Texas officials report the first Omicron related fatality in the United States
Editor’s Note: As a policy, Malcontent News does not quote or publish data from pre-print studies. The transmission rate of the Omicron SARS-CoV2 variant is so high it is spreading at a rate faster than the scientific review process. For this reason, we are using pre-print studies in our reporting and analysis for the Omicron variant. We will continue to backlink to all quoted sources to support transparency in reporting.
Updated: Story edited to report first Omicron death in the United States
[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington state moved back to high transmission risk for COVID as new cases fueled by the Omicron variant grew 32 percent over the weekend. The highly contagious variant was discovered in South Africa, spreading to over 90 countries in six weeks.
The United States was reminded how serious Covid-19 is this evening, with Texas reporting the first Omicron-related death in the nation. Judge Lina Hidalgo of Harris County, Texas, tweeted that a man in his 50s had died of Omicron. He was unvaccinated and had health issues. It is reported he was treated with monoclonal antibodies, which have been rendered ineffective against the Omicron variant.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported 73% of new COVID cases across the United States are the Omicron variant, swamping Delta cases. The World Health Organization estimated cases are doubling every 1.5 to three days.
The CDC estimates that Omicron is 90% of new COVID cases in the New York City area, the Southeast, the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes states, and the Pacific Northwest. Omicron cases have been detected in 48 of 50 states, with Montana, Indiana, and Vermont confirming cases this afternoon.
On December 20, North Dakota, Montana, Indiana, and Vermont reported their first confirmed Omicron cases and Texas reported an Omicron-related death – Oklahoma and South Dakota lag the rest of the country in genomic sequencing of test samples
In Miami, lines of cars waited for hours to get COVID tests. Governor Ron DeSantis had boasted Florida had conquered coronavirus on Oct. 27, using data from the New York Times. On Monday evening, Florida reported more than 7,000 new cases a day, an increase of almost 300% in two weeks – second only to Hawaii.
The Washington State Department of Health (WSDoH) reported a sharp increase in COVID cases. The counties with the highest rates were distributed across Washington from the Olympic Pennisula to the Palouse. Only Wahikakum County reported low community spread on Monday.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Percentage of Vaccinated People with Booster Dose
Total Population in Group
Average 7-Day New Case Rate
70.00% or above
39.15%
2,343,250
170.1
60.00% to 69.99%
35.36%
1,669,300
136.0
50.00% to 59.99%
32.23%
3,339,300
111.6
40.00% to 49.99%
29.41%
268,975
77.6
32.70% to 39.99%
35.38%
151,850
85.5
7 Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County, Booster percentage is based on totally fully vaccinated, not eligible, Average 7-day New Case Rate <25 normal, =>25 to 99.9 moderate, => 100, high transmission
Federal officials believe the actual case count is much higher due to asymptomatic carriers and home testing, which isn’t reported to county and state health departments.
According to the University of Washington Virology Lab, the genomic sequencing of SGTF COVID test samples was 70% positive for Omicron on Dec. 16. Data provided by Pavitra Roychoudhury, MSc, Ph.D., of the University of Washington Virology Division, showed Omicron cases had been lab-confirmed in Benton, Franklin, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, and Yakima Counties.
Researchers had looked at test samples as far back as Nov. 7 from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Frustration was building on social media as Western Washington residents tried to find rapid COVID antigen tests, booster shots, and appointments for children 5 to 11 to get vaccinated. People waited for hours in long lines to get lab tested for Covid-19 and worried about travel plans as the time to get test results back grew past 72 hours.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the Rainier Beach and West Seattle vaccination clinics will remain open for boosters and vaccinations into January 2022. Tests sites across the city run in cooperation with the University of Washington are expanding hours to try and meet growing demand. There are fixed test sites at Aurora, SODO, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle, as well as seven Curative kiosks placed throughout the City. In partnership with the City of Seattle, UW Medicine has also opened a site at City Hall, which is available to the public. Appointments are encouraged at all locations, and sites will be closed on Christmas Day.
Area hospitals are at capacity even though COVID hospitalizations are low
The number of hospitalized COVID patients in Washington has slowly dropped through December. The WSDoH reported there were 640 hospitalized Covid-19 patients on Sunday, and 81 were on ventilators. The numbers are significantly higher than the end of the Fifth Wave in late May, and area hospitals are already filled with non-COVID patients.
Data from the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) found regional hospitals have scant resources to manage another surge. Almost half of the regional hospital beds available are at Swedish on Broadway in Seattle and St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Tacoma. The report indicated there were 730 beds available, but that includes resources for pediatric patients and neonatal incubators. Available ICU beds include NICU incubators, PICU beds, and critical care resources for post-surgical, transplant, trauma, and burn patients.
Hospital
City
Acute Care Total
Acute Care Available
ICU Total
ICU Available
Overlake
Bellevue
264
17
34
4
Swedish – Cherry Hill
Seattle
170
2
42
16
Seattle Children’s
Seattle
308
29
96
12
U.W. Medical Center
Seattle
641
58
139
98
Swedish – Broadway
Seattle
568
90
79
55
Harborview
Seattle
400
9
97
10
Virginia Mason
Seattle
238
20
33
13
EvergreenHealth
Kirkland
251
8
37
2
Swedish – Issaquah
Issaquah
100
8
30
26
Valley Medical
Renton
292
36
50
27
St. Anne’s
Burien
161
44
31
23
Swedish – Edmonds
Edmonds
173
14
9
5
Harrison Memorial
Bremerton
281
36
49
6
MultiCare
Auburn
138
31
16
1
St. Francis
Federal Way
155
45
15
1
St. Anthony’s
Gig Harbor
108
0
16
3
Providence
Everett
611
47
77
8
Tacoma General
Tacoma
310
-9
46
2
Mary Bridge Children’s
Tacoma
83
34
11
4
St. Joseph’s
Tacoma
573
234
76
14
Data is through December 9, 2021, as reported to the U.S. Health and Human Services for all hospitals with more than 50 beds and ICU resources within 30 miles of downtown Bellevue – acute care beds include adult, pediatric, and neonatal, ICU beds include NICU, PICU, and specialized critical care units for post-surgical, trauma, and burns
In a worrying sign from New York, officials reported on Monday night that while many people are experiencing breakthrough cases and having mild symptoms, unvaccinated individuals were 11 times more likely to be hospitalized.
More data released on vaccine and monoclonal antibody effectiveness against Omicron
In an announcement early Monday, Moderna said preliminary data from lab testing found that a booster of the currently available vaccine increased antibody levels to an effective level. The drugmaker said its currently FDA-approved 50 microgram booster increased neutralizing antibody levels 37-fold against Omicron and 83-fold with a 100 microgram “full dose” booster.
An independent study released last week that evaluated the effectiveness of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines had similar results. Vaccine effectiveness appears to be significantly impacted by how long ago someone received their final dose or booster. Multiple studies have found the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is significantly less effective.
Results from a study that reviewed the effectiveness of the Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines after three months, more than six months, with the previous infection, and with a booster. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was evaluated using a Modern 50 microgram dose as a booster
A study from the U.K. found that relying on immunity from a previous COVID infection was only 19 percent effective against preventing symptomatic reinfection and 20 percent when relying on vaccination without a booster. The same study found that a booster dose increased protection by 50 to 85 percent. Overall the risk for reinfection was 5.4 times greater than Delta. The study done by the Imperial College of London used PCR test data from Nov. 29 to Dec. 11.
In New York, hospitalists at Mount Sinai Hospital were advised to stop administering monoclonal antibodies because they were ineffective against Omicron. The memo reported that most people seeking treatment had breakthrough infections with mild symptoms that didn’t warrant hospitalization.
Washington state is waiting for the first 552 doses of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab. Granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May, it is the only remaining effective early treatment for Omicron in the United States.
Concern grows as the hopes of Omicron being “only a cold” fade away
South Africa officials reported 105 COVID-related deaths across the nation on Monday. The number of ICU patients has increased 144 percent since Nov. 25. Omicron appears to have peaked in Gauteng Province but continues to spread rapidly across the nation of almost 60 million.
United Kingdom officials reported another five Omicron COVID-related deaths, bringing the total to 12. Hospitalizations of children under 5 increased 39% week over week, and thousands of healthcare workers have been stricken with Covid-19 infections, causing staffing issues.
A study by the University of Texas Austin for the CDC was made public on Dec. 16. It looked at 18 different scenarios for the spread of Omicron. In ten of those scenarios, the healthcare system in the United States is overrun by patients.
President Joe Biden will address the nation on Tuesday to outline the administration’s new steps to aid states and communities while trying to curb the spread of COVID.
Yesterday, former President Donald Trump addressing a crowd of admirers in Dallas told the audience he had received his booster. A smattering of jeers and boos rippled across American Airlines Center.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t …” he said.
“There’s a very tiny group over there,” the former President added.
[SEATTLE, Wash.] – (MTN) The QR Code-based Covid-19 vaccination verification app that King County adopted was suspended on October 22, forcing area businesses and venues to visually review vaccination proof starting tomorrow. STChealth had to shut down its QR Code verification solution after the Common Trust Network refused to recognize the company as a valid issuer of vaccination proof.
STChealth is the maker of MyIRMobile, which has been adopted by Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Washington state. King County Health has been recommending the technology to residents. Earlier this month Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and King County Executive Dow Constantine demonstrated the technology as a simple solution for businesses and residents.
“As many of you are aware, STChealth developed an accurate, well-formed, VCI standard SMART Health Card within MyIR Mobile on behalf of the states we represent. Despite this, and being listed as an issuer on their website, The CommonTrust Network is still not recognizing MyIR as a valid issuer. We are continuing to work with the CommonTrust Network to resolve this discrepancy as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, until we are re-established, we will have to deactivate QR Code functionality as a feature in MyIR Mobile. Through MyIR Mobile, users can still access a copy of their FULL official vaccination records, including proof of COVID-19 vaccines. In some states, an official COVID-19 certificate and/or school certificate will also be available through MyIR Mobile. In order to utilize these certificates, MyIR Mobile users will need to show them as either digital PDFs or printed documents to prove immunization status. At this time, immunization records through MyIR Mobile cannot be translated into a valid QR code to be read by a SMART health verifier.”
The MyIRMobile website shows that the QR Code proving COVID Vaccination Status app is unavailable leaving King County without a technology solution
At midnight tonight, people age 12 or older will be required to verify their Covid-19 vaccination status or provide a negative COVID test result to enter certain businesses and venues in King County. While the ongoing dispute between STChealth and the Common Trust Network won’t seriously impact smaller venues, attendees at large venues should be prepared to provide an alternative source of verification and pack some patience.
Where is vaccine verification required
Restaurants and bars that include indoor dining will be required to check vaccination status or see a negative Covid-19 test completed within the last 72 hours. The requirement does not apply to outdoor dining areas or take-out. Additionally, businesses that sell ready-to-eat food but aren’t primarily dining establishments, such as grocery stores, are not impacted. Restaurants that have a seating area for 12 or fewer people do not have to start checking vaccination status until December 6.
Indoor recreation, entertainment, events, and physical fitness locations are required to check status regardless of capacity. This includes school, amateur, collegiate, or professional indoor sports venues, performing art centers, live music venues, comedy clubs, movie theaters, gyms, yoga studios, conference centers, and conventions.
Additionally, any outdoor event with 500 or more attendees will be required to check vaccination status.
People who already registered for MyIRMobile can still show a PDF certificate that verifies vaccination status and can download the document to their device. iOS and Android devices allow users to create a home screen shortcut to an image or a PDF, making it easier to access the necessary documentation.
If you’re fully vaccinated you have several options to provide proof of your status.
Your Center for Disease Control vaccine card or a photo of your vaccine card on your mobile device.
Documented proof of vaccination from your medical provider or the facility that vaccinated you or your impacted dependents.
For tourists and foreign travelers, valid proof of vaccination from your home country. This would be the same credentials you would have used upon entry into the United States.
A digital record from STChealth through the MyIRMobile.com website or other iOS and Android apps that provide proof of vaccination verification.
Individuals do not have to show identification with their proof of vaccination or negative unless identification is required for other reasons such as age verification to enter a bar.
What if I am unvaccinated or can’t prove I am fully vaccinated
As an alternative, an individual can show proof of a negative Covid-19 test from a testing provider in the last 72 hours. At-home tests will not be an acceptable form of validation. Outside of Lumen Field, several vendors are offering rapid COVID tests at a premium price. Many pharmacies offer free testing with results provided in one to two hours.
What if I need an accomodation due to disability, medical condition or religious belief
King County businesses are required to provide reasonable accommodation and cannot discriminate based on an individual’s race, national origin, religion, or age. Reasonable accommodation for bars and restaurants would include outdoor dining, take-out, and curbside delivery.
The program does not require a person to be vaccinated. It does require those who choose to remain unvaccinated to provide proof they are not currently infected with Covid-19, which can be accomplished by getting a free rapid or PCR COVID test.
San Francisco County and New York City started so-called vaccine passports in August and September respectively while Los Angeles County announced on October 6 it would be implementing a similar program.
Earlier implementations haven’t been trouble-free. In New York City there were several high-profile incidents and confrontations including some workers being assaulted. Some restaurants opted to close their dining rooms and return to takeout and delivery. San Francisco officials are in dispute with the only In- N-Out Burger located in the City. The popular West Coast burger chain is refusing to verify vaccination status of customers and was issued a cease and desist letter by San Francisco officials.
Currently, 82.4% of all eligible King County residents are fully vaccinated and another 5.5% are just weeks away.
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) Washington won’t know how many state employees, firefighters, law enforcement officers, health care providers, and teachers got vaccinated until November, but the predictions of a vaccine mandate caused employment apocalypse appears to be untrue.
Multiple local, county, and state agencies, police and fire, and universities reported 91% to 99% vaccination rates across the state. Approved exemption rates ranged from 1% to 7%, although an approved exemption may not ultimately lead to approved accommodations.
The last available data from the City of Kirkland indicated 70% of firefighters were vaccinated on October 5, a similar vaccination number statewide for all employees and closely mirrored the public vaccination rate at that time.
Thurston County Superior Court rejected a last-ditch attempt by dozens of state workers to block the state vaccine mandate. At the same time, Spokane firefighters filed a fresh lawsuit against the City, Mayor Nadine Woodward, and Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer for wrongful termination.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan reported between providing proof of vaccination and approved exemption requests, more than 99% of city employees, including the fire and police departments, met today’s deadline. Only 16 firefighters and 24 police officers provided no documentation. Another 99 police officers have approved exemptions but have been denied accommodations. Those officers will not be automatically terminated. Up to 123 officers could face a “Loudermill Hearing” in the coming weeks, where their ultimate employment status will be decided.
Over the weekend, it was announced SPD would operate on a modified phase 4 emergency schedule of six 12 hour shifts for all officers. That was walked back today, with city officials indicating the department might operate on a modified phase 3 emergency schedule if it is required.
Multiple hospital systems reported vaccination rates from 95% to 99% across the state. One rural hospital in Moses Lake reported being walloped by an “exodus” of non-clinical facing employees today.
About 100 anti-vaccination mandate protesters with Waking Up Washington gathered outside Seattle City Hall for two hours of speeches and then marching through downtown. Some held Nazi-themed signs, and at least one speaker called for civil war.
The Seattle Police Department tweeted that the Seattle Office of Police Accountability had been notified about on-duty SPD officers waving a Gadsden flag from a cruiser and others honking and giving thumbs up in a show of support to anti-vaccination mandate protesters.
Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich had his last-minute religious exemption rejected by a WSU review board and was fired with cause, along with four assistant coaches.
Seattle Public Schools expects 25% of student bus routes to remain cut for the foreseeable future due to existing staffing shortages made worse by vaccination mandate. The Washington State Department of Transportation also expects ferry service to operate on revised schedules but doesn’t foresee additional cuts to service.
We maintain our recreational travel advisories for Eastern Washington and our nonessential travel advisories for Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Washington State Update for October 18, 2021
Washington state Covid-19 update
As of 5:30 p.m. today, the state of Washington has not updated the COVID-19 dashboard. To support an 8 p.m. press time, we will publish today without updating cases and hospital status.
Thurston County judge denies last ditch attempt to block statewide vaccine mandate
In Thurston County Superior Court, a prosecutor argued that the vaccine mandate implemented by Washington overstepped the bounds of law and should be blocked. Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy disagreed with that point of view. However, she did not rule on the merits of the mandate.
“Even if the individual plaintiffs show that individual instances in which the proclamation and the resulting actions may be unjust, the plaintiffs have not met their burden to show that is unjust in all applications,” Judge Murphy said.
25 Spokane firefighters file wrongful termination lawsuit over vaccine mandate
Court documents show 25 firefighters filed a lawsuit against the city of Spokane, Mayor Nadine Woodward, and city Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, according to a report by KREM.
According to documents, the firefighters sued for wrongful termination for failing to get vaccinated before the October 18 mandate. This is the second lawsuit filed by Spokane firefighters related to the mandate.
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate proclamation was issued by Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September 27, 2021. The declaration stated that all healthcare, education, and state employees must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, or they could be terminated.
Less that 200 City of Seattle employees ignore deadline to comply with vaccination mandate
For the City of Seattle, 94% of all employees provided proof of vaccination, 5% formally requested an exemption, and approximately 150 had not responded. For exemption seekers, if the city denies a request, many unions negotiated to provide the option to get vaccinated after October 18. Final numbers won’t be available until early November.
Among the fire department, 93% are fully vaccinated, 6% have requested exemptions, and 16 employees have not submitted any information. The Seattle Fire Department union also negotiated for employees to get vaccinated after October 18 if an exemption request is rejected.
The Seattle Police Department reported 91% of all employees were vaccinated, with 7% requesting exemptions and 24 refusing to submit any data. The Seattle Police Officer Guild and union president Mike Solan declined to negotiate with six other unions, potentially leaving officers with little recourse if their exemption requests are rejected.
An “unofficial” website claiming not to be associated with the Seattle Police Officer Guild, while using common language from union president Mike Solan, advised officers not to provide their vaccination status information before October 18. On Sunday, 130 officers had not provided any information. Jason Rantz and Mike Solan were accusing the Mayor’s office of “spin” this afternoon.
According to Rantz, 99 officers have approved exemption, but the city is unwilling to make accommodations. However, the talk radio entertainer indicated that the Seattle Police Officer Guild could continue negotiating with the city in good faith.
If you will forgive us for our spin, Rantz’s attempt to portray 24 officers being terminated as making “this city even more unsafe…with escalating violent crime and sky-high 911 response times“ reads like spin to us.
The City of Seattle has indicated that SPD could be on a modified Phase 3 plan tomorrow if required.
University of Washington Medicine Reports 99.2% vaccinated as deadline arrives
“This last week, we lost almost our entire materials management department … specifically to the mandate,” said Dr. Andrea Carter, chief medical officer for 50-bed Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake.
Materials management handles ordering supply, such as personal protective equipment, for staff. Before that, Carter added, the hospital lost seven workers to the mandate. “We rely fairly heavily on staffing agencies where we’re at. We don’t have a huge pool of staff, otherwise. And with the cost of those staffing agency contracts, that is hurting us a little bit,” Carter said.
Washington State Hospital Association anticipates 95% to 98% of all medical workers to provide proof of vaccination by today
Ms. Sauer also indicated she expects 95% to 98% of all impacted hospital workers to be vaccinated by today’s deadline and thinks the number could be even higher. Management at the various facilities across Washington doesn’t expect the numbers to be even, with rural hospitals in Eastern Washington expected to see more impact from today’s mandate.
Final numbers aren’t expected until early November. If results from other hospital systems are an indication, likely, at least some people refusing to get vaccinated will ultimately decide to take action that preserves their job.
About 100 protesters gather at Seattle City Hall and march against the vaccine mandate
Approximately 100 protesters gathered outside of Seattle City Hall at noon today to protest against the state vaccine mandate. About a dozen children were among the adults taking part in a “stay out of school” initiative.
The protest was peaceful, while speakers shared disinformation and conspiracy theories. At least one speaker who claimed to be a US Army veteran called for civil war. Several protesters held signs comparing the vaccine mandate to Nazi atrocities.
An anti-vaccine mandate protester with Waking Up Washington speaking at Seattle City Hall holding a sign making Nazi comparisons – photo credit Christina Val
Around 2:30 p.m., the group took the streets of Seattle, while Turning Point USA firebrand Katie Daviscourt attempted to lead the group to march in the street against traffic, telling people, “we have the numbers.”
Most in the group were disinterested in blocking traffic, although marchers briefly blocked an ambulance downtown.
There was not an active counterprotester presence, but the marchers were jeered for their Nazi-themed signs, including several people who claimed to be Jewish and expressing outrage at the comparison.
Seattle Police Department refers reports of officers supporting anti-vaccine mandate protest and waving Gadsden flags to OPA
During today’s anti-vaccine mandate protest, at least two marked and one unmarked City of Seattle Police vehicles with uniformed officers circled City Hall, honking and giving thumbs up. Another vehicle with uniformed officers was witnessed waving a “don’t tread on me” Gadsden flag associated with anti-government movements.
Multiple citizens complained to the Seattle Police Department and on social media, resulting in a surprisingly swift response from the department over Twitter.
“The official position of SPD is vaccines save lives. If you believe you’ve witnessed inappropriate behavior by officers and have add’l info, please contact @SeattleOPA. We’ve forwarded this, and another incident involving the use of the Gadsden flag on police vehicles, to OPA.”
Seattle Police tweet about multiple incidents involving uniformed SPD officers engaging in anti-vaccine mandate protest on duty
Nick Rolovich and four assistant coaches fired by Washington State University
Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has been fired for cause after refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and being noncompliant with both state and university policies, the university announced Monday evening, according to CBS Sports. Rolovich sought, and appears to have been denied, a religious exemption from those mandates, which required employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18 if they wished to continue working.
Additionally, four Washington State assistant coaches were terminated: Ricky Logo (defensive tackles), John Richardson (assistant head coach, cornerbacks), Craig Stutzmann (co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks), and Mark Weber (offensive line).
Defensive coordinator Jake Dickert will serve as the team’s interim coach.
“This is a disheartening day for our football program. Our priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of the young men on our team,” said athletic director Pat Chun in a statement. “The leadership on our football team is filled with young men of character, selflessness, and resiliency, and we are confident these same attributes will help guide this program as we move forward.”
Rolovich was the highest-paid public employee in Washington state, making approximately $3.3 million a year as the head coach of the Washington State University Cougars. Rolovich was the coach for barely a season, despite serving for two years, including the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season, and for seven games in 2021.
It has not been reported if Rolovich will continue to draw part or all of his 2021 salary despite the termination with cause.
142 City of Seattle school bus routes cut – 25% of all transportation
With a combination of existing recruiting issues before the start of the 2021 school season, pay well below the low-income level in Seattle, and loss of drivers due to the vaccine mandate, parents, were left scrambling to fund school transportation for 6,700 students.
KING 5 reported students who will continue to receive uninterrupted bus service include those receiving special education services including transportation, students experiencing homelessness and foster students, students with a 504 plan that includes transportation services, schools that serve historically underserved students, and schools at interim sites.
KIRO 97.3 FM Geen and Ursula reported the starting salary with the company that the city contracts with to transport pupils, First Student, offers starting pay of $24 an hour – about $31,000 a year. A family of four living in Seattle that earns less than $72,000 a year was considered low income in 2017. That number has only gotten worse in the last four years.
Seattle Public Schools and First Student indicated the route cuts would be indefinite until more drivers could be hired. According to Gee and Ursula this morning, the city is considering options with King County Metro.
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.
With the announcement that Spokane officials have requested additional federal resources to support local hospitals, the travel advisory will likely continue through the 2021 holiday season.
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, with adequate resources.
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Vaccination
No update
King County, Washington is reporting over 87.3% 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.
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) It should come as no surprise with the Washington vaccine mandate impacting state employees, teachers, and health care workers on Monday, there is an incredible amount of local news.
New Covid-19 cases in Washington continued to decline while Eastern Washington continues to hold back progress for the rest of the state. In Spokane, officials requested a 20 person Department of Defense strike team to support overwhelmed hospitals. In an ironic twist, 11 Republican State Senators signed a letter urging Governor Jay Inslee to deploy National Guard troops to rural Washington hospitals battered by Covid-19 patients. Several of the signatories have actively worked against mask and vaccination mandates.
The Seattle Police Department will be operating at blackwatch plaid modified phase 4 rules on Monday, with 130 officers still not sharing their vaccination status with the department. In related news, a federal judge tossed a lawsuit against Governor Jay Inslee and the vaccine mandate on Friday.
University Washington Medicine (UMC) announced that hospitals will be open to visitors again starting October 19, but you’ll need to prove you are vaccinated or have a negative COVID test to go into Harborview Medical Center.
Locally up to 20 Redmond firefighters are facing termination and 12 learned their previously accepted religious exemptions were rejected. On Friday up to 200 Boeing employees and their supporters protested in Everett after the defense contractor announced they were implementing a vaccine mandate.
If you have Covid-19 and you’re seeking monoclonal antibody treatment you’re in luck with two facilities in Kirkland offering the therapeutic.
There was a single COVID case reported at Bennett Elementary School in the Bellevue School District on Friday.
The State Trooper that died of Covid-19 wasn’t vaccinated according to his family, and they are appealing to everyone to stop politicizing his death.
Out in Pullman, Cougar fans are wondering if Nick Rolovich has coached his last game.
On the Kitsap Peninsula, Vice Admiral Bill Galanis told more than 15,000 civilian naval workers to get vaccinated or they’ll no longer work for the U.S. Navy. A Clark County physician assistant had his license revoked after spreading Covid-19 misinformation for more than a year. Another nurse in Washington is under investigation after she appeared on the Stew Peters show and made wild accusations on air.
Yakima and Spokane are getting new mass Covid-19 testing sites starting Monday and Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital is now offering monoclonal antibody treatments.
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel unanimously recommended booster shots for all recipients of the Johson & Johnson vaccine, and further recommend that the viral-vector vaccine require two-doses. The FDA also announced that a panel won’t review the antiviral molnupiravir until November 30, indicating the drug likely won’t be approved in 2021.
A worker at CVS accidentally gave a 17-year old six-times the recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine while another worker at Walgreens accidentally gave an adult dose of the Pfizer vaccine to a 4 and 5-year-old.
The CDC released travel guidelines for the 2021 holiday season and visiting grandma is a go, as long as everyone is vaccinated or wears a mask. On the topic of masks, if you’re still using a cloth one, it’s time to throw it away and use disposable surgical or N95 masks instead.
Cam Newton’s agent let everyone know that he is now vaccinated and call me crazy, but I’m just not a big Geno Smith fan.
The number of people vaccinated in Clallam County was adjusted downward, pushing the county just under 60%. This change is reflected in our daily chart, and we expect Clallam County to be back over 60% on Tuesday when the vaccination data is updated.
The lowest vaccinated counties have 387% more new cases of Covid-19 than the most vaccinated. Only one of the least vaccinated counties is in the western half of the state.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
60.00% or above (4)
194.4 (down)
50.00% to 59.99% (13 counties)
431.4
40.00% to 49.99% (12 counties)
478.0 (down)
29.90% to 39.99% (8 counties)
753.1
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through October 14, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average dropped slightly to 349.4 Covid-19 cases per 100K – statistically unchanged from Thursday.
Ferry County (1,393.3) and Garfield County (1,390.6) still have new case rates above 1,000. They are now significant outliers compared to the rest of the state.
For the first time since August 17, not a single county is reporting new case rates between 800 and 999.9. In Eastern Washington, a combination of rising vaccination rates in many counties and the Delta variant running out of new hosts is driving case numbers downward.
Counties in the 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K range include Chelan, Columbia, Klickitat, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, and Stevens.
New cases were statistically unchanged, while hospitalizations were up for ages 35 to 49.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
150.7
1.2
Ages 12-19
169.2
1.3
Ages 20-34
153.7
4.0
Ages 35-49
157.2
8.5 (up)
Ages 50-64
118.7
12.1
Ages 65-79
86.7
19.3
Ages 80+
85.5
35.9
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
Seattle Police Department will operate on modified phase 4 rules starting Monday
Seattle officials announced that SPD officers would be operating on 12-hour shifts six days a week starting Monday as they try to determine how many officers are vaccinated. On Thursday, officials reported 84% of SPD employees had provided proof of vaccination status. The number dropped to 82% on Friday with no explanation.
An “unofficial” website claiming not to be associated with the Seattle Police Officer Guild, while using common language from union president Mike Solan, advised officers not to provide their vaccination status information before October 18. In early September, it was implied approximately 200 officers would not provide their vaccination status until the deadline.
“For some reason, this mayor is refusing that, which I think is unreasonable and is void of common sense,” said Solan.
The mayor’s office responded to Solan’s request in a statement to KING 5, saying, “COVID-19 is currently the number one cause of death for our first responders. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen dozens of firefighters and officers exposed, with some hospitalized even with testing and PPE. This deadly disease puts our families, children, co-workers, and the community at risk, so Mayor Durkan sincerely hopes that anyone at risk of leaving the City or at departments statewide will make the decision to stay by getting vaccinated.”
The department has 1,043 commissioned officers. If the current number holds, 187 will be suspended after Monday. Earlier this week, on the Dori Monson Show, Solan hinted the number of officers refusing to get vaccinated was around 50. Officers were informed they will not be automatically fired but will need to appear at a “Loudermill hearing.”
The Seattle Times and Forbes reported during the summer of 2020, the average SPD officer made $153,000 a year in salary. The figure did not include benefits, pension, or government employee discount benefits. The pay in Seattle is more than double what the average officer makes nationwide.
Solan is not alone in defying vaccination orders among the police officers represented by a union. Chicago Police Union president John Catanzara took a similar position in a video earlier this week and communicated the same early numbers, claiming 50% of the force will walk off the job. According to the best available data provided by Chicago officials, over 70% of the CPD is already fully vaccinated.
Federal judge tosses lawsuit attempting to block Washington state vaccine mandate
In a widely expected decision by federal court watchers, Judge Barbara J. Rothstein, a Carter Administration nominee, rejected a lawsuit by more than 100 municipal, county, and state employees attempting to block the Washington state employee vaccine mandate.
#BREAKING We successfully defended Governor Inslee’s vaccine policy that ensures a safe and health work environment for all state employees. Federal Judge Barbara J. Rothstein denied an attempt to halt Gov. Inslee’s vaccine mandate.
Nationally, federal lawsuits have been filed in 39 different states, with two resulting in temporary stays. The first was specific to New York employees seeking religious exemptions, and the second was among a handful of United Airlines employees who were suspended without pay. The legality of vaccine mandates at a state level has been litigated for 119 years in federal court. The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1905 in the case Jacobson vs. Massachusetts that municipalities, counties, and states had the right to make and mandate public health decisions.
Up to 20 City of Redmond firefighters face termination
Anywhere from 12 to 20 Redmond firefighters face termination on Monday as they continue to battle the looming vaccination mandate. Several employees who previously received religious exemptions had them rejected by the city upon further review.
Many people seeking a religious exemption have cited their anti-abortion beliefs as their foundation of “deeply held religious beliefs.” The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna were tested using clonal human fetal kidney cells (HEK293), and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is produced using the same cells.
While committees accepted many exemption requests initially, the position has become problematic among medical providers. In Washington state, firefighters, some police officers, and all patient-facing healthcare workers are required to have the MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella, and if over 50 years old, Zoster vaccines. All of these vaccines use HEK293 in their development, testing, or production. Workers who had no previous religious belief against these vaccines are having their exemption requests rejected.
Waking Up Washington plans an anti-vaccine mandate protest (again) in Seattle for Monday
Palmer Davis of Waking Up Washington is calling for another Seattle area protest against the vaccination mandate on Monday at noon in front of Seattle City Hall. The organization previously called for a protest at Swedish Hospital and Harborview Medical Center, where Ms. Davis advocated online for trying to enter Harborview. That protest never materialized and the organization never made a statement or released photos of the event.
Given the vaccine mandate starts on the 18th and a number of state workers have already accepted they are losing their jobs, it is more likely someone will show up.
In ironic twist, state GOP urges Governor Jay Inslee to deploy National Guard to fight Covid-19
On October 8, 11 Washington state Senators signed a letter requesting Governor Jay Inslee deploy the National Guard to aid overwhelmed rural county hospitals. The letter was signed by Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R-Centralia), Senator Jeff Wilson (R-Longview), and retiring Senator Ann Rivers (R-La Center).
For several months, the state seemed content to focus on providing access to the vaccine. But in mid-May, we saw a change in the federal guidance on wearing masks and distancing, and the state followed suit. Suddenly, Washington employers had more control over their own safety standards than they’d had in over a year. It didn’t last long. Barely a week later, on May 21, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) issued new guidance that puts employers in the position of becoming the “vaccine police.”
During the 2021 legislative session, Republicans introduced legislation to prevent discrimination based on vaccination status in places of public accommodation. Although leaders of the Democrat majority didn’t support our proposal, they at least recognized it would be a mistake to go the other direction and pursue a vaccine-passport policy.
When Braun penned the op-ed in June, the Alpha variant of Covid-19 was in statewide decline, and almost all Covid-19 related restrictions ended on June 30. By early September, hospitals in Yakima, Walla Walla, and Richland were on the edge of moving to crisis standards of care due to an overwhelming number of Covid-19 cases.
In May of this year, he joined Senator Braun against Washington L&I mask requirements. The Reflector reported Braun and Wilson reminded constituents that private businesses have the right to make their own rules for customers. It mirrors State Health Secretary Umair Shah’s plea for Washingtonians to “respect the rules of the room.”
The statewide mask mandate was lifted in late June 2021.
The question about deploying the National Guard came up repeatedly since August when the Delta surge started in Washington. Other states that deployed the National Guard found it had a devastating impact, removing medical personnel already working at hospitals and causing worse staffing issues. Additionally, the Washington State National Guard is already deployed to other states assisting in their failed Covid-19 response and dealing with hurricane and disaster response.
Washington state opening mass Covid-19 testing sites in Yakima and Spokane
Weeks after being announced, two new mass Covid-19 testing sites will be opening in Yakima and Spokane.
The site will be open five days a week, Sunday through Thursday. Officials report it will take two to three days to receive test results. People are encouraged to preregister for testing. A drive-up option is available.
According to local officials, a second Spokane location will be opening soon, but no details were provided.
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital offering monoclonal antibody treatments
Yakima Valley Memorial now has access to monoclonal antibody treatments for eligible Covid-19 patients, according to NBC KNDO and KNDU. Monoclonal antibodies are an experimental treatment with emergency approval from the FDA.
Chief Medical Officer at YVM, Dr. Marty Brueggemann, said while the treatment is new, it shows a lot of promise.
“Its not the end all, be all, but it is an important tool and it does show promise and certainly once you get covid if we can save a few admissions and people having to go through that then hey that’s the goal here,” Dr. Brueggemann said.
Monoclonal antibodies are meant for people with mild to moderate covid-19 symptoms and are most effective when used before the seventh day of symptoms. Individuals can contact the hospital for more information, and the therapy is free for qualified patients.
Approximately 200 Boeing workers and supporters protest looming vaccine mandate
Waving signs like “coercion is not consent” and “stop the mandate,” some 200 Boeing employees and others protested on Friday over the defense contractor and planemaker vaccine requirement for employees.
“It’s an experimental drug given under a pseudo-emergency,” he added.
Another worker, an assembly mechanic, said: “This is America. We don’t just do what we’re told because one person says to.”
In March of 2020, workers protested against the company demanding the Everett plant be closed after an employee died of Covid-19 and citing unsafe work conditions. Boeing suspended operations for 14 days after union pressure.
The Pfizer vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for individuals 16 years and older in the United States and other nations. The Moderna vaccine is under review for full FDA approval, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to be submitted by the end of the year.
Shipyards’ commander to workers – get vaccinated or you’ll no longer work for the U.S. Navy
Vice Admiral Bill Galanis sent an “all-hands” email, including more than 15,000 naval shipyard workers in Washington state to get vaccinated or face termination. Workers have until November 8 to submit an exemption request on religious or medical grounds.
The Kitsap Sun reported Vice Admiral Galanis wrote, “We are moving quickly toward a workforce where vaccinations are a condition of employment,” said Vice Adm. Bill Galinis. “Frankly, if you are not vaccinated, you will not work for the U.S. Navy.”
The all-hands email, shared by employees of Naval Sea Systems Command to the Kitsap Sun, marks the Navy’s position, in following the executive order issued by President Joe Biden, for the 15,000-member workforce at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, as well as those at shipyards in Hawaii, Maine, and Virginia. Galinis cast Covid-19 as not just a health risk but one that “directly impacts the readiness of our Fleet and our workforce.”
Union officials were disappointed in the email, hoping to bargain with the U.S. Navy for additional accommodations. Shipyard leaders indicated up to 35% of the staff could resign, but so far, nationally, none of these dire predictions have come true.
The U.S. Navy is the largest employer in Kitsap County, including 20,000 civilians and 11,000 U.S. navy personnel.
Clark County anti-vaccination and anti-mask physician assistant license suspended
On August 19, the state of Washington announced they would be cracking down on medical professionals who promote Covid-19 disinformation, and a Clark County physician assistant is the first to be censured.
An investigation into the practice of Scott Miller began in August 2021 and ended with his license revoked by the Washington Medical Commission (WMC). The commission found accusations against Miller had merit and suspended his license to practice medicine due to treatment for patients falling below the standard of care. 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 is aligned with the group Waking Up Washington, led and organized by Palmer Davis, one of the principal creators of Covid-19 misinformation in the Pacific Northwest. In 2020, he was promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure. He was one of the leaders claiming Covid-19 was circulating in the United States in 2019 and promoting Vitamin D and C along with melatonin as capable of stopping viral replication in human cells.
Miller, who runs Miller Family Pediatrics in Washougal, Washington, 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.”
The Camas-Washougal Post Record reported Miller falsely claimed ivermectin, a drug used to treat parasites in animals, as well as vitamin D and vitamin C were cures for the novel coronavirus that has killed nearly 720,000 Americans since March 2020. The European Medicines Agency and the United States Food and Drug Administration have both said the available data “does not support the drug’s use for Covid-19 outside of well-designed clinical trials.” Likewise, the World Health Organization has warned against using ivermectin for COVID-19. In February, the drug’s manufacturer, Merck & Co., Inc., stated it has found ivermectin has “no scientific basis for a potential therapeutic effect against Covid-19” as well as “a concerning lack of safety data in the majority of studies.”
Washington state nurse under ethics investigation after her appearance on the Stew Peters Show
State officials are investigating nurse Corrine Lund after her appearance on the Stew Peters Show, part of Mojo 5.0, a “Libertarian Talk Radio” network, claiming she is a hospital supervisor who has witnessed misconduct where she worked.
State trooper who died of Covid-19 was unvaccinated according to family
The family of fallen Washington state Trooper Eric Gunderson released a statement that Gunderson was not anti-vaccination but didn’t believe he needed to get vaccinated.
“Eric was a young man. At 38, he was in the peak physical condition necessary to perform his duties as a member of the Washington State Patrol S.W.A.T. team,” the statement said, in part. “He thought — we all thought — that Covid was something that happened to someone else. He was not in a high risk group.”
According to the family and the Washington State Patrol, Gunderson contracted Covid-19 during a business trip to Orlando, Florida, during the height of the Delta variant surge in the Sunshine state.
“He contracted the virus while traveling for work this summer, a trip planned before the dangers of the Delta variant were fully understood, when many travel restrictions had been reduced, and there was a sense that Covid was in decline,” the statement said. “After he returned from his trip, he became very sick, very quickly. He was hospitalized and died some six weeks later.
To say that the comments on social media attached to this story are awful would be an understatement. Regardless of your views on vaccination, a husband and father of two died unnecessarily.
His family wrote, “His death is a tragedy. It is not a symbol.”
The most up-to-date numbers available indicated 91.5% of all commissioned Washington State Patrol officers and 93% of WSP employees are fully vaccinated.
Speculation about Nick Rolovich future employment status is rampant
The highest-paid state employee in Washington, Nick Rolovich, has been playing peek-a-boo with state officials and the press over his vaccination status. Last week Rolovich, who has a record of 4-6 leading the Cougars at press time (each win has cost Washington taxpayers $1.65 million), stated to USA Today he was seeking a religious exemption.
Over 95% of staff and 98% of students at WSU Pullman are fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption.
Harborview Medical Center will require all visitors to show proof of vaccination or negative Covid-19 test for entry
Harborview Medical Center will allow visitors into the hospital beginning October 19, with new protocols in place. Starting Tuesday, all inpatient visitors over the age of 12 and individuals over the age of 18 accompanying an adult outpatient must show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test collected within the past three days.
Visitors will be allowed at all four UW Medicine facilities starting Tuesday but will be limited to one or two people depending on the hospital, patient, and what department is treating the patient.
UW Medicine indicated the proof of vaccination or negative test policy would be rolled out at the remaining facilities in the coming weeks.
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.
With the announcement that Spokane officials have requested additional federal resources to support local hospitals, the travel advisory will likely continue through the 2021 holiday season.
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!
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Vaccination
FDA panel recommended booster for all Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients and changing to a two-dose regime
On Friday, an influential Food and Drug Administration advisory committee said the agency should authorize boosters of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot Covid-19 vaccine to the more than 15 million Americans who have already received the initial dose.
CNBC reported a unanimous vote – by the agency’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee – is a critical step before the U.S. can begin giving second shots to J&J recipients. Some of them have said they are anxious to get the additional protection. Studies have shown one dose of J&J’s vaccine to be comparatively less effective than the two-dose messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer–BioNTech and Moderna.
The panel recommended the boosters to everyone 18 and over who’s already received J&J’s first shot at least two months after the initial dose. Many committee members said it should be considered a two-dose vaccine, much like Moderna and Pfizer’s.
King County, Washington is reporting over 87.3% 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 16.3% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 616 additional acute care patients. ICUs are at 86.7% of capacity statewide, with 26.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 311 patients with 51% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 157 additional ICU patients.
On Friday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients increased slightly to 94. The Department of Health reported 1,115 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 14, with 159 requiring ventilators.
Every hospital region showed improvement this week. The East and Northwest Hospital Regions remain highly stressed. Earlier this week, 19% of all hospitalized Covid-19 patients in Washington were in Spokane County medical facilities.
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%
Sacred Heart Medical Center received a Department of Defense “strike team” of 20 healthcare workers to provide additional support. For months, the hospital has been overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients and recently started seeing more patients from Idaho seeking medical treatment.
– Bell Elementary (4*) – Blackwell Elementary (1*) – Carson Elementary (2*) – Dickinson/Explorer Elementary (1*) – Eastlake High (3*) – Finn Hill Middle School (4*) – Franklin Elementary (1*) – Frost Elementary (2*) – ICS (1*) – Inglewood Middle School (2*) – Juanita Elementary (3*) – Juanita High School (4*) – Kamiakin Middle School (2*) – Keller Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (4*) – Lake Washington High School (2*) – Mead Elementary (2*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Northstar Middle (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (2*) – Rosa Parks Elementary (3*) – Rose Hill Middle School (1*) – Timberline Middle School (2*) – Twain Elementary (1* – see notes)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (3) – Bothell High School (29**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (10) – Canyon Park Middle School (14) – Cottage Lake Elementary (1) – Crystal Springs Elementary (29) – East Ridge Elementary (2) – Frank Love Elementary (16) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (69) – Inglemoor High School (2) – Innovation Lab High School (2) – Kenmore Elementary (8) – Kenmore Middle School (31) – Kokanee Elementary (13) – Leota Middle School (4) – Lockwood Elementary (27**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (6) – Moorlands Elementary (3) – North Creek High School (8) – Northshore Middle School (7) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (4) – Secondary Academy for Success (6) – Shelton View Elementary (7) – Skyview Middle School (11) – Sunrise Elementary (7) – Timbercrest Middle School (9) – Wellington Elementary (30) – Westhill Elementary (12) – Woodin Elementary (24) – Woodinville High School (13) – Woodmoor Elementary (15)
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 10 active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
Bennett Elementary School in the Bellevue School District reported a single confirmed Covid-19 case on Friday.
We have a parent confirmed report of a single Covid-19 case at Mark Twain Elementary School in the Lake Washington School District.
We continued to encourage parents to request improved daily data reporting from the Lake Washington School District.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Monoclonal antibody treatment available in Kirkland
EvergreenHealth in Kirkland offers monoclonal antibody treatment to qualified people who have tested positive for Covid-19 and are experiencing mild or moderate symptoms that don’t require hospitalization or oxygen therapy.
Covid-19 vaccination clinic at Microsoft campus in Redmond to close October 29
Although not exactly in the local coverage area, the Covid-19 vaccination clinic run by EvergreenHealth at the Microsoft Campus will close on October 29.
EvergreenHealth sees increase in Covid-19 patients at Kirkland hospital
EvergreenHealth reported on October 11, 39 Covid-19 patients were being treated at the Kirkland hospital, up significantly from last week and a jump of 4 patients overnight.
On October 10, the hospital reported caring for 35 COVID patients, and 75% were unvaccinated. Seven patients were in the ICU, with one requiring a ventilator.
EvergreenHealth was the epicenter for the first Covid-19 superspreader event in the United States when dozens of patients at Life Care Center in Kirkland were sickened with the virus in February and March 2020. The facility was fined $611,000 in April 2020 due to management inaction and a failed attempt to cover up the outbreak.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 116,962 new cases and 2,191 deaths nationwide on Saturday, October 16. The CDC reported that new cases and hospitalizations were down last weeks while the number of people getting vaccinated increased. The number of people testing positive for Covid-19 dropped to 5.7%. Although still elevated, test positivity below 5% indicates adequate community testing and a lack of community spread.
CDC issues new Covid-19 guidelines for 2021 American holiday season
The guidelines recommend wearing a well-fitting mask over your mouth and nose if you’re not fully vaccinated or when indoors in a public setting. The organization also recommends avoiding crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation and if you start to feel sick before or during your travels, stay home.
It is also recommended to reconsider visiting people who have a weakened immune system regardless of vaccination status and getting tested for Covid-19 before going to large gatherings to assure you’re not an asymptomatic carrier.
On the subject of masks and Covid-19
If you’re using a cloth mask to protect others from Covid-19, experts recommend you stop using them, according to a report in CNBC and backed by a study out of Yale and Stanford University.
In an August study currently under peer review, a group of researchers from universities including Yale and Stanford found that surgical masks are 95% effective at filtering out virus particles — compared to just 37% for cloth masks.
That held true even after the surgical masks were washed with soap and water ten times, though the CDC and the FDA both say you shouldn’t reuse disposable surgical masks under any circumstances.
Public health officials in European countries like France, Germany, and Austria are currently urging people to wear medical or surgical masks instead of homemade cloth masks — but it’s not quite as simple as tossing out your cloth masks and buying a replacement stockpile of disposables.
Cloth masks were recommended during the beginning of the pandemic as “better than nothing” because surgical and N-95 masks were scarce. Now that the supply chain has stabilized for the medical community and residents alike, the available masks offer a better solution when properly used.
Emergency Use Authorization approval of molnupiravir in 2021 is unlikely
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it would ask its outside experts to meet on November 30 to scrutinize Merck’s antiviral pill that showed strong promise in its ability to treat Covid-19.
The meeting means U.S. regulators almost certainly won’t issue a decision on the drug until December, signaling that the agency will conduct a detailed review of the experimental treatment’s safety and effectiveness. The panelists are likely to vote on whether Merck’s drug should be approved, though the FDA is not required to follow their advice.
“We believe that, in this instance, a public discussion of these data with the agency’s advisory committee will help ensure a clear understanding of the scientific data and information that the FDA is evaluating,” said Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of FDA’s drug center.
The oral therapeutic was under development by Emory University before the Covid-19 outbreak as an antiviral treatment for Influenza and Ebola. Researchers from Emory University reached out to the Trump Administration in 2019 seeking additional funding to move the drug into human testing and received no response. They approached the administration again in February 2020 as a potential treatment for Covid-19, but officials declined to fund additional research. Emory university sold the drug to Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics in the summer of 2020.
In Phase 3 testing, the drug reduced hospitalizations and deaths among Covid-19 patients by 48%. The drug companies did not report the observed side effects in applying for the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). However, they did indicate that more patients in the placebo group reported side effects. Phase 3 testing of molnupiravir is still ongoing.
The drug has already come under withering fire from conspiracy theorists and at least one U.S. senator claiming the antiviral is just rebranded ivermectin.
The chemical composition of ivermectin and molnupiravir and how they work in the human body is documented and publicly available. The molecular structure and how the drugs work within the human body are entirely different. Organizations like America’s Frontline Doctors and the FLCCC have enriched themselves by pushing ivermectin and overcharging for telemedicine appointments.
On Covid-19 disinformation promoter Tucker Carlson’s show run on Fox News, Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) said, “Now they are all hopping on board this Merck molnupiravir peer review,” Johnson said of the establishment experts. “The doctor groups I’m dealing with, they call it money-piravir. [Merck] patented ivermectin. They’ve been trash–talking ivermectin in favor now of this drug that will be like $700 a dose versus ivermectin cost about $0.06 or $0.07 a pill,” he said.
The lowest price Malcontent News could find for ivermectin was at QFC through GoodRx, at $1.50 per pill. The list price is $7.10 per pill, with a 20 pill dose costing $142.
A four-pill regime of molnupiravir is estimated to cost around $710, significantly cheaper than a four-injection course of monoclonal antibodies, which costs $2,100. All of this math ignores the average hospital stay for Covid-19 costs $17,064 in the United States, and the cost of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is $10 a dose, and the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are $15 a dose.
In contrast, monoclonal antibodies are credited with reducing hospitalizations in Florida by 10% to 25%. This isn’t to diminish the impact of the therapy. However, medical professionals can only administer monoclonal antibodies requiring either intravenous therapy or four injections over 30 minutes.
CVS worker accidentally injects woman with 6X the proper dose of the Pfizer vaccine
Walgreens worker accidentally vaccinates 4 and 5 year old for Covid-19 instead of Influenza
CNN reported a Walgreens in Evansville, Indiana, accidentally vaccinated Alexandra and Joshua Price’s 4 and 5-year-old children with the COVID-19 vaccine instead of a vaccine for Influenza on October 5. The Pfizer vaccine isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration for children under 12.
“Walgreens called me to say there was a mix-up, we did not receive the flu shot,” Alexandra Price told the local news outlet. “And I’m like well what did we get? And he was like we got the Covid-19 shot … And instantly I was like, ‘Well what does this mean for my kids?’”
Mr. and Ms. Price reported they are fully vaccinated. After the initial accident, they requested Walgreens provide vaccination cards for their children to indicate they had already received their first dose, but Walgreens balked.
Walgreens officials confirmed the children received a full adult dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, three times the amount that the Food and Drug Administration is currently considering approving.
“The children have experienced a number of adverse effects since receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Fever, body aches, cough, headaches, and nausea are among the symptoms the children are experiencing,” according to a statement released by the Prices’ attorney, Dan Tuley. “The 4- and 5-year-old are also under treatment of a pediatric cardiologist for tachycardia and elevated blood pressure, respectively.”
After a follow-up appointment Tuesday, Alexandra said that Lucas has improved, but Sophia has worsened. “Her blood pressure is in the 98th percentile, and she continues to have no energy.”
Cam Newton reportedly gets vaccinated for 14 million reasons
According to the team, former New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton was released before the start of the 2021 regular season due to not adapting to the Patriots’ system or refusing to get vaccinated, according to his supporters. the NFL Network reported today that Newton has had a change of heart and is now vaccinated and looking to play again.
Whether Newton’s vaccination status was an issue in August is moot, but it likely would be a point of concern for any NFL team that is considering adding him to the roster. The three-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion, and one-time MVP had a significant shoulder injury in 2016 that reduced his on-field capabilities.
Maybe the Seahawks would consider him instead of Geno Smith?
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
Can President Joe Biden, or any President for that matter, order the dishonorable discharge of U.S. servicemembers?
No.
That fact hasn’t stopped the spread of a meme claiming President Biden has ordered the dishonorable discharge of 46% of the U.S. armed forces. First, as far back as August 2021, almost 90% of the 1.4 million active duty troops in the U.S. military were fully vaccinated, had the first dose of vaccine, or were scheduled to get vaccinated, according to the Pentagon. That shoots down the 46% number out of the gate.
Reservists and National Guard troops have until June 2022 to get vaccinated, further shredding the claim.
The disinformation was started by blogger Sandra Rose, who told USA TODAY she is “not a trained journalist” and that readers view her blog for “entertainment and gossip,” not news. She declined to comment further.
A review of her blog indicates she has dipped her toe into Covid-19 misinformation, but it does not appear that she actively spreads disinformation.
[SEATTLE, Wash.] – (MTN) A group of protesters brought the issue of housing affordability and the looming eviction crisis to the doorstep of Mayor Jenny Durkan last Friday night. They chanted: “Jenny Durkan, you can’t hide. Pay the rent. Keep folks inside.”
Approximately 15 officers with the Community Response Group (CRG) within the Seattle Police Department sectioned off the roadway outside Durkan’s mansion in the Windermere neighborhood of Seattle.
A booming voice from an LRAD speaker atop a police cruiser pleaded with protesters to take their case to city hall. However, the protesters — most dressed in black bloc — began to taunt police for acting as her private security.
“How much money did you guys make providing personal security outside this house,” asked Tru, an organizer with FTP206. “My tax dollars should afford me and future generations better than this.
“When I call 9-1-1, I shouldn’t be dealing with just emergency cops, emergency ambulances, and emergency fire. What about the real emergency when people are evicted? My taxes should afford me more options.”
After marching through the neighborhood and attempting to deliver their message to Durkan for more than an hour, the protest appeared to end without incident. There were no arrests.
Tru later told Malcontent News that the protest went to “Jenny’s house because that’s who is in charge in our local executive city position” and has a “critical say in the budget as well.”
“Jenny is waiting to pass the problem onto the next administration but we need the rent paid now,” he said. “All that Jenny’s done is allow people to further accumulate debt.
“We can and we should release and reallocate funds to the communities in the most need so people can just live. The hope is to get ahead of this tsunami of evictions getting ready to roll out in our streets.”
Last month, Durkan announced her 2022 budget proposal that called for increases in funding for housing and law enforcement. The Seattle Times reported the budget includes $50 million for new affordable housing, $25 million for food programs and homeless shelters, and $115 million to the Human Services Department to address homelessness. The budget also calls for $1 million in officer hiring incentives and adding an additional 35 new officers to the force.
The City of Seattle’s budget committee will hold public hearings on Oct. 12 and Nov. 10 to hear public testimony on the budget.
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) Dr. Umair A. Shah, Washington State Secretary of Health, confirmed the death of a Seattle woman who suffered serious complications after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Jessica Berg-Wilson received the single-dose vaccination on August 26 and died of complications on September 7.
New COVID cases continue to decline statewide, while the gap between the least and most vaccinated counties is starting to narrow.
Seattle Police Officer Eric Whitehead, who refused to wear a mask at a Seattle hospital on January 15, was disciplined after the OPA determined he had acted unprofessionally. SPD also announced that more than 350 officers had not submitted proof of vaccination to city officials.
Less than 9% of Washingtonians say they will never get the Covid-19 vaccine, down by almost half from six weeks ago. According to the Washington Department of Health, over 70% of all Washingtonians over 11 years old are fully vaccinated.
The Lancet released a study on natural immunity to Covid-19 and how long it lasts. Researchers came up with a wide range, but the average is just 16 months.
Highland Middle School in the Bellevue School District and Lockwood Elementary in the Northshore School District reported six active Covid-19 cases in both facilities.
The City of Kirkland has funds available from the American Rescue Plan Act to aid small businesses behind on commercial property rent.
Nationally, the CDC pulled the holiday travel guidance they published on Friday, saying it was outdated information posted by mistake. The Department of Justice will start investigating the most egregious threats, and violent acts at school board meetings after multiple states pleaded for aid.
If you’ve got a home rapid Covid-19 test from the company Ellume, it might be under recall due to a high rate of false positives.
New York City Department of Education, Kaiser Permanente, and Northwell Health, representing more than 475,000 employees across the United States, reported vaccination rates from 95% to 99%. For the 8,000 New York DoE workers who so far are refusing to get vaccinated, some took to direct action in Union Square.
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming continue to demonstrate the impact of laisse faire public health strategies. Again, in Idaho, Janice McGeachin goes full awful, while Wyoming state senator Anthony Bouchard pushes Covid-19 misinformation and argues with a Tik Tok influencer on Twitter.
We lift our travel advisory to the South Central Hospital Region but continue to keep a close eye on the east.
New cases in Washington state continue to decline slowly. We’re adding some new metrics. A combination of increasing vaccination rates, mask wear, and the Delta variant running out of new hosts contributes to the slowdown.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
60.00% or above (4)
212.0 (down)
50.00% to 59.99% (13 counties)
533.1 (down)
40.00% to 49.99% (14 counties)
650.1 (down)
29.30% to 39.99% (8 counties)
679.0 (down)
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through October 4, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 417.1 Covid-19 cases per 100K, the lowest number since August 18.
For the second time in three days, no counties reported more than 1000 new cases per 100K residents.
Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Ferry, Grant, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lincoln Pend Oreille, and Stevens.
Counties in the 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Cowlitz, Franklin, Mason, Okanogan, and Walla Walla. Franklin County remained just under 800 while Spokane, Lewis, Douglas, Garfield, and Chelan counties were just under 600.0.
New cases were up for all people under 80 years old were down, and unchanged for those 80 and above. Hospitalizations were mixed. Down for children and adolescents, up for age 35 to 49, and down for ages 65 to 79.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
185.2 (down)
0.7 (down)
Ages 12-19
220.8 (down)
0.4 (down)
Ages 20-34
183.5 (down)
5.4
Ages 35-49
183.2 (down)
8.4 (up)
Ages 50-64
127.9 (down)
14.3
Ages 65-79
98.9 (down)
17.7 (down)
Ages 80+
111.2
33.3
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 42 deaths yesterday. The state of Washington is not reporting the percentage of positive cases.
Washington Department of Health confirms Johnson & Johnson vaccine related death
Washington Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah confirmed today that a Seattle resident became the fourth person to die in the United States from a vaccine-related injury. Jessica Berg Wilson, 37, received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on August 26. On September 7, she died after a Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) formed.
During a five-week pause, researchers determined the incident rate was less than 3 per million people. In contrast, the risk for serious blood clots due to a Covid-19 infection is 207 per one million. Additionally, doctors determined that common emergency room strategies for treating blood clots, such as using the anti-clotting drug heparin, were contraindicated. The CDC created updated guidelines on identifying and properly treating VITT in patients and reauthorized the single-dose vaccine.
As of June 30, the CDC has confirmed 35 incidents of VITT and three fatalities after 12. 5 million doses were administered. Berg-Wlson is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine-related death in the United States, where 185 million people are fully vaccinated, and approximately 15.4 million have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Seattle Times reported 47 incidents of VITT through the end of September in a separate article.
Yesterday we reported that the VAERS database indicated a 30 to 39-year-old female from Washington state who received the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine had died. Twitter created a firestorm on Sunday night and Monday morning when the social media platform labeled her death as misinformation.
VITT has only been documented with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the United States. The condition is very rare, with similar odds to dying from snakebite in the United States. It is more prevalent among women from 30 to 50 years old. Hormone-based contraceptives can slightly increase risk, along with a personal or family history of blood clotting disorders. The condition will typically appear two to three weeks after inoculation but can occur as far as seven weeks out.
If you are still choosing to get vaccinated, talk to your healthcare professional about which vaccine is best for you. Additionally, if you have recently received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, learn the symptoms to watch for. Be sure that your medical provider is aware you were recently vaccinated if you got to an emergency room.
SPD Officer who refused to wear a mask at hospital emergency department suspended one day
A five-month investigation determined that Whitehead violated only one rule, Standards and Duties 5.001.10, to be professional. The investigation also recommended administrative changes in how SPD Human Resources documents medical waivers issued to officers and communicates acceptance of the request.
On January 15, Whitehead was called to an unnamed area hospital to assist with a disruptive suspect in the Emergency Department. Four other SPD officers were present, and all were wearing masks. Whitehead was given a mask by a nurse but refused to wear it. He told the nurse, “I hear that. I’m here doing a job. I’m talking to my squadmate about what we got going on. You want me to wear a mask or whatever. We can entertain that idea later on, okay. I just wanna do my job right now, just like you.”
The nurse contacted the charge nurse, who reported the issue to a nursing security supervisor. The supervisor again asked Whitehead to wear a mask, who responded with, “Is she all in a tizzy about it?”
Whitehead expressed concern that the surgical mask could be used as a weapon against him. Whitehead ultimately put on the mask when talking with the detainee, and after some other action, left the hospital.
The entire incident was filmed on security cameras and Whitehead’s body camera. The OPA found that Whitehead was not honest with investigators. He told the OPA he maintained social distance from other people and said the hospital staff he was medically exempt from wearing a mask. The videos and testimony from the hospital staff and other officers indicated he did neither.
When asked why he never told the hospital about his exemption and the discrepancy in his testimony, he changed his story, indicating the “interaction had become contentious.” Whitehead told investigators he had a medical exemption from SPD, allowing him not to wear a mask.
According to the OPA report, “A copy of a memorandum that Named Employee 1 submitted to the HR Lieutenant on June 28, 2020. In that memorandum, he stated that he had a medical condition that prevented him from wearing facemasks and asserted that he was entitled to not do so by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He noted in the memorandum that wearing the facemask caused him mental and physical strain, as well as increased respiratory distress. He wrote that he tried using a variety of different facemasks but stopped doing so as they continued to cause him problems.“
Whitehead did receive an e-mail saying that state and city could grant an exemption, but it never stated he had been given one. Whitehead presented the OPA with letters from two doctors. One letter claims he has a dermatological condition that is exacerbated by mask wear.
Despite his claims that any mask caused “mental and physical” strain, Whitehead was on duty for multiple protests during the summer of 2020. During his service, he was exposed to pepper spray, OC, and blast balls, while wearing a full-face respirator, ballistic vest, and riot gear as part of his duties without issue.
OPA Director Andrew Myerberg has come under fire for failing to enforce existing SPD department rules and working too closely with SPOG in an Office of Inspector General complaint. Director Myerberg is currently interviewing for a different job in Arizona and planning to leave the OPA.
SPOG estimates as many as 200 SPD officers will voluntarily separate from the department after the October 18 vaccine mandate deadline. The Seattle Police Department reported tonight that 354 sworn officers had not submitted proof of vaccination. While vaccination rates for hospital staff, educators, and skilled workers such as pilots, bankers, flight attendants, and computer programmers, have ranged from 95% to 99.5%, law enforcement officers remain one of the lowest vaccinated groups.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has refused to indicate if she will fire the unvaccinated officers after October 18 or leave the issue for the next mayor.
Editor’s Note:Our Chief Content Officer is listed as a party in an ongoing OPA investigation into the conduct of SPOG President Mike Solan. One of our Senior Staff was listed as a part of a closed OPA investigation for the excessive use of force.
Less than 9% of Washingtonians say they will never get the Covid-19 vaccine
Today, we are lifting our travel advisory to Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties. We continue to recommend when visiting those counties, you use reasonable caution and don’t engage in dangerous activities.
We continue to recommend avoiding recreational travel to Spokane County. We strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
We continue to monitor the situation in the East Hospital Region and may expand our travel advisory beyond Spokane County.
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The report found, “Reinfection by SARS-CoV-2 under endemic conditions would likely occur between 3 and 63 months after peak antibody response, with a median of 16 months. This protection is of less than half the duration revealed for the endemic coronaviruses circulating among humans.”
Three to 63 months is a very wide range, and a serology test that detects the presence of Covid-19 antibodies can’t determine how robust a response the body would make if reinfected. The researchers added, “Relying on herd immunity without widespread vaccination jeopardises millions of lives, entailing high rates of reinfection, morbidity, and death. In areas with low vaccination, our data-driven analysis reinforces the need for continued safety practices such as social distancing, proper indoor ventilation, and mask wearing to avoid reinfection as pandemic conditions continue.”
Other studies have indicated that the combination of vaccination and natural immunity creates a supercharged response to the Covid-19 virus.
Pfizer vaccine booster shots are now available
Booster shots for eligible individuals are now available statewide. Individuals who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago, are 65 or older, or are immunocompromised can receive their third dose immediately.
In the Kirland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Bartell’s, and QFC are offering booster shots. Additionally, the third dose is available at the CVS located within the Target store at 17,700 NE 76th Street in Redmond.
Most locations require an appointment, which can be scheduled online.
King County, Washington is reporting over 86.7% 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, 17.5% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have Covid-19. Currently, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied statewide, with approximately 654 available. ICUs are at 88.4% of capacity statewide, with 30.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 352 patients with 55% on ventilators. The state has approximately 138 ICU beds available.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 124. The Department of Health reported 1,192 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 4, with 192 on ventilators. The total number of patients for October 3 was adjusted downward slightly, to 1,197.
Hospital status by region – September 30, 2021 – 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%
There was very little change in the status of Hospital Regions over the weekend.
– Bell Elementary (1*) – Barton Elementary (1*) – Dickinson/Explorer Elementary (1*) – Ella Baker Elementary (1*) – Eastlake High (2*) – Finn Hill Middle School (3*) – Franklin Elementary (2*) – Frost Elementary (2*) – ICS (1*) – Inglewood Middle School (1*) – Juanita Elementary (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4*) – Keller Elementary (2*) – Lakeview Elementary (4*) – McAuliffe Elementary (1*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Northstar Middle (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (2*) – Renaissance Middle School (1*) – Rosa Parks Elementary (1*) – Rush Elementary (1*)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (3) – Bothell High School (31) – Canyon Creek Elementary (26) – Canyon Park Middle School (6) – Cottage Lake Elementary (3) – Crystal Springs Elementary (28) – East Ridge Elementary (14) – Fernwood Elementary (1) – Frank Love Elementary (9) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (27) – Inglemoor High School (1) – Innovation Lab High School (1) – Kenmore Elementary (3) – Kenmore Middle School (23) – Leota Middle School (4) – Lockwood Elementary (37**) – Maywood Hills Elementary (28) – North Creek High School (4) – Northshore Family Partnership (30) – Northshore Middle School (2) – Secondary Academy for Success (4) – Shelton View Elementary (5) – Skyview Middle School (12) – Sunrise Elementary (9) – Timbercrest Middle School (8) – Wellington Elementary (21) – Westhill Elementary (41) – Woodin Elementary (16**) – Woodinville High School (11) – Woodmoor Elementary (11)
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 10 active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
Bellevue School District added a 7th confirmed Covid-19 case at Bellevue High School and reported six confirmed cases at Highland Middle School.
The Northshore School District added multiple schools to their report. Lockwood Elementary reported six confirmed cases overnight, putting another 31 students and faculty into quarantine.
The Lake Washington School District updates its Covid-19 dashboard once a week. We received multiple parents confirmed Covid-19 e-mails yesterday. However, Lake Washington updates its dashboards on Monday, and we can’t ensure if the parental reports add to the dashboard numbers or are included in the Monday report.
We continued to encourage parents to request improved daily data reporting from the Lake Washington School District.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
The City of Kirkland has rolled out additional phases of its COVID-19 relief program to provide immediate financial assistance for small businesses, thanks to funding available through the American Rescue Plan Act. A limited number of $1,000 to $10,000 grants are now available for small Kirkland-based businesses behind on rent for the commercial properties they lease. To start the application process, businesses should go to www.kirklandwa.gov/business-help to complete and submit the intake form between October 5 – October 19, 2021. Program funds may only be used as a payment against a small business tenant’s past-due rent due to COVID-19 economic hardship experienced between March 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. Note that the application process requires the cooperation of tenants and landlords, and payments will be made to the landlord.
“The pandemic has had a profound impact on many of our businesses, making it difficult for some to keep up with rent and stay in their current locations,” said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold. “Our hope is that by passing federal relief funding directly to businesses and landlords that these businesses can get the foothold they need to thrive in our Kirkland community.”
For questions about the small business rent relief grant program, contact businesssupport@kirklandwa.gov (425) 587-3266 or the City’s Business Response Team at (206) 686-3424.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 167,209 new cases and 2,106 deaths nationwide. Tuesday’s update will include numbers from over the weekend.
CDC pulls holiday travel guidance from website
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday took down a page with holiday COVID-19 guidance, saying it was old information posted in error and that updated guidance would be coming soon, according to a report in The Hill.
The page, updated on Friday, gave a range of guidance on holiday gatherings, including that opening windows for indoor gatherings would improve ventilation and noting that virtual or outdoor gatherings are the safest option.
An agency spokesperson said the page “doesn’t reflect the CDC’s guidance ahead of this upcoming holiday season” and added that the agency “will share additional guidance soon.”
At home Covid-19 rapid test recalled due to excessive false positives
The Australian company, Ellume, recalled over 400,000 rapid test kits sold in the United States for an unacceptable level of false positives. The test kits were shipped from April to August, and currently, 200,000 kits remain unused.
In a statement on Ellume’s website, the company wrote, “we noted an increased chance that Ellume COVID-19 Home Tests from specific lots may provide an incorrect positive result. Following a thorough investigation, we isolated the cause and confirmed that this incidence of false positives is limited to specific lots.”
“We worked with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to voluntarily remove affected Ellume tests from the market. Importantly, the reliability of negative results is unaffected by this issue and are not included within this recall.”
In parallel, the FDA released a “Safety Communication” outlining the recall. People who have used one of the Ellume tests and believe they had a false reading are asked to report the incident to MedWatch.
Almost 99% of all Kaiser Permanente employees get vaccinated
Kaiser Permanente has placed more than 2,200 of its employees nationwide, who have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, on unpaid administrative leave.
The health care company announced its vaccine mandate on August 2, with a deadline of Sept. 30. It has more than 220,000 employees across the country, with suspensions impacting about 1% of its entire workforce.
Over 98% of Northwell Health employees get vaccinated
New York State’s largest private hospital system laid off 1,400 workers who wouldn’t get vaccinated against Covid-19, a spokesperson for the health care network confirmed Monday afternoon.
Hospital and nursing home workers were required to get at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by September 27th, under a state mandate first announced in mid-August. Last week, Northwell said it started warning employees and planned layoffs, starting with the highest-paid workers who refused the shots.
The hospital system employed over 76,000 workers, with 98.2% getting vaccinated.
8,000 New York City Department of Education employees on unpaid leave
Approximately 500 cafeteria workers have been put on unpaid leave. Employees on leave who get vaccinated after the deadline can return to work. Additionally, employees that volunteer to quit will be provided healthcare coverage by the city for a year.
Department of Justice addresses violent threats against school officials and teachers
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values,” wrote Attorney General Garland. “Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to do their work without fear for their safety.”
According to the Attorney General’s memorandum, the Justice Department will launch a series of additional efforts in the coming days designed to address the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel. Those efforts are expected to include the creation of a task force, consisting of representatives from the department’s Criminal Division, National Security Division, Civil Rights Division, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the FBI, the Community Relations Service, and the Office of Justice Programs, to determine how federal enforcement tools can be used to prosecute these crimes and ways to assist state, Tribal, territorial and local law enforcement where threats of violence may not constitute federal crimes.
The Justice Department will also create specialized training and guidance for local school boards and school administrators. This training will help school board members and other potential victims understand the type of behavior that constitutes threats, how to report threatening conduct to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, and how to capture and preserve evidence of threatening conduct to aid in the investigation and prosecution of these crimes.
As the anti-vaccination and medical freedom movement has gotten smaller, some elements within the movements have become increasingly radicalized. School board meetings have been disrupted nationwide, including the Lake Washington School District. In other communities, fights have broken out in meetings, board members have received death threats, stalked, doxxed, and had their homes vandalized.
Alaska
The mayor of Alaska’s largest city apologized Thursday for his comments supporting some residents’ use of Holocaust imagery to liken a proposed citywide mask mandate to the oppression of Jewish people in Nazi Germany, the Associated Press reported.
Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson has said he staunchly opposes the proposal and initially defended the use of yellow Stars of David worn by other critics this week at heated public hearings. Such imagery has been used by opponents of mask and vaccine mandates across the U.S., drawing condemnation from the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish organizations.
Hospitals in Anchorage, Bethel, and Valdez continue to be the most impacted by the ongoing surge.
Officials are also concerned by a rising test positivity rate, which is just below 10%.
Idaho
Editor’s Note: I must maintain objectivity. I must maintain objectivity. I must maintain objectivity. I must maintain objectivity.
While his state struggles to deliver medical services and deal with the mounting number of corpses, Idaho governor Brad Little departed the state to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. According to a report by KTVB, less than 24 hours after he left, Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin signed an executive order as acting governor banning vaccine passports or mandatory Covid-19 testing at K-12 schools and universities in Idaho.
In a tweet, McGeachin wrote that she “fixed” Little’s executive order on vaccine passports, which was initially issued in April, to include K-12 schools and universities.
Less than ten minutes after McGeachin announced her executive order, Little responded on Twitter, stating he did not authorize McGeachin to act on his behalf and “I will be rescinding and reversing any actions taken by the Lt. Governor when I return.”
McGeachin also tried to activate the National Guard to deploy Idaho troops, already assisting with the Covid-19 surge, to the Mexico border. According to The Independent, the commanding general of the Idaho National Guard told McGeachin she can’t activate troops to send to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Governor Little issues a terse statement late on Tuesday.
“Attempting to deploy our National Guard for political grandstanding is an affront to the Idaho constitution [sic] and insults the men and women who have dedicated their life to serving our state and the country.”
This isn’t the first time McGeachin has pulled this type of political stunt, as she postures herself as the candidate that Idaho deserves in the upcoming 2022 election.
Idaho added 1,835 new cases on Tuesday and reported 11 deaths. The number of hospital beds within the state has improved slightly, Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen said on Tuesday. He added improving bed availability could be, in part, attributed to the high number of deaths recently.
In a briefing on Tuesday, Jeppesen reported 89.1% of all Covid-19 cases are among the unvaccinated, 90.3% of hospitalizations, and 88% of deaths. Officials said that despite the intervention of volunteers, the National Guard, federal resources, and FEMA strike teams, staffing levels remain at crisis standards of care levels.
“Due to COVID patient volume added to non-COVID urgent patient care, we have been forced to care for patients in repurposed clinical areas and a non-clinical space (a hospital gym),” Dr. Steven Nemerson of St. Luke’s Hospital told the Idaho Statesman in an e-mail. The system has been “using ratios of patients to health care team members exceeding contingency standards of care despite staffing resources received through the state of Idaho and FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency).”
May the odds ever be in your favor.
Montana
While Alaska appears to have peaked and Idaho is on a plateau, Montana continues to deteriorate. According to the Billings Gazette, the state has 11,498 active cases, with 419 people hospitalized.
Despite activating the National Guard, asking for FEMA strike teams, and the Veteran’s Administration opening up a hospital to civilians, eight out of 10 large hospitals in the state reported having limited bed availability or nearing capacity. Likewise, eight out of 10 large hospitals reported having limited intensive care unit availability or nearing ICU capacity.
New York
A video caught the men in Union Square flipping over a table next to a mobile coronavirus testing van, tearing down the tent erected next to it and tossing a chair, before police intervened to stop them permanently destroying any property, according to a report in The Independent.
Protesters at the rally shouted “boo” and “shame on you” at the staff member working at the Covid-19 testing site as they went past, followed by chants of “no vaccine mandate.”
Hundreds of Department of Education staffers were involved in the protest, following the coronavirus vaccine mandate that went into place on Monday.
Two of the marchers just flipped over a Covid-19 mobile testing site tent, knocking down a table and chairs set up in Union Square in New York #NYC#NewYorkpic.twitter.com/RkEKwSMzzi
On September 16, Republican lightning rod, state senator, Ivermectin enthusiast, and 2022 Congressional candidate Anthony Bouchard assembled a panel to discuss Covid-19 vaccine mandates at hospitals. The esteemed group of top experts included Ryne Paulson, D.D.S., Melissa Hieb D.O., Andrew McAfee M.D., and Dena L’Heureux M.D. All four spouted conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination rhetoric and claimed they would medicine if the state passed a vaccine mandate. All of this was political theater if any providers accept or work for an organization that receives federal dollars.
How well is that going?
The Wyoming Medical Center in Casper reported they admitted 17 Covid-19 patients – in 24 hours from Saturday to Sunday. Only one of the recently admitted patients is vaccinated. Wyoming added 627 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, in a state with 578,000 residents. If that pace holds, almost 1% of all Wyomingians will catch Covid-19 this week. Test positivity on Monday was over 18%, which is down from last week.
The state reported 45 new Covid-19 related deaths and breaching 1,000 total deaths since the pandemic started in 2020. Put another way, 1.7% of the entire population of Wyoming has died from Covid-19.
Like Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, hospitals are tipping over into “crisis standards of care.” Cody Regional Health and Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County reported they continue to move from “contingency care” to “crisis standards of care” as the situation changes.
Rural hospitals in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska are dependent on larger hospitals in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Utah to take more challenging patients. Oregon and Washington barely avoided moving to crisis standards of care last month, while Colorado and Utah are dealing with their surges. With interstate transfers gridlocked, states like Wyoming, which only has 37 hospitals, have been forced to make do with their resources.
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) Worsening problems with data from the Washington State Department of Health is hobbling efforts to understand the current situation and forecast the future. In counties where 40% or more of the total population is vaccinated, the number of cases per 100,000 people is down. Hospitalizations are up among people under 35 and have declined for individuals over 49. There is very little else that can be said with certainty.
Confirmed COVID cases between students and faculty at Bothell High School in the Northshore School District have grown to 12, with 100 more in quarantine. School officials in Eatonville moved its middle school to remote learning at least until mid-October due to an unspecified number of cases.
If you qualify for a Pfizer booster shot, we checked area pharmacies and grocery stores – they’re available now.
The Washington Department of Health data and reporting problems, which started in August and has only gotten worse, have become problematic. The new Modeling and Surveillance Situation Report, released by the DoH today, expressed uncertainty in the ongoing COVID situation because critical data is missing. Choose your path wisely over the next two months based on what is in the report. The first option makes for a harsh winter while the second path forecasts a sixth wave.
The City of Seattle has reached an agreement with three more unions today over modifications to the vaccine mandate. The Seattle Fire Department agreed to the compromise plan and incentives. The Seattle Police Officer Guild was absent from the negotiations.
Anti-vaccination advocates are becoming more desperate and violent. Hospital workers were threatened and attacked in multiple states this week, and the anti-vaccination group Waking Up Washington has resorted to telling their followers not to go to hospitals. The same group is planning an anti-vaccination “town hall meeting” at a Woodinville restaurant tomorrow. If you’re planning to attend, be sure to bring $20 cash and be ready to pay at the door.
Idaho and Alaska are still operating under “crisis standards of care,” and Alaska, in particular, is getting much worse. If you want to feel your blood pressure rise and have veins bulging out of your neck, please, read the Idaho section. We recommend not having anything breakable nearby. In Helena, Montana, where the city’s hospital is operating under crisis standards of care, state legislatures debated whether things are really that bad.
The situation in the Pacific Northwest is so deranged reporting Oregon has 60 available ICU beds statewide is now considered good news.
Data continues to show improvement across Washington, particularly in most of the highly vaccinated counties. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, the 14 day moving average for new cases is 803.4 per 100K, statistically unchanged from yesterday. The Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, is 258.7, a slight drop from yesterday.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
464.5 (down)
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
683.3 (down)
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
755.8
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 23, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 446.4 COVID cases per 100K – the change is “statistically insignificant,” but it’s worth noting the margin was 0.4 cases!. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Lincoln (1,257.9), Franklin (1.127.5) and Stevens (1,115.0). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Benton, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Okanogan, and Pend Oreille.
New cases by age group are statistically unchanged. Hospitalizations were up for people under 35 years old and down for individuals over 49 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
193.4
1.3
Ages 12-19
201.4
1.5 (up)
Ages 20-34
193.4
5.0 (up)
Ages 35-49
196.8
9.9
Ages 50-64
135.4
14.7 (down)
Ages 65-79
97.6
21.7 (down)
Ages 80+
94.9
33.3 (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 has not been updated since yesterday. The state of Washington is not reporting the percentage of positive cases.
COVID reports from the Washington Department of Health providing fewer details
As Washington state entered what local officials called the fifth wave, the state provided fewer details on the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard. Between August 30 and September 24, the state removed or has delayed granular information, including:
Total number of staffed adult acute care beds available
Total number of adult acute care beds occupied
Total number of staffed adult ICU care beds available
Total number of adult ICU beds occupied
Staffed acute care and ICU beds available by Hospital Region
Number of COVID patients in acute care and the ICU by Hospital Region
Percentage of positive COVID cases detected by daily testing by county and state – accurate data hasn’t been available since August 27, and all data stopped updating last week – there will be no reporting until November 1
Some metrics, particularly hospital occupancy, number of people in the ICU, and number of people on ventilators, have gone through multiple revisions. When these issues have occurred in other states, they became the subject of national attention.
Suppose you compare the quality and quantity of data from the DoH to other states such as South Carolina. In that case, it exposes a breakdown in the region’s ability to gather and analyze COVID information.
South Carolina reported 2,602 confirmed new cases and another 889 probable cases today. The state had 111 confirmed COVID-related deaths and another 11 probable fatalities under investigation. The state processed 36,766 PCR tests, and 9.4% were positive. Currently, 8,511 acute care beds are being utilized, 86.4% of staffed beds in the state. Of those patients, 2,196 have COVID, with 533 in the ICU and 369 on ventilators. There was 223 hospital admission for COVID patients, and 28 hospitals in the South Carolina are experiencing staffing shortages.
We were able to write that in five minutes. The analysis in the first section of the state update took over half an hour and required processing raw data in Excel.
Last year, Washington state moved quickly to create detailed reports during the start of the pandemic. The state was the first to have a confirmed COVID case, a confirmed COVID death, and the first super spreader event. EvergreenHealth in Kirkland and the Kirkland Fire Department literally wrote the books for hospital COVID response, initial case management, and EMS response to potential COVID cases.
The lack of data, while Washington is in the worst COVID surge to date, is glaring, considering these tools were once available. We once led the nation in the capacity to process PCR tests and report the data. It erodes public trust when the number of skeptics is declining, and the remaining are increasingly radicalized. Doctors and nurses in the United States are being assaulted, stalked, and getting death threats. Anti-vaccination organizations are now advocating for people not to go to hospitals and, in a few cases, have attempted to remove people, including ICU patients, on BIPAP and ventilators.
Finally, current reporting does not track pediatric hospitalizations or pediatric acute care, NICU, or PICU resources despite weeks of promises that information would be shared.
We are disappointed that other larger media organizations are not highlighting these issues, especially when you consider the number of headlines generated by the actions of Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Department of Health issues updated modeling and surveillance situation report
Testing shortages create uncertainty in how many active cases are missed as hospital admissions spiked to a level 60% higher than the peak in January 2021. At the end of August, the statewide R0, the rate of transmission, dropped below 1.0. It has since increased to 1.3 and was showing an exponential growth curve. The report estimates that 1 in 106 Washingtonians are experiencing an active COVID case, the highest rate recorded since August 2020.
Statewide immunity to COVID is estimated at just over 60%, with 1 in 5 having some degree of natural immunity. With 40% of the entire population exposed, the Delta variant has a significant number of new hosts it can infect. Unvaccinated residents are ninefold more likely to be hospitalized than unvaccinated.
The state has two forecasted models. The first is based on the R0 at 0.9, which would support a declining number of new cases. Under that model, daily hospital admissions for COVID would return to levels seen outside of surges, less than 40 people a day statewide.
The second model assumes R0 doubles to 1.8 due to the Thanksgiving holiday and the state population becoming fatigued with mask wear. If this scenario becomes a reality, December daily hospital admissions will increase to 141 to 240 per day by the end of the year.
Eatonville Middle School moves to virtual learning due to COVID outbreak
Officials in Eatonville announced that Eatonville Middle School was moving to remote learning through October 11 at the minimum. The district didn’t release any specific information on the number of infected students, staff, or if there is significant transmission within the school.
Located between Olympia and Mount Rainier in Pierce County, the town had 3,000 residents. According to the DoH, only 47.9% of county residents are fully vaccinated.
Letter to parents announcing Eatonville Middle School is moving to remote learning
Seattle reaches agreement with major public employee unions over vaccination mandates
“Since the pandemic touched down in Seattle, our officers, firefighters, and frontline workers have worked day in and day out to provide nation-leading testing, vaccination, and relief programs for our residents. Those efforts are a key reason we have one of the highest vaccination rates and lowest cases and hospitalizations of every major American city,” said Mayor Durkan.
The agreement is expected to be ratified, provides 8 hours of paid time off for any employee who submits a vaccination form by October 5 and is fully vaccinated by October 18. Employees can begin the vaccination process by October 18 and not face termination. They will have to use their available accrued time off while going through the vaccination process, which can last from two to six weeks. Finally, each employee will receive 40 hours of supplementary paid leave for COVID-related reasons. Employees who are fully vaccinated by October 18 will receive an additional 40 hours of supplemental leave for a total of 80 hours.
“Worker safety and certainty are of paramount importance, and the unions involved with these negotiations centered those concerns throughout a complex and time-sensitive process,” said Shaun Van Eyk, PROTEC17 Union Representative and Coalition of City Unions Co-Chair. “We believe that these two tentative agreements honor the essential, public-sector workers whose work could not be performed remotely and create clear, transparent, and equitable pathways for all City workers with respect to the vaccine mandate. While both agreements took a great deal of time and effort to reach, the outcome is unquestionably worth it for the health and safety of our union members, their families, and our communities.”
We have reached a tentative agreement with nearly all unions to support employee vaccinations with incentives, frontline worker pay, & flexibility for telework until Jan 2022. These policies will protect the health of our workforce & communities we serve. https://t.co/s5T0s4sUvH
The city has now reached vaccination agreements with six labor unions. The Seattle Police Officer Guild, SPOG, was not part of the agreement. The city indicated they were still negotiating with police union leaders.
Almost 90 local, county, and state employees sued Washington state to try and block vaccine mandates earlier this month. One of the plaintiffs claimed up to 150 City of Seattle firefighters were ready to resign. In August, SPOG Union President Mike Solan said up to 200 officers were prepared to quit.
Anti-vaccination activist groups calling for the sick to “avoid hospitals”
As part of a national trend, the activist group Waking Up Washington is telling its followers to “avoid hospitals” because “they’ve fired many of their free thinkers.”
Ms. Davis is a central figure in the Washington state anti-vaccination movement, which has seen its numbers dwindle since the summer months. She told her followers to go to another website for medical treatment plans. The site includes access to an online doctor for prescriptions of medications, with a $149 fee for a consultation for Ivermectin. According to WebMDRx, 10 pills cost between $23 and $56.
The site also links to the discredit organization America’s Frontline Doctors and the FLCCC. We have elected not to link to that website as it provides dangerous medical advice.
Suggested treatments include hydrogen peroxide nebulization and taking dandelion, pine needle, and eucalyptus supplements. Neublizing hydrogen peroxide can be fatal, and none of these supplements have any therapeutic value. The website DNS is provided by Google, according to a whois search.
Anti-vaccination “town hall meeting” in Woodinville tomorrow at local restaurant
Tomorrow, the same group is holding a “town hall meeting” at Rooster’s Bakery and Cafe in Woodinville. The event touts legal resources to fight vaccine mandates and “expert testimony” about “rigged statistics.”
To attend, you are required to pay a $20 fee in cash at the door.
Editor’s comment: Nothing suspicious about that.
Anti-vaccination event flyer for Woodinville tomorrow
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
Thank you
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Vaccination
No update
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% 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.
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, 22.0% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 89.5% of capacity statewide, with 33.9% of ICU patients fighting COVID. There has been a slow decline for all data points over the last week.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was unavailable today. The Department of Health reported 1,436 COVID patients statewide on September 23 and 233 on ventilators. We aren’t confident that these numbers are accurate. Hospital occupancy rates don’t support this much of a decline, and the state dashboard noted, “The “hospital admission rate” metric on the Healthcare System Readiness tab was not updated today due to an interruption in our data systems.”
Harborview Medical Center is only at 113% capacity, which is an improvement from last week when the Level I trauma center was at 117% capacity.
Chelsey Roos, a registered nurse who works at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma, spoke with KCPQ.
“You get into your car after work, and you just want to cry.”
“Not only do we have roughly 50% more cases than we had during the December surge, but we’re caring for all of those patients with fewer staff, because it’s been so challenging for particularly our nurses, that people are choosing to leave healthcare because of how stressful it’s been,” says Dr. Steven Mitchell, the medical director of Harborview Medical Center’s Emergency Room.
It’s a perfect storm, the stress of the job causing many to leave-which then leaves the remaining nurses with an even heavier workload.
“It burns people out, its burning people out so easily, we can’t seem to keep enough nurses working or wanting to work in acute care or a hospital, it’s just becoming too much, and I think people are wanting to reprioritize things in their lives,” says Roos.
“I don’t know what my daily census is today, but this is really the first time in the COVID surge this last week where we’ve seen an increase in children that have been admitted for the care of COVID.”
– Bellevue (1) – Big Picture (1) – Chinook (1) – Eastgate (1) – Enatai (36) – Interlake (2) – Lake Hills (13) – Puesta del Sol (2) – Wilburton (3)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Finn Hill Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4* – see below) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (13) – Canyon Creek Elementary (24) – Canyon Park Middle School (8) – Cottage Lake Elementary (16) – Crystal Springs Elementary (47**) – East Ridge Elementary (24) – Fernwood Elementary (13**) – Frank Love Elementary (28) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (17) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Innovation Lab High School (9) – Kenmore Elementary (15) – Kenmore Middle School (39**) – Kokanee Elementary (50) – Leota Middle School (5) – Lockwood Elementary (8) – Maywood Hills Elementary (14**) – North Creek High School (21**) – Northshore Middle School (10**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (10) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (82**) – Sunrise Elementary (21) – Timbercrest Middle School (28) – Wellington Elementary (64) – Westhill Elementary (10) – Woodin Elementary (9) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (21**)
– Bothell High School (12*/100)
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 10 active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
We had a parent-reported confirmed COVID case at Kamiakin Middle School on Tuesday. Because the Lake Washington School District updates its dashboard weekly, we don’t know if this is in addition to the 3 cases reported on Monday or if any of those earlier cases have returned to class. We have set the number to 4.
The number of positive cases between staff and students has swelled to 12 at Bothell High School, with another 100 students quarantined. The NECS reports the school has 1,607 students, and the Northshore School District website reports 236 faculty. Although the numbers in the district may appear to be bad, they are the only school district of the three we are following that is performing weekly universal COVID testing.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Booster shots for eligible individuals are now available in the Kirland-Bellevue-Woodinville area. Individuals who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 months ago, are 65 or older, or are immunocompromised can receive their third dose immediately.
We canvased area drug and grocery stores to check for availability. Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Bartell’s, and CV are all offering booster shots immediately. Booster shots are also available at the CVS located within the Target store at 17,700 NE 76th Street in Redmond. Additionally, the QFC at Kirkland Urban is providing booster shots.
Most locations require an appointment that can be set up online. The Kirkland Urban QFC was already completely booked through the weekend.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 128,731 new cases and 3,157 deaths nationwide.
Alaska
Alaska continues to operate in crisis standards of care as the situation in the vast and remote state continues to deteriorate. Officials reported 1,793 new cases and a staggering 41 deaths (yes, we know the headline says 1800 cases and 44 deaths – if you read the story, it says 1793 cases and 41 deaths, talk amongst yourselves – we’re over it) in the state of just over one million people. The numbers included hundreds of older cases due to a data entry backlog.
The state had a record of 217 COVID patients hospitalized. The statewide 7 day moving average for new COVID cases is a staggering 976 per 100K people, and currently, 9.2% of all COVID tests are coming back positive.
The state now has 20 ICU beds available, an improvement from yesterday, and 74 residents on ventilators.
Soldotna’s Central Peninsula hospital, about 150 miles from Anchorage, is operating at 133% capacity. Richards is worried about what will come next. “We all know that hospitalizations lag following these high-case days, so I don’t know what’s in store for us.”
The goal is to make more room at the busy Anchorage hospitals, which offer more intensive care and other services, especially sick patients that rural hospitals can’t support.
This practice is known as “load leveling,” and it’s done more regularly between hospitals in urban areas, where patients can be moved by ambulance. It’s far rarer in rural Alaska, though, since most hospitals in those areas aren’t connected by road and can be hundreds of miles apart.
“Once you start involving learjets and medevac companies, it gets infinitely more complicated,” Brunner said in an interview Thursday.
Patients that don’t need critical care are flown to acute care hospitals in rural areas. For many rural hospitals, the patients they receive are sicker than they usually see, straining staff. Worse, patients are separated from family and friends and face potential air ambulance bills in the tens of thousands of dollars.
In the 6,000 resident town of Bethel, Alaska, half the police force is threatening to resign over a recent vaccination mandate. The remote city is only accessible by boat or airplane during the warmer months, and ice road in the winter. The city is experiencing one of the highest COVID case rates in the state and country and doesn’t have the resources to deal with the surge. City officials decided to mandate vaccinations.
Resistance to the vaccine from police in Bethel is endemic of opposition the vaccine has seen from police departments across the country. Many officers have refused vaccine mandates, filed unsuccessful lawsuits, and decried the measures as unconstitutional.
But in Bethel, some say police have gone a step further, dangling the possibility of increased violence over remote residents’ heads if the city were to push half of the police force out of a job.
Among other highlights, Police Chief Richard Simmons baldly told KYUK earlier this week that the small city was “one of the most violent communities in the nation” and needed every one of its officers.
Available data shows that Bethell has a high crime rate but not one of the highest in the nation.
Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink, who also works in a hospital emergency department, said many retail pharmacists have stopped asking customers if they’d like the vaccine because of the fury it triggers.
“We see many triage nurses in the emergency department also afraid to ask that question,” Zink said, “because patients have been violent towards them in the emergency department when asking the question if they’re vaccinated or if they have COVID-19.”
Idaho
Idaho reported 1,646 new COVID cases and 34 new deaths on Friday. The state continues to operate under crisis standards of care. Unlike states such as Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, which use “load leveling” to maximize resources, Idaho hospitals can go it alone.
While people are dying in hospital waiting areas in the Panhandle, hospitals in the eastern part of the state are operating under “contingency care.” Both Oregon and Washington are running on “contingency care protocols,” which give medical providers options to defer certain treatments and take other steps to maximize resources.
While hospitals in the Magic and Treasure valleys and Northern Idaho have added beds in conference rooms, cafeterias, and other available spaces, Herget believes PMC should have adequate traditional bed capacity heading forward.
On Monday, Herget said PMC would open a special care unit with nine rooms equipped with negative pressure technology to treat patients with contagious upper respiratory diseases, such as the coronavirus.
According to ABC News, an advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over the state’s “crisis standards of care” guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed by patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the group Justice in Aging asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idaho’s health care rationing plan. They contend it discriminates against older adults, especially Black and Native American adults, by using factors like age when prioritizing which patients get access to life-saving care.
“Older adults are facing serious risk of discrimination, resulting in death,” because of Idaho’s crisis standards, Justice for Aging attorneys wrote in their complaint letter. Symptomatic breakthrough cases are overwhelming among people over 70 years old.
The school wrote in a statement on Friday, “In light of our declining campus positivity rates and high vaccination rates, the university will shift from testing all ticket holders in the student section to random sample testing of that population before next week’s football game.”
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the percentage of Idaho’s eligible population (12 and older) fully vaccinated is just 51.5%.
Photo credit – Dr. Ashley Carvalho – photo after being a family member of a patient threatened to shoot her
“I received a slew of verbal abuse from a patient’s family members who called me an incompetent doctor, threatened me with physical violence, and demanded I give them my name and medical license number so they could sue. This was because I refused to prescribe Ivermectin, which is not proven to treat COVID-19 and is recommended only in clinical trials at this point, and hydroxychloroquine, which current research suggests is not effective or safe in treating COVID-19. My patient was struggling to breathe, but the family refused to allow me to provide care. A call to the police was the only solution.”
Several physicians from Kootenai Health were slated to speak during the meeting as the hospital hit two milestones this week: its highest number of COVID-19 inpatients and the highest number of COVID-19 ICU patients at 43. The hospital in Coeur d’Alene typically only has 26 ICU beds.
The group was described as a “mob” of 200 people who were “extremely hostile.”
BREAKING: The meeting has been postponed. Board members were worried about safety, per city fire code.
Editor’s Note: We remind you again, our state is supporting Idaho’s bad choices. In the coming weeks, it is likely at least a couple of the people in this “mob” will be begging the doctors who had planned to speak today to save their lives.
“When there’s that kind of things to compete against, we don’t have a chance,” he said. “We just don’t have employees. We’ve seen from 2 or 3 classified staff, all the way to 60 classified staff, that districts are missing across the state.”
He said three school districts were closed Friday, two due to staffing shortages and one because of COVID-19 cases among students. He said open schools are also struggling with lower than normal attendance.
Montana
Montana reported 1,326 new COVID cases across the state where officials aren’t reporting unvaccinated versus vaccinated cases. The state has 395 people hospitalized with COVID and didn’t share how many are on ventilators.
According to KHN, Billings Clinic said it might soon implement “crisis standards of care” that would force staff to save provisions for patients they can most likely save.
Yellowstone County is seeing the worst of the surge. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,461 current active cases there, as much as the next two counties combined.
And in Helena, where a hospital is operating at crisis standards of care, state lawmakers questioned health officials on the severity of the situation.
“I’m not sure I would feel really dismayed about the rate increase when you just think of it really mathematically,” Gillette said. “… Just put in simple terms, if you had two (cases) at one point and you increased to four, you’d increase by 50%, so you just kind of have to put it in … more broad terms and not … lose the other data. So, for instance, when we look at the number of COVID cases per 100,000, we’re pretty much just middle of the pack normal.”
If being the sixth-worst in the United States is “middle of the pack,” Montana is competing with its neighbor to the west in a race to the political bottom.
There were 855 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 30 fewer than the previous day, and 268 patients in ICU beds, which was an increase of five. There were 60 available adult ICU beds across the state of Oregon, which is an improvement from two weeks ago.
The OHA’s latest COVID-19 forecast shows a slowing in the decline of daily cases and hospitalizations through mid-October. The report estimates 495 cases per 100,000 people, or an average of 1,480 daily cases and 81 hospitalizations for the two weeks between September 29 and October 12.
In our neighbor to the south, new COVID cases among children now outnumber those among the elderly.
[SEATTLE]- (MTN) Almost 3 weeks have passed since Wayne Barnett, Executive Director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, notified Mayor Jenny Durkan her legal counsel is believed to have violated the Public Records Act by excluding text messages in numerous public record requests. In March, Stacy Irwin filed a whistleblower complaint that the mayor’s legal counsel, Michelle Chen, had directed Irwin and her co-worker Kim Ferreiro to “narrowly interpret” public information requests to exclude text messages. The May 6 Investigative Report revealed that all text messages from Mayor Durkan from August 28, 2019, to June 25, 2020, were deleted from her phone and not retained in any cloud-based account associated with her government-issued device.
Less than a week later, it was revealed by the city attorney’s office that text messages are missing from at least 8 more city officials, including former Police Chief Carmen Best and Fire Department Chief Harold Scoggins. Among the remaining 6 unnamed officials, 5 are alleged to be within the Seattle Police Department.
“The idea that any agency’s compliance with the law would depend on an individual employee’s memory is grossly irresponsible,” said Toby Nixon, recently retired President of the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG) and a Kirkland City Council member.
For the last 3 weeks, this appears to be part of the Mayor Office’s defense for the missing texts. It has since been revealed Mayor Durkan’s device was set to retain her text messages for only 30 days, the shortest possible setting. In an interview with local station KCPQ, Durkan denies changing her government-issued device settings herself and does not know who set up her device that way.
What appears to be a nearly year-long effort to avoid revealing the missing texts, the federal lawsuit against the city for the death of Lorenzo Anderson on the edge of CHOP in 2020, exposed the lapses.
“While these investigations must continue, it’s apparent public trust has completely eroded with City Hall,” said 2021 Seattle mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell.
“This must stop, and even worse, these lapses in transparency disproportionately impede justice sought by those impacted by the events of last summer. It shouldn’t take the death of young Black men to reveal the issues affecting our city.”
Directed not to inform requestors the mayor’s text messages had not been retained
For 48 public record requests going back to 2019, Irwin and Ferreiro were directed by Chen not to inform the requestors that text messages provided by Mayor Durkan were incomplete or recreated from other sources. In the investigation done by Ramsey Ramerman, who was retained by the city as an independent investigator, Chen’s responses were called out as “refuted by her own statements.” Chen claimed that Irwin and Ferreiro exercised their “independent discretion” when responding to requests for the mayor’s text messages. Still, Chen’s emails refuted this claim, and the investigators found she was “not credible.”
“…Chen notes in her May 4 letter that in March 2021, she did agree with Ferreiro’s suggestion about providing an explanation when producing the recreated texts. But documentation provided with the Complaint shows that prior to March 2021, Chen rejected similar advice…”
Investigative report – may 6, 2021
In at least one public information request, the party was able to identify that the texts provided were not from the mayor but recreations and filed an appeal. Irwin and Ferreiro told Chen they should explicitly inform the requestors that the Mayor’s Office was providing recreated text messages from other sources.
The report ultimately determined that Chen’s actions violated “best practices,” but she did not violate Washington state laws by her actions.
Narrowing requests left out Mayor Durkan’s texts and resulted in closed cases
The most egregious allegations involve 48 public records requests. When the Mayor’s Office determined that Durkan’s texts were unrecoverable, Chen directed Irwin and Ferreiro to narrow the scope of the public record requests to leave out the texts. Of the 48 cases, 28 are either still open or received recreations. Twenty cases had the text messages left out, and 3 of those cases were closed.
“…there is no principled basis for excluding the Mayor’s text messages from the scope of requests for all communications with the Mayor’s Office, or from requests for the Mayor’s “correspondence.”
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT – MAY 6, 2021
The report revealed that interpreting requests this way was a significant change from how the Mayor’s Office handled earlier cases. Before fall 2020, the office would include texts for similar requests. Further, after the period of missing texts had passed in July of 2020, the Mayor’s Office returned to providing the text as part of public information requests.
Investigator Ramerman wrote that Chen’s actions violated the Public Records Act and were improper government action. According to the report, Chen claimed she didn’t have enough time to respond to the request. The report disputes that, stating she was notified on April 6, she had deep involvement in tracking the cases with missing texts and commented in a hidden column within an Excel spreadsheet to hold a narrow scope on specific requests.
The report provided 4 examples taken from the tracking Excel spreadsheet with Chen’s direction in the hidden column. Request C059261, “Any and all documents, emails, texts, voice messages, etc., surrounding the decision to withdraw from the SPD East Precinct Building between May 25th, 2020 and the present.” Chen noted in the hidden column, “No – this does not specifically ask for JADM texts. Does not apply to her.”
Another request, C059884, requesting all records of communications, including texts, “that reference an FBI-reported threat to the east precinct,” was noted, “No [sic] – this request doesn’t even mention MO.”
The survivors of Lorenzo Anderson, who died in the early morning hours of June 20, 2020, filed a federal lawsuit in April against the city. Anderson died on the edge of CHOP after being shot by Marcel Long, 18. Donnitta Sinclair, Anderson’s mother, is suing the city for negligence and violating Anderson’s 14th Amendment rights.
Allegedly, this is one of the cases where requests for texts are impacted by the failure to retain the records.
Is there a broader cover-up at City Hall
It has been a year since the first protests related to George Floyd started in Seattle and over 650 communities across the United States. A year later, Derek Chauvin was convicted of George Floyd’s murder. Numerous agencies have disciplined or fired police officers and leaders for their actions in the days and weeks after. Seattle and Portland join Louisville as cities dealing with scandals on multiple levels or lack accountability and transparency for decisions made by leaders.
The Mayor’s Office and Durkan have been on the defensive. The revelation on May 13 that the texts of Best and Scoggins are also missing, along with up to 5 higher ranking SPD officers, indicates there are much more profound questions. Critical events in June 2020 were Scoggins, Best, and Durkan would have likely been in near-constant communication:
May 29 protests in downtown Seattle
May 30 riots, the public emergency declaration, curfew, and use of force decisions
May 31 use of force decisions
June 1 “Pink Umbrella Riot,” widespread use of force, and alleged notification from the FBI that the East Precinct was a target
June 6 “White Coats for Black Lives Riot,” the IED candle, and use of force decision
June 7 use of force decisions just hours after a press conference that the city was going to reduce its response significantly
June 7 decision by Mayor Durkan to remove the barricades at Pine and 11th
June 8 hardening of the East Precinct and fire suppression evaluation by Seattle Fire Department
Communications between senior Seattle Police leaders to divert unhomed individuals with an extensive criminal history to CHOP
June 20 communications between Seattle Police and Seattle Fire in the seconds, minutes, and hours after the murder of Lorenzo Anderson
June 24 decision to shut CHOP down
Planning for the June 26 community meeting between Black Lives Matter activists and community leaders, that was closed to the press and was unproductive
Preparing for the attempt to remove CHOP barricades on June 26
The Seattle Office of Police Accountability has spent almost a year investigating who ordered the evacuation of the East Precinct. Director Andrew Myerberg told Converge Media that a report was 2 months away, but nearly 4 months has passed. In an interview published by KUOW today, former Police Chief Best continues to insist she was against the evacuation of the East Precinct, was not informed of the decision, and that it was a “command decision.”
In contrast, Minneapolis has completed reviewing who ordered the 3rd Precinct evacuation and has convicted the individuals involved in the fire set on May 28, 2020.
In another investigative report, KUOW determined in the minutes following the Lorenzo Anderson shooting, chaos paralyzed the Seattle Fire Department’s response. First responders did not go to the correct previously arranged meeting point on the edge of CHOP, and Seattle Police were also in the wrong location.
The city claims Seattle Fire Chief Scoggins texts cannot be accessed because the password to the device is unknown. “A properly-managed agency messaging infrastructure would have automatically copied and archived the messages without any action required by the employee,” Nixon told us. Before becoming President of WCOG, Nixon served as the ranking member of the State Governments Operations and Accountability committee in the Washington State House of Representatives 2003-2006. In 2005 he worked on the bill that reorganized the public records portion of the Public Disclosure Act (Initiative 276) into a separate chapter of law – the Public Records Act, RCW 42.56.
“In particular, mobile devices are so easily damaged, lost, or stolen that no agency can depend on the devices themselves to be the primary storage mechanism for compliance with records retention laws,” Nixon continued, “Off-device backup is essential.”
To the issue of a lost password preventing access to the text, Nixon said, “You would not want devices that are easily stolen to also be easily cracked. For an agency-owned device, it would be ideal for an administrator to be able to have access even if the user loses their password.”
What should the city of Seattle have done
According to Nixon, a lot more than what the city of Seattle did. We asked if it would be typical for a government entity to delete texts more than 30 days old, and the short answer was, “no.”
“Most modern devices have ample memory to hold text messages for a very long period of time.” Nixon said. “[Device] manufacturers and wireless carriers know that the vast majority of people do not want such behavior; the default is to keep messages as long as possible, and it takes intentional action to change the configuration of the device from automatic retention to automatic deletion. Whether it was the mayor, or her staff, or the city IT department, who changed this setting, it was grossly irresponsible to do so when the law so clearly states that automatic deletion is illegal.”
The city claims they have spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in an attempt to recover and rebuild the communications between Durkan, Scoggins, and Best, along with at least 6 other city officials.
In a Spokesman Review story on May 22, Megan Erb, a spokesperson for the IT department, said, “all three phones used by Durkan were “Set up in accordance with our standards” and then “handed over to her staff.” Since making that statement a week ago, Erb has avoided all further inquiries into the topic.
When it comes to recovery, there are questions on how hard or complex it would be. Nixon explained, “All wireless carriers retain text messages on their servers for some period of time – some for quite a long time. Mostly this is to allow a user to restored them to a replacement device if their device is damaged, lost, or stolen.”
Nixon continued, “Some of these will delete the mirror copy from the server if the text is deleted from the device. It’s possible that some carriers keep a copy of messages on the server after they are deleted from the device, but I do not have personal knowledge of that.”
“Because records retention laws are so strict, many public agencies do not depend on individual users or wireless carriers to preserve messages. There are applications available that will periodically (e.g., daily) connect to an agency’s wireless carrier and download all text messages for agency-owned or managed devices and store them in secure backup to ensure retention schedules are met.”
In the May 6 letter to Mayor Durkan, Executive Director Barrett indicated the Mayor’s Office has 60 days to respond with what action will be taken against Chen due to her conduct.
As for the city itself, City Council President and 2021 mayoral Candidate Lorena Gonzalez announced that she, along with City Attorney Pete Holmes, is working on creating an independent organization to handle public document requests to the Mayor Office.
“Public disclosure requests for information from the Mayor’s office should no longer be controlled by those that directly report to the Mayor’s office,” Gonzalez wrote in a public statement.
Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
The show from May 10, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.
Toyota campaign contribution story made our readers salty
Colonial Pipeline shutdown committed by Russian hackers
No one is talking about the AAHM raid done by the King County Sheriff
Franklin Graham coming to Bellevue and protests planned – controversy explained
Democracy vouchers explained
Jenny Durkan’s Textgate
Seattle Deputy Mayor Casey Sixkiller enters the 2021 mayor race
Angelyiah Lim wins the 2020 Lee Johnson Community Service Award
Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
Content Warning
Editor’s Note: This show contains videos of events that some viewers may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
The show from May 3, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.
Update on Cocholati and their refusal to service a Seattle police officer
Mayor Durkan tells Seattle police to “soften” their approach on RV’s and the 72-hour parking limit
Portland, Oregon has the driest April in history – fire season is coming
Attacks on aircraft are skyrocketing
COVID Update
May Day in Seattle – Annual May Day March and Rally for Immigrants and Workers’ Rights
May Day in Seattle – insurrectionary anarchists bloc up
Protester struck by car outside of East Precinct – driver under investigation
Tucker Carlson of Fox News gets his wish
OPA calls for a ban on the use of blast balls as a crowd control measure
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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