for the last time today after nearly 17 years in service to the state of Washington.”
In his broadcast, Schnider accused the media and WSP officials of downplaying their role and the impact on the department due to vaccination-related separations.
“We all know in this district on the 19th there will be 51 of the 75 troopers available and only 7 of the 11 sergeants.”
Taking a "moral stance for medical freedom & personal choice," this 17-year veteran of the WA State Patrol tearfully says goodbye, forced out by @GovInslee's vaccine mandate. His wife is the dispatch operator (15-year veteran) & is also out.
The WSP reported in a press release that a total of 67 commissioned officers, six sergeants, and one captain were terminated for choosing to refuse vaccination. Schnider is one of the six sergeants to leave WSP.
Fiscal conservatives from the Senate Freedom Caucus call for resignation of Governor Jay Inslee due to vaccine mandate
Yesterday, members of the Washington State Freedom Caucus called for Governor Jay Inslee to resign due to vaccine-mandate-related staff cuts, according to a report in Clark County Today.
“This mass-termination event is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” said state Senator Doug Ericksen (Ferndale-R). “Never have we witnessed a failure of leadership in this state as we have seen under Gov. Jay Inslee. For nearly 600 days, he has used COVID emergency powers to establish autocratic rule, refusing to call the Legislature into special session, and shutting the people out.”
“Inslee has done significant damage to the credibility of state government and has eroded the public’s trust. Now he is firing thousands of public employees without regard to the harm it will cause. This effort to punish can only be seen as the willful act of a failed governor. Inslee has failed miserably. We don’t take this lightly. But the only thing that can allow our state to heal and move forward is for Jay Inslee to resign.”
A total of 1,887 employees were terminated statewide on October 18, with the only apparent significant disruption impacting Washington State Ferries.
The state Freedom Caucus includes Ericksen, Phil Fortunato (Auburn-R), Jim McCune (Graham-R), and Mike Padden (Spokane Valley-R). The group proposed a “stimulus plan” during the same month that would take federal COVID relief tax dollars to eliminate day use fees at state parks, cut state camping fees, cut hunting and fishing license fees, and create a “school choice” voucher program.
Travel Advisories
Due to increased acute care hospitalizations, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited, and the ratio of Covid-19 patients to other hospital patients is exceptionally high. Please reconsider nonessential travel plans to these counties.
We are walking back that our travel advisory for the East Hospital Region will likely last through the remainder of 2021. Current data is somewhat encouraging, and we believe the situation could improve significantly in the next four weeks.
We strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care in Alaska, Idaho, and Montana if you experience a serious medical emergency.
We are not adding a travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region, which includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties but don’t recommend engaging in risky recreational behavior on the Olympic Peninsula. Although hospitals are very constrained, the region is adjacent to the Puget Sound and West Hospital Regions, which have adequate resources.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The FDA has limited the Moderna booster to persons over 64-years old, 18 to 64 years old and immunocompromised, and persons who work in occupations where they are frequently exposed to Covid-19.
Data from Moderna indicated that a low dose provided the same immunity as a regular dose, so the FDA guidelines specify a half dose for booster injections.
Booster shots for Jassen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved by the FDA
“Earlier analyses from the FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems suggest an increased risk of a serious and rare type of blood clot in combination with low blood platelets following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This serious condition is called thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). People who developed TTS after receiving the vaccine had symptoms that began about one to two weeks after vaccination. Reporting of TTS has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. In addition, safety surveillance suggests an increased risk of a specific serious neurological disorder called Guillain Barré syndrome, within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.“
Mix and Match of Covid-19 booster shots approved by the FDA
In a third decision, the FDA approved mix and match Covid-19 booster shots. A clinical trial data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases involving more than 1,500 people showed that mixing and matching provided a positive immune response. Additionally, data indicated that millions of Americans were already combining vaccination boosters on their own.
The mix and match authorization will help innoculate vulnerable communities such as nursing home residents faster while enabling individual choice.
As an example, a woman who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and is currently taking birth control could get a Pfizer or Moderna booster as an alternative.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death. The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.”
Reports the FDA is considering expanding Pfizer and Moderna booster shots to people 40 and older
Multiple news outlets are reporting that the FDA may recommend expanding Covid-19 booster shots for people who received the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna more than six months ago and are over 39-years old.
“I believe it will happen,” the source familiar with the plan told CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen. There is “growing concern within the FDA” that US data is beginning to show more hospitalizations among people under age 65 who have been fully vaccinated, the source said.
Multiple outlets citing the same source indicated that government officials are becoming concerned about growing breakthrough cases among middle-aged Americans.
Editor’s Note:Malcontent News usually does not share or report on stories from “undisclosed sources.” We believe there is veracity to these reports due to global events and growing concern over the Delta Plus AY.4.2 variant that includes additional spike mutations A222V and Y145H.
Approval of Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds expected to be approved “in a couple of weeks”
The White House said on Wednesday that it is ready to quickly roll out COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for that age group is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Should the FDA and CDC authorize the vaccine, we will be ready to get shots in arms,” said White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients during a news briefing Wednesday morning.
The FDA independent advisory committee is scheduled to discuss and likely vote on October 26, while the CDC independent advisory committee meets on November 2 and 3.
The recommendation the FDA and CDC will consider is two doses that are one-third of the volume of an adult dose, spaced three weeks apart. It would take an additional two weeks for the vaccine to reach peak effectiveness.
King County, Washington is reporting over 87.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.6% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 610 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 85.6% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 299 patients with 52% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 170 additional ICU patients.
On Monday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 108. The Department of Health reported 1,106 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 19, with 155 requiring ventilators. The patient count is between 1,080 and 1,160 for the 10th day in a row.
Hospital readiness is slowly improving, including in the East Hospital Region. The declining number of acute care patients with Covid-19 is a leading indicator that ICU capacity will begin to improve by early November.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Bell Elementary (3*) – Blackwell Elementary (2*) – Carson Elementary (3*) – Einstein (1*) – Eastlake High (3*) – Finn Hill Middle School (3*) – Inglewood Middle School (1*) – Juanita Elementary (5*) – Juanita High School (4*) – Kamiakin Middle School (3*) – Kirk Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (5*) – Lake Washington High School (4*) – Mead Elementary (2*) – Northstar Middle (1*) – Redmond Elementary (1*) – Redmond Middle School (2*) – Redmond High School (2*) – Rosa Parks Elementary (2*) – Rose Hill Middle School (1*) – Timberline Middle School (6*) – Twain Elementary (2*)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (1) – Bothell High School (36**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (9) – Canyon Park Middle School (21) – Cottage Lake Elementary (4) – Crystal Springs Elementary (21) – East Ridge Elementary (1) – Frank Love Elementary (34) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (34) – Inglemoor High School (6) – Kenmore Elementary (8) – Kenmore Middle School (41**) – Kokanee Elementary (10) – Leota Middle School (1) – Lockwood Elementary (17) – Maywood Hills Elementary (1) – Moorlands Elementary (2) – North Creek High School (8) – Northshore Middle School (22) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (3) – Shelton View Elementary (3) – Skyview Middle School (3) – Sunrise Elementary (1) – Timbercrest Middle School (18) – Wellington Elementary (16) – Westhill Elementary (5) – Woodin Elementary (15) – Woodinville High School (3) – Woodmoor Elementary (3)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Bellevue School District reported one confirmed Covid-19 case at Lake Hills Elementary.
We received a parent confirmed report of three new Covid-19 cases at Kamiakin Middle School with 14 additional quarantines.
We continued to encourage parents to request improved daily data reporting from the Lake Washington School District.
Correction:On Tuesday, October 19, the daily summary for the Covid-19 update included a typographical error reporting nine confirmed COVID cases at Bellevue High School in the Northshore School District. The nine confirmed cases are at Bothell High School in the Northshore School District. We have corrected the daily summary and apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Upated Kirkland Fire Department vaccination numbers
As of 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, 100 of 116 City of Kirkland firefighters had provided proof of vaccination, according to Joy Johnston, Interim Communications Program Manager with the City of Seattle. To date, no firefighters have quit, retired, or been terminated due to the vaccine mandate.
Ms. Johnston reported that one firefighter is completing their vaccinations, and the remaining 15 have requested exemptions on either medical or religious grounds. Eight exceptions have been approved, and the remaining seven are under consideration.
The City reported that there is no reduction in service levels for the community.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 81,238 new cases and 2,357 deaths nationwide on Wednesday.
Our view – anyone unvaccinated has a future date with the next Covid-19 surge
On March 12, 2020 I wrote an essay that went viral on the situation in Kirkland, Washington, and made predictions on what would happen in the coming weeks across the United States. Unfortunately, those predictions became true.
I became deeply concerned about the Delta variant during the early days of July 2021 and just days after a collective declaration of victory over Covid-19. A combination of a nation that returned to normal too fast, low national vaccination rates, and air travel created a surge in new cases that rivaled January 2021. I noticed that outspoken critics of Covid-19 mitigation efforts were suddenly appealing for their constituents to get vaccinated, including Sean Hannity of Fox News, Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, among others. The change of tone was jarring to me. Privately I told those close to me, “they know something.”
By mid-July, I was wearing a mask again. Two weeks later, I sounded the alarm a new surge had arrived in the United States. I wanted to be wrong. Delta AY.1 raged across the United States and continues to in Alaska, Idaho. Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. As the temperatures dropped with the arrival of fall, Delta cases are predictably spiking in Minnesota and Vermont.
Regrettably, I am predicting the next surge, and I now believe another wave is coming in January or February 2022. I am not the only person that is expressing concern over the Delta AY.4.2 variant. Katelyn Jetelina M.D. expressed worry about Delta A.4 on October 17 and warned that the United States could follow the same path as the U.K.
My concern over Delta Plus AY.4.2 has increased significantly
In the United Kingdom, Delta Plus AY.4.2 with additional spike mutations A222V and Y145H has grown to represent 6% of new infections at the end of September, and the number of cases with the mutated Delta variant is continuing to increase, according to British health officials.
Researchers are still studying the significance of Delta Plus, but early data indicates it is more transmissible than the Delta AY.1 and AY.2 variants, which currently make up most of the Covid-19 cases on the planet. Delta has an R0 of 6.0 among a completely unvaccinated population – equal to smallpox. Delta Plus has an estimated R0 of 6.6. That’s just enough of a difference to help it spread.
Delta Plus is not more deadly than Delta, but it does appear to make people sicker. Additionally, it does not appear to be anymore vaccine-resistant than Delta, but data out of the UK is showing us that both natural and vaccine immunity waves after six to eight months.
While new cases and hospitalizations are surging, the death rate in the U.K. has remained low, especially among the fully vaccinated. We have seen similar data out of Israel and right here in the United States. Most of the available vaccines remain highly effective at mitigating hospitalizations and severe COVID.
We don’t know if the worst surge for Covid-19 in Russia is Delta Plus, but for the first time since experiencing the first COVID case, 1,000 Russians are dying a day.
Earlier this week, the Russian government ordered anyone over 60 to stay home for four months. Today, Dictator President Vladimir Putin told the Cabinet backed the Cabinet’s proposal to declare a non-working week and keep Russian workers away from their offices.
Only 32% of Russians are vaccinated because of their deep devotion and love distrust of the Russian government. Ironically, in trying to sow global discord about the safety of vaccines from Western Europe and North American pharmaceutical companies to drive sales of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, the disinformation campaign spread into Russia. Worse, the Sputnik V vaccine has performed poorly, only reinforcing distrust among the Russian people.
Several regions, or Oblasts, have implemented vaccine mandates, and many have already restricted large events, restaurants, and bars.
The same week we wrote about our concern that Covid-19 cases were rising again in the U.K. Putin went into quarantine after several people within his inner circle tested positive for COVID. Putin claims he was vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine in March. When he went into quarantine, a Kremlin spokesperson claimed that the people infected and Putin had recently received boosters.
Across Europe, new Covid-19 cases have increased for three weeks in a row. We don’t know if the Delta or the Delta Plus variant is driving the increase outside the U.K.
Holiday travel season is almost here and the borders between Canada and Mexico are opening at the same time
A new, more transmissible variant in the U.K., growing cases across Europe, and the land borders between the United States and Mexico reopening on November 8. Travel restrictions are ending just in time for the holidays. With the Delta surge winding down in the United States, a new sense of “we won” is spreading again. Over the next 2-1/2 months, travelers will hit the road and go on vacation.
November 25, Thanksgiving
November 29 – December 6, Hanukkah
December 24, Christmas Eve
December 25, Christmas Day
December 26, Kwanzaa
December 31, New Years Eve
January 1, New Years Day
January 4, 5, 6 and 7, Orthodox Christmas
Two years away from family, recreational travel to Canada and Mexico is available again, and holiday travelers will create an environment ripe for spreading a new variant, especially among the unvaccinated.
Assessment
I believe many issues are coming together to create a perfect storm at the end of the year. The United States is weary of Covid-19 everything. Former President Donald Trump oversold Operation Warp Speed and the vaccine program as a one-and-done shot that would provide protection forever. Coronaviruses include MERS, SARS, SAR-CoV-2, and the common cold. Coronaviruses are “slippery” by nature. That is, they mutate rather quickly compared to other viral diseases such as poliovirus. Many people feel there has been a bait and switch on what the vaccines would deliver.
Last year, we told our readers and viewers that it was very likely the Covid-19 vaccines would be similar to flu vaccines requiring a yearly dose to fight new mutations. We also told our readers that the vaccination cycle would not mirror the flu vaccine but would be more closely aligned to when people congregated indoors. In the warmer latitudes, vaccination programs would occur in the spring as people get ready to move to air conditioning. In the colder latitudes, vaccinations would come in the fall before people moved back to indoor activity.
Delta Plus has a beachhead in the U.K. and is almost certainly spreading across Europe – at a slow pace – but spreading. A combination of holiday travel, continued vaccine hesitancy, and more indoor activity due to cold weather will drive another surge that will start as the 2021 holiday season is winding down.
The impact will be tempered in the Southwestern United States and the Gulf Coast because moderate temperatures drive more outdoor activity. We have a tremendous amount of evidence that Covid-19 spreads indoors at a much higher rate than outdoors.
In the Northeast, the Great Lake states, the Midwest, the Rocky Mountain states, and low vaccinated areas of the Pacific Northwest, Delta Plus will find new hosts among the unvaccinated, the elderly, and immunocompromised. There will be no will among the government or the populous for any meaningful countermeasures.
How Bad
If all things remain as they are today, I believe we will see significant hot spots versus a national wave like we just witnessed. States like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming may not get much reprieve from their current Delta-fueled surge. The isolation that winter brings to Alaska will probably benefit the state.
The upcoming surge will genuinely be a pandemic of the unvaccinated. In Washington state, counties such as Stevens, Whitman, Franklin, Lewis, Benton, Yakima, and Grant will be ripe for another significant event. Spokane County will likely feel pressure from neighboring Idaho again.
Wildcards
Five wildcards could soften the next surge. The first is vaccination among children from 5 to 11 years old. Regrettably, we will likely see another urban versus rural divide. This fall, we gathered reliable data showing children remain largely asymptomatic carriers who brought Covid-19 into their households. Over 140,000 American children have become orphans due to COVID, and the number is growing. The more young children fully vaccinated, the more we can stamp down the surge.
The next wildcard is the anti-viral drug molnupiravir. If the FDA approves the Merck/Ridgeback Biotherapeutics drug before the end of the year, if production and distribution can ramp up, if it is effective as it has been in Phase 3 testing, and if the current disinformation campaign against molnupiravir doesn’t create widespread mistrust, it could change the game.
The third wildcard is how many people get booster shots and if the FDA approves boosters for people as young as 40. If the FDA decides to expand booster shots before Veterans Day, consider that your “they know something.”
The next wildcard is severe weather. If the United States has widespread severe weather over the holidays that cripples air travel for an extended period, it could help slow the spread. Airlines are already stretched thin after laying off and forcing 25% to 30% of pilots into early retirement during 2020.
The final wildcard is Influenza. Flu was stopped in its tracks in 2020 because masks are highly effective at slowing the transmission, many schools systems were virtual, most people skipped the holidays, and mask wear was high. Flu can cut both ways this coming winter. A significant surge of flu could unintentionally cause isolation slowing down the spread of Covid-19.
It also could have the opposite effect. People sick with COVID could dismiss it as a cold or flu, take a handful of DayQuil and forge ahead with their day.
10 things you can do to help
If you’re not vaccinated, get vaccinated. Everyone has a future dance with Covid-19. There is overwhelming evidence that vaccination reduces your chance of getting infected and dramatically lowers your chance of hospitalization and death.
If you are eligible for a booster shot, get a booster and do it as quickly as possible.
if you have children from 12 to 15, get them vaccinated if they aren’t already.
If vaccination for 5 to 11 year olds is approved, get them vaccinated as quickly as possible. If the Pfizer vaccine becomes available on November 8 and your child is vaccinated on the same day, they won’t have full immunity until December 13.
If you travel over the holidays, consider not travel by air, and avoid crowded indoor spaces. If you will be with family members and you don’t know their vaccination status wear a mask. If you have family members who are at high risk of severe COVID, wear a mask.
If you travel to areas with low vaccination rates wear a mask, confrontations be damned.
Learn and memorize the different symtoms between Influenza and Covid-19.
Consider buying two at home rapid tests for each family member now to have on hand.
If you or someone in your household becomes sick with COVID like symptoms, stay home.
Get your influenza vaccine.
Final thought
I will close with the same final thought I had in July 2021. I have never wanted this badly to be wrong, and I hope I am.
State Updates
Due to the overwhelming amount of local news, we will not do a state update today. The situation in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming can best be described as lousy, terrible, dire, and getting worse, in that order.
Misinformation
Taking the day off
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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