Rolocich applied for a religious exemption, but it was denied; WSU said at the time that they could not make appropriate accommodations for the head coach because the job required in-person interaction with hundreds of people a week
The former coach appealed his firing, first to the athletic director and then to the University President; both appeals failed to convince the school to reverse the firing.
For all state employees, even if a religious exemption was approved, the final decision rests with the supervisor and revolves around the ability to make appropriate accommodations for the employee’s unvaccinated status—accomodations that would require limited in-person interactions with other people
Rolovich has not publicly shared what his exact religious opposition to vaccination is and has publicly announced that he is not against vaccination in general or the choices others make to receive the vaccine
PULLMAN, WA—The former Washington State University (WSU) head football coach has followed up on his plans to sue the state of Washington by filing a tort suit against the state.
Rolovich was fired from WSU in October 2021 after he said he would not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Rolovich applied for a religious exemption from Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate requiring all state employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. His religious exemption was denied by WSU. They said that they could not make appropriate accommodations for Rolovich if he was unvaccinated.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) New Covid-19 cases are stuck on a plateau while hospitalizations increased 7% over the last week. An analysis of available data provides strong evidence the pandemic of the unvaccinated continues.
The FDA has authorized the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in children 5 to 11 today. The Centers for Disease Control Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting on November 2 and 3. It is widely expected the panel will support the authorization. UW Medicine has announced a waitlist for parents who want to get their children immunized.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee expressed growing concern over the case rates and said the state is at a “fork in a road.” In what is likely the last broad challenge for the state vaccine mandate, a U.S. District Judge denied a last-ditch effort to block the public health rules on the grounds it was a violation of civil rights.
Data from August to September is supportive of following the Centers for Disease Control’s back-to-school guidelines, with Washington schools reporting 189 outbreaks statewide, with only a handful resulting in school closures.
A former naturopathic doctor on the Olympic Peninsula was convicted for misbranding drugs, reselling them, and making false claims of offering a COVID cure. Richard Marschall, 68, has been convicted for the third time since 2011. Washougal Physician Assistant Scott Miller will face the medical board on November 3, for allegedly spreading Covid-19 disinformation. Miller had his license suspended earlier this month after an investigation into his activities that started in August 2021.
Washington State University tried to counter the COVID misinformation former football coach Nick Rolovich believed as early as April 2021 to no avail.
Last week, Snohomish barber Bob Martin had two court hearings after a judge rejected his promissory note to cover $90,000 in fines he accumulated last year. Martin is tight-lipped about the hearings, and the court has yet to release the transcripts.
The Washington Medical Coordinator Center at Harborview, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Swedish Health Services each received the Community Health Leadership Award from the Washington State Hospital Association for their 2021 Covid-19 related efforts.
Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese is reported to be hospitalized and in “poor” condition. Toese was shot on September 4 in Olympia after the Proud Boys group he was with left an anti-mandate protest to go “hunting.”
COVID hospitalizations have increased 7% since October 22, reversing weeks of improvement. Unvaccinated people continue to hold up relief for the stressed medical system.
Malcontent News moved the Northshore School District to status red due to Bothell High School, and Lockwood Elementary reporting ten confirmed Covid-19 cases each on Friday.
Twelve states are suing the Biden Administration in an attempt to block a looming vaccination mandate.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, refused to block Maine’s vaccination mandate for healthcare workers. The decision may have further strengthened Jacobson versus Massachusetts.
The Pentagon reported that 96.4% of active-duty U.S. Air Force personnel and 98% of special forces are vaccinated. For the Air Force it still leaves up to 12,000 members facing disciplinary action.
In disinformation, we take a critical look at a September 30 article entitled, Increase in COVID-19 are unrelated to levels of vaccination across 68 countries and 2947 counties in the United States. Daniel Horowitz has held this up as proof that vaccinations don’t work. Is it true?
The New case rate was almost unchanged from yesterday. The least vaccinated counties have 228% more new cases per 100,000 residents than the most vaccinated. San Juan County reported a 7 day moving average of 11.5, which is considered “normal.” Three of the five counties with the lowest new case rate have more than 70% of their total population fully vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
70% or above (3 counties)
2,343,250
214.3
60.00% to 69.99% (4 counties)
1,242,200
335.9 (down)
50.00% to 59.99% (14 counties)
3,172,600
389.7
40.00% to 49.99% (10 counties)
860,525
406.7
30.80% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
467.8
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate for Total Population, Adjusted for Population by County
Through October 28, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 335.5 Covid-19 cases per 100K – statistically unchanged from yesterday. Although new case rates are dropping in the eastern half of the state, they remain stubbornly high.
One county, Ferry, is between 800.0 and 999.9 with 859.7 new cases per 100K residents.
Four counties, Grant, Klickitat, Lincoln, and Skagit, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9.
New cases by age were unchanged while the hospitalization rate declined for geriatric patients over 79 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
150.8
0.5
Ages 12-19
146.4
0.8
Ages 20-34
146.4 (not a typo)
3.5
Ages 35-49
161.8
8.9
Ages 50-64
129.2
13.7
Ages 65-79
96.4
19.8
Ages 80+
90.2
35.9 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 31 Covid-19 related deaths in Washington state on Thursday. The Washington State Department of Health is reporting 8,628 Washingtonians have died since February 29, 2020. That is equal to every man, woman, and child in Hoquiam, Washington dying.
Governor Inslee express concern as Washington reaches a “fork in the road” with Covid-19
During a press briefing yesterday, Governor Jay Inslee (WA-D) expressed growing concern over plateauing cases and the potential for Washington state to move into a “sixth wave.”
“We still have an extremely dangerous pandemic on our hands,” Inslee told reporters, adding that the state is still seeing more than 2,000 new Covid-19 cases a day.
The plateau is concerning to public health officials because case rates and COVID hospitalization rates are still similar to last winter’s wave. Hospitals in Washington have limited capacity to care for a surge in patients over the winter if new case rates and hospitalizations don’t start to decrease again.
Inslee said the state has reached “a fork in the road.” Residents can either accept Covid-19 or continue to fight it, and the only way out is by getting vaccinated.
“Every day, I believe we should fight it,” he said.
New Covid-19 cases were declining from mid-September to mid-October, but are now stubbornly sitting at new normal that is well above what experts consider acceptable. Over the last week, COVID-related hospitalizations have increased 7%.
On October 20, Malcontent News predicted that another wave of Covid-19 will sweep across the United States starting in mid to late December and peak in February 2022.
Federal judge tosses civil rights based lawsuit attempting to block Washington state Covid-19 mandate
A federal judge in Eastern Washington on Monday denied a bid by firefighters, state troopers, and others to halt Washington’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for state workers and emergency responders. The Associated Press reported U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Rice denied the motion.
Dozens of municipal, county, and state workers sued Governor Jay Inslee, Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer, Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste, and others. The case was filed just days before the October 18 mandate deadline. The plaintiffs claimed their civil rights were being violated by the requirement they get vaccinated to continue in their jobs.
In his ruling, Rice wrote: “The Supreme Court has long endorsed state and local government authority to impose compulsory vaccines… Federal courts have routinely analyzed such cases using rational basis and regularly reject cases similar to this one that challenge vaccine mandates based on free exercise of religion.”
Rice was referring to the 1905 U.S. Supreme Court decision of Jacobson versus Massachusetts that decided the Tenth Amendment gave municipalities, counties, and states the power to make public health decisions that aim to protect the larger population. The decision has been challenged dozens of times in the last 116 years.
Judge Rice’s decision ended the last large-scale lawsuit attempting to block or pause the vaccine mandate. As of October 25, 94% of Washington state employees, 99.7% of Washington educators, and an estimated 97% of Washington healthcare workers, including firefighters, were fully vaccinated, completing vaccination, have an exemption review pending, or received an approved exemption with accommodation.
Following back to school guidelines by the CDC has had a positive impact in Washington
From August 1 to September 30, there have been 189 Covid-19 outbreaks in Washington schools involving 1,284 confirmed infections according to the Washington Department of Health.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Scott Lindquist, Deputy Secretary of Covid-19 Response Lacy Fehrenbach, and Acting Assistant Secretary for the DOH Michele Roberts shared the information on Wednesday during a press briefing.
Almost 88% of the confirmed Covid-19 cases involved students. Unlike other states such as in the southeast, where dozens of children were sickened in superspreader events that closed entire school districts, the average number of cases per event was five.
“That relatively small number of cases in each outbreak is an indication that schools are continuing to do a really good job on layered prevention measures and responding when they have cases and outbreaks,” Fehrenbach said.
A few districts were forced to move single schools to remote learning to manage outbreaks including in Medical Lake, Edmonds, and Eatonville.
Former naturopathic doctor convicted of selling fake Covid-19 cures
A former Port Angeles naturopathic physician who falsely claimed that two substances containing garlic extract and larch tree starch could treat and prevent Covid-19 has been found guilty of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. The conviction of Richard Marschall, 68, was first reported by the Peninsula Daily News.
The federal jury last week found that Richard Marschall, 68, misbranded the drugs and fraudulently marketed them, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.
This is the third conviction for Marschall since 2011 for making false claims. On his Facebook page, he made claims that two supplements, allicin a garlic extract, and IAG a larch tree starch had antiviral properties that would cure Covid-19.
Both supplements are made in the United States and neither maker makes any claims that their products are antiviral. Marschall was charging $140 for the supplements plus shipping and handling. He added his own labels making false claims about the abilities of the combination.
A 60 count bottle of allicin is $21.95 and a 3.6 ounce bottle of IAG is $39.48 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. A 400 pack of ink jet-ready bottle labels is $9.99.
Washington physician assistant has November 3 medical board hearing after allegedly peddled Covid-19 disinformation
Washougal Physician Assistant Scott Miller is facing a medical board hearing on November 3 after state officials suspended his license on October 16 for allegedly creating and spreading Covid-19 disinformation.
Accusations against Miller included:
Starting a public camaign promoting ivermectin as a Covid-19 cure
Prescribing ivermectin to at least one patient without providing an adequate examination
Interfering with the care of hospitalized patients
Engaging in a hostile and threatening campaign against both hospitals and individual physicians regarding Covid-19 treatment
Lying on his licensing application and denying he was already under investigation by the state of California
Miller spoke at a Camas School Board Meeting in May of 2021 against mask mandates and promoted ivermectin as a “cure.”
“I don’t know anybody that’s died (from COVID-19),” Miller said. “I’ve treated 350 COVID patients. Do you know there’s treatment? … I treat people every day. I had 90 COVID patients come into my clinic last month.” Miller then went on to call the school board “pure evil.”
Miller runs Miller Family Pediatrics in Washougal, Washington. A GoFundMe for Miller was suspended on October 19. Organizers moved to the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo. On October 29, $11,477 had been raised to support his defense, which is far short of the $50,000 goal set by organizers.
Washington State University infectious disease professor attempted to explain Covid-19 vaccines to Nick Rolovich
In April 2021 when officials at Washington State University learned that former football coach Nick Rolovich was falling down a disinformation hole, they arranged a meeting between Rolovich and Dr. Guy Palmer, a world-renowned WSU regents professor of pathology and infectious diseases.
According to a report by ESPN, Rolovich drove a conversation that focused on topics that were consistent with what Palmer said has been shared by the “anti-vax crowd on social media” over the past several years.
Questions included if Bill Gates was behind the vaccine or if SV40 was in the Covid-19 vaccines.
“I just tried to address those kind of more specific questions that have come up and I think many of those concerns were widely shared on social media, by individuals, and I just addressed them with the best data that I could and tried to give him clear answers,” Palmer said.
Palmer says that Rolovich’s primary concern was around side effects and he never brought up religious beliefs or questioned if fetal cells were used in the testing, development, or manufacturing of the vaccines.
Rolovich, through his lawyer, announced his plans to sue WSU after his religious exemption was declined and he was terminated on October 18. Rolovich served as head coach of the Cougars for less than two seasons with a 5 and 6 record. During his time as head coach of the UH Rainbow Warriors, they achieved a record of 28 and 27. At the time of his termination, Rolovich was the highest-paid public employee in Washington state.
Snohomish barber goes before two judges to answer questions about his anti-lockdown actions
Bob Martin because a cause celebre when he refused to close his Snohomish, Washington barbershop in 2020 when the state was under lockdown. Over the months that followed, the retired Marine Corps veteran racked up over $90,000 in fines for his continued refusal to close.
The barbershop became a rallying point for people against lockdowns and to a lesser extent, people desperate for a haircut.
“I’m not going to let the parasites in Olympia tell me that I cannot work,” Martin told KOMO News. “It’s my right to work.”
Martin insists the $90,000 in fines has been paid to the state of Washington through a promissory note. Last week a Snohomish County judge told Martin that the note does not satisfy his debt. Martin had two court hearings last week but the results of those hearings and transcripts have not been released.
Three Puget Sound area hospitals lauded by the Washington State Hospital Association for Covid-19 related efforts
Three Western Washington hospitals are receiving the Community Health Leadership Award for taking an innovative approach to addressing the pandemic in 2021 according to a report by Patch.
The Washington Medical Coordination Center at Harborview Medical Center was recognized for helping triage and placing Covid-19 patients across the state, and from across the region.
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health was lauded for its vaccination program that spanned across three counties. At its peak, the hospital system was vaccinated 3,100 people a day.
Swedish Health Services was commended for setting up 21 mobile vaccination clinics in under-served areas reaching out to rural, poor, and BIPOC communities. The hospital network partnered with the Ethiopian Community Center, and Pacific Islander Community Association.
Proud Boy shot after providing “security” at Olympia anti-vaccine mandate rally reportedly back in the hospital
Social media reports indicated Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, who was shot in the leg on September 4 shortly after providing “security” at an End the Mandate protest in Olympia, was back in the hospital and in “poor” condition.
On September 4 a group of 50 to 75 heavily armed Proud Boys roamed the streets of Olympia after leaving the End the Mandate protest to go “hunting,” as reported by independent journalists. The group assaulted several people who were not associated with any protest or counterprotest and attacked reporter Alissa Azar. Approximately 20 minutes after leaving the protest, they identified a small group of counterprotesters who were attempting to flee from the group.
Security camera video shows a man stopping, pulling out a handgun, and firing five shots. Toese was shot in the leg and required a short hospital stay in Olympia. A 36-year-old Olympia man was arrested on September 23 for the shooting and charged with first-degree assault.
Toese, who held more of an enforcer role, has been an acting regional leader for the Proud Boys since the January 6 Insurrection. Ethan Nordean of Washington is alleged to be the Proud Boy leader on January 6 after Enrique Tarrio was arrested on January 4. Nordean is currently in federal custody awaiting trial. Alan Swinney was arrested after multiple incidents in Portland, Oregon in August 2020 and was recently convicted on 11 of 12 charges, including one count of first-degree assault. Rufio Panman was also arrested for his involvement in the January 6 Insurrection and remains in federal custody.
Toese was seen at several anti-vaccination, anti-mask, and anti-mandate protests shortly after his shooting including an anti-mask protest on September 10.
No specific information on Toese’s condition was available beyond he is allegedly hospitalized and in “poor condition.” There was no information on if the hospitalization is related to the shooting or a different medical condition.
Travel Advisories
We are very encouraged by the hospital readiness data for the East Hospital Region and believe we can end the travel advisory in the next five to 12 days. For now, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited.
Additionally, we are maintaining the travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region. The region includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties.
We continue to strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Alaska and the Idaho Panhandle are experiencing an extreme number of Covid-19 hospitalizations. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a serious medical emergency. Data out of Wyoming is encourage and we may drop our travel advisory in the next 14 to 21 days.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The immune responses of children 5 through 11 were comparable to adolescents and young adults. In addition, the vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine’s safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children who received the vaccine and no serious side effects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week on November 2 and 3 to discuss further clinical recommendations.
“As a mother and a physician, I know that parents, caregivers, school staff, and children have been waiting for today’s authorization. Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards.”
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine for children 5 through 11 is administered as a two-dose series, three weeks apart, as a 10 microgram dose. Individuals 12 years of age and older receive a 30 microgram dose. Full efficacy is reached two weeks after the final dose is administered.
Health and Human Services have purchased 28 million doses with regional distribution beginning next week.
King County, Washington is reporting over 88.1% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.3% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 607 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 88.3% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 296 patients with 49.0% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 140 additional ICU patients.
On Thursday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 102. The Department of Health reported 1,096 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 28, with 144 requiring ventilators.
After declining for weeks Covid-19 hospitalizations increased 7% over the last 7 days. We analyzed the latest Covid-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths by Vaccination Status report by the DOH to determine if the growing hospitalization numbers are being driven by breakthrough cases.
From September 15 to October 12, unvaccinated individuals from 12 to 34 were 16 times more likely to be hospitalized, 35 to 64 were 18 times more likely, and 65 and over were 9 times more likely. The total number of vaccinated individuals. Statewide since vaccines have become available, 12.1% of hospitalizations have been breakthrough cases.
According to King County Health over the last 30 days, 3,248 unvaccinated people have been hospitalized with Covid-19, compared to 378 fully vaccinated individuals. The 10% rate aligns closely with the broader state average. No vaccine is 100% effective. Even if we make the bad assumption, statewide hospitalizations would still be close to 1,000. The growing hospitalization numbers continue to be fueled by the unvaccinated.
Hospital readiness gave back some improvements from earlier this week with the East Hospital Region going status red across all four metrics again.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Blackwell Elementary (4) – Carson Elementary (6) – Clara Barton (4) – Einstein (3) – Eastlake High (11) – Ella Baker (8) – Finn Hill Middle School (6 + 1 see notes) – ICS (4) – Juanita Elementary (3) – Kamiakin Middle School (20) – Kirk Elementary (2) – Lakeview Elementary (3) – Lake Washington High School (27) – Muir Elementary (1) – Redmond Elementary (9) – Redmond Middle School (64) – Redmond High School (46) – Timberline Middle School (45**) – Twain Elementary (27)
None
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (5) – Canyon Creek Elementary (5) – Canyon Park Middle School (2) – Crystal Springs Elementary (5) – East Ridge Elementary (7) – Fernwood Elementary (3) – Frank Love Elementary (24) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (2) – Inglemoor High School (13) – Kenmore Elementary (6) – Kenmore Middle School (17) – Kokanee Elementary (6) – Leota Middle School (1) – Maywood Hills Elementary (3) – Morelands Elementary (2) – North Creek High School (9**) – Northshore Middle School (16) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (68) – Shelton View Elementary (4) – Skyview Middle School (9) – Timbercrest Middle School (9) – Wellington Elementary (14**) – Westhill Elementary (11) – Woodin Elementary (50**) – Woodinville High School (7) – Woodmoor Elementary (5)
– Bothell High School (25**) – Lockwood Elementary (20**)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Northshore School District moved to red status with two facilities reporting ten confirmed Covid-19 cases each today. Bothell High School and Lockwood Elementary doubled the number of cases this week. There are four additional schools that have five to nine confirmed COVID cases.
We received a parent confirmed report of an additional Covid-19 case at Finn Hill Middle School. The Lake Washington School District only updates data. We rely on confirmed parental reports to provide additional details.
We continued to encourage parents to request daily updates from the Lake Washington School District. We would also encourage parents to request the Bellevue School District include data on close contacts. These two changes would bring the three school districts we track into alignment.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
UW Medicine opens up Covid-19 vaccine waitlist for children 5 to 11 years old
With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting emergency use authorization to the Pfizer vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, UW Medicine has opened up a waitlist. Although the use of the vaccine has been authorized, federal supply rules require the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to formally recommend the protocol.
To join the vaccine waitlist, parents or guardians can call 844-520-8700. Individuals who register will receive a text or phone call when it is time to schedule an appointment. Scheduling is done online through a single-use registration link. UW Medicine is not accepting walk-in appointments for vaccination.
A CDC panel is meeting on November 2 and 3. A formal recommendation to vaccinate children from 5 to 11 is widely expected next week and the Seattle Times reported Central Puget Sound is receiving an initial shipment of 316,000 doses.
Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event on November 6
The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event will be held on Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at Juanita High School. Hosted by the City of Kirkland in partnership with Public Health – Seattle and King County, the event will provide Covid-19 vaccination, information, education, and more.
At this time we do not know if vaccination for 5 to 11-year-olds will be available.
Save the date! The Kirkland Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event takes place 10 am – 2 pm, Sat 11/6 at Juanita High School. We are partnering with @KCPubHealth to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine info & education, & much more! More information to come. pic.twitter.com/JJcFnqggrJ
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 76,957 new cases and 2,141 deaths nationwide on Thursday.
12 states sue Biden administration over Covid-19 vaccine rule
Eleven states filed lawsuits Friday to stop President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing that the requirement violates federal law.
Attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming signed on to the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal district court in Missouri.
The states asked a federal judge to block Biden’s requirement that all employees of federal contractors be vaccinated against the coronavirus, arguing that the mandate violates federal procurement law and is an overreach of federal power.
“If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a statement. “The federal government should not be mandating vaccinations, and that’s why we filed suit today – to halt this illegal, unconstitutional action.”
That lawsuit, along with one filed Friday by Texas and Thursday by Florida, brings to 12 the number of states challenging the Biden administration mandate in three federal courts.
Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming currently have hospitals operating at crisis standards of care due to a surge in COVID cases.
Supreme Court refuses to block Maine’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an emergency appeal from Maine health care workers to halt a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that took effect Friday.
Health care workers at hospitals and nursing homes throughout the state risk losing their jobs if they are not vaccinated and religious exemptions are not being offered.
According to Fox News, three justices – Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito – signed on to a dissent written by Gorsuch, who suggested they would have adhered to the request from Maine health care workers.
“This case presents an important constitutional question, a serious error, and an irreparable injury,” Gorsuch wrote. “Where many other States have adopted religious exemptions, Maine has charted a different course. There, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered. All for adhering to their constitutionally protected religious beliefs.”
The case could be significant for future challenges to municipal, county, state, and private employer public health-related mandate challenges. In 2021, no case brought before the Supreme Court has given relief to plaintiffs looking to modify or block vaccine mandates. The 6 to 3 decision could have closed the door for those seeking public health exemptions based on religious grounds.
96.4% of active duty US Air Force personnel are vaccinated
The U.S. Air Force is reporting up to 12,000 personnel could be facing disciplinary action for refusing to get vaccinated for Covid-19. The Air Force is the first military branch to approach a vaccine mandate deadline.
Air Force officials would not provide any information on the status of the estimated 12,000 hold-outs. When compared to other mandates across the United States, a 96.4% vaccination rate is high before factoring in medical or religious exemption requests and previously planned retirements.
According to the Pentagon, only one active-duty service member has received an exemption.
Different military branches have different vaccination deadlines ranging from the U.S. Air Force November 1 deadline to a June 30, 2022 deadline for the National Guard.
So far In 2021, 71 military personnel have died from Covid-19 – none were fully vaccinated.
SOCOM’s commander, Army Gen. Richard D. Clarke, shared the statistic during the annual Military Reporters and Editors Conference here and said that percentage includes special operators like SEALS and Green Berets, but also administrative and other troops that make up the joint force of roughly 70,000.
State Updates
Alaska
Multiple hospitals operate under crisis standards of care across Alaska with 232 Covid-19 patients hospitalized and a sky-high new case rate. Health officials are reporting 629 new COVID cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity rate of 9.2%. Over 60% of new cases are among people under 40 years old. Although the transmission rate has plateaued, it has remained unchanged for more than six weeks as COVID rages through unvaccinated communities.
Earlier in the month, a series of contentious meetings at Anchorage City Hall debating a mask mandate for Alaska’s large city turned into a super spreader event. Several members of Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration became sick with Covid-19, including some breakthrough cases. William Topel, a well-known anti-vaccination activist was among the hundreds of mostly unmasked people in the packed room.
Topel, 68, had multiple health issues became ill with Covid-19 shortly after the meeting, and quickly declined in health. He was hospitalized in Anchorage and died of COVID-related illness on October 13. His supporters remained defiant at his funeral on October 25, according to Alaska Public Media.
“God’s going to use this as a fulcrum to propel us into victory,” friend and fellow activist Dustin Darden told the crowd after Topel’s burial. “We’re going to take every square inch of Anchorage, everything that Bill stood for every time he was out there, it’s just been amplified 1,000 times.”
After more than a week of theatrics that included Mayor Bronson supporting the use of Nazi symbols, and seven meetings that frequently devolved into screaming matches, the Anchorage Assembly voted to issue an emergency mask mandate. On October 13, the same day Topel died, Bronson vetoed the decision. A day later, the Assembly overrode the veto by vote, requiring masks on October 14.
On October 27, the Anchorage Assembly meeting scheduled to discuss routine city business devolved into an anti-mask debate again.
On Saturday, anti-vaccination activists are holding the “Alaska Early Treatment Summit” that includes Robert W. Malone, Ophthalmologist Richard Urso MD, and Ryan Cole, MD, head of Ada County Health in Idaho and currently under investigation by the state medical board.
Malone claims he had Covid-19 in February 2020 and suffers from long hauler syndrome. He states he got the Moderna vaccine in hopes it would “cure” his symptoms, but believes the vaccination made it worse.
Malone is also the originator of the disinformation claim that people who receive the Covid-19 vaccine will die within six months to three years. The first Phase 1 trials started in April 2020 and in the United States, four vaccine-related deaths have been reported due to an extremely rare but dangerous condition called VITT.
Idaho
Idaho is facing good news, bad news situations as new case rates and hospitalizations plateau and fall respectively, while Covid-19 continues to rage in Northern Idaho and the Panhandle. The apocalyptic forecasts of 30,000 new cases a week (that Malcontent News reported was likely too grim) have not materialized, however, new cases are still running between 8,000 and 10,000 a week. Test positivity dropped to 11.5% but remains well above the optimal rate of 3% to 5% which would indicate adequate testing.
The Panhandle District accounts for 22% of Idaho’s new cases and Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene has been operating in crisis standards of care for almost two months. State officials don’t see the hospital situation improving much with concerns over the approaching flu season and continued spread in the unvaccinated population.
Since Covid-19 first arrived in the Gem State, there have been 290,872 confirmed cases – 4.5% vaccination breakthroughs. The state has recorded 3,543 Covid-19 related deaths.
Dr. Kathryn Turner, the deputy state epidemiologist, said North Idahoans are also not very helpful when it comes to contact tracing for the coronavirus.
“People are not as cooperative as in other parts of the state,” Turner said.
Idaho does not provide daily hospitalization data. The most recent report stated 570 were hospitalized with Covid-19, 163 in the ICU, with more than half on ventilators. Under normal conditions, Idaho has 170 staffed ICU beds.
Only two “large” hospitals, Community Medical Center and Northern Montana Hospital had normal occupancy rates. The largest hospital, Billings Clinic, was caring for 277 patients, including 76 people infected with Covid-19.
To date, 5% of confirmed COVID cases require hospitalization. Currently, 1% of the entire Montana population is infected with Covid-19 every 14 days.
“It has been an exceptionally challenging week for us here, with record numbers of hospitalizations and very, very sick and very, very acutely ill patients hospitalized due to COVID,” said Katie Gallagher, Covid-19 public information officer for St. Peter’s Hospital.
St. Peter’s reports that, in October, 26 patients died due to complications from COVID – including five on a single day, the highest one-day total they’ve recorded. Gallagher said that was compared to nine COVID-related deaths in September.
More patients are also being hospitalized with COVID-related illnesses according to a report by KTVH. Gallagher says they have been averaging more than 30 over recent weeks, with the highest number being 44 – almost half of the available inpatient beds.
On Friday the Montana Nurses Association filed a motion to join a lawsuit by a coalition of medical providers and patients that seeks to invalidate Montana law that bars medical organizations from requiring employees to be vaccinated, saying it violates federal law and the U.S. and Montana constitution.
According to KTVQ, the original suit was filed in September in U.S. District Court in Missoula with the Montana Medical Association as the lead plaintiff. It challenges parts of HB 702 – passed by Republican majorities at the 2021 Legislature – saying it illegally prevents physicians, their offices, and hospitals from providing a safe environment for patients.
The nurses’ suit comes as Montana faces the worst rates for hospitalizations and death from COVID-19 in the United States, according to data from the Mayo Clinic.
New York
Six FDNY members of Ladder 113 have been suspended for allegedly driving their truck to a state senator’s New York City office and threatening his staff over the vaccine mandate for city workers according to a report by New York NBC 4.
The on-duty firefighters drove an in-service ladder truck to state Senator Zellnor Myrie’s office in Brooklyn on Friday and questioned staff as to where the politician lives, a department spokesperson confirmed. The crew is accused of telling his staffers they would have “blood on their hands” Monday when unvaccinated workers must go on unpaid leave.
The group of firefighters also allegedly told the staff that if a fire was reported at Myrie’s home they would not respond.
Commissioner Daniel Nigro says, “this is a highly inappropriate act by on duty members of this Department who should only be concerned with responding to emergencies and helping New Yorkers and not harassing an elected official and his staff."
New York City’s vaccine mandate deadline for municipal workers which includes fire, police, is November 1. Compared to other cities such as Seattle and San Francisco as well as the state of Hawaii, vaccination rates are alarming low.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, 33,400 city workers remained unvaccinated. The city said it would provide updated vaccine rates on Saturday.
The fire department said it was prepared to close up to 20% of its fire companies and have 20% fewer ambulances in service while changing schedules, canceling vacations, and turning to outside EMS providers to make up for expected staffing shortages.
Wyoming
Data from Wyoming is more encouraging as new cases continue to drop while hospitalizations remain very high. Officials reported 193 hospitalized statewide while the number of new cases is averaging 557 per day. Wyoming has lost 178 residents to Covid-19 in October and crossed the 1,000 death threshold this month. Over 15% of COVID-related deaths occurred in the last 28 days. On October 21, Wyoming set a new hospitalization record peaking at 249 patients.
Elective surgeries have been delayed for weeks, creating additional health problems, according to a story by Wyoming Public Media. Jeffrey Chapman is the chief medical officer at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center – one of the many Wyoming hospitals that have had to limit what procedures they can perform.
“For almost five weeks we’ve only been doing urgent and emergent cases,” he said.
From Sheridan to Casper to Rock Springs, hospitals are monitoring their capacity on a day-to-day basis. In Campbell County, the hospital system canceled all elective surgeries earlier this week. And at Cheyenne Regional, Chapman said they have to make decisions about which surgeries can wait and which cannot.
The anti-vaccination community has seized upon the Harvard study as proof that vaccines are ineffective, and the momentum has been further fueled by Daniel Horowitz of The Blaze. So who is right?
First, we should look to the main author of the paper S.V. Subramanian, a Harvard professor of population health and geography who is saying the anti-vaccination community has it all wrong.
“That conclusion is misleading and inaccurate,” Subramanian wrote in an email to Ali Breland, a journalist. “This paper supports vaccination as an important strategy for reducing infection and transmission, along with hand-washing, mask-wearing, and physical distancing.”
Second and more important, there are serious data issues, inaccuracies, assumptions, and questions about the co-author of the paper.
The data analysis starts at January 1, before anyone was fully vaccinated. Additionally vaccination programs targeted the elderly and those most likely to get severe Covid-19, and the analysis did not take into account the base rate. The data only considered hospitalization data through May 2021, just weeks after multiple states permitted vaccination to all age groups over 16.
The second author of the study is a high school student in Canada
Errors within the paper aside, Subramanian has stated the paper is supportive of vaccination as part of a holistic approach to defeating the pandemic.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.These words have never been more important for today’s update.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) The big story today is not local or even in the United States. It is the U.K. where a new variant of Delta is starting to establish itself and on the European continent where new Covid-19 cases are climbing again. With the holiday travel season just weeks away the timing of this new European surge is very troubling. Our view is a new surge is coming this winter, and if you want to skip ahead you can move to the National Update to read more.
Closer to home, new cases drifted downward in Washington especially east of the Cascades while hospitalizations remain plateaued.
State officials said some people who were fired or quit because of the vaccine mandate will probably qualify for unemployment benefits.
We have additional information on the Kirkland Fire Department and the status of 16 employees who were not fully vaccinated by October 18.
New Covid-19 cases were reported at Lake Hills Elementary in the Bellevue School District and Kamiakin Middle School in Lake Washington.
King County Sheriff employees were told to keep working “until further notice” even if they have not submitted their vaccination information. The number of Seattle Police Department officers seeking exemptions dropped further today. Seattle Public Schools reported over 99% of teachers and 100% of school principals are fully vaccinated or were granted exemptions. A small group of protesters gathered outside of Seattle City Light but for now, no one has been fired.
Former Washington State University Nick Rolovich has hired an attorney who announced on Twitter he is planning to sue for wrongful termination.
While some TV and radio personalities wrung their hands over police cuts that mostly didn’t materialize, none of them are addressing the 350 employees released by the Department of Corrections. They did however focus on a Washington State Patrol sergeant who issued a farewell in a viral video.
Access to parts of the capitol complex in Olympia is restricted to vaccinated people only through January 10, and some legislatures are very mad. On the subject of legislatures, Senator Doug Ericksen who in October 2020 demanded a special session to cut the state budget by $4 billion and furlough thousands of employees, called for Jay Inslee to resign due to state employee job cuts.
Nationally, the FDA authorized booster shots for Moderna and Johnson and Johnson and approved a mix-and-match approach to boosters. Approval of the Pfizer vaccine is expected in the next couple of weeks, and the Biden Administration has already purchased 28 million doses. Finally, multiple news agencies reported tonight the FDA is seriously considering booster shots for people 40 and over.
We are now adjusting the 14 day moving average new Covid-19 case rate to account for population. This update provides a better view of how vaccination rates are impacting community spread. The new case rate is 230% higher in the least vaccinated counties versus the most vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Total Population in Group
Average 14-Day New Case Rate
60.00% or above (5 counties)
2,659,450
216.4
50.00% to 59.99% (16 counties)
4,098,600
362.5
40.00% to 49.99% (10 counties)
860,525
441.7
30.30% to 39.99% (8 counties)
158,300
497.2
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Adjusted for Population
Through October 19, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average dropped slightly to 325.7 Covid-19 cases per 100K.
Ferry County (1,314.8) and Garfield County (1,303.4) continue to be hot spots, otherwise, cases in Eastern Washington are declining rapidly.
Only two counties, Chelan and Grant, have a new case rate between 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K residents, and both are in the low 600s.
Counties between 400.0 and 599.9 include Asotin, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Yakima.
New cases by age group were statistically unchanged, while hospitalizations increased for people 65 to 79 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
146.1
1.0
Ages 12-19
160.5
1.9
Ages 20-34
144.6
3.7
Ages 35-49
161.6
9.3
Ages 50-64
119.0
12.6
Ages 65-79
94.1
17.1 (up)
Ages 80+
92.0
30.4
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 88 deaths on Tuesday. However, that number includes the weekend and Monday.
Some people who quit or were fired over vaccine mandate may qualify for state unemployment benefits
“The laws surrounding when someone is qualified to receive benefits are going to be intricate and complex,” said Scott Michael, legal services coordination manager at the Employment Security Department, during a meeting of the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Committee last month. “Each case always has to be decided on its own merits. Small differences in facts, in timing, in what was said, what was intended can lead to very different outcomes.”
Workers who requested a medical or religious exemption, had it granted, and were refused accommodation, will likely qualify for state unemployment benefits. The lack of accommodation despite recognizing their need for exemption creates a “good cause” for them to quit their position. However, a person filing for unemployment would need to show that they tried to negotiate with their employer in good faith and had their request rejected.
The minimum unemployment benefit in Washington is $285 a week, and the maximum is $929. The amount of weekly benefit is based on prior income. Individuals who made $10,000 a month or more for the six months before claiming unemployment would qualify for the state maximum. With the end of federal benefits on September 6, a person could claim unemployment for 26 weeks.
Individuals fired or who quit over principle, medical freedom, or refusing to get vaccinated likely have no recourse.
Unvaccinated King County Sheriff Office employees told to work “until further notice”
The King County Sheriff Office (KCSO) has not provided data on how many deputies are vaccinated because of a previous agreement made with the county to extend the vaccination deadline to December 2.
In an October 4 memo sent to the 1,100 KCSO employees were advised if they had not shown proof of vaccination by October 18, they should keep reporting to work “until further notice.”
The same memo also said that employees who had not provided proof of vaccination or requested accommodation would get a letter of pending separation around October 20.
402, 292, 200, 103, 93 SPD officers seeking exemptions
Yesterday the Seattle Police Department reported 103 employees sought medical or religious exemptions, and another six were facing termination after not getting vaccinated by October 18. The Seattle Times reported 93 commissioned officers are seeking exemptions.
The department has the budget to support almost 300 or more commissioned officers. Factoring the pending Loudermill hearings for the six who decided not to get vaccinated, the City has 1,037 available cops. If all 93 exemption requests are rejected, the department will lose 9% of the current force.
KOMO reported there “could be impacts to service” per SPD. The dire predictions of moving the department to emergency staffing conditions did not come to pass.
Former WSU coach Nick Rolovich to sue for wrongful termination
Nick Rolovich is going to sue Washington State University for “unjust and unlawful” termination, according to a statement released by the attorney representing the former WSU football coach.
In the statement posted on Twitter, the unnamed attorney claims that WSU Athletic Director Pat Chun had planned to fire Rolovich “since at least April.”
Just received this from an attorney representing Nick Rolovich, who plans to sue #WashingtonState for illegal termination. Accuses AD Pat Chun of “discriminatory and vindictive behavior.” pic.twitter.com/KTOnIchKXD
The letter claims that Rolovich has “sincerely held religious beliefs” and Chun was dishonest, discriminatory, and vindictive.
Rolovich was the subject of rampant speculation for months as he played a public relations cat and mouse game over his vaccination status. Rolovich told USA Today he was filing an exemption request based on religious grounds with little more than a week left before the state-mandated deadline.
Editor’s Note: We continue to believe this is just public relations theater. Our prediction is Rolovich will receive an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum with a gag order for all parties. In the end, this will be a loss for Washington state taxpayers.
Access to state capitol House and Senate buildings restricted to vaccinated only through January 10
Under a new rule adopted by a House committee last month, legislatures and employees needed to provide proof of vaccination by October 18 to access the House facilities through January 10.
Robinson clarified that the figure applies only to full-time staff with SPS, including teachers, principals, and management staff. Full-time employees with SPS account for 7,283 of its more than 12,000 total employees. The rest are hourly and seasonal personnel.
Robinson indicated 205 employees were granted religious or medical exemptions. Teachers were “over 99% compliance” along with 100% of school principals. Malcontent News estimates 30 to 35 full-time teachers are facing termination based on the data provided by Robinson and the staffing numbers in SPS before the October 18 deadline.
A small group protests outside of Seattle City Light over vaccine mandate
“They are not saying I am fired, to be clear, but what they are saying is to no longer have contact with anybody here,” said Jeremy Rowan, a City Light employee for nearly 20 years.
Seattle City Light has approximately 1,690 employees. City officials reported 1,573 workers were fully vaccinated, and another 84 have requested religious or medical exceptions that are under consideration. Based on the data provided, Malcontent News estimates 30 to 35 people are facing termination.
Despite fearmongering from Turning Point USA, the City indicates they do not expect any service-related issues.
What happens when a grid loses power and there’s not enough workers to get it running?
DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange did not provide data on how many correctional officers or supervisors were released but stated the terminations included medical staff, cooks, maintenance workers, and officers.
Strange said the prisons are safe as they were during and before the pandemic.
“We have not seen a significant impact to staff, or those in our care and custody, any uptick in injury or fights,” said Strange.
Editor’s Note: The DOC has been underfunded and short-staffed for years, partially due to Washington voters refusing to pass measures that would offer badly needed prison reform and provide adequate funding. Issues of improper staffing levels, low morale, assaults on inmates and employees, and poorly trained staff are well documented. Even if the vaccine-related terminations have not created “a significant impact to staff, or those in our care and custody,” this statement ignores the continuing issues in Washington state prisons.
Editor’s Note 2: We find it disingenuous that news personalities such as Brandi Kruse, Jason Rantz, and Dori Monson have amplified unrealized fears of a law and order disaster due to the vaccine mandate while not once mentioning corrections officers. The United States prison system is steeped in racism, inequity, and ineffectiveness. Almost 60% of Washington state inmates have a serious mental illness when they are incarcerated, setting up DOC staff and inmates for repeated failure. The United States has the largest prison population both per capita and in total numbers on the planet.
In final radio message farewell, former WSP Sergeant Kirk Schnider contradicts the number of job cuts
In a radio transmission on October 18, Washington State Patrol Sergeant Kirk Schnider stated, “due to my personal choices to take a moral stand for medical freedom and personal choice. I will be signing out for the last time today after nearly 17 years in service to the state of Washington.”
In his broadcast, Schnider accused the media and WSP officials of downplaying their role and the impact on the department due to vaccination-related separations.
“We all know in this district on the 19th there will be 51 of the 75 troopers available and only 7 of the 11 sergeants.”
Taking a "moral stance for medical freedom & personal choice," this 17-year veteran of the WA State Patrol tearfully says goodbye, forced out by @GovInslee's vaccine mandate. His wife is the dispatch operator (15-year veteran) & is also out.
The WSP reported in a press release that a total of 67 commissioned officers, six sergeants, and one captain were terminated for choosing to refuse vaccination. Schnider is one of the six sergeants to leave WSP.
Fiscal conservatives from the Senate Freedom Caucus call for resignation of Governor Jay Inslee due to vaccine mandate
Yesterday, members of the Washington State Freedom Caucus called for Governor Jay Inslee to resign due to vaccine-mandate-related staff cuts, according to a report in Clark County Today.
“This mass-termination event is the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” said state Senator Doug Ericksen (Ferndale-R). “Never have we witnessed a failure of leadership in this state as we have seen under Gov. Jay Inslee. For nearly 600 days, he has used COVID emergency powers to establish autocratic rule, refusing to call the Legislature into special session, and shutting the people out.”
“Inslee has done significant damage to the credibility of state government and has eroded the public’s trust. Now he is firing thousands of public employees without regard to the harm it will cause. This effort to punish can only be seen as the willful act of a failed governor. Inslee has failed miserably. We don’t take this lightly. But the only thing that can allow our state to heal and move forward is for Jay Inslee to resign.”
A total of 1,887 employees were terminated statewide on October 18, with the only apparent significant disruption impacting Washington State Ferries.
The state Freedom Caucus includes Ericksen, Phil Fortunato (Auburn-R), Jim McCune (Graham-R), and Mike Padden (Spokane Valley-R). The group proposed a “stimulus plan” during the same month that would take federal COVID relief tax dollars to eliminate day use fees at state parks, cut state camping fees, cut hunting and fishing license fees, and create a “school choice” voucher program.
Travel Advisories
Due to increased acute care hospitalizations, we’re maintaining our recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region, including Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity remain limited, and the ratio of Covid-19 patients to other hospital patients is exceptionally high. Please reconsider nonessential travel plans to these counties.
We are walking back that our travel advisory for the East Hospital Region will likely last through the remainder of 2021. Current data is somewhat encouraging, and we believe the situation could improve significantly in the next four weeks.
We strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care in Alaska, Idaho, and Montana if you experience a serious medical emergency.
We are not adding a travel advisory for the Northwest Hospital Region, which includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Mason counties but don’t recommend engaging in risky recreational behavior on the Olympic Peninsula. Although hospitals are very constrained, the region is adjacent to the Puget Sound and West Hospital Regions, which have adequate resources.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
The FDA has limited the Moderna booster to persons over 64-years old, 18 to 64 years old and immunocompromised, and persons who work in occupations where they are frequently exposed to Covid-19.
Data from Moderna indicated that a low dose provided the same immunity as a regular dose, so the FDA guidelines specify a half dose for booster injections.
Booster shots for Jassen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine approved by the FDA
“Earlier analyses from the FDA and CDC safety surveillance systems suggest an increased risk of a serious and rare type of blood clot in combination with low blood platelets following administration of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. This serious condition is called thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). People who developed TTS after receiving the vaccine had symptoms that began about one to two weeks after vaccination. Reporting of TTS has been highest in females ages 18 through 49 years. In addition, safety surveillance suggests an increased risk of a specific serious neurological disorder called Guillain Barré syndrome, within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine.“
Mix and Match of Covid-19 booster shots approved by the FDA
In a third decision, the FDA approved mix and match Covid-19 booster shots. A clinical trial data from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases involving more than 1,500 people showed that mixing and matching provided a positive immune response. Additionally, data indicated that millions of Americans were already combining vaccination boosters on their own.
The mix and match authorization will help innoculate vulnerable communities such as nursing home residents faster while enabling individual choice.
As an example, a woman who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and is currently taking birth control could get a Pfizer or Moderna booster as an alternative.
“Today’s actions demonstrate our commitment to public health in proactively fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “As the pandemic continues to impact the country, science has shown that vaccination continues to be the safest and most effective way to prevent COVID-19, including the most serious consequences of the disease, such as hospitalization and death. The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated. The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.”
Reports the FDA is considering expanding Pfizer and Moderna booster shots to people 40 and older
Multiple news outlets are reporting that the FDA may recommend expanding Covid-19 booster shots for people who received the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna more than six months ago and are over 39-years old.
“I believe it will happen,” the source familiar with the plan told CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen. There is “growing concern within the FDA” that US data is beginning to show more hospitalizations among people under age 65 who have been fully vaccinated, the source said.
Multiple outlets citing the same source indicated that government officials are becoming concerned about growing breakthrough cases among middle-aged Americans.
Editor’s Note:Malcontent News usually does not share or report on stories from “undisclosed sources.” We believe there is veracity to these reports due to global events and growing concern over the Delta Plus AY.4.2 variant that includes additional spike mutations A222V and Y145H.
Approval of Pfizer vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds expected to be approved “in a couple of weeks”
The White House said on Wednesday that it is ready to quickly roll out COVID-19 vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 if the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for that age group is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Should the FDA and CDC authorize the vaccine, we will be ready to get shots in arms,” said White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients during a news briefing Wednesday morning.
The FDA independent advisory committee is scheduled to discuss and likely vote on October 26, while the CDC independent advisory committee meets on November 2 and 3.
The recommendation the FDA and CDC will consider is two doses that are one-third of the volume of an adult dose, spaced three weeks apart. It would take an additional two weeks for the vaccine to reach peak effectiveness.
King County, Washington is reporting over 87.6% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 15.6% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 610 additional acute care patients.
ICUs are at 85.6% of capacity statewide, with 25.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 299 patients with 52% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 170 additional ICU patients.
On Monday, the 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was 108. The Department of Health reported 1,106 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 19, with 155 requiring ventilators. The patient count is between 1,080 and 1,160 for the 10th day in a row.
Hospital readiness is slowly improving, including in the East Hospital Region. The declining number of acute care patients with Covid-19 is a leading indicator that ICU capacity will begin to improve by early November.
Hospital status by region – ICU Occupancy should be below 80%, ICU COVID Patients should be below 20%, Acute Care Occupancy should be below 80%, and Acute Care COVID Patients should be below 10%
– Bell Elementary (3*) – Blackwell Elementary (2*) – Carson Elementary (3*) – Einstein (1*) – Eastlake High (3*) – Finn Hill Middle School (3*) – Inglewood Middle School (1*) – Juanita Elementary (5*) – Juanita High School (4*) – Kamiakin Middle School (3*) – Kirk Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (5*) – Lake Washington High School (4*) – Mead Elementary (2*) – Northstar Middle (1*) – Redmond Elementary (1*) – Redmond Middle School (2*) – Redmond High School (2*) – Rosa Parks Elementary (2*) – Rose Hill Middle School (1*) – Timberline Middle School (6*) – Twain Elementary (2*)
None
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (1) – Bothell High School (36**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (9) – Canyon Park Middle School (21) – Cottage Lake Elementary (4) – Crystal Springs Elementary (21) – East Ridge Elementary (1) – Frank Love Elementary (34) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (34) – Inglemoor High School (6) – Kenmore Elementary (8) – Kenmore Middle School (41**) – Kokanee Elementary (10) – Leota Middle School (1) – Lockwood Elementary (17) – Maywood Hills Elementary (1) – Moorlands Elementary (2) – North Creek High School (8) – Northshore Middle School (22) – Ruby Bridge Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (3) – Shelton View Elementary (3) – Skyview Middle School (3) – Sunrise Elementary (1) – Timbercrest Middle School (18) – Wellington Elementary (16) – Westhill Elementary (5) – Woodin Elementary (15) – Woodinville High School (3) – Woodmoor Elementary (3)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than ten active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
The Bellevue School District reported one confirmed Covid-19 case at Lake Hills Elementary.
We received a parent confirmed report of three new Covid-19 cases at Kamiakin Middle School with 14 additional quarantines.
We continued to encourage parents to request improved daily data reporting from the Lake Washington School District.
Correction:On Tuesday, October 19, the daily summary for the Covid-19 update included a typographical error reporting nine confirmed COVID cases at Bellevue High School in the Northshore School District. The nine confirmed cases are at Bothell High School in the Northshore School District. We have corrected the daily summary and apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Upated Kirkland Fire Department vaccination numbers
As of 11:15 a.m. on Tuesday, 100 of 116 City of Kirkland firefighters had provided proof of vaccination, according to Joy Johnston, Interim Communications Program Manager with the City of Seattle. To date, no firefighters have quit, retired, or been terminated due to the vaccine mandate.
Ms. Johnston reported that one firefighter is completing their vaccinations, and the remaining 15 have requested exemptions on either medical or religious grounds. Eight exceptions have been approved, and the remaining seven are under consideration.
The City reported that there is no reduction in service levels for the community.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker reports 81,238 new cases and 2,357 deaths nationwide on Wednesday.
Our view – anyone unvaccinated has a future date with the next Covid-19 surge
On March 12, 2020 I wrote an essay that went viral on the situation in Kirkland, Washington, and made predictions on what would happen in the coming weeks across the United States. Unfortunately, those predictions became true.
I became deeply concerned about the Delta variant during the early days of July 2021 and just days after a collective declaration of victory over Covid-19. A combination of a nation that returned to normal too fast, low national vaccination rates, and air travel created a surge in new cases that rivaled January 2021. I noticed that outspoken critics of Covid-19 mitigation efforts were suddenly appealing for their constituents to get vaccinated, including Sean Hannity of Fox News, Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, among others. The change of tone was jarring to me. Privately I told those close to me, “they know something.”
By mid-July, I was wearing a mask again. Two weeks later, I sounded the alarm a new surge had arrived in the United States. I wanted to be wrong. Delta AY.1 raged across the United States and continues to in Alaska, Idaho. Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. As the temperatures dropped with the arrival of fall, Delta cases are predictably spiking in Minnesota and Vermont.
Regrettably, I am predicting the next surge, and I now believe another wave is coming in January or February 2022. I am not the only person that is expressing concern over the Delta AY.4.2 variant. Katelyn Jetelina M.D. expressed worry about Delta A.4 on October 17 and warned that the United States could follow the same path as the U.K.
My concern over Delta Plus AY.4.2 has increased significantly
In the United Kingdom, Delta Plus AY.4.2 with additional spike mutations A222V and Y145H has grown to represent 6% of new infections at the end of September, and the number of cases with the mutated Delta variant is continuing to increase, according to British health officials.
Researchers are still studying the significance of Delta Plus, but early data indicates it is more transmissible than the Delta AY.1 and AY.2 variants, which currently make up most of the Covid-19 cases on the planet. Delta has an R0 of 6.0 among a completely unvaccinated population – equal to smallpox. Delta Plus has an estimated R0 of 6.6. That’s just enough of a difference to help it spread.
Delta Plus is not more deadly than Delta, but it does appear to make people sicker. Additionally, it does not appear to be anymore vaccine-resistant than Delta, but data out of the UK is showing us that both natural and vaccine immunity waves after six to eight months.
While new cases and hospitalizations are surging, the death rate in the U.K. has remained low, especially among the fully vaccinated. We have seen similar data out of Israel and right here in the United States. Most of the available vaccines remain highly effective at mitigating hospitalizations and severe COVID.
We don’t know if the worst surge for Covid-19 in Russia is Delta Plus, but for the first time since experiencing the first COVID case, 1,000 Russians are dying a day.
Earlier this week, the Russian government ordered anyone over 60 to stay home for four months. Today, Dictator President Vladimir Putin told the Cabinet backed the Cabinet’s proposal to declare a non-working week and keep Russian workers away from their offices.
Only 32% of Russians are vaccinated because of their deep devotion and love distrust of the Russian government. Ironically, in trying to sow global discord about the safety of vaccines from Western Europe and North American pharmaceutical companies to drive sales of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, the disinformation campaign spread into Russia. Worse, the Sputnik V vaccine has performed poorly, only reinforcing distrust among the Russian people.
Several regions, or Oblasts, have implemented vaccine mandates, and many have already restricted large events, restaurants, and bars.
The same week we wrote about our concern that Covid-19 cases were rising again in the U.K. Putin went into quarantine after several people within his inner circle tested positive for COVID. Putin claims he was vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine in March. When he went into quarantine, a Kremlin spokesperson claimed that the people infected and Putin had recently received boosters.
Across Europe, new Covid-19 cases have increased for three weeks in a row. We don’t know if the Delta or the Delta Plus variant is driving the increase outside the U.K.
Holiday travel season is almost here and the borders between Canada and Mexico are opening at the same time
A new, more transmissible variant in the U.K., growing cases across Europe, and the land borders between the United States and Mexico reopening on November 8. Travel restrictions are ending just in time for the holidays. With the Delta surge winding down in the United States, a new sense of “we won” is spreading again. Over the next 2-1/2 months, travelers will hit the road and go on vacation.
November 25, Thanksgiving
November 29 – December 6, Hanukkah
December 24, Christmas Eve
December 25, Christmas Day
December 26, Kwanzaa
December 31, New Years Eve
January 1, New Years Day
January 4, 5, 6 and 7, Orthodox Christmas
Two years away from family, recreational travel to Canada and Mexico is available again, and holiday travelers will create an environment ripe for spreading a new variant, especially among the unvaccinated.
Assessment
I believe many issues are coming together to create a perfect storm at the end of the year. The United States is weary of Covid-19 everything. Former President Donald Trump oversold Operation Warp Speed and the vaccine program as a one-and-done shot that would provide protection forever. Coronaviruses include MERS, SARS, SAR-CoV-2, and the common cold. Coronaviruses are “slippery” by nature. That is, they mutate rather quickly compared to other viral diseases such as poliovirus. Many people feel there has been a bait and switch on what the vaccines would deliver.
Last year, we told our readers and viewers that it was very likely the Covid-19 vaccines would be similar to flu vaccines requiring a yearly dose to fight new mutations. We also told our readers that the vaccination cycle would not mirror the flu vaccine but would be more closely aligned to when people congregated indoors. In the warmer latitudes, vaccination programs would occur in the spring as people get ready to move to air conditioning. In the colder latitudes, vaccinations would come in the fall before people moved back to indoor activity.
Delta Plus has a beachhead in the U.K. and is almost certainly spreading across Europe – at a slow pace – but spreading. A combination of holiday travel, continued vaccine hesitancy, and more indoor activity due to cold weather will drive another surge that will start as the 2021 holiday season is winding down.
The impact will be tempered in the Southwestern United States and the Gulf Coast because moderate temperatures drive more outdoor activity. We have a tremendous amount of evidence that Covid-19 spreads indoors at a much higher rate than outdoors.
In the Northeast, the Great Lake states, the Midwest, the Rocky Mountain states, and low vaccinated areas of the Pacific Northwest, Delta Plus will find new hosts among the unvaccinated, the elderly, and immunocompromised. There will be no will among the government or the populous for any meaningful countermeasures.
How Bad
If all things remain as they are today, I believe we will see significant hot spots versus a national wave like we just witnessed. States like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming may not get much reprieve from their current Delta-fueled surge. The isolation that winter brings to Alaska will probably benefit the state.
The upcoming surge will genuinely be a pandemic of the unvaccinated. In Washington state, counties such as Stevens, Whitman, Franklin, Lewis, Benton, Yakima, and Grant will be ripe for another significant event. Spokane County will likely feel pressure from neighboring Idaho again.
Wildcards
Five wildcards could soften the next surge. The first is vaccination among children from 5 to 11 years old. Regrettably, we will likely see another urban versus rural divide. This fall, we gathered reliable data showing children remain largely asymptomatic carriers who brought Covid-19 into their households. Over 140,000 American children have become orphans due to COVID, and the number is growing. The more young children fully vaccinated, the more we can stamp down the surge.
The next wildcard is the anti-viral drug molnupiravir. If the FDA approves the Merck/Ridgeback Biotherapeutics drug before the end of the year, if production and distribution can ramp up, if it is effective as it has been in Phase 3 testing, and if the current disinformation campaign against molnupiravir doesn’t create widespread mistrust, it could change the game.
The third wildcard is how many people get booster shots and if the FDA approves boosters for people as young as 40. If the FDA decides to expand booster shots before Veterans Day, consider that your “they know something.”
The next wildcard is severe weather. If the United States has widespread severe weather over the holidays that cripples air travel for an extended period, it could help slow the spread. Airlines are already stretched thin after laying off and forcing 25% to 30% of pilots into early retirement during 2020.
The final wildcard is Influenza. Flu was stopped in its tracks in 2020 because masks are highly effective at slowing the transmission, many schools systems were virtual, most people skipped the holidays, and mask wear was high. Flu can cut both ways this coming winter. A significant surge of flu could unintentionally cause isolation slowing down the spread of Covid-19.
It also could have the opposite effect. People sick with COVID could dismiss it as a cold or flu, take a handful of DayQuil and forge ahead with their day.
10 things you can do to help
If you’re not vaccinated, get vaccinated. Everyone has a future dance with Covid-19. There is overwhelming evidence that vaccination reduces your chance of getting infected and dramatically lowers your chance of hospitalization and death.
If you are eligible for a booster shot, get a booster and do it as quickly as possible.
if you have children from 12 to 15, get them vaccinated if they aren’t already.
If vaccination for 5 to 11 year olds is approved, get them vaccinated as quickly as possible. If the Pfizer vaccine becomes available on November 8 and your child is vaccinated on the same day, they won’t have full immunity until December 13.
If you travel over the holidays, consider not travel by air, and avoid crowded indoor spaces. If you will be with family members and you don’t know their vaccination status wear a mask. If you have family members who are at high risk of severe COVID, wear a mask.
If you travel to areas with low vaccination rates wear a mask, confrontations be damned.
Learn and memorize the different symtoms between Influenza and Covid-19.
Consider buying two at home rapid tests for each family member now to have on hand.
If you or someone in your household becomes sick with COVID like symptoms, stay home.
Get your influenza vaccine.
Final thought
I will close with the same final thought I had in July 2021. I have never wanted this badly to be wrong, and I hope I am.
State Updates
Due to the overwhelming amount of local news, we will not do a state update today. The situation in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming can best be described as lousy, terrible, dire, and getting worse, in that order.
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.
Thank you
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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.
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) More than 8,000 Washingtonians have died from Covid-19 since February 29, 2020, as new cases and hospitalizations continue to slowly decline.
Vaccination rates increased across the state, although the gap between the most vaccinated and least vaccinated counties barely narrowed. Pediatric and adolescent hospitalizations increased over the weekend and we learned that Washington state is taking in 110 hospital patients from Idaho a week.
Almost 92% of Washington state employees are fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption and the Washington State Hospital Association reported over 88% of all medical workers are inoculated.
After multiple threats of a sickout, Washington State Ferry workers crippled operations over the weekend. Up to 170 WSF employees remain unvaccinated and years of system neglect amplified the staffing issues over the holiday.
Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich announced he was opting for a special play when it comes to getting vaccinated and filed for a religious exemption. The day before the Seattle Kraken make their NHL debut, five players are under Covid-19 protocols.
Unvaccinated King County residents are 16 times more likely to die from Covid-19, and while vaccination rates in the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area continue to increase, Bothell and the northern half of Kirkland continue to lag behind the rest of the local area.
The Northshore School District moves to red status, with 12 confirmed Covid-19 cases at Lockwood Elementary. New cases were also reported in the Bellevue and Lake Washington school districts.
In local news, Amazon has announced it is indefinitely delaying the return of 50,000 officer workers due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics formally applied for emergency use authorization for the anti-viral medication molnupiravir, which has shown promising results in helping minimize Covid-19 symptoms.
Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming remain Covid-19 hot spots we are watching closely due to the impact transfer patients have on our hospitals.
New cases were flat over the weekend which is significant. Historically, the data has shown an artificial bump on Mondays because it includes some data from the weekend. This is the first time since mid-August the data has shown a spike at the start of the week, providing a strong indicator that cases continue to decline.
Monday also provides updated countywide vaccination numbers. In Clallam County, 60.2% of all residents are fully vaccinated. The number of new cases in the least vaccinated counties is threefold higher than the most vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
60.00% or above (5)
249.1
50.00% to 59.99% (14 counties)
482.9
40.00% to 49.99% (12 counties)
608.9
29.90% to 39.99% (8 counties)
749.1
14-Day New Covid-19 Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through October 10, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 388.2. Covid-19 cases per 100K.
Ferry County continues to be the Washington state hot spot with 1,175.7 new cases per 100K residents.
Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Columbia, Garfield, Grant, Klickitat, and Stevens.
Counties in the 600.0 to 799.9 per 100K range include Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, and Pend Oreille.
New cases were unchanged or drifted upward with one exception – adolescent cases and hospitalizations for 12 to 19-year-olds increased significantly over the weekend. Pediatric hospitalizations also increased from birth to 11, while all other age groups were flat or drifted downward.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
168.6
1.1 (up)
Ages 12-19
208.8 (up)
1.6 (up)
Ages 20-34
174.1 (up)
3.6
Ages 35-49
180.4
7.8 (down)
Ages 50-64
128.1 (up)
13.9 (down)
Ages 65-79
94.3 (up)
15.5
Ages 80+
96.7
35.2 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 50 deaths on Friday. The state of Washington is not reporting the percentage of positive cases. More than 8,000 Washingtonians have died from Covid-19 since February 29, 2020. The state crossed the sad milestone over the weekend.
Washington state hospitals accepting an average of 110 Idaho patients a week in 2021
An analysis of RHINO data from the Washington State Department of Health indicated that hospitals have been admitting approximately 110 patients from Idaho a week during 2021. The number represents a fraction of total average hospital admissions, which hovers around 500,000 patients in a normal year.
The data does not provide information on how many hospital admissions were Covid-19 patients and the report did not provide a weekly analysis. Eastern Washington hospitals reported last week they were feeling increased strain due to Idahoans crossing the border looking for medical care.
With 7 days to go, almost 92% of all Washington state employees are fully vaccinated or have been granted an exemption
Data released by the Washington State Office of Financial Management provided the clearest picture yet on how many state employees are vaccinated. On October 4, 89.5% of all state employees had provided proof they are fully vaccinated. Another 2.4% had medical or religious exemptions approved.
The same report indicated the Washington State Patrol was 89.9% fully vaccinated on October 4. Last week, the Seattle Times reported the WSP was 93% vaccinated on October 7. Using that data point as a barometer, it is estimated 94% to 95% of Washington state employees are fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption, with 7 days ago.
Only two organizations with more than 500 workers have vaccination rates below 85% – Washington National Guard at 79.1% and DSHS – Rainier at 83%. It is worth noting the Pentagon has given Army National Guard servicemembers until June 30, 2022 to be fully vaccinated.
Almost 93% of the 6,608 Washington State Department of Transportation employees are vaccinated or have received an exemption. Almost a third of DOT employees work for Washington State Ferries. Three weeks ago there were 450 WSF workers who had not confirmed their vaccination status. The number dropped to 250 on Thursday and 170 on Friday. Despite a full vaccination rate approaching 93%, unvaccinated ferry workers made their presence known this weekend.
As of October 4, 1,228 state workers had requested medical exemptions, with 866 approved. Officials are still evaluating 75 requests and 258 exemption requests were withdrawn. Another 315 employees had requested some degree of accommodation, with 255 approvals.
The state also received 4,849 religious exemption requests and so far has approved 4,219 with 42 still under evaluation. Only 184 religious exemptions have been denied, while 404 requests were withdrawn.
Approximately one percent of all state employees have joined a lawsuit attempting to block the state mandate. It is unlikely the plaintiffs will get relief. Both federal courts and the Supreme Court have sided with municipalities, counties, states, businesses, and schools in a number of similar court cases filed across the country.
88% of all Washington hospital workers are fully vaccinated
From janitorial services, cooks, and med techs to nurses, surgeons, and administrators, 88% of Washington state’s hospital staff will be fully vaccinated by October 18, according to a survey by the Washington State Hospital Association.
Cassie Sauer, CEO reported in a briefing today the remaining 12% include people who don’t plan on getting vaccinated, are partially vaccinated, have an approved exemption, have an exemption under review, or are waiting to learn if an existing exemption has been approved.
“The 2-5%, I want to emphasize, is a statewide number. There are some places that are going to have less and some places that are going to have more. And the place that seems to have the likeliest, biggest impact is rural eastern Washington,” Sauer said.
In New York, the state saw similar numbers among hospital workers days before its mandate went into effect. Final vaccination rates ranged from 85% to 100% depending on the role, type of facility, and location. Vaccination rates among nursing homes and long-term care facilities lagged behind hospitals.
Officials believe 95% to 98% will be fully vaccinated, on a path to vaccination, or have an approved exemption by October 18. Hospitals and facilities in Eastern Washington, particularly in rural areas, are expected to see more workers quit or face termination.
In Western Washington, 97% of EvergreenHealth and 98% of University Washington Medicine employees are fully vaccinated.
More than 200 Washington State Ferry sailings canceled due to years of neglect and a weekend sickout
Passengers and businesses were frustrated when Washington State Ferries canceled over 150 sailings on Friday, 120 on Saturday, and 50 on Sunday. A sickout by WSF employees in protest of a looming vaccination mandate was the final blow, that contributed to the chaos this weekend. However, the sailing issues have been two decades in the making.
In 2000, a Tim Eyman led initiative slashed Washington state car tab fees, and with it, a significant portion of the Washington state ferry budget. Two decades later the state lacks the funds to replace several ferries that are far past their useful life. The outdated equipment suffers more frequent breakdowns, forcing route cancelations and smaller vessels into temporary service.
A lack of vessels, a graying staff, and unpredictable work schedules was already straining the system. Disruptions due to equipment and crew failures were becoming more common before Covid-19 arrived in the Evergreen state in January 2020.
The number of ferry workers has also declined for two decades, and the Department of Transportation has problems recruiting people who are interested in doing maritime work.
WSF workers have attempted several other sickouts with little to no impact, but this past weekend was different. Officials have indicated that even 170 employees leaving could have a devastating impact on operations – and required Coast Guard certifications will make hiring new staff challenging.
Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the United States and second-largest in the world. The state operates 23 vessels that sail 10 routes to 20 destinations. The oldest ferry is the MV Tillikum built in 1959 and rebuilt in 1994. Over 70% of all funding comes from fares. In 2020 due to Covid-19 ridership was only a fraction of normal. By the end of summer in 2021, ridership was 80% of normal.
The ferry system is converting three Jumbo Mark-II class ferries to electrical propulsion between 2022 and 2024. The Puyallup, Tacoma, and Wenatchee are slated for update with the Wenatchee was supposed to already be back in service but had an engine room fire in April 2021.
Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich applies for religious exemption
As many have suspected for quite some time, Washington State coach Nick Rolovich finally confirmed that he remains unvaccinated and is in fact seeking a religious exemption to the state’s Covid vaccination mandate, he said after the Cougars’ 31-24 victory over Oregon State on Saturday.
“I’ll confirm that,” he said. “I’m not terribly happy with the way it happened. I hope there’s no player that I coach that has to wake up and feel the way I felt today. I don’t share it (to be) malicious, but that wasn’t a great thing to wake up to, to be honest with you.”
Rolovich is the highest-paid state employee in Washington, making almost $3.3 million per year.
Several Seattle Kraken players under Covid protocols day before NHL debut
The Seattle Kraken are expected to be without five players for the season opener at Vegas due to COVID-19 protocols, coach Dave Hakstol said Monday, according to the Associated Press.
Forwards Jared McCann, Joonas Donskoi and Marcus Johansson, and defenseman Jamie Oleksiak were placed on the league’s COVID-19 protocol list on Monday. Forward Calle Jarnkrok has been in the protocol since late last week. McCann, Oleksiak, Donskoi and Johansson were all missing from Monday’s final practice before the team departed for Las Vegas.
Travel Advisories
Due to an increase in acute care hospitalizations, we’re adding a recreational travel advisory to the East Hospital Region. This includes Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Whitman counties. Acute care and ICU capacity have become limited, and the ratio of Covid-19 patients to other hospital patients is extremely high. Please reconsider non-essential travel plans to these counties.
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 if you experience a serious medical emergency.
We are also 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
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Vaccination
Unvaccinated King County residents are 16 times more likely to die from Covid-19
The first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine became available in Washington state on January 17. Since that time 82% of all Covid-19 cases were among the unvaccinated, 90% of hospitalizations, and 90% of deaths.
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 87.1% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over and EUA approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 91% of all staffed acute care beds are occupied, and 16.9% of patients have Covid-19. Statewide, hospitals have the staff to support approximately 649 additional acute care patients. ICUs are at 86.7% of capacity statewide, with 28.0% of ICU patients fighting Covid-19 – an estimated 335 patients with 50% on ventilators. The state has the staff to support approximately 144 additional ICU patients.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients dipped to 103. The Department of Health reported 1,193 Covid-19 patients statewide on October 7, with 166 requiring ventilators.
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%
The East and Northwest Hospital Regions remain highly stressed.
– 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*)
None
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (4) – Bothell High School (30**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (15) – Canyon Park Middle School (11) – Cottage Lake Elementary (3) – Crystal Springs Elementary (17) – East Ridge Elementary (2) – Fernwood Elementary (1) – Frank Love Elementary (19) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (35) – Inglemoor High School (1) – Innovation Lab High School (2) – Kenmore Elementary (4) – Kenmore Middle School (21) – Kokanee Elementary (14) – Leota Middle School (3) – Maywood Hills Elementary (7**) – Moorlands Elementary (1) – North Creek High School (13**) – Northshore Middle School (1) – Secondary Academy for Success (4) – Shelton View Elementary (5) – Skyview Middle School (12) – Sunrise Elementary (8) – Timbercrest Middle School (4) – Wellington Elementary (26**) – Westhill Elementary (58) – Woodin Elementary (15) – Woodinville High School (10) – Woodmoor Elementary (19**)
– Lockwood Elementary (12**/22)
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.
Monday provides the best snapshot of the three school districts we track. The Northshore School District moved to status red again with 12 confirmed Covid-19 cases at Lockwood Elementary. Five other schools have 5 to 9 confirmed cases.
Highland Middle School in the Bellevue School District has 9 confirmed cases between students and faculty, and several other schools with more than 5 cases.
The Lake Washington School District updated its dashboard adding six schools with confirmed cases.
We continued to encourage parents to request improved daily data reporting from the Lake Washington School District.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Amazon delays return to office indefinitely – leaves final decision to business directors
“For our corporate roles, instead of specifying that people work a baseline of three days a week in the office, we’re going to leave this decision up to individual teams,” Jassey wrote in his memo.
“This decision will be made team by team at the Director level. We expect that there will be teams that continue working mostly remotely, others that will work some combination of remotely and in the office, and still others that will decide customers are best served having the teamwork mostly in the office. We’re intentionally not prescribing how many days or which days—this is for Directors to determine with their senior leaders and teams. The decisions should be guided by what will be most effective for our customers; and not surprisingly, we will all continue to be evaluated by how we deliver for customers, regardless of where the work is performed.”
Microsoft and Facebook previously announced delaying their return to office and have mandated their employees, contractors, and vendors to get vaccinated.
King County releases updated vaccination data
King County Public Health updated the vaccination rates by zip code, with the numbers improving throughout the region. The northern half of Kirkland and parts of Bothell continue to lag behind the rest of the eastside.
King County residents age 12+ who have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine through October 11, 2021
Zip Code
Percent vaccinated, at least one dose, 12 and older
98155
93.7%
98028
90.2%
98011
86.7%
98034
85.3%
98033
93.1%
98072
91.2%
98052
>95.0%
98004
>95.0%
98039
94.0%
98005
>95.0%
98007
90.0%
Vaccination rates for those 12 and older by zip code – at least one dose
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 22,194 new cases and 255 deaths nationwide on Monday. Most states do not report data over the weekend, and Monday is a bank holiday so the numbers do not indicate the current national trend.
Merck and Ridgeback Biotheraputics official apply for emergency use authorization for molnupiravir
Pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co. and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced Monday they requested emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration for molnupiravir, an antiviral drug that offers the promise that COVID-19 could soon be treated by a pill. USA Today reported the two drugmakers have officially applied for the authorization.
Molnupiravir, an orally ingested antiviral pill, is used to treat mild to moderate adult cases of COVID-19 that are at risk of worsening to severe COVID-19 or hospitalization, according to the companies. It was created by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta and is given as four pills taken twice a day for five days.
An interim analysis from a clinical trial found the antiviral medicine reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%.
Alaska
Alaska reported an increase in new cases and the number of Covid-19 tests with positive results this weekend. After progress last week, the new case rate increased to 836 per 100K people and test positivity jumped to 10.7%. Officials also reported more than 2,750 new cases, mostly among people under 50 years old.
Hospitals are treating 184 Covid-19 patients, down slightly from last week. Resources remain very constrained – there were 18 ICU beds available statewide Monday morning. New
Hospitals in Anchorage, Bethel, and Valdez continue to be the most impacted by the ongoing surge.
Idaho Medical Association CEO Susie Keller says while the association is disturbed by Cole’s spreading of misinformation, including dissuading people from getting the COVID-19 vaccine, the complaint is narrowly focused on the claim Cole prescribed an unproven drug.
“We believe that he has violated sections of the Idaho Medical Practice Act by providing care that fails to meet the community standard of care by promoting the sale of drugs that are not medically indicated and by engaging in conduct that constitutes an abuse or exploitation of a patient arising out of the trust and competence placed in a physician by a patient,” Keller said.
Cole as referred to the vaccination as “needle rape,” is opposed to mask mandates, and has spoken at right-wing anti-vaccination events that have included speakers calling for violence and making Nazi comparisons. He is one of the key policymakers in Ada County, which includes Boise, in managing the Covid-19 response in the Gem State.
Covid-19 test positivity increased to 19.42% – a negative trend.
Just days after Wyoming hospitals asked state officials to draft plans for statewide implementation of crisis standards of care, state Representative Chuck Gray has called for a special session to block vaccine mandates.
“I wanted to update everyone about the special session vote,” Gray said on Wednesday. “We have received notification that we have successfully received over 35% of the votes in the first round of balloting. Next week, we will now proceed to the second round, where we need a majority.”
Legislators are being asked to consider convening the special session from October 26-28 according to the report in Oil City News. Gray said he would like to see the special session move forward in order to have a bill banning vaccine mandates pass prior to Banner Health’s (which operates the Wyoming Medical Center) deadline requiring employees get fully vaccinated by November 1 takes effect.
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) Multiple sources reported to us today that the state of Washington is considering a plan to place renewed restrictions on gatherings within public indoor spaces, as hospitalizations reached a new record. There is some evidence that the growth of new cases may be slowing down, as more hospitals report they are running out of resources.
There are reports out of Washington D.C. that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine may receive full FDA approval next week. Trials for both the vaccine started more than a year ago, while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was released later, requiring more data.
Bonadventure Senior Living is under fire after a recruiter for the company in Oregon posted a video on Tik Tok called for unvaccinated nurses to work for the eldercare company in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. That story took a much darker turn today with new allegations of criminal activity.
Governor Inslee is considering setting capacity limits for indoor public venues, according to several people we spoke to today. The plan being considered would not return Washington state to the phases used during the spring of 2021 but would put limits on the number of people who can gather in one place in specific public settings. No specific date was given, but there were indications if the plan is implemented it would happen end of August or early September.
“Extremists may seek to exploit the emergence of COVID-19 variants by viewing the potential re-establishment of public health restrictions across the United States as a rationale to conduct attacks. Pandemic-related stressors have contributed to increased societal strains and tensions, driving several plots by domestic violent extremists, and they may contribute to more violence this year.”
The report did not mention any specific threats and is a broad assessment of the risk of terrorism, foreign or domestic, at a national level. A large anti-vaccination rally is planned to happen on Saturday in Olympia from noon to 3 PM.
Washington state COVID update
COVID continues to spread through Washington at levels not seen since December of 2020. Through August 12, the 14 day rolling average Washington grew again to 455.8 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. The USA Today COVID Tracker indicated that on Thursday, Washington reported over 3,900 new COVID cases. New cases continue to grow exponentially, with the epidemiological curve showing signs that things are slowing.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 12, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.69%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.69%. We continue to see widespread transmission in the state, with another small decrease in the 7-day average.
The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased again to 8 per day and the USA Today COVID tracker reported 33 deaths in Washington state Thursday. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing. The growing number of fatalities would align with the spike in hospitalizations that started two weeks ago.
Are changes coming to the Evergreen State Fair?
In a KOMO News report, Jeremy Husby of Snohomish County Parks & Recreation expressed concern about the upcoming Evergreen Fair. Husby said that capacity limits were already in place, but they were expecting between 18,000 and 24,000 people to attend. According to the Washington State Department of Health, Snohomish County hospitals have reached the same utilization level as early 2021. “When we know we are at a capacity where we can’t not serve the public and we can’t provide a safe space,” Husby said. “We need to make that call to shut down the fair,” Husby told KOMO.
Bonadventure Senior Living
On Monday, TikTok user @thisdaneshguy reposted a recruiting video made by Bonadventure Senior Living employee Shanya Hall, which went viral. Bonadventure, based in Salem, Oregon, manages senior living facilities in Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. In the video, Hall says, “I just wanted to tell you that if you are a nurse, a caregiver, a tech, and you now need a new job because of this, hit me up. I’ll hire you. I need nurses, caregivers, med techs, in Washington, Colorado, and Oregon.”
When asked what she would say to families who are concerned about unvaccinated health workers caring for their family members, she said protecting residents is the number one priority for Bonaventure.
“I get being concerned or being scared but we are taking precautions,” she said. “We wouldn’t want to put anybody in the way of danger.”
In the same story, Jeremiah Gray, divisional director of operations at Bonaventure for Oregon, stated that they could not require vaccines for their staff because of an Oregon law. However, that was only partially true while the recruiting video was still on TikTok. On August 5, 2021, the Oregon Health Authority filed a final temporary rule requiring COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for individuals who work in healthcare settings.
In a since-deleted Facebook post, Gray responded to the TikTok video on the Bonadventure, defending the company, and again stating that they are prevented by Oregon law to require vaccinations. That point became moot, with the federal nursing home vaccine mandate issued earlier this week. Today, in another video posted on TikTok by @thisdaneshguy, the creator claims that multiple employees of Bonadventure have shared internal e-mails with him about directives made by the company that put residents and patients at risk. Among the claims made, eight current and former employees are accusing Bonadventure of falsifying federal issued COVID vaccination cards, including in Washington state. That information has been turned over to The Statesman Journal, which ran a deeper story about Bonadventure yesterday.
The University of Washington Medicine is allegedly denying organ transplants to patients who refuse to get a COVID vaccine. In an interview with Jason Rantz, Sam Allen of Monroe claims he was removed from the heart transplant waitlist for refusing to get the COVID vaccine. Allen claims he had a “dispute” with his cardiologist over wearing a mask, and then was called.
“The cardiologist called me and we had a discussion, and he informed me that, ‘well, you’re going to have to get a vaccination to get a transplant.’ And I said, ‘well that’s news to me. And nobody’s ever told me that before.’ And he says, ‘yeah, that’s our policy.”
Allen was removed from the waitlist on June 7. Although post-transplant organ rejections are less common, and the medications to prevent the condition have dramatically improved, organ transplant patients face a lifetime of being immunocompromised. University of Washington Medicine would not confirm if this was a policy or part of evaluating how viable an individual patient is for a transplant.
Former University of Washington wide receiver Lamarr Mitchell died of COVID after a 10-day battle. Lamarr was part of the 1991 Rose Bowl team and was described by his family as healthy and fit. He was unvaccinated and went from being on a ventilator to kidney failure in 24 hours. His family was called at 4 AM to come and say their final goodbyes but became stuck in traffic and did not get to the hospital in time. Lamarr’s parents are appealing for people to get vaccinated.
“We got to get the message out there we have to get the message out there; this is real. This is real,” she pleaded.
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Vaccination
There are multiple reports tonight that the Food and Drug Administration will issue full approval of the Pfizer COVID vaccine as early as Monday. Pfizer started Phase I trials of the COVID vaccine in May of 2020. Researchers used development efforts to create a vaccine for SARS and MERS as a foundation for the COVID vaccine. COVID or SARS-Cov-2 is similar to the original SARS strain, which appeared in 2003, and MERS which appeared in 2012.
Phase III trials were completed in November enabling the FDA to issue an emergency authorization for the vaccine. Distribution began on December 14, 2020, to tens of millions of Americans. Pfizer would be the first to receive full approval because it was the first vaccine to complete its trials in the United States.
Almost two million Washingtonians who are vaccine eligible remain unvaccinated. The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
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.
On August 19, 86.4% of available adult staffed acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,211 acute care beds available statewide and 210 in King County. The Northwest, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization and the Central and West Regions are now over 90%. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,221 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 16 since yesterday, which is 13.7% of all acute care patients.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 19, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 85.9% occupied with 171 staffed beds available, 52 located in King County. Although the number of COVID patients statewide in the ICU dropped to 327.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 19, 2021
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The West Region, which includes Tacoma, is down to 9 available ICU beds and the East Region, which includes Spokane, has 10 ICU beds available.
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in hard-hit Cowlitz County issued a statement on Facebook that the hospital, “is now at maximum capacity.” The facility appealed that, “only people who are experiencing true medical emergencies come to our E.R. for care.”
In another comment, PeaceHealth stated, “We are experiencing an exceptionally high number of caregivers unable to work due to COVID-19, and we have great concern that – as patient demand continues to surge – we will be faced with a corresponding increase in the number of caregivers unavailable to help.”
The hospital is no longer doing COVID testing and advised people to use urgent care facilities. People were suggesting other locations to get a COVID test but frustration was boiling over.
Barbara Anderson wrote, “The only urgent care center in Longview will not see u unless u are a current Peace Heath [sic] patients [sic]. Where should the rest go?”
The CDC issued a warning tonight for older adults, and people in high-risk groups not to take cruises, even if they are vaccinated. The new guidance applies to older adults, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to Friday’s announcement, the agency recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 avoid cruise ships.
Alabama
Former President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Cullman, Alabama tomorrow, forcing the city to declare a COVID state of emergency. Alabama added 3,800 new COVID cases on Wednesday and the state ran out of ICU beds the day before. The declaration of the State of Emergency allowed the city to provide the additional personnel and equipment for this weekend’s political rally after it was requested by Cullman Regional Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients.
Florida
The Sunshine State only releases COVID data once a week on Friday’s and the data indicates that it may be hitting its COVID peak. New cases were flat week over week for the first time in over two months. However many state residents are complaining they can’t get tested. Of the 150,118 new cases reported, 20,331 were children under 12 years old. Florida has 16,973 people hospitalized with COVID, a new record.
Pictures taken by Louie Lopez at a monoclonal antibody treatment center recently set up by Governor Ron DeSantis went viral late this week. The images show people lying on the floor, barely able to move or breathe, and moaning waiting for treatment. The lobby only had two chairs according to Lopez, and one patient laid on the floor for almost 30 minutes before someone came with a wheelchair. A spokesperson for the city confirmed that according to organizers at the site, the woman in the picture was waiting to be treated with Regeneron.
Mayor Buddy Dyer of Orlando appealed for residents to conserve water due to a shortage of oxygen. The Orlando Utility Commission treats the city’s water with liquid oxygen and supplies that ordinarily go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals for patients suffering from the virus, Mayor Dyer said.
“We acknowledge that the No. 1 priority for the liquid oxygen should be for hospitals,” Dyer said at a news conference.
The city-owned utility typically goes through 10 trucks of liquid oxygen a week but its supplier recently said that it would be cut back to five to seven trucks a week to accommodate hospitals, said Linda Ferrone, OUC’s chief customer, and marketing officer.
Hawaii
Yesterday we reported that hospitals on the island of Oahu were on the brink of having to implement disaster plans. City officials in Honolulu made a “disaster area” declaration today. At Queen’s West Hospital, a rush of new COVID patients overwhelmed the hospital, on top of many already waiting for beds in the emergency room. The City set up a disaster area and tents.
Hawaii also appealed for traveling nurses, with more than 500 expected to arrive next week. Honolulu having to potentially move to “black tag triage” is coming at the same time that flooding rains are expected this weekend.
Seventy-three Mississippi hospitals have asked for a combined 1,450 healthcare professionals to supplement their staff, as the state’s hospital system teeters on the brink of collapse. Efforts that are described as “last-ditch” to shore up the system included support from the federal government and building two field hospitals in a parking garage.
Mississippi State Department of Health Reported a sharp spike in calls to their Poison Control Center due to Ivermectin poisoning. State officials sent out a health alert warning to health care providers about the use of the horse dewormer. Although Ivermectin is used in humans to treat scabies, it is highly concentrated for livestock. At least 70% of the calls into poison control have been for Ivermectin poisoning.
There is no good news coming out of Oregon today. COVID hospitalizations have set a new record every day since August 10, in the Pacific Northwest State. In the last 30 days, cases have increased 500% putting the hospital system on the brink. Oregon is requesting outside help to come to the state including 35 physicians, 35 advanced practice providers, 300 registered nurses, 10 paramedics, and 100 respiratory therapists.
“A COVID-positive patient was in our Emergency Department, within our four walls, waiting for an open Intensive Care Unit bed to receive life-saving care. It had been several hours because other COVID-positive patients had filled those beds. Even after expanding ICU care onto other floors, there weren’t any beds available for this patient. We didn’t have enough. This patient died in the Emergency Department waiting for an Intensive Care Unit bed.”
Texas
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick blamed “Black Texas” for the surge of COVID in the Lonestar State. During an interview on Fox News Patrick said, “The Democrats like to blame Republicans,” Patrick said. “Well, the biggest groups in most states is African Americans who are not vaccinated. Last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.”
State officials previously were blaming undocumented immigrants for the spread of COVID in the state, but mostly backed away from the claim after the City of McAllen declared a state of emergency. Of the 586,000 undocumented immigrants processed in the city in the first seven months of 2021, 7,500 were COVID posted after testing – a rate under 2%. The state of Texas is at 19.8% positivity as of this Friday.
“We haven’t reached that critical moment yet where we’re unable to provide that care,” said Dr. James Black, medical director of emergency services at Albany’s Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. “We’re doing everything we can to stay just ahead of that, but it’s a race and a race that most of us are losing.”
An ongoing piece of misinformation is the COVID vaccine has microchips in it. Typically the needle used to vaccinate an adult is 28 gauge and has an outer diameter of 1/3 of an mm. The inner diameter is about 1/6 of an mm (0.184 mm). That’s about thick enough to pass a human hair through with a touch of room to spare. The smallest 5G chip available today is about the size of your fingernail. That’s just the 5G chip, not the microprocessor to run it, not an antenna that can transmit through your body to the nearest 5G tower. It doesn’t include a power source and most critically, it doesn’t include having a heat sink or other way to regulate the temperature.
The RFID chips they inject into pets such as cats and dogs are about the size of a grain of rice. They provide no way to track, only identification with a scanner. The 12 gauge needle used to insert an RFID chip into a dog is almost 3 mm (and anyone who has had a large-bore IV can tell you, needles that big are very unpleasant). Additionally, they are passive RFID chips that don’t require a battery and are incapable of transmitting any data, let alone to a 5G cell tower.
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.
[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington state set a new hospitalization record as COVID cases continue to grow. The Delta variant represents 98% of all cases in Washington state. The CDC released a study that examines breakthrough cases and hospitalizations from May to July, that provides a better understanding of vaccine effectiveness.
Washington state continues to set new records as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise. Through August 11, the 14 day rolling average Washington is recording 437.9 COVID cases per 100K. This breaks the record high that was set yesterday. New cases continue to grow exponentially, doubling every 7 to 10 days. The number of people seeking COVID tests has increased 20% to 50% in the last month throughout King County.
Washington State Newly Diagnosed COVID Cases per 100K During the Prior Two Weeks Through August 11, 2021
The Washington State Department of Health reports a data backlog for test positivity, with the published number 14 days old. According to Johns Hopkins University Medicine, the positivity rate for the last 30 days is 11.71%, and over the previous 7 days, 12.92%. We continue to see widespread transmission in the state, with a slight decrease in the 7-day average.
The 7-day moving average for COVID-related deaths has increased to 7 per day. It is important to note that fatalities are a trailing indicator that usually increases two to four weeks after hospitalizations begin growing.
Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich, the highest-paid public employee in the state of Washington, says he will follow the state’s COVID vaccine requirement. He had previously said he would not get a vaccine due to personal reasons, even after WSU announced they would require vaccines. When asked about having to get vaccinated his only statement was, “It is what it is.”
On Pac-12 media day. Rolovich said, “I’m not against vaccinations, and I wholeheartedly support those who choose to be vaccinated, including our players, staff, and coaches… I think we all know this virus is deadly, and these vaccines are free. I urge everyone to consider being vaccinated. I do.”
From May 3 to July 25, Delta went from 2% of COVID cases to 80%, and New York City dropped mask mandates and occupancy restrictions.
CDC MMWR for August 18, 2021, Vaccine Effectiveness in New York City from May 3 to July 25, 2021
The small dashed line on the top of both charts represents overall vaccine effectiveness in preventing new COVID cases and preventing hospitalizations. The dash-dot line represents how many people have been vaccinated. The dashed line represents the total number of infections and hospitalizations among the unvaccinated. The solid line represents the total number of cases of infections and hospitalizations among the vaccinated, and the dotted line between them is the average between the two lines.
The study indicated that overall age-adjusted vaccine effectiveness dropped from 91.7% to 79.8% as the Delta variant became the dominant strain. In contrast, hospitalizations moved in a narrow range of 91.9% to 95.3%. The report states, “Currently authorized vaccines have high effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization, but effectiveness against new cases appears to have declined in recent months, coinciding with the Delta variant’s increase.”
It is important to remember that no vaccine is 100% effective and there is strong evidence that COVID vaccinations lessen the severity among those who get an infection, and vaccinated individuals have dramatically lower mortality rates compared to the unvaccinated.
Appreciation goes to Dr. Katrine Wallace, P.hD of the University of Illinois, Chicago, for bringing this study to our attention.
Almost two million Washingtonians who are vaccine eligible remain unvaccinated. The group Find a COVID Shot WA can assist anyone who needs help making an appointment. The group of 75 volunteers has been operating since the beginning of 2021 and offers support in 20 languages.
King County, Washington is over 80% vaccinated, and Washington state is over 70%. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA is expected to provide full approval to the Pfizer vaccine next month.
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.
Washington state reached an all-time high for COVID hospitalizations, surpassing the December 2020 peak, with the Delta variant representing 98% of cases. The Washington Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer reported there were 1,240 hospitalized patients with COVID-19. This number does not align with the Washington State Department of Health data, and we have reached out to understand the difference in numbers.
On August 18, 85.7% of available acute care beds in Washington state have patients. The data indicated there were 1,285 acute care beds available statewide and 314 in King County. The West, Central, South Central, and East Regions were over 80% utilization. According to the Washington State Department of Health, there are 1,205 COVID patients in acute care, an increase of 31 since yesterday. 13.4% of all hospitalized acute care hospital patients are being treated for COVID. More than 20% of acute care patients in The West Region, which includes Pierce County, are hospitalized with COVID. This indicates that the hospitals in that region are under stress.
Washington State Hospital Acute Care Beds Occupied by Patients – August 18, 2021
Statewide ICUs were 85.5% occupied with 176 staffed beds available. King County has 56 ICU beds available. The number of COVID patients in the ICU dropped to 342 patients.
Washington State ICU Patients with COVID – August 18, 2021
Washington state continues to have a critical shortage of blood, with a less than 24 hour supply for five out of eight blood types. The situation has deteriorated since August 3. There will be a blood drive in Kirkland on August 30 and 31. We will publish additional details when they become available.
The West Region, which includes Tacoma, is down to 11 available ICU beds and almost 2 out 5 ICU patients are fighting COVID. in the more rural North Central District, 45% all ICU patients are hospitalized with COVID.
With the epidemiological curve doubling every 7 to 10 days, our hospital system is in danger of being overrun.
Yesterday we reported on Governor Inslee’s directive requiring all employees and contractors working for private K–12 schools and public K–12 school districts, charter schools, and educational service districts to be fully vaccinated by October 18, 2021. Due to the overwhelming amount of news yesterday, we cut the story short. The vaccine directive includes most of Washington state’s childcare workers.
The mandate includes employees, contractors, and volunteers working in licensed and licensed-exempt childcare centers and in early learning and youth development programs. Individuals that provide babysitting services to friends, neighbors, or direct family members from the same household are exempt.
Employees must provide proof of vaccination by showing their vaccine card, certificate of COVID-19 vaccination, or Washington State Immunization Information System printout. Individuals cannot use attestation as proof of immunization, and daycare providers cannot opt-out.
Individuals who have a medical condition, have been recently infected with COVID, and are under recommendation not to get a vaccination for 90 days, or who have a genuine and deeply held religious exemption can apply with the state. State officials said anyone applying for an exemption will be rigorously vetted and personal and philosophical reasons are not allowed.
FACT CHECK: In 1905, the United States Supreme Court decided that the states have the power to mandate vaccinations (Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905)). Last week, Trump appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Comey Barrett, denied an appeal from students at Indiana University to block the school’s vaccine mandate. Because the Supreme Court was not in session, enabling Justice Comey Barrett to render a decision independently. A three-judge federal appeals court panel, including two judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, previously sided with Indiana University to require vaccinations.
To comply, employees need to have their second mRNA vaccination dose or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by October 4, 2021.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
We will be featuring area businesses that require vaccinations for their customers and require their staff to be vaccinated. The Lounge at DeLille Cellars is a place where you can enjoy wine by the glass and bottle with hand-crafted fare from Executive Chef Michael C. Toni. Located in Woodinville, they offer light bites for sharing to salads, sandwiches, entrees, such as steak frites and fresh pasta made daily.
No promotional consideration is given. If you have a business that requires proof of vaccination and you’re located on the eastside, send an email to tips@malcontentment.com. We’ll feature a new business here every day.
Burnout among nurses is reaching a crisis in the United States. Now dealing with the fourth wave (or fifth wave in Washington state) in the last 18 months, the trauma, stress, long hours, and under-appreciation is shrinking the nursing corps, and that is even before vaccination mandates started in hospital systems across the United States. In an interview with ICU nurse Cassandra Alexander, she quipped, “Why stay in a hard, dangerous, seemingly thankless job?”
Toyota, the largest car company in the world, is having to cut 40 percent of its global production, shutting down plants in its home nation of Japan. The production reduction is happening due to the global semiconductor shortage and parts suppliers closing in Malaysia due to a severe COVID outbreak in the archipelago. For US customers who want a Heche en Nippon product, the slowdown impacts the RAV4, Corolla, Camry, and Lexus ES.
As a disclaimer, we try to pick from more neutral sources so we’re not exactly fans of Vanity Fair. However, the differences from the on-the-air message versus what goes on behind the cameras at Fox News are worth highlighting. While hosts like Laura Ingraham and Tucker Carlson rail against vaccination and masks, mandates, vaccine cards, and mask wear, their employer has a different take.
In a Tuesday memo updating staff on COVID-19 procedures, Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott said that the company has “asked all employees—whether on-site as part of our essential workforce or working remotely—to upload their vaccination status” into an internal database. “All employees must enter their status no later than today, August 17th, by close of business,” Scott wrote.
Scott added that while masks remain optional for vaccinated employees, the company is “requiring employees to wear a mask in small, confined spaces with limited opportunities for social distancing and where there are multiple employees, including control rooms.”
Arkansas
Hope that Arkansas had hit its peak fourth wave peak is fading as cases and hospitalizations started to climb again. Of Arkansas’ 262 school districts, 118 have issued mask mandates and another 87 have banned them. The state did cross a critical milestone, with 51% of the eligible population vaccinated against COVID.
Hawaii
On Oahu, where Honolulu is located, Straub Hospital is overcapacity in its ICU as the state deals with its worst surge of COVID cases ever. Dr. Johnathan Paladino reported the ICU was at 125% capacity and is currently at stage five of its seven-stage disaster plan. Patient triage is now being performed in a tent. Earlier in the week, the Queens Health System had also run out of ICU capacity. The disaster plan, based on military battlefield triage will hopefully not get to stage six or seven. At stage six care would be rationed, with the most critically sick could find care delayed. Stage seven is so-called “black tag triage,” where the sickest patients, regardless of having COVID or not, would be moved to comfort care.
Missouri
Missouri state representative Sara Walsh, another outspoken critic of vaccination and masks, reported that her husband has died of COVID. Steve Walsh died early this morning after the couple becomes infected in July. Neither were vaccinated, and the state representative said she didn’t get vaccinated because of concerns about friends’ negative reactions to the vaccine and said she didn’t feel she needed it as she’d been healthy since the pandemic began. Walsh is running for U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler’s 4th District congressional seat in the 2022 election.
Governor Kate Brown announced that educators in the Pacific Northwest state who teach K-12, have until October 18 to receive a vaccination or face termination. “We will need confirmation from a qualified medical care provider on any medical exemption. And, we will be reviewing that each religious exemption that is requested is based on bonified beliefs,” said PPS Chief Human Resources Officer Sharon Reese. The mandate comes one day after Washington state issued a similar directive. Oregon has one of the fastest-growing rates of COVID in the United States, with many rural hospitals overwhelmed.
Texas
While Texas Governor Greg Abbott battles COVID in isolation at the governor’s mansion, he continues to battle mask mandates in Texas school districts. The town of Paris, Texas found a loophole in the Governor’s executive order, and modified the school dress code, making masks required.
“The Texas Governor does not have the authority to usurp the Board of Trustees’ exclusive power and duty to govern and oversee the management of the public schools of the district,” Paris ISD said in a release posted on its website. “Nothing in the Governor’s Executive Order 38 states he has suspended Chapter 11 of the Texas Education Code, and therefore the Board has elected to amend its dress code consistent with its statutory authority.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking the San Antonio Independent School District to court after the district mandated all staff be vaccinated for COVID-19. The School District is claiming they have the right to mandate vaccinations under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rules, while AG Paxton says it violates state law. We wrote yesterday how the Supreme Court has addressed challenges on vaccination mandates at a state level since 1905, and it is likely Texas will not prevail in its challenge.
Georgia
Parents in Cobb County, Georgia are pulling their children out of school, just three weeks after the 2021-2022 school year started. Last week the entire fifth-grade class at East Side Elementary was sent home because of a spike of COVID cases in the school. Parents had to select either remote or in-person learning during the spring, while masks and social distancing requirements were in place. The district voted not to require masks, going against federal guidelines. The situation has gotten tense with parents on both sides of the argument squaring off. Georgia’s PICUs are 75% to 90% full, with a growing number of pediatric COVID patients.
Wisconsin
Republican State Senator Andre Jacques, one of Wisconsin’s most conservative lawmakers and an outspoken critic of mask and vaccine mandates, is in the hospital with COVID. Jacques, who is married and has six children, reported on Monday night that several of his family members are also sick. On Wednesday no one would comment on his condition beyond he has pneumonia, is very tired, but in good spirits. Since his positive test, his legislative office said it “has been following all protocols.”
Minnesota
The number of children in childcare becoming infected with COVID is growing, with 120 new cases among the unvaccinated a week. The increase started at the height of summer camp season in the last week of July, said Dr. Beth Thielen, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at M Health Fairview. “That was really before things even started to spiral in Minnesota.”
You may have seen a claim that 45,000 people have died within 3 days of receiving the COVID vaccine based on information in the VAERS database. This misinformation is often touted with, “look it up for yourselves,” and has been shared widely on social media.
The VAERS database is a self-reporting tool, that anyone can complete online. It is true you can download the data and do analysis. The data is raw, has not been reviewed or verified, and relies upon the honesty of the people reporting. That would require in part, 45,000 reporting in three days that a relative had died from the vaccine. It is a significant leap to then assume that you had 100% reporting and it was 100% accurate.
But wait, there’s more. The VAERS database only has 6,000 self-reported fatality reports from December 2020 to July 2021. In early May there were 4,700. So where did the 45,000 number come from?
The organization America’s Front Line Doctors is behind the numbers and the lawsuit. But there is a huge problem with the claim, even if you want to cling to it as fact. The lawsuit states that an unnamed person (Jane Doe) who is a computer program calculated her estimate of deaths happening within 3 days of vaccination by examining the VAERS data and comparing it against medical claims. The lawsuit goes on to say, “The number of deaths occurring with (sic) 3 days of injection with the Vaccines exceeds those reported by VAERS by a factor of at least 5.”
There in the lies the problem. We don’t know when the data was pulled, but we do know the number of reports had to be under 6000. No explanation was given on the factor of five. Even if there was any veracity to the claim, the number in the lawsuit should be between 25,000 to 30,000. The other critical point is the data in VAERS is unverified data.
Americas Frontline Doctors were behind a July 27, 2020, viral video touting a cocktail of hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax as a treatment for COVID. The claims were untrue, created a shortage of hydroxychloroquine, and left states like Oaklahoma looking to sell back the drug they bought last year under the advice of then-President Trump when he retweeted their video.
The three leaders of Americas Frontline Doctors are Dr. Stella Immanuel of Houston, Dr. Dan Erickson, and Dr. Simone Gold.
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