[OLYMPIA, Wash.] – (MTN) Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced that the indoor mask mandate will end for most locations, including schools, on March 12. The change was made after the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated national guidelines on Feb. 25, and the rapidly declining new case and hospitalization numbers in Washington state.
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that the county would follow the state, and end its indoor mask mandate on Mar. 12.
The CDC also updated guidance removing mask requirements in schools and on buses and vans in counties with low and moderate transmission for COVID. At the time of the updated guidelines, over 70% of United States counties qualified. Masks will still be required in certain locations in compliance with CDC guidelines.
Public transporation such as buses, subways, trains, airplanes, ferries, and related transit terminals
Hospitals, nursing homes, dentists offices, and other medical facilities
Workers and residents of community living facilities such as jails, prisons, halfway houses, and homeless shelters
The requirement to show proof of vaccination at large events and indoor venues such as restaurants, bars, theaters, and gyms, is set to expire tonight. The ending of so-called vaccine passports comes two years to the day after the first Washington state COVID death was announced.
Over the last two years, 11,866 Washingtonians have lost their lives due to COVID. Nationally, 950,000 have died, equal to the entire population of Fort Worth, Texas, or almost equal to the population of Delaware.
The first official COVID death of a United States resident from community transmission happened on Feb. 26, 2020, during the nation’s first super spreader event, at Lifecare Center in Kirkland. The death was reported on Feb. 29 and EvergreenHealth Kirkland was overwhelmed with patients two weeks later.
New cases remain high from a historical standpoint according to the Washington State Department of Health (WSDoH). On Monday, WSDoH reported 241 new cases per 100,000 residents, down 85% of the Omicron peak in mid-January. Almost 81% of residents five and older have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, and 73.2% are fully vaccinated.
[LEAVENWORTH, Wash.] – (MTN) He went by bloodytnvc5 on Tik Tok and was infamous for using a Pharoh’s face and headdress as his alter ego and for wearing blue medical gloves. A three-month investigation would reveal one of the most prominent creators of hate and Covid-19 misinformation on Tik Tok was a cook at Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth, Washington.
Cascade Medical Center, a 25-bed acute care hospital nestled in a Bavarian-themed town in the Eastern Cascades, fired two employees earlier this month, according to the Director of Public Relations, Clint Strand. Matthew Wilson of Leavenworth, 33, and Alyssa “Lyssa” Riggs of Cashmere, 21, presented themselves as a doctor and nurse on social media, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Wilson was meticulous in hiding his identity, using the Pharoh’s face and only showing his hands, encased in blue medical gloves. He would use a whiteboard to share his content to bypass artificial intelligence moderation while filming himself in examination rooms and surgical suites. His videos frequently used medical equipment as props. As Wilson and Riggs spread their lies, residents of Chelan County were flooding the emergency department gasping for breath, infected with Covid-19.
After months of investigation, Tik Tok creators ThatDaneshGuy and Guilt, along with a team of researchers, tracked down Riggs. Once they discovered her identity, they learned Wilson was the man behind bloodytnvc5.
For months, Wilson, with help from Riggs, created thousands of videos seen by millions of people. Along with medical misinformation, Wilson spread hate and intolerance unchecked by Tik Tok and its moderation staff.
He claimed to have acquired a military “explosive device,” even showing the serial numbers as proof in one video. Investigators concluded the serial numbers were not related to any kind of explosives or component to a bomb but a commercially available gun rack. Despite the bold claims, Tik Tok allowed the video to be viewed and shared by hundreds of thousands.
Content included sharing Nazi images from World War II and tap dancing around the edges of content guidelines while attacking Jews. He created sexist content within the walls of Cascade Health while sharing images and boasting he allegedly owns illegal firearms. Incredibly, he offered to sell fake vaccination cards with impunity from Tik Tok management.
While wrapping himself in patriotism, white nationalism, and a love of the Second Amendment, he pushed medical misinformation. Covid-19 was a hoax, Covid-19 wasn’t that bad, the vaccine was gene therapy, and the government is out to control everyone. His smooth voice and presentation, the gloves, the medical gear, and what appeared to be an understanding of medical terminology made him credible to his audience. His core audience was already thoroughly indoctrinated in medical misinformation and hungry for content to fuel their confirmational bias.
Additionally, he brutally attacked Black people and Black culture. But Wilson had a secret behind his online persona, and a trail of tiny breadcrumbs led to his downfall.
Several small mistakes and the unique architecture of Leavenworth lead to a big reveal
Wilson and Riggs made one critical mistake, each in separate videos, despite efforts to hide their identities. Additionally, Wilson left a trail of smaller clues that led to his identification.
Riggs revealed herself in a single video dressed as a nurse wearing a surgical mask and glasses. A graduate of Cascade High School in 2018, Riggs was feted by former Leavenworth Mayor Cheri Kelley Farivar in 2017 for being part of “Citizens of Washington in a Contemporary World.” According to LinkedIn and WenatcheeWorld, Riggs was on the dean’s list at Wenatchee Valley College, where she studied dental hygiene. The Washington State Department of Health Provider Credential Search portal indicated Riggs does not hold a license in any dental or nursing discipline.
Wilson went to great lengths to hide his identity, and attempts to find him by cross-referencing other social media channels were fruitless. He likely never considered the unique architecture of Leavenworth would provide the critical clue that would end his reign over social media.
Leavenworth, Washington, was founded as a logging town located on a railroad line. The town boomed through the late 1800s into the 1940s. Timber for construction, aircraft manufacturing during World War I, and a need for wood during World War II brought prosperity to the region. After the war, the railroad moved the line, bypassing Leavenworth and the town’s economy collapsed. By 1960, it appeared Leavenworth would disappear off the map.
City leaders came up with an idea to revitalize Leavenworth that forever changed the community. They adopted building codes to match Bavarian architecture and turned the town into a German-themed tourist destination. Almost overnight, Leavenworth became a picturesque mecca nationally known for Oktoberfest, Christmas lights, and the closest village to Stevens Pass and its ski area. Located just a couple of blocks off U.S. Route 2, Cascade Medical Center adopted the same Bavarian architecture when it was built. The unique construction requirements would be the undoing of Riggs and help identify Wilson.
In another video, Wilson revealed a distinctive area of Cascade Medical Center for a brief moment, showing the exposed beam German-inspired architecture. From that single view, investigators identified the facility.
Human resources at Cascade Medical Center was able to identify Riggs when researchers presented their findings, including the small video clip where she appeared just once. There is an old saying that there is no honor among thieves. When Riggs was confronted by Cascade Medical about her online activity and was accused of being the person behind bloodytnvc5, she gave up Wilson.
The hospital told the team of Danesh and Guilt, two employees were fired, and they waited for the story to break in the news. They believed they had revealed a doctor spreading medical misinformation, selling fake vaccination cards, and spreading racial hatred – but the news never came.
The final clues
Investigators went back through the cesspool of content they had gathered, looking for any additional clues for the true identity of bloodytnvc5. The deeper review discovered Wilson had made a critical error in a single video. Ironically, the historical roots of Washington state being part of the Oregon Territory when the Black Exclusion Act was passed in 1844 worked against him.
Almost 200 years later, Washington state is only 4% Black, while the United States is 13%. In a single video, Wilson forgot to put on his blue medical gloves revealing his race. Wilson is Black and lives in a community with 2,057 residents – slightly more than one percent are Black. Investigators believed they were looking for a Black doctor because Wilson presented himself as a medical expert with access to exam rooms, surgical suites, and medical equipment with apparent impunity.
Sprinkled among Wilson’s misinformation, weapons violations, selling fake vaccination cards, and racial hatred, there were morsels of content about food. The pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Scanning through photos from Cascade Medical Center, investigators had an epiphany. Wilson was in plain sight the whole time, but he wasn’t a doctor or even medically trained – Wilson is a chef. In one photo provided in hospital marketing materials, Wilson’s name was clearly visible on his employee badge, wearing a chef’s uniform, smiling over a table laden with food.
Despite being Black himself, Wilson expressed racial hatred and mocked Black culture. Some of his tamer content can still be found on (parental advisory, not safe for work)the website iFunny, including an iteration of the Pharoh iconography he would use.
Epilogue
Wilson and Riggs were both terminated from Cascade Medical Center, but they have not faced additional consequences for their actions to date. Wilson boasted of having illegal weapons in his possession and provided pictures. However, his whole persona online appears to be a complete illusion.
Wilson allegedly has been reported to the FBI, ATF, and local animal control for the crimes he self-documented on social media. An inquiry is being made with the Washington Department of Health to determine if the state will investigate Wilson, Riggs, or both for impersonating a doctor and nurse, respectively. Because this story broke over the weekend, we plan to reach out to the Washington Department of Health on Monday.
Riggs doesn’t hold any medical license (to the best of our research abilities) in Washington state. In theory, if she has completed her education in dental hygiene, she could become a licensed medical professional in the future.
ByteDance has never responded to multiple inquiries we have made about other medical misinformation creators on Tik Tok that operate with apparent impunity on the platform. Wilson and Riggs will likely maintain a low profile, but plenty of other videos already exist spreading harmful content.
We would like to thank ThatDaneshGuy, the creator Guilt, and their researchers for sharing their content with Malcontent News.
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) Cases moved upward while hospitalizations declined in Washington state. The number of COVID positive students in the Bellevue School District dropped significantly, while cases and quarantines expanded in Northshore, particularly at Bothell High School.
The rollout of additional monoclonal antibody clinics in Washington remains hobbled due to a tight supply and ongoing negotiations with potential locations.
Over 4,000 people joined Turning Point USA and former Washington state representative Matt Shea for a “medical freedom” rally in Spokane. An anti-vaccination rally is planned for September 30 at Swedish Hospital and Harborview Medical Center. At Harborview, staff spoke out over the weekend about getting threats from family members of COVID patients.
A 38-year old Washington State Trooper died of COVID over the weekend, leaving behind a wife and two children.
Vaccination rates in Washington climbed again but appeared to be slowing in many counties. The number of vaccinated adolescents in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area increased dramatically last week.
Alaska and Idaho continue to operate under crisis standards of care. Help came to Montana in the form of the Veteran’s Administration opening its doors to non-veteran patients. We’ve added Wyoming to a state we’re tracking and consider it at risk of expanding crisis standards of care.
Data points to another plateau, following the pattern of the last three weeks. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, the 14 day moving average for new cases is 797.4 per 100K, statistically unchanged from Friday. The Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, is 275.3, a slight increase. We have broken out the counties that have 60% or more of their residents vaccinated. The new case rate is 416% higher in counties that are under 40% vaccinated.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
60.00% or above (3)
182.6
50.00% to 59.99% (12 counties)
560.7
40.00% to 49.99% (15 counties)
730.6 (up)
28.40% to 39.99% (9 counties)
760.5
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 26, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 463.9 COVID cases per 100K, indicating newly detected cases jumped over the weekend. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Lincoln (1,257.9), Franklin (1.056,5), Okanogan (1,066.5), and Stevens (1,104.1). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Garfield, Grant, and Pend Oreille. Adams reported 978.0, and Grant reported 976.7 per 100K, putting the two counties just under the 1,000 threshold.
New cases were up in every age group, while hospitalizations were down for pediatric and geriatric patients.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
231.9 (up)
0.7 (down)
Ages 12-19
245.8 (up)
1.7
Ages 20-34
234.3 (up)
5.4
Ages 35-49
231.7 (up)
10.1
Ages 50-64
160.8 (up)
14.4
Ages 65-79
115.6 (up)
19.5 (down)
Ages 80+
118.1 (up)
31.5 (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 did not provide a number for reported deaths in Washington state. The state of Washington is not reporting the percentage of positive cases.
Expansion of monoclonal antibody treatment clinics in Washington remains stalled out
She said that the state was still working to identify partners that could provide the early stage COVID treatment outside of a hospital or urgent care setting.
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-engineered immune system proteins developed using similar processes as the FDA-approved mRNA Pfizer vaccine. For COVID-positive patients with mild symptoms and who don’t require supplemental oxygen, the therapy has shown to be highly effective in triggering a strong immune response. However, the treatment is not recommended for symptomatic cases that have lasted more than a week with worsening symptoms.
They are not an effective treatment for people who have been symptomatic for more than a week, have moderate or severe symptoms, or require oxygen therapy. Ms. Sauer said that some people were using the treatment as a “get out of jail free card” versus getting vaccinated.
Anti-vaccination protests planned at Swedish Hospital and Harborview Medical Center
Waking up Washington plans a “Seattle March for Healthcare Workers Against COVID Mandates” for September 30. The group announced they would march through Seattle from Swedish Hospital to Harborview Medical Center during the lunch hour.
Vaccination rates for doctors and nurses are high nationwide, with 97% doctors and 88% of nurses fully vaccinated. So far, hospital systems that have mandated vaccinations have seen very little attrition among the highest skilled workers.
Staff threatened at Harborview Medical Center over COVID treatment and mask wear
“At first, there was a feeling of camaraderie and people really applauding health care workers,” said Sam Conley, a neuroscience acute care nurse at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
But nearly two years after the pandemic began, amid a new period of vaccine requirements, mask enforcement, and staff shortages, Conley said the strains of the job have been as difficult as ever.
“It’s the verbal and physical abuse from visitors and family members that’s been some of the most challenging aspects of providing care,” Conley said. “I’ll have to ask visitors several times, ‘Hey, I need you to put that mask back on.'”
38-year old Washington State Trooper dies of COVID
The WSP would not comment on how long he was sick, or if he worked while COVID positive, or his vaccination status. COVID has been the leading killer of law enforcement since 2020.
According to KOIN, Gunderson became ill on a business trip. Gunderson was assigned to District 1, which serves Pierce and Thurston Counties. He left behind a wife and two sons.
The Seattle Times reported that 68% of all Washington state workers impacted by the October 18 vaccination deadline are fully inoculated and have submitted their documentation.
Turning Point USA and former state rep Matt Shea lead anti-government/anti-vaccination rally in Spokane
Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk in 2021, created an offshoot organization called Turning Point Faith, collaborated with On Fire Ministries for an anti-vaccination rally in Spokane. An estimated 4,000 people gathered at Riverfront Park to hear Dr. Ryan Cole, Ada County, Idaho health officer, Leslie Monookian of Health Freedom Defense Fund, and former state representative Matt Shea. Washington state representative Jenny Graham (R-Spokane) was expected to speak but was a no-show at the rally.
Matt Shea recently formed his own church, On Fire Ministries, after a schism with Ken Peters and the so-called Church at Planned Parenthood (TCAPP). TCAPP, along with Covenant Church, was ordered by a judge last week to stop protests outside of the Planned Parenthood Clinic after a year-long legal battle.
Matt Shea has been a subject of controversy for over a decade. While serving in Iraq, his commander had to disarm him due to “anger management issues.” In 2018 he distributed a manifesto titled Biblical Basis for War. The Spokane County Sheriff reported Shea to the FBI and said the manifesto was racist, anti-Semitic, and based on the white supremacist ideology of Christian Identity. The group wants to create a white-ethnostate based on Christian dogma in the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Ryan Cole is antimask, called the COVID vaccine, “needle rape,” and leads the public health efforts in Ada County, Idaho, where Boise is located.
On the same day, Turning Point USA hosted a “medical freedom” rally in Enumclaw.
The anti-vaccination movement has increasingly aligned with anti-government and white nationalist groups. Organizations like Christian Identity and the Proud Boys using the messages of government overreach and defending freedom as recruiting tools.
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding recreational travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties. If the number of new cases in the South Central Hospital Region continues to decline, we will likely lift our advisory for this region in the next 7 to 14 days. We strongly advise against all nonessential travel to Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
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
Number of vaccinated Washington state residents continues to rise
The Washington State Department of Health released updated vaccination numbers for the state and its 39 counties. On Monday, 76.4% of all residents 12 and over have received at least one dose, and 69.7% were fully vaccinated.
The number of people fully vaccinated slowed down last week. All but one county, Skamania, reported at least a modest increase. With 73.2% of residents fully vaccinated, San Juan County continues to lead the state. At 28.4%, Stevens County was in last and is the only county with less than 30% of residents fully vaccinated.
The two counties have a stark difference in the number of new COVID cases. On Monday, San Juan County was down to 51.9 cases per 100K people, while Stevens County was 1,104.1.
Pfizer vaccine booster shots are now available
Booster shots for eligible individuals are now available statewide. Individuals who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 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 that can be set up online.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 20.6% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 89.4% of capacity statewide, with 31.7% of ICU patients fighting COVID. The number of ICU patients dropped significantly from last week.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was down to 147, which is still higher than the January 2021 peak. The Department of Health reported 1,329 COVID patients statewide on September 26 and 220 on ventilators. Monday data is typically incomplete, so expect to see those numbers change tomorrow. If that number holds, hospitalizations have dropped 15%.
The number of patients at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland dropped 26% from last week. Currently, the hospital is treating 29 patients, 78% fully vaccinated (one patient, under 12, is not eligible). The ICU is caring for 9 patients, 78% fully vaccinated, with five on ventilators – none vaccinated. Only one vaccinated patient is under 60 years old. There was no additional information on the pediatric patient.
Cassie Sauer, CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA), indicated she was “cautiously optimistic” about the declining number of hospitalizations. However, she cautioned that the future is uncertain with the arrival of cooler weather and, eventually, flu season.
At the same briefing, Dr. Radha Agrawal with Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue said the patients she is treating are younger, sicker, and not responding to treatment.
“Once they get on a ventilator, the rate of success has been really, really low,” she said, adding, “We’re seeing so many younger people this year. It’s tragic, and it’s tragic for the patients, and it’s tragic for the families, and it’s tragic for the people taking care of them.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Dr. Freudenberger. “It’s particularly bad among our nursing staff.”
He said the start of every day involves assessing how short of staff they will be and how they will staff a constant influx of new COVID-19 positive patients.
Unlike Idaho, Washington state has not declared what’s called ‘crisis standards of care,’ which is a decision that would force health care providers to systematically ration care because of a lack of space and resources.
“We are on a razor’s edge of that,” Dr. Freudenberger. “That would get at the very core of what we do as health care providers.”
Back to School
School District
Status
Less than 10 Active Cases
10 or More Active Cases
Bellevue
GREEN
– Bellevue (1) – Eastgate (1) – Enatai (4)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (1*) – Barton Elementary (1*) – Dickinson/Explorer Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Franklin Elementary (2*) – Finn Hill Middle School (1*) – ICS (1*) – Inglewood Middle School (2*) – Juanita Elementary (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (3*) – Keller Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (3*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Renaissance Middle School (1*) – Rush Elementary (2*)
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (19) – Canyon Creek Elementary (24) – Canyon Park Middle School (8**) – Cottage Lake Elementary (15) – Crystal Springs Elementary (47**) – East Ridge Elementary (22) – Fernwood Elementary (13**) – Frank Love Elementary (31) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (19) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Innovation Lab High School (10) – Kenmore Elementary (16) – Kenmore Middle School (41**) – Kokanee Elementary (51) – Leota Middle School (5) – Lockwood Elementary (20) – Maywood Hills Elementary (20**) – North Creek High School (21**) – Northshore Middle School (12**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (9) – Secondary Academy for Success (10) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (77**) – Sunrise Elementary (20) – Timbercrest Middle School (32**) – Wellington Elementary (67) – Westhill Elementary (19) – Woodin Elementary (16**) – Woodinville High School (20) – Woodmoor Elementary (20**)
– Bothell High School (13*/102)
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.
The Bellevue School District moved back to green status while new confirmed COVID cases were reported in four Lake Washington schools.
The number of positive cases between staff and students grew to 13 at Bothell High School over the weekend, with another 102 students are quarantined. The NECS reports the school has 1,607 students, and the Northshore School District website reports 236 faculty. Although the numbers in the district may appear to be bad, it is the only school district we are monitoring that is performing weekly universal COVID testing.
King County COVID vaccination rates – at least one dose ages 12 to 19 – by zip code as of September 27, 2021
Vaccination rates among adolescents 12 to 19 jumped significantly throughout the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, although the sharp divide between the northern and southern half remains. Every zip code below 80% vaccinated for the age group saw an increase of at least 5% in a week.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
King County Public Health updated the vaccination rates by zip code, with the numbers improving throughout the region. The northern half of Kirkland, Bothell, and Kenmore, continue to lag behind the rest of the local area.
King County, Washington, at least one dose of COVID vaccine, all eligible ages, as of September 27, 2021
Zip Code
Percent vaccinated, at least one dose, 12 and older
98155
92.7%
98028
89.5%
98011
85.9%
98034
84.7%
98033
92.3%
98072
90.4%
98052
94.8%
98004
>95.0%
98039
93.7%
98005
94.6%
98007
89.2%
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 30,952 new cases and 286 deaths nationwide. Most states do not provide reporting over the weekend, so a significant amount of data is missing.
“Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,” Biden said before receiving his injection.
“The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing. Over 77% of adults have gotten at least one shot,” he said. “About 23% haven’t gotten any shots. And that distinct minority is causing an awful lot of damage for the rest of the country. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That’s why I’m moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can.”
COVID is spinning out of control in Alaska, with the state reporting 21 COVID deaths on Monday and almost 4,000 new cases from Friday to Sunday. The state is leading the United States for new COVID cases with a staggering 7 day moving average of 1,225 new cases per 100K residents. Once the top state for vaccination, since April, it has slid to 32nd place.
Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper ruled the ban on certain COVID-19 mitigation measures violated the so-called “single-subject rule” for legislation by being inserted into a state budget bill.
“The bill is classic logrolling – a medley of special interests cobbled together to force a vote for all or none,” Cooper said in her 17-page ruling.
Ninety minutes after the decision was released, Gov. Doug Ducey’s spokesman said the ruling by a “rogue judge” would be challenged:
Idaho
While Dr. Ryan Cole was exporting COVID misinformation in Spokane on Sunday, the Gem State set new records. The state is now treating 774 COVID patients, a new record. Among the 774, 207 in the ICU – Idaho only has 170 ICU beds.
St Luke’s Health was treating 303 COVID patients statewide and reported every ICU patient was unvaccinated.
303 COVID+ patients across @StLukesHealth & guess how many of those requiring the ICU are unvaccinated? 100%. All of them. Every COVID patient requiring intensive care today is NOT vaccinated. This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people. #VaccinesWork#OneSharedPurposepic.twitter.com/vZO2t835Qc
For the week ending Sunday, the state reported another 1,516 cases involving 5- to 17-year-olds. That’s a 10% increase from the previous week, as K-12-aged children continue to account for a growing share of Idaho’s coronavirus caseload. Nine children were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past week.
In Yellowstone County, 129 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 111 are unvaccinated. Between the two hospitals, 30 patients are in the ICU, and 20 are on ventilators. Of those, all are unvaccinated.
“With more hospital beds available, hospitals now have another tool in their toolbox to treat Montanans in need of care as their systems are strained,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said Friday in a statement.
Montana has the fifth-highest rate of new COVID cases in the country, with 15% to 19% of all tests coming back positive.
New York
The deadline for 450,000 healthcare workers to get vaccinated has arrived in New York with a wide range of reports from hospital systems across the state. Statewide, over 95% of nurses and almost all doctors got vaccinated or had an exemption approved. Hospital systems are reporting a wide range of results from “total compliance” to 15% attrition. The number of clinicians that left has been reported to be low statewide.
The hardest-hit system appears to be Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. The hospital announced it has suspended elective inpatient surgeries and stopped accepting intensive-care patients as it prepares to fire “hundreds of unvaccinated employees,” a spokesman Peter Cutler said.
In New York City, up to 11% of the 43,000 public health system employees refused to get vaccinated.
About 460 patients — including 135 in intensive care units — are in the Clinic’s Ohio hospitals. This is more than double the number of patients that were hospitalized with COVID-19 at the Clinic one month ago. The majority of these patients are unvaccinated, the hospital system said.
Statewide, unvaccinated people account for close to 94% of recent coronavirus hospitalizations, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.
Oregon
To our south, Oregon has 886 COVID patients hospitalized, which is an increase of 11 from over the weekend. Almost a quarter of all COVID patients are in the ICU, and although that number declined by 25 over the weekend, most of that was due to patients succumbing to COVID.
The current surge, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, is slowly beginning to abate as the virus finds fewer people who aren’t immune either through vaccination or recent infection. However, the new forecast indicates that hospitalizations will remain at extremely high levels until October 5 and will stay high well into December.
Wyoming
The Wyoming Department of Health reported an additional 854 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The number of COVID-19 patients in Wyoming hospitals fell below 200 on Sunday to 198 and dropped further to 192 on Monday, according to the WDH. The most recent peak in COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred on September 8, when there were 233 COVID-19 patients in Wyoming hospitals.
Knowledge is the best tool to fight against fear. A wise person chooses to be informed so they can make sound decisions. To join the fight against COVID misinformation, you can share this update through your social media platform of choice.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) Worsening problems with data from the Washington State Department of Health is hobbling efforts to understand the current situation and forecast the future. In counties where 40% or more of the total population is vaccinated, the number of cases per 100,000 people is down. Hospitalizations are up among people under 35 and have declined for individuals over 49. There is very little else that can be said with certainty.
Confirmed COVID cases between students and faculty at Bothell High School in the Northshore School District have grown to 12, with 100 more in quarantine. School officials in Eatonville moved its middle school to remote learning at least until mid-October due to an unspecified number of cases.
If you qualify for a Pfizer booster shot, we checked area pharmacies and grocery stores – they’re available now.
The Washington Department of Health data and reporting problems, which started in August and has only gotten worse, have become problematic. The new Modeling and Surveillance Situation Report, released by the DoH today, expressed uncertainty in the ongoing COVID situation because critical data is missing. Choose your path wisely over the next two months based on what is in the report. The first option makes for a harsh winter while the second path forecasts a sixth wave.
The City of Seattle has reached an agreement with three more unions today over modifications to the vaccine mandate. The Seattle Fire Department agreed to the compromise plan and incentives. The Seattle Police Officer Guild was absent from the negotiations.
Anti-vaccination advocates are becoming more desperate and violent. Hospital workers were threatened and attacked in multiple states this week, and the anti-vaccination group Waking Up Washington has resorted to telling their followers not to go to hospitals. The same group is planning an anti-vaccination “town hall meeting” at a Woodinville restaurant tomorrow. If you’re planning to attend, be sure to bring $20 cash and be ready to pay at the door.
Idaho and Alaska are still operating under “crisis standards of care,” and Alaska, in particular, is getting much worse. If you want to feel your blood pressure rise and have veins bulging out of your neck, please, read the Idaho section. We recommend not having anything breakable nearby. In Helena, Montana, where the city’s hospital is operating under crisis standards of care, state legislatures debated whether things are really that bad.
The situation in the Pacific Northwest is so deranged reporting Oregon has 60 available ICU beds statewide is now considered good news.
Data continues to show improvement across Washington, particularly in most of the highly vaccinated counties. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, the 14 day moving average for new cases is 803.4 per 100K, statistically unchanged from yesterday. The Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, is 258.7, a slight drop from yesterday.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
464.5 (down)
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
683.3 (down)
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
755.8
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 23, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 446.4 COVID cases per 100K – the change is “statistically insignificant,” but it’s worth noting the margin was 0.4 cases!. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Lincoln (1,257.9), Franklin (1.127.5) and Stevens (1,115.0). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Benton, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Okanogan, and Pend Oreille.
New cases by age group are statistically unchanged. Hospitalizations were up for people under 35 years old and down for individuals over 49 years old.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
193.4
1.3
Ages 12-19
201.4
1.5 (up)
Ages 20-34
193.4
5.0 (up)
Ages 35-49
196.8
9.9
Ages 50-64
135.4
14.7 (down)
Ages 65-79
97.6
21.7 (down)
Ages 80+
94.9
33.3 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker has not been updated since yesterday. The state of Washington is not reporting the percentage of positive cases.
COVID reports from the Washington Department of Health providing fewer details
As Washington state entered what local officials called the fifth wave, the state provided fewer details on the Washington State Department of Health COVID-19 Data Dashboard. Between August 30 and September 24, the state removed or has delayed granular information, including:
Total number of staffed adult acute care beds available
Total number of adult acute care beds occupied
Total number of staffed adult ICU care beds available
Total number of adult ICU beds occupied
Staffed acute care and ICU beds available by Hospital Region
Number of COVID patients in acute care and the ICU by Hospital Region
Percentage of positive COVID cases detected by daily testing by county and state – accurate data hasn’t been available since August 27, and all data stopped updating last week – there will be no reporting until November 1
Some metrics, particularly hospital occupancy, number of people in the ICU, and number of people on ventilators, have gone through multiple revisions. When these issues have occurred in other states, they became the subject of national attention.
Suppose you compare the quality and quantity of data from the DoH to other states such as South Carolina. In that case, it exposes a breakdown in the region’s ability to gather and analyze COVID information.
South Carolina reported 2,602 confirmed new cases and another 889 probable cases today. The state had 111 confirmed COVID-related deaths and another 11 probable fatalities under investigation. The state processed 36,766 PCR tests, and 9.4% were positive. Currently, 8,511 acute care beds are being utilized, 86.4% of staffed beds in the state. Of those patients, 2,196 have COVID, with 533 in the ICU and 369 on ventilators. There was 223 hospital admission for COVID patients, and 28 hospitals in the South Carolina are experiencing staffing shortages.
We were able to write that in five minutes. The analysis in the first section of the state update took over half an hour and required processing raw data in Excel.
Last year, Washington state moved quickly to create detailed reports during the start of the pandemic. The state was the first to have a confirmed COVID case, a confirmed COVID death, and the first super spreader event. EvergreenHealth in Kirkland and the Kirkland Fire Department literally wrote the books for hospital COVID response, initial case management, and EMS response to potential COVID cases.
The lack of data, while Washington is in the worst COVID surge to date, is glaring, considering these tools were once available. We once led the nation in the capacity to process PCR tests and report the data. It erodes public trust when the number of skeptics is declining, and the remaining are increasingly radicalized. Doctors and nurses in the United States are being assaulted, stalked, and getting death threats. Anti-vaccination organizations are now advocating for people not to go to hospitals and, in a few cases, have attempted to remove people, including ICU patients, on BIPAP and ventilators.
Finally, current reporting does not track pediatric hospitalizations or pediatric acute care, NICU, or PICU resources despite weeks of promises that information would be shared.
We are disappointed that other larger media organizations are not highlighting these issues, especially when you consider the number of headlines generated by the actions of Florida, Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Department of Health issues updated modeling and surveillance situation report
Testing shortages create uncertainty in how many active cases are missed as hospital admissions spiked to a level 60% higher than the peak in January 2021. At the end of August, the statewide R0, the rate of transmission, dropped below 1.0. It has since increased to 1.3 and was showing an exponential growth curve. The report estimates that 1 in 106 Washingtonians are experiencing an active COVID case, the highest rate recorded since August 2020.
Statewide immunity to COVID is estimated at just over 60%, with 1 in 5 having some degree of natural immunity. With 40% of the entire population exposed, the Delta variant has a significant number of new hosts it can infect. Unvaccinated residents are ninefold more likely to be hospitalized than unvaccinated.
The state has two forecasted models. The first is based on the R0 at 0.9, which would support a declining number of new cases. Under that model, daily hospital admissions for COVID would return to levels seen outside of surges, less than 40 people a day statewide.
The second model assumes R0 doubles to 1.8 due to the Thanksgiving holiday and the state population becoming fatigued with mask wear. If this scenario becomes a reality, December daily hospital admissions will increase to 141 to 240 per day by the end of the year.
Eatonville Middle School moves to virtual learning due to COVID outbreak
Officials in Eatonville announced that Eatonville Middle School was moving to remote learning through October 11 at the minimum. The district didn’t release any specific information on the number of infected students, staff, or if there is significant transmission within the school.
Located between Olympia and Mount Rainier in Pierce County, the town had 3,000 residents. According to the DoH, only 47.9% of county residents are fully vaccinated.
Letter to parents announcing Eatonville Middle School is moving to remote learning
Seattle reaches agreement with major public employee unions over vaccination mandates
“Since the pandemic touched down in Seattle, our officers, firefighters, and frontline workers have worked day in and day out to provide nation-leading testing, vaccination, and relief programs for our residents. Those efforts are a key reason we have one of the highest vaccination rates and lowest cases and hospitalizations of every major American city,” said Mayor Durkan.
The agreement is expected to be ratified, provides 8 hours of paid time off for any employee who submits a vaccination form by October 5 and is fully vaccinated by October 18. Employees can begin the vaccination process by October 18 and not face termination. They will have to use their available accrued time off while going through the vaccination process, which can last from two to six weeks. Finally, each employee will receive 40 hours of supplementary paid leave for COVID-related reasons. Employees who are fully vaccinated by October 18 will receive an additional 40 hours of supplemental leave for a total of 80 hours.
“Worker safety and certainty are of paramount importance, and the unions involved with these negotiations centered those concerns throughout a complex and time-sensitive process,” said Shaun Van Eyk, PROTEC17 Union Representative and Coalition of City Unions Co-Chair. “We believe that these two tentative agreements honor the essential, public-sector workers whose work could not be performed remotely and create clear, transparent, and equitable pathways for all City workers with respect to the vaccine mandate. While both agreements took a great deal of time and effort to reach, the outcome is unquestionably worth it for the health and safety of our union members, their families, and our communities.”
We have reached a tentative agreement with nearly all unions to support employee vaccinations with incentives, frontline worker pay, & flexibility for telework until Jan 2022. These policies will protect the health of our workforce & communities we serve. https://t.co/s5T0s4sUvH
The city has now reached vaccination agreements with six labor unions. The Seattle Police Officer Guild, SPOG, was not part of the agreement. The city indicated they were still negotiating with police union leaders.
Almost 90 local, county, and state employees sued Washington state to try and block vaccine mandates earlier this month. One of the plaintiffs claimed up to 150 City of Seattle firefighters were ready to resign. In August, SPOG Union President Mike Solan said up to 200 officers were prepared to quit.
Anti-vaccination activist groups calling for the sick to “avoid hospitals”
As part of a national trend, the activist group Waking Up Washington is telling its followers to “avoid hospitals” because “they’ve fired many of their free thinkers.”
Ms. Davis is a central figure in the Washington state anti-vaccination movement, which has seen its numbers dwindle since the summer months. She told her followers to go to another website for medical treatment plans. The site includes access to an online doctor for prescriptions of medications, with a $149 fee for a consultation for Ivermectin. According to WebMDRx, 10 pills cost between $23 and $56.
The site also links to the discredit organization America’s Frontline Doctors and the FLCCC. We have elected not to link to that website as it provides dangerous medical advice.
Suggested treatments include hydrogen peroxide nebulization and taking dandelion, pine needle, and eucalyptus supplements. Neublizing hydrogen peroxide can be fatal, and none of these supplements have any therapeutic value. The website DNS is provided by Google, according to a whois search.
Anti-vaccination “town hall meeting” in Woodinville tomorrow at local restaurant
Tomorrow, the same group is holding a “town hall meeting” at Rooster’s Bakery and Cafe in Woodinville. The event touts legal resources to fight vaccine mandates and “expert testimony” about “rigged statistics.”
To attend, you are required to pay a $20 fee in cash at the door.
Editor’s comment: Nothing suspicious about that.
Anti-vaccination event flyer for Woodinville tomorrow
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
Thank you
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!
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Vaccination
No update
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 22.0% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 89.5% of capacity statewide, with 33.9% of ICU patients fighting COVID. There has been a slow decline for all data points over the last week.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients was unavailable today. The Department of Health reported 1,436 COVID patients statewide on September 23 and 233 on ventilators. We aren’t confident that these numbers are accurate. Hospital occupancy rates don’t support this much of a decline, and the state dashboard noted, “The “hospital admission rate” metric on the Healthcare System Readiness tab was not updated today due to an interruption in our data systems.”
Harborview Medical Center is only at 113% capacity, which is an improvement from last week when the Level I trauma center was at 117% capacity.
Chelsey Roos, a registered nurse who works at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma, spoke with KCPQ.
“You get into your car after work, and you just want to cry.”
“Not only do we have roughly 50% more cases than we had during the December surge, but we’re caring for all of those patients with fewer staff, because it’s been so challenging for particularly our nurses, that people are choosing to leave healthcare because of how stressful it’s been,” says Dr. Steven Mitchell, the medical director of Harborview Medical Center’s Emergency Room.
It’s a perfect storm, the stress of the job causing many to leave-which then leaves the remaining nurses with an even heavier workload.
“It burns people out, its burning people out so easily, we can’t seem to keep enough nurses working or wanting to work in acute care or a hospital, it’s just becoming too much, and I think people are wanting to reprioritize things in their lives,” says Roos.
“I don’t know what my daily census is today, but this is really the first time in the COVID surge this last week where we’ve seen an increase in children that have been admitted for the care of COVID.”
– Bellevue (1) – Big Picture (1) – Chinook (1) – Eastgate (1) – Enatai (36) – Interlake (2) – Lake Hills (13) – Puesta del Sol (2) – Wilburton (3)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Finn Hill Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4* – see below) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (13) – Canyon Creek Elementary (24) – Canyon Park Middle School (8) – Cottage Lake Elementary (16) – Crystal Springs Elementary (47**) – East Ridge Elementary (24) – Fernwood Elementary (13**) – Frank Love Elementary (28) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (17) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Innovation Lab High School (9) – Kenmore Elementary (15) – Kenmore Middle School (39**) – Kokanee Elementary (50) – Leota Middle School (5) – Lockwood Elementary (8) – Maywood Hills Elementary (14**) – North Creek High School (21**) – Northshore Middle School (10**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (10) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (82**) – Sunrise Elementary (21) – Timbercrest Middle School (28) – Wellington Elementary (64) – Westhill Elementary (10) – Woodin Elementary (9) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (21**)
– Bothell High School (12*/100)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than 10 active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
We had a parent-reported confirmed COVID case at Kamiakin Middle School on Tuesday. Because the Lake Washington School District updates its dashboard weekly, we don’t know if this is in addition to the 3 cases reported on Monday or if any of those earlier cases have returned to class. We have set the number to 4.
The number of positive cases between staff and students has swelled to 12 at Bothell High School, with another 100 students quarantined. The NECS reports the school has 1,607 students, and the Northshore School District website reports 236 faculty. Although the numbers in the district may appear to be bad, they are the only school district of the three we are following that is performing weekly universal COVID testing.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
Booster shots for eligible individuals are now available in the Kirland-Bellevue-Woodinville area. Individuals who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine more than 6 months ago, are 65 or older, or are immunocompromised can receive their third dose immediately.
We canvased area drug and grocery stores to check for availability. Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Bartell’s, and CV are all offering booster shots immediately. Booster shots are also available at the CVS located within the Target store at 17,700 NE 76th Street in Redmond. Additionally, the QFC at Kirkland Urban is providing booster shots.
Most locations require an appointment that can be set up online. The Kirkland Urban QFC was already completely booked through the weekend.
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 128,731 new cases and 3,157 deaths nationwide.
Alaska
Alaska continues to operate in crisis standards of care as the situation in the vast and remote state continues to deteriorate. Officials reported 1,793 new cases and a staggering 41 deaths (yes, we know the headline says 1800 cases and 44 deaths – if you read the story, it says 1793 cases and 41 deaths, talk amongst yourselves – we’re over it) in the state of just over one million people. The numbers included hundreds of older cases due to a data entry backlog.
The state had a record of 217 COVID patients hospitalized. The statewide 7 day moving average for new COVID cases is a staggering 976 per 100K people, and currently, 9.2% of all COVID tests are coming back positive.
The state now has 20 ICU beds available, an improvement from yesterday, and 74 residents on ventilators.
Soldotna’s Central Peninsula hospital, about 150 miles from Anchorage, is operating at 133% capacity. Richards is worried about what will come next. “We all know that hospitalizations lag following these high-case days, so I don’t know what’s in store for us.”
The goal is to make more room at the busy Anchorage hospitals, which offer more intensive care and other services, especially sick patients that rural hospitals can’t support.
This practice is known as “load leveling,” and it’s done more regularly between hospitals in urban areas, where patients can be moved by ambulance. It’s far rarer in rural Alaska, though, since most hospitals in those areas aren’t connected by road and can be hundreds of miles apart.
“Once you start involving learjets and medevac companies, it gets infinitely more complicated,” Brunner said in an interview Thursday.
Patients that don’t need critical care are flown to acute care hospitals in rural areas. For many rural hospitals, the patients they receive are sicker than they usually see, straining staff. Worse, patients are separated from family and friends and face potential air ambulance bills in the tens of thousands of dollars.
In the 6,000 resident town of Bethel, Alaska, half the police force is threatening to resign over a recent vaccination mandate. The remote city is only accessible by boat or airplane during the warmer months, and ice road in the winter. The city is experiencing one of the highest COVID case rates in the state and country and doesn’t have the resources to deal with the surge. City officials decided to mandate vaccinations.
Resistance to the vaccine from police in Bethel is endemic of opposition the vaccine has seen from police departments across the country. Many officers have refused vaccine mandates, filed unsuccessful lawsuits, and decried the measures as unconstitutional.
But in Bethel, some say police have gone a step further, dangling the possibility of increased violence over remote residents’ heads if the city were to push half of the police force out of a job.
Among other highlights, Police Chief Richard Simmons baldly told KYUK earlier this week that the small city was “one of the most violent communities in the nation” and needed every one of its officers.
Available data shows that Bethell has a high crime rate but not one of the highest in the nation.
Alaska Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink, who also works in a hospital emergency department, said many retail pharmacists have stopped asking customers if they’d like the vaccine because of the fury it triggers.
“We see many triage nurses in the emergency department also afraid to ask that question,” Zink said, “because patients have been violent towards them in the emergency department when asking the question if they’re vaccinated or if they have COVID-19.”
Idaho
Idaho reported 1,646 new COVID cases and 34 new deaths on Friday. The state continues to operate under crisis standards of care. Unlike states such as Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, which use “load leveling” to maximize resources, Idaho hospitals can go it alone.
While people are dying in hospital waiting areas in the Panhandle, hospitals in the eastern part of the state are operating under “contingency care.” Both Oregon and Washington are running on “contingency care protocols,” which give medical providers options to defer certain treatments and take other steps to maximize resources.
While hospitals in the Magic and Treasure valleys and Northern Idaho have added beds in conference rooms, cafeterias, and other available spaces, Herget believes PMC should have adequate traditional bed capacity heading forward.
On Monday, Herget said PMC would open a special care unit with nine rooms equipped with negative pressure technology to treat patients with contagious upper respiratory diseases, such as the coronavirus.
According to ABC News, an advocacy group for older adults has filed a civil rights complaint against Idaho over the state’s “crisis standards of care” guidelines for hospitals overwhelmed by patients amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the group Justice in Aging asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate Idaho’s health care rationing plan. They contend it discriminates against older adults, especially Black and Native American adults, by using factors like age when prioritizing which patients get access to life-saving care.
“Older adults are facing serious risk of discrimination, resulting in death,” because of Idaho’s crisis standards, Justice for Aging attorneys wrote in their complaint letter. Symptomatic breakthrough cases are overwhelming among people over 70 years old.
The school wrote in a statement on Friday, “In light of our declining campus positivity rates and high vaccination rates, the university will shift from testing all ticket holders in the student section to random sample testing of that population before next week’s football game.”
According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the percentage of Idaho’s eligible population (12 and older) fully vaccinated is just 51.5%.
Photo credit – Dr. Ashley Carvalho – photo after being a family member of a patient threatened to shoot her
“I received a slew of verbal abuse from a patient’s family members who called me an incompetent doctor, threatened me with physical violence, and demanded I give them my name and medical license number so they could sue. This was because I refused to prescribe Ivermectin, which is not proven to treat COVID-19 and is recommended only in clinical trials at this point, and hydroxychloroquine, which current research suggests is not effective or safe in treating COVID-19. My patient was struggling to breathe, but the family refused to allow me to provide care. A call to the police was the only solution.”
Several physicians from Kootenai Health were slated to speak during the meeting as the hospital hit two milestones this week: its highest number of COVID-19 inpatients and the highest number of COVID-19 ICU patients at 43. The hospital in Coeur d’Alene typically only has 26 ICU beds.
The group was described as a “mob” of 200 people who were “extremely hostile.”
BREAKING: The meeting has been postponed. Board members were worried about safety, per city fire code.
Editor’s Note: We remind you again, our state is supporting Idaho’s bad choices. In the coming weeks, it is likely at least a couple of the people in this “mob” will be begging the doctors who had planned to speak today to save their lives.
“When there’s that kind of things to compete against, we don’t have a chance,” he said. “We just don’t have employees. We’ve seen from 2 or 3 classified staff, all the way to 60 classified staff, that districts are missing across the state.”
He said three school districts were closed Friday, two due to staffing shortages and one because of COVID-19 cases among students. He said open schools are also struggling with lower than normal attendance.
Montana
Montana reported 1,326 new COVID cases across the state where officials aren’t reporting unvaccinated versus vaccinated cases. The state has 395 people hospitalized with COVID and didn’t share how many are on ventilators.
According to KHN, Billings Clinic said it might soon implement “crisis standards of care” that would force staff to save provisions for patients they can most likely save.
Yellowstone County is seeing the worst of the surge. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,461 current active cases there, as much as the next two counties combined.
And in Helena, where a hospital is operating at crisis standards of care, state lawmakers questioned health officials on the severity of the situation.
“I’m not sure I would feel really dismayed about the rate increase when you just think of it really mathematically,” Gillette said. “… Just put in simple terms, if you had two (cases) at one point and you increased to four, you’d increase by 50%, so you just kind of have to put it in … more broad terms and not … lose the other data. So, for instance, when we look at the number of COVID cases per 100,000, we’re pretty much just middle of the pack normal.”
If being the sixth-worst in the United States is “middle of the pack,” Montana is competing with its neighbor to the west in a race to the political bottom.
There were 855 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 30 fewer than the previous day, and 268 patients in ICU beds, which was an increase of five. There were 60 available adult ICU beds across the state of Oregon, which is an improvement from two weeks ago.
The OHA’s latest COVID-19 forecast shows a slowing in the decline of daily cases and hospitalizations through mid-October. The report estimates 495 cases per 100,000 people, or an average of 1,480 daily cases and 81 hospitalizations for the two weeks between September 29 and October 12.
In our neighbor to the south, new COVID cases among children now outnumber those among the elderly.
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) The latest numbers for Washington state were positive while our neighbors to the north and east continue to struggle. The number of new cases and hospitalizations remained stable, with little change from yesterday.
Governor Jay Inslee extended the eviction moratorium until October 23, as state, county, and local officials struggle to distribute funds.
More plaintiffs joined a lawsuit against Washington state, attempting to block the vaccine mandate for state employees, teachers, and healthcare workers.
Very little changed in area school districts, with minor adjustments for the number of quarantined students.
The CDC votes on booster shots for recipients of the Pfizer vaccine and recommends jabs for a narrow group of people.
Idaho and Alaska continue to operate under crisis standards of care, while Montana struggles to support overrun hospitals.
Data for new cases provided the best news Washington state has received in months. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, the 14 day moving average for new cases is 806.6 per 100K, statistically unchanged from yesterday. The Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, is 270.6, also statistically unchanged.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
479.2
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
694.2
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
761.6
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 22, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average is 456.0 COVID cases per 100K. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Lincoln (1,285.1), Franklin (1,154.2) and Stevens (1,135.8). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, and Okanogan. Three counties, Chelan, Lewis, and Pend Oreille, are just under 800.0.
These numbers are a significant improvement from last week.
The rate of new cases and hospitalizations by age group was essentially unchanged.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
1979
1.4 (down)
Ages 12-19
206.4
1.2
Ages 20-34
192.3
4.6
Ages 35-49
197.9 (up)
10.2
Ages 50-64
138.6
17.2
Ages 65-79
102.4
23.8
Ages 80+
102.2
36.2
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
Governor Jay Inslee extended the statewide eviction moratorium until October 31, 2021. Federal, state, and local officials have struggled to distribute federal funds from the American Rescue Plan and additional funds from the CARES Act.
The extension was made to give Washington counties more time to distribute funds to renters, qualified mortgage holders, and landlords.
More plaintiffs join the lawsuit challenging Washington’s vaccine mandate for state employees and healthcare workers
Up to 500 more people joined a lawsuit filed on September 5 in Walla Walla, seeking to stop the Washington state vaccine mandate. The workers joining the case come from a cross-section of Washington, representing government employees at the state and local level, healthcare workers, and teachers.
Up to 120,000 workers are impacted by the state vaccine mandate between the requirement for certain state government organizations, educators, and healthcare workers. An exact number can only be estimated because some workers fall into multiple categories, such as healthcare workers in academia or school nurses.
William Cleary and his wife Sherra Rae have become the public face of the lawsuit. Mr. Cleary works for a very large King County fire department and is seeking a religious exemption. Ms. Cleary hasn’t disclosed where she works and is seeking a medical exemption because she is pregnant. Mr. Cleary claims 100 to 150 of his coworkers are ready to walk off the force in a department with more than 1,000 employees.
Other mandates for state workers, colleges, and healthcare providers have yet to show a dramatic number of people quitting. Yesterday, United Airlines reported more than 97% of its employees got vaccinated. Last month, Hawaii reported almost 99% of all state employees followed its vaccine mandate. In Texas, Methodist Health which employees 36,000 people, saw less than 200 quit their jobs.
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
Thank you
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 vote now awaits final signoff from the CDC director. If that happens, booster shots would quickly become available at pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and other sites that provide the Pfizer vaccine.
The FDA and CDC rebuked the Biden Administration in separate votes, rejecting the broad booster shots President Joe Biden wanted. The CDC panel recommendation is more narrow than the FDA, which voted on September 17 to include people over 65, the immunocompromised, and employees such as healthcare workers who have high exposure to COVID.
In a unanimous vote, the CDC recommended boosters for people over 65 and the immunocompromised.
The booster shots are only available for people who received the Pfizer vaccine.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 22.4% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 89.6% of capacity statewide, with 34.6% of ICU patients fighting COVID.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 157 a day. The Department of Health reported 1,605 COVID patients statewide on September 22 and 279 on ventilators. The data for the last two days was adjusted again.
Tuesday: 1,579 patients and 278 on ventilators
Wednesday: 1,604 patients and 290 on ventilators, a new record
Back to School
School District
Status
Less than 10 Active Cases
10 or More Active Cases
Bellevue
YELLOW
– Bellevue (1) – Eastgate (9) – Enatai (32) – Interlake (2) – Lake Hills (13) – Puesta del Sol (2) – Wilburton (3)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Finn Hill Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4* – see below) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (15) – Canyon Creek Elementary (24) – Canyon Park Middle School (8) – Cottage Lake Elementary (16) – Crystal Springs Elementary (56**) – East Ridge Elementary (27) – Fernwood Elementary (12**) – Frank Love Elementary (27) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (12) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Innovation Lab High School (9) – Kenmore Elementary (16) – Kenmore Middle School (41**) – Kokanee Elementary (49) – Leota Middle School (5) – Lockwood Elementary (7) – Maywood Hills Elementary (12**) – North Creek High School (21**) – Northshore Middle School (9**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (9) – Shelton View Elementary (19**) – Skyview Middle School (73**) – Sunrise Elementary (25) – Timbercrest Middle School (27) – Wellington Elementary (62) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Woodin Elementary (9) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (21**)
– Bothell High School (11*/95)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We redefined the school district statuses. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting moving any school with more than 10 active COVID cases reported into the red, and we’ve adjusted the third column to reflect this change.
We had a parent-reported confirmed COVID case at Kamiakin Middle School on Tuesday. Because the Lake Washington School District updates its dashboard weekly, we don’t know if this is in addition to the 3 cases reported on Monday or if any of those earlier cases have returned to class. We have set the number to 4.
There was no significant change in status in the three school districts we track.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 132,903 new cases and 2,785 deaths nationwide.
Alaska
Hospitals in Alaska continue to operate under crisis standards of care protocols, with the state reporting a record 1,330 new cases today. To put that in perspective, Alaska has less than half of the population of Idaho and reported an almost identical number of new cases today. Hospitalizations increased to 209, and the number of available ICU beds in the largest hospital in Anchorage had dwindled to seven.
Officials are planning to implement telework for most state employees
As a result, morticians are forced to find new ways to store bodies in — and sometimes outside — their facilities. At Bell Tower, owner Lance Cox said they’d converted a train car into an external refrigeration unit. The train car, which smells of diesel fuel and constantly produces considerable noise, can hold up to 56 bodies.
Ada County Chief Deputy Coroner Brett Harding said that in his 34-year career, he could only compare the number of deaths to two major events, from when he lived in Florida: the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando and a 1996 ValuJet plane crash in the Everglades.
Some funeral homes are choosing to embalm bodies they wouldn’t normally embalm because embalmed bodies don’t need to be refrigerated.
Montana
Hospitals in Montana continue to struggle as multiple healthcare facilities teeter on moving to crisis standards of care. Officials reported 1,144 new COVID cases, with 407 hospitalized. There was scant information reported out of the state today.
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) Hospitalizations and new COVID cases in Washington declined sharply today. Hospitals remain very stressed, particularly in rural areas and Eastern and Southwest Washington. We have lifted a travel advisory today based on the new data.
Our neighbors to our north and east are watching things go from bad to worse as Alaska declares crisis standards of care statewide. In Montana, more hospital systems are warning they are running out of the capability to provide adequate hospital care to all.
In Clallam and Jefferson County, COVID is hitting nursing homes hard, and county leaders blame the unvaccinated.
Trevor Bedford, Ph.D., and an Associate Professor of Vaccine and Infectious Disease forecasted that COVID is here to stay in a seminar conducted last week. Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah sent a second request for federal assistance, escalating to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
For those waiting until the last minute to get vaccinated before the October 18 deadline, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is challenging to find, but that will improve shortly. On the subject of hard to find, it appears we’re moving to toilet paper shortage version 2.0. There’s an ivermectin joke there, but we will take a pass.
Snohomish County officials hint that a vaccine mandate will be coming for county workers. City officials in Kirkland announce residential rent, mortgage, and utility aid is available.
Nationally, the FDA has authorized the Pfizer booster shots for people over 65, with health issues, and who have significant exposure to COVID as part of their jobs. On the subject of vaccines, breakthrough cases represent less than 1% of all confirmed COVID cases in Washington state.
We’ve updated our green, yellow, red status for schools to reflect better the data we can and can’t get. Schools in all three districts we track reported new COVID cases or quarantines. The Northshore School District moves into the red, as Bothell High School now has 11 confirmed cases. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital releases a study on the impact of universal masking has in schools.
Nationally, Americans are drinking – a lot. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn advises his followers not to touch the salad dressing.
The narrative that the anti-vaccination movement is vast takes another blow today with reports from United Airlines, Duke Health, and Novant Health report that 97% to 99% of all employees are now vaccinated.
Data for new cases provided the best news Washington state has received in months. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, the 14 day moving average for new cases is 797.0 per 100K, a significant decrease. This is the first time the number has dropped under 800 since Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital warned they were on the brink of crisis standards of care. The Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, dropped to 267.5.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
484.0 (down)
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
700.7 (down)
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
757.7 (down)
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 21, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average dropped to 457.7 COVID cases per 100K. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Lincoln (1,339.4), Franklin (1,079.0) and Stevens (1,069.3). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Lincoln, Lewis, and Okanogan.
King, Jefferson, and San Juan Counties continue to have the lowest number of new cases per 100K people.
There is one concern in the data. Washington state has paused reporting information on how many tests are coming back positive. A message was added to the Dashboard Data Notes.
“On September 15, 2021, DOH stopped updating all metrics on the Testing tab and the testing data displayed on the Demographics tab. This pause will remain in effect through October 31, 2021. During this time, DOH will work to increase its capacity to process the increased testing data volume received in the last few months.”
Declining total cases indicates that the percentages of positive tests are coming down. However, not having visibility into this data makes it impossible to predict long-term trends better.
The rate of new cases was down across every age group. Hospitalizations were down or flat for every age group except children birth to 11 years old. The increase in pediatric hospitalizations has leveled out.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
188.2 (down)
1.6
Ages 12-19
200.1 (down)
1.2 (down)
Ages 20-34
184.9 (down)
4.6 (down)
Ages 35-49
180.1 (down)
10.7
Ages 50-64
133.1 (down)
17.5
Ages 65-79
98.3 (down)
23.0 (down)
Ages 80+
98.2 (down)
36.2 (up)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center predicts COVID is here to stay
In a virtual seminar, Associate Professor of Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Trevor Bedford, Ph.D., predicted that COVID was here to stay. The seminar was held on September 14, and a video was made public on Monday. Dr. Bedford called his future perspectives “necessarily depressing.”
Associate professor Bedford’s research predicts that COVID will be a seasonal disease, much like the flu is today. The study showed that COVID is currently fivefold more adaptive than the common flu virus (H3N2). New variants of COVID would continue to evolve, but researchers believed this will slow down over time and become less potent.
Currently, COVID is tenfold more deadly than the flu. Based on current data and models, Mr. Bedford sees a future where 20% to 30% of Americans would be sickened with COVID-19 annually. Using the available information, the number of COVID-19 deaths could be reduced to 50,000 to 100,000 a year, using the same tools we use today to fight the flu.
Currently, the United States healthcare system is incapable of supporting the number of hospitalizations that would occur if the general expectations in the seminar become a reality.
Although Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is world-renowned for leading-edge cancer treatment, the research center has released almost 20 papers on infectious disease since 2018. Many cancer treatments suppress the immune system, making patients more vulnerable to common diseases such as the flu.
VIDD Seminar at Fred Hutch on “SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary dynamics” recorded Sep 14, 2021
Governor Inslee and Secretary of Health Shah send second request for federal aid
The new letter has a more urgent tone than the one sent on Friday and indicates a growing concern in Olympia on the state’s ability to deliver medical care to its residents. Secretary Shah outlined the state’s existing efforts to date, adding, “the unprecedented increase in hospital admissions and occupancy rates has created extreme stress on hospitals, long term care facilities, and health case workers.”
“Fortunately, our hospitals in Washington have made a commitment to leverage all acute care hospital capacity in the state so that no one hospital alone must face implementing crisis standards of care.”
“Despite these efforts, we are very concerned this will simply not be enough to alleviate the stress on health care capacity and ensure health care is available for those who need it most in our state. Staff shortages in our healthcare system continue to make this a dire situation.”
Dr. Shah echoed Governor Inslee’s request for assistance from the federal government, including “Department of Defense resources.” This would be in addition to the 1,200 clinical and non-clinical workers previously requested to aid the state in an earlier request made to FEMA.
Johnson & Johnson vaccine supply is thin, but more doses are coming
For state employees, healthcare workers, and educators who are vaccine-hesitant or have decided to get the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, some may have trouble getting the shot. In June, due to manufacturing problems, the federal government halted the distribution of the adenovector vector vaccine. Distribution restarted on September 10.
Currently, there are 84,082 doses available in Washington state, with another 59,700 on order. The extra doses are expected to be here before the October 4 deadline for workers to initiate getting vaccinated.
Issaquah, Washington-based Costco, warned customers that some essential household items such as toilet paper are in short supply. The company didn’t specify which products were experiencing a tight supply, but on August 16, it indicated that toilet paper was an issue. There have been anecdotal reports on social media of bare paper product shelves in Costco and Walmart stores.
Last month, Proctor and Gamble announced they were ramping up paper product production due to growing demand.
Editor’s Note: We know there is an ivermectin joke here, but we’ll take a pass.
Snohomish County leaders hint a vaccine mandate for county workers is coming
“There’s a significant number of people who are saying they will not get vaccinated and would rather lose their jobs. So we are expecting to see some of that resistance,” said Executive Somers.
The latest data shows COVID cases have declined in Snohomish County, but the transmission rate is as high as ever.
According to the Health Officer, more than 2-thousand students in Kindergarten to 12th grade were quarantined the first two weeks of September.
Residential rent, mortgage, and utility relief available to Kirkland residents
The City of Kirkland is partnering with community-based agencies to provide immediate financial assistance to Kirkland residents struggling to pay for their rent, mortgage, and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please review the following information to determine if you qualify and learn how to apply for assistance.
Language and cultural navigators are available to help access the city’s relief programs. These programs are made possible with funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.
To be eligible, the applicant must have a home mailing address in the city of Kirkland, have experienced a COVID hardship since March 2020, and have a household income no higher than 100% of the King County median income in the last 60 days. Additional information can be found on the city of Kirkland website.
COVID cases in Clallam and Jefferson County nursing homes spread by the unvaccinated
As of Friday, the 17th, there were over 60 cases there, and on Tuesday, a sign was posted on one of their doors indicating there were active COVID-19 cases inside.
“The primary driver of these long-term care facility outbreaks is unvaccinated staff and a shocking amount of COVID in the community,” Berry said, adding that the facilities were already stretched thin for staffing, and the delta variant has exacerbated the problem. She said most of the facilities have 50 percent or less of their staff fully inoculated. “When it runs through these facilities, all the unvaccinated folks get COVID. So now an already understaffed facility becomes a critically understaffed facility.”
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions are constrained, and you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
We have lifted our travel advisory to Lincoln County.
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 authorizes COVID boosters for people over 65, immunocompromised, and healthcare workers
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series.
Comirnaty was approved by the FDA on August 23 to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. On August 25, the FDA received a supplement from Pfizer Inc. seeking approval of a single booster dose for individuals 16 years of age and older. Last week, an FDA panel rejected the Biden Administration’s plan to provide boosters for all. Instead, they approved a more narrow scope that protects groups that are experiencing the most breakthrough cases.
Eligible individuals include people over 65 years old, individuals at high risk of severe COVID, and people who frequently work in places where exposure to COVID puts them at high risk.
“Today’s action demonstrates that science and the currently available data continue to guide the FDA’s decision-making for COVID-19 vaccines during this pandemic. After considering the totality of the available scientific evidence and the deliberations of our advisory committee of independent, external experts, the FDA amended the EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for a booster dose in certain populations such as health care workers, teachers, and daycare staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons, among others,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “This pandemic is dynamic and evolving, with new data about vaccine safety and effectiveness becoming available every day. As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed.”
The booster shots are only available for people who received the Pfizer vaccine.
Breakthrough COVID cases represent less than 1% of all Washington state infections
According to a new report from the Washington State Department of Health, fewer than 1% of fully vaccinated people have experienced a breakthrough case of COVID.
Since the first Washingtonian became vaccinated on January 17 through September 11, there have been 36,919 breakthrough cases. Although only 12% of cases were asymptomatic, just 9% were hospitalized, and less than 1% died.
Over three-quarters of the breakthrough cases were among people ages 20 to 64.
The 331 people who died ranged in age from 34 to 103, with a median age of 79.5. Over a third, 117 people, were in long–term care facilities.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 22.8% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 89.6% of capacity statewide, with 35.2% of ICU patients fighting COVID.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 166 a day. The Department of Health reported there were 1,540 COVID patients statewide on September 21 and 245 on ventilators. The data for yesterday was updated to 1,561 patients on Monday and 257 on ventilators. After a week of numbers hovering on what looked like a new plateau, all data indicates we are in a new decrease.
Back to School
School District
Status
Less than 10 Active Cases
10 or More Active Cases
Bellevue
YELLOW
– Bellevue (1) – Eastgate (9) – Enatai (32) – Interlake (2) – Lake Hills (13) – Puesta del Sol (2) – Wilburton (3)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Finn Hill Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4* – see below) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (37) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
RED
– Arrowhead Elementary (16) – Canyon Creek Elementary (23) – Canyon Park Middle School (6) – Cottage Lake Elementary (14) – Crystal Springs Elementary (58**) – East Ridge Elementary (28) – Fernwood Elementary (12**) – Frank Love Elementary (24) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (10) – Inglemoor High School (7) – Innovation Lab High School (9) – Kenmore Elementary (17) – Kenmore Middle School (42**) – Kokanee Elementary (44) – Leota Middle School (4) – Lockwood Elementary (7) – Maywood Hills Elementary (14**) – North Creek High School (19**) – Northshore Middle School (9**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (9) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (76**) – Sunrise Elementary (26) – Timbercrest Middle School (28) – Wellington Elementary (61) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Woodin Elementary (10) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (19**)
– Bothell High School (11*/89)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
Today we are defining status red for a school district. Information for classroom and building closures has been a challenge to obtain, both for closures and reopening. We are adopting a metric of any school with more than 10 active COVID cases reported, and we will move that school into the right column.
We have a parent-reported Lake Washington School District confirmed COVID case at Finn Hill Middle School. The Bellevue School District reported 9 students in quarantine at Eastgate. The district did not report a confirmed COVID case in the school, suggesting the exposure happened off school grounds.
Northshore School District now has 9 schools with 5 to 9 confirmed cases, while Bothell High School reported 11 today. The district started weekly student-wide testing on Monday.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital releases study showing mask mandates lower COVID cases and quarantines
Auger’s study used data from seven school districts with a total of 64,500 students. Three districts require universal masking (including one that switched to full masking after a week of school), four require masking for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade but not for kids in grades seven through 12. Five of the districts also provided the data on quarantines.
After the 21 days of in-person learning, the data revealed:
COVID cases were 78% higher in schools without universal masking
The number of students being quarantined was 60% higher in schools without universal masking
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
In another sign that the national surge of Delta variant COVID cases is slowing down, the 7 day rolling average of COVID-related deaths increased to over 2,000 a day. This is the highest rate since March 1. Hospitalizations decreased to 91,500 after peaking at 103,000 at the beginning of September.
About 17% of respondents reported “heavy drinking” in the past 30 days, according to the survey conducted by analytics firm The Harris Poll and commissioned by Alkermes, an Ireland-based biopharmaceutical company.
The survey was conducted online from March 30 to April 7 among 6,006 U.S. adults ages 21 and older. Of those, 1,003 adults reported “heavy drinking.”
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has a new conspiracy theory
Michael Flynn, the former National Security Adviser to the Trump administration, reported a new plot by the so-called “Deep State.” The vaccine is going to be put in American’s salad dressings.
“Somebody sent me a thing this morning where they’re talking about putting the vaccine in salad dressing,” said Flynn. “Have you seen this? I mean, it’s — and I’m thinking to myself, this is the Bizarro World, right? This is definitely the Bizarro World … these people are seriously thinking about how to impose their will on us in our society, and it has to stop.”
Yes, we know this seems like fake news, but we have receipts.
In a show dedicated to covid and election fraud conspiracies, Michael Flynn yesterday brings up an article he read that the Deep State medical establishment is planning to secretly put the covid vaccine in salad dressing. pic.twitter.com/45LniXtnYA
MICHAEL FLYNN REPORTING THAT THE COIVD VACCINE IS GOING TO BE ADDED TO SALAD DRESSINGS
Jesse Jackson released from residential care after breakthrough infection
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, 79, was released Wednesday from a Chicago facility a month after being hospitalized for a breakthrough COVID-19 infection. His wife Jacqueline, 77, was also infected but was not vaccinated. She required oxygen and a brief intensive care unit stay and was released this month.
The civil rights icon has severe Parkinson’s disease and other comorbidities.
United Airlines reports over 97% of employees got vaccinated
In what is becoming a common trend, United Airlines joined a growing list of businesses, hospitals, and colleges that mandated vaccinations and reached a high level of acceptance. With over 97% already vaccinated, employees still have another week left before they will face termination. The airline reported there was a small number of exception requests being evaluated.
Church leaders said in a statement that masks will be required temporarily to keep temples open. The message was the latest in a series of statements from church leaders encouraging masking and vaccination efforts against COVID-19.
Alaska
Today in Alaska, the sum of all fears was realized with Governor Mike Dunleavy announcing that all hospitals will be operating under crisis standards of care. Alaska joins Idaho as the only two states since the pandemic started to make a statewide emergency declaration.
A combination of short staffing and high numbers of COVID-19 patients is overwhelming medical facilities in Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks. Rural hospitals say they struggle to transfer patients to urban centers for higher care. At least one patient died recently when a bed in Anchorage wasn’t available.
Officials announced that the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services enabled crisis standards of care Wednesday through a new addendum to the state’s existing COVID-19 public health order.
FEMA is sending 300 registered nurses and 100 certified nursing assistants to support struggling Alaska hospitals.
Ladapo is a critic of mask-wearing, lockdowns, and vaccines, and his appointment comes as public health experts urge the state to take a more serious approach to the pandemic.
“We were told the COVID virus was not that deadly. It was nothing more than a little flu. I can tell you it’s more than a little flu,” he said.
Wikoff and his wife both caught COVID. Her case was mild, but his required hospitalization at the peak of Hawaii’s surge. He was initially taken to Queen’s Medical Center West but had to be moved to another facility due to a lack of staffed beds.
“I was in a bed. I can’t move, I can’t breathe,” he recalled, about the experience. “I was afraid I was going to die.”
He was treated with Remdesivir and is now considering getting vaccinated because his doctor and family members ― some of whom are physicians ― are recommending it.
Wikoff said he asked the Aloha Freedom Coalition to remove his name as a member on its state business registration.
“I no longer want to participate. I want to mind my own business and isolate,” he said.
“We recognize that children greatly benefit from in-person learning for so many reasons, but it needs to be done safely,” Dr. Vanessa Carroll, Pediatric Medical Director at Kootenai Health, said.
They gave a resounding recommendation that schools begin universal masking, social distancing, and for anyone eligible to get vaccinated.
Due to the delta variant, the children they are seeing come in with COVID-19 are sicker than in previous waves and, with children under the age of 12 unable to get vaccinated yet, they are more at risk to come in seriously ill.
Tanya Heidenreich, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Kootenai Health, said that COVID-19 goes beyond physical illness.
“These children are experiencing symptoms that are similar to trauma,” she said. “They get made fun of if they wear a mask, they get made fun of if they don’t wear a mask, They don’t know who to believe.”
Montana
In Big Sky Country, COVID hospitalizations also continue to grow, approaching 400 needing care. The hospital in the state capital of Helena continues to operate under crisis standards of care, with hospitals in Bozeman, Missoula, and Billings preparing to make the same decisions.
“When crisis standards of care are in effect, people who need medical care may get care that is different from what they expect. For example, patients admitted to the hospital may find that hospital beds are not available, or that needed equipment is not available. They may have to wait for a bed to open or be moved to another hospital in or out-of-state that has the resources they need.”
“Providers and health care facilities across Montana are currently experiencing limitations in their ability to provide the standard of care that we all wish to provide to our communities and normally expect to provide,” said Dr. Greg Moore, Chief Medical Officer. “This situation may persist for some time and is everchanging day-by-day, which has required Barrett Hospital & HealthCare to consider implementing crisis care standards to ensure the most equitable allocation of limited resources for patient care.”
“While the current increase in patient numbers is moving Barrett Hospital & HealthCare closer to having to implement crisis care standards, Barrett Hospital & HealthCare is diligently working to avoid having to do so.”
After multiple threats and incidents at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, hospital staff has been issued GPS-equipped panic buttons to summon security.
All of Novant’s roughly 35,000 workers across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia were required to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption by September 15. Across the three southern states, 375 have not been vaccinated or submitted an exemption request and face termination in five days.
Duke Health, which employs more than 23,000 people in North Carolina, also had their deadline to get vaccinated pass. Officials reported over 98% of staff got vaccinated, increasing from 77% in July, and they are still compiling data.
Superintendent Joe Mack wrote in a statement, “I am horrified, angry and ashamed that this happened, as is nearly every other staff member. The students of color in Newberg deserve so much more. This goes against everything I and the vast majority of NSD staff believe and is unfathomably offensive.
If we had the power to entirely eliminate deep-seated racism, we would in a heartbeat. But the painful truth is that clearly, racist behavior exists in our town, in our state, and our world—not just in the major and overt ways we’ve seen recently, but in subtle ways that affect people of color every single day. We must interrupt and respond; we must do better.
It is important to remember the terrible historical context of Blackface: how it has been used to misrepresent and demean Black communities and how much harm and pain it continues to cause. This behavior represents violence and evokes trauma; it is beyond unacceptable.
It is also important to acknowledge that references to our nation’s horrific history of the slave trade, which were made in the recent social media incident, have devastating consequences to our students whom we love and serve. It, too, is beyond unacceptable.”
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) Today’s data is mixed but supports the story that Washington state is in a pandemic of the unvaccinated. The gap between hospital districts widened again, and Lincoln County is now averaging more than 1,600 new cases per 100,000 people.
New cases are down for all age groups, while hospitalizations increased and the number of patients on ventilators set a new record.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan extended the eviction moratorium to January 15, 2022. Supporters of 20 Redmond firefighters were planning to “swarm” the city council meeting tonight. A Mill Creek coffee shop is being harassed after requiring proof of vaccination for entry. Governor Jay Inslee calls out Idaho Governor Brad Little for “clogging up my hospitals.”
Johnson and Johnson issues a statement that the Phase 3 trial for booster shots was favorable, but we’re still months away from additional guidance.
Things improved dramatically in the Bellevue School District, while Kamiakin Middle School in the Lake Washington School District can’t catch a break. The Northshore School District adds an eighth school with more than 5 active COVID cases, however, the number of new cases detected has dropped dramatically.
Someone thought it would be amusing to paint swastikas at St Luke’s Hospital in McCall, Idaho. In Montana, the health officer of Sanders County was forced to resign for writing letters to the editor of local papers encouraging vaccination. Alaska has the highest rate of growth for new COVID cases in the United States.
Today is the first day the 14-day moving average for new cases does not include data from Labor Day weekend. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, new cases are 862.5 per 100K, and the Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, the rate is 295.7.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
518.0
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
774.2 (up)
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
836.1 (up)
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
The biggest change now that Labor Day Weekend is out of the data was among the 40% to 49.99% vaccinated counties. Although the least vaccinated counties also increased, the jump was smaller. Overall, we would label this as good news.
Through September 20, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average was 493.6 COVID cases per 100K, which is statistically unchanged from Monday. Lincoln County reported 1,601.8 new cases per 100K – we’re out of words in the thesaurus. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Grays Harbor (1,023.8) Franklin (1,161.6) and Stevens (1,183.8). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Garfield, Grant, Lewis, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Yakima. It is worth noting that Adams, Grant, and Okanogan Counties are at 975.0 or above, just under the 1,000 threshold. Additionally, Walla Walla County is at 783.0, just under the 800 threshold.
King, Jefferson, and San Juan Counties had the lowest number of new cases per 100K people.
The Johns Hopkins Washington State Overview is not reporting accurate data. If 83% of COVID tests are coming back positive in Washington state, it’s been great knowing you (hint – they’re not). Without clear insight into how many tests are coming back positive, it is harder to understand ongoing trends.
The rate of new cases was down across every age group. Hospitalizations were down or flat for every age group except children birth to 11 years old. The increase in pediatric hospitalizations is slowing down, which is good news. As a footnote, the 103.6 per 100K new cases for ages 65 to 79 and ages 80 and over is not a typographical error.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
208.3 (down)
1.5 (up)
Ages 12-19
227.4 (down)
2.0
Ages 20-34
210.3 (down)
5.1 (down)
Ages 35-49
196.3 (down)
10.5 (down)
Ages 50-64
146.2 (down)
18.1 (down)
Ages 65-79
103.6 (down)
24.0
Ages 80+
103.6 (down)
33.3 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 70 deaths on Monday. The Monday report includes the weekend, so this should not be viewed as a single-day total.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan extends eviction moratorium until next year
As reported by the Seattle Times, 60,000 Seattle area renters are behind on rent. Since June, the City has distributed more than $15 million of the first allocation of the American Rescue Plan rent relief to tenants and landlords.
The executive order continues tenant protections prohibiting landlords from issuing notices of termination or otherwise initiating eviction actions with the courts unless there is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the community. Late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment of rent during the moratorium are not allowed. However, tenants are still legally obligated to pay rent during the moratorium, and landlords are encouraged to offer flexible payment plans.
The moratorium on eviction of nonprofit and small business commercial tenant applies to independently-owned businesses with 50 employees or fewer per establishment, state nonprofits, and 501(c)3) nonprofits. The extension also prevents eligible small businesses and nonprofits from incurring late fees, interest, or other charges due to late payment during the moratorium.
Redmond firefighters and supporters plan to “swarm” city council meeting tonight
Tension is building in Redmond, where the supporters of up to 20 firefighters who have requested religious exemptions plan to “swarm” the city council meeting tonight. Family members and firefighters who filed for exemptions now believe they won’t be granted.
“For us to even contemplate to fire any of these heroes, shame on us,” said firefighter mother Sknge Alsin. “We should keep every job intact.”
Alsin’s daughter Kayleight is married to a firefighter. Her husband joined the department after spending 10 years as a Redmond cop.
Redmond has 164 full-time firefighters, according to the report by FOX Q13 in Seattle. The National Testing Network, Job Information page for the Redmond Fire Department indicates that all firefighters with the city must be trained as emergency medical technicians.
“The City of Redmond Fire Department has more than 165 dedicated employees providing fire and life safety services to the City of Redmond and King County Fire District 34. Line personnel work a 48/96 schedule (two days on and four days off), and all Firefighters are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT).”
In Washington state, EMTs are considered healthcare providers and are required to have a variety of vaccinations. This includes Hepatitis B, Varicella (chickenpox), MMR, and the seasonal flu vaccine. For individuals challenging the COVID vaccine mandate for deeply held religious beliefs against abortion, acceptance of the existing vaccine requirements likely invalidates their exemption request.
A common objection among those seeking a religious exemption is the use of cloned human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) in the research, testing, development, or production of the COVID vaccines. The mRNA vaccines used HEK-293 in the testing and development, and the inert adenovirus vaccination by Johnson & Johnson uses the cells in production. The challenge those seeking an exemption face is the vaccines for Hepatitis B, Varicella, and Rubella (part of the MMR) also used HEK-293 cells.
Additionally, only a handful of religions reject vaccination as a tenet of faith. The leadership of Islam, Judaism, as well as the Pope and the President of the Mormon Church, have advised their adherents to get vaccinated. In the United States, some local bishops have bucked the Vatican.
Mill Creek coffee shop harassed by anti-vaccination activists
Savvanah Jackson created Mixed Coffee in Mill Creek to create a space with the BIPOC community while sharing Black and Ecuadorian culture with her customers. The business announced they would require proof of vaccination to dine inside the business. After announcing the requirement, her staff has suffered harassment from people defying the policy.
In a video posted on Instagram, Ms. Jackson pleaded for people to be rational and civil.
“I’m tired of seeing my employees stand at the register and watch them get screamed at. It’s not okay, and it’s not okay to just be so hateful towards other people.”
“Please don’t come in here and disrupt and scream at my employees for doing their job.”
At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, Ms. Jackson’s grandmother became ill with COVID. After a 93 day battle, she ended her fight.
Full disclosure – malcontent news covered the grand opening of mixed coffee on June 19. 2021 – no promotional consideration was made or given for our June coverage or this story – we will say, “get the guava and cheese turnovers”
Governor Jay Inslee calls on Idaho to ‘take some commonsense measures’
“Today in my state, Washington citizens in many cases cannot get heart surgery, cannot get cancer surgery that they need, because we are having to take too many people of unvaccinated nature and unmasked, many of whom come from Idaho, and that’s just maddening frankly,” Inslee said. “So we are calling for Idaho and the leaders there to lead and take some commonsense measures. I’m disappointed the governor of Idaho has spent more time trying to reduce protection by reducing vaccine usage instead of concentrating on this, and then clogging up my hospitals.”
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Lincoln, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions, except Lincoln County, are so constrained that you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
We recommend avoiding travel to Lincoln County because the number of new cases per 100K residents exceeds 1,500.
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“Our large real-world evidence and Phase 3 studies confirm that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides strong and long-lasting protection against COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Additionally, our Phase 3 trial data further confirm protection against COVID-19-related death,” said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson. “Our single-shot vaccine generates strong immune responses and long-lasting immune memory. And, when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is given, the strength of protection against COVID-19 further increases.”
Johnson & Johnson reported that Phase 3 testing of its booster shots was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a two-dose vaccine regimen, given at a 56-day interval, versus placebo in adults 18 years old and older with and without comorbidities associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19.
The press release did not provide insight into how large the study was or if testing was done in other countries. It also did not indicate if the study was done before, during the rise of, or after the Delta variant became the dominant strain.
The company indicated that full data would be submitted for publication “in the coming months.”
If you’re among the 15 million Americans with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine wondering what’s next, you’re going to have to wait longer.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 21.2% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 90.4% of capacity statewide, with 35.0% of ICU patients fighting COVID.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 165 a day, a significant drop in recent hospitalizations. The Department of Health reported there were 1,604 COVID patients statewide on September 20 and 290 on ventilators. That is an increase of 25 patients and a new record for Washingtonians requiring ventilators.
On Friday, one nurse was caring for three patients. ICU charge nurse Kimberly Davisson is trying to give these nurses support in the form of an on-call “extender” staff member, who can run to get supplies, administer medicine or help flip a patient over.
“I went to a rapid response on the COVID floor, and the nurse was really struggling with what was happening with her patient, and she said, ‘This is my last week, I can’t do it anymore,'” Davisson recalled.
Back to School
School District
Status
Quarantines
Closures
Bellevue
YELLOW
– Bellevue (1) – Enatai (32) – Interlake (2) – Lake Hills (13) – Puesta del Sol (2) – Wilburton (3)
None
Lake Washington
YELLOW
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (4* – see below) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (37) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (16) – Bothell High School (72**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (25) – Canyon Park Middle School (5) – Cottage Lake Elementary (14) – Crystal Springs Elementary 38) – East Ridge Elementary (29) – Fernwood Elementary (12**) – Frank Love Elementary (24) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (10) – Inglemoor High School (5) – Innovation Lab High School (8) – Kenmore Elementary (17) – Kenmore Middle School (37**) – Kokanee Elementary (39) – Leota Middle School (3) – Lockwood Elementary (7) – Maywood Hills Elementary (12) – North Creek High School (18**) – Northshore Middle School (8**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (7) – Secondary Academy for Success (9) – Shelton View Elementary (17**) – Skyview Middle School (79**) – Sunrise Elementary (29) – Timbercrest Middle School (28) – Wellington Elementary (58) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Woodin Elementary (9) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (20**)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
We have a new Lake Washington School District confirmed COVID case at Kamiakin Middle School, resulting in 5 students quarantining. On Monday, the district reported there were 3 confirmed cases, so we have increased the number to 4. The district has not shared how many students are in quarantine, so we have removed the number.
The Bellevue School District reported that COVID cases and quarantines at multiple schools cleared. The district currently has 6 schools with confirmed COVID cases and or students in quarantine.
Northshore School District added another school reporting 5 or more confirmed COVID cases, bringing the total to 8. The district has 323 students and faculty in quarantine and 14 new positive cases in the last week, which is a significant decrease in new cases. There are 9 confirmed cases at Bothell High School, 7 among staff members.
We recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School District request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
“There is a very real risk you’ll end up in the hospital or even in the obituary pages,” Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer for the Ohio Department of Health, said to the unvaccinated. “Don’t become a statistic when there is a simple, safe, and effective alternative to go out today and get vaccinated.”
Many low-vaccination communities also have high rates of conditions like obesity and diabetes, said Dr. William Moss of Johns Hopkins. And that combination — along with the more contagious delta variant — has proved lethal.
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 201,648 new cases and 2,302 deaths nationwide. This number would include data from over the weekend.
Demand for rapid tests exploded after the reopenings of K-12 schools and an earlier mandate by the White House that will require most U.S. federal employees to either get vaccinated or receive weekly tests.
Alaska
The situation in Alaska remains dire, with the state seeing the highest growth rate for new cases in the United States. Statewide, 16 ICU beds were available Tuesday morning, 12 in Anchorage. The 7-day rolling average for new COVID cases statewide grew to 801 per 100K on Tuesday, with 2,054 new confirmed cases over the weekend. The number of hospitalized COVID patients did drop to 196, with 74 on ventilators.
Idaho
Idaho remains in crisis standards of care statewide and added 1,829 new confirmed COVID cases over the weekend with 36 deaths. The state was caring for 686 COVID patients with 180 in intensive care. During the wave that struck in early 2021, Idaho set a record of 496 COVID patients and 122 in intensive care. Since the first case arrived in Idaho, 11,800 healthcare workers in the state have been infected with COVID.
Governor Brad Little released $10 million in funding to address the growing needs in Idaho hospitals, primary and urgent care clinics and skilled nursing facilities due to the recent surge in COVID-19 patients needing care. The governor wants to expand the number of monoclonal antibody clinics in the state. Still, Idaho is experiencing a shortage of the drug, as are many other states in the country.
“Governor Inslee blames Idaho, yet Spokane County and the surrounding area on his side of the border continue to be hot spots for virus activity with the lowest vaccination rates in the entire State of Washington, despite Governor Inslee issuing vaccine mandates and mask mandates,” Little said.
Idaho Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppsen shared that his mother had a stroke on the same day statewide crisis standards of care were implemented.
“Things were different in the E.R.,” Jeppesen said. “There were other patients receiving care in the waiting room. My mom fell when she had her stroke and there was a concern that she had broken bones. The X-rays were done in a non-traditional X-ray area with a longer wait than usual. Fortunately, she did not break any bones. Normally a person in her condition would be held overnight for observation. Because of crisis standards of care, after she was stable, she was discharged later the same day from the E.R.”
According to her brother, Daryl Rise, Natalie Rise had worked as a registered nurse and home healthcare worker who advocated against vaccination died of COVID.
Daryl Rise told the news outlet that his sister didn’t think there had been studies conducted on the vaccines. He said she told her family not to get vaccinated, even as her mother was lying in a coma.
“I think it was from misinformation. I think it was falling into negative social media and bloggers, YouTubers,” Rise told CNN. Rise’s mother is hospitalized with COVID and in a coma.
Rise got vaccinated the day after his sister died.
“It was the hardest decision of my life, you know, am I doing right by God? Am I doing right by Natalie?” he told CNN. “And I got it out of fear.”
Finally, city officials in McCall, Idaho, expressed outrage after someone spray-painted swastikas on several signs and monuments at St. Luke’s Hospital. The rural acute care hospital has 15 beds usually but has added 13 more to support the ongoing COVID surge.
“Our community and its families are touched daily by the good deeds and care from our friends and colleagues at St. Luke’s McCall,” the city’s statement said. “Now more than ever, they need our support and respect. This hateful act is unacceptable, and our McCall Police Department is actively pursuing it.”
Primary Health CEO Dr. David Peterman also issued a statement on the incident.
“St. Luke’s has been on the forefront of providing care for thousands of patients during this crucial time, and their dedication to our community has been unparalleled,” Peterman said. “That anyone would vandalize their facility with a symbol as shameful and repugnant as a swastika is awful. We need to reject and we need to loudly say it’s wrong. There’s no place for such hate in our society.”
The situation at Billings Clinic continues to deteriorate with the ICU at 160% capacity. To handle the overflow, nurses elsewhere provide care beyond their training as COVID patients fill other parts of the hospital. In the lobby of the emergency department, rooms roughly 6 feet by 6 feet have been fashioned with makeshift plastic walls. The hospital announced on Friday that if the situation did not improve, they would need to move to crisis standards of care.
“A vaccine in your arm will do a great deal to protect you and family friends and community. Our hopes of normalcy all rely on individuals taking responsibility for their actions,” Engen said.
Multiple city council members expressed support for Engen’s statement.
“The university, the president asked students to participate in wearing masks voluntarily as a matter of personal responsibility,” said MSU Vice President of Communications, Tracy Ellig. “Two days after the start of the semester, we saw complete disregard for that request to voluntarily participate, and so we have gone to a mask requirement.”
Health Officer Nick Lawyer was forced to resign in rural Sanders County after the County Commissioners asked for his resignation. Commissioner Carol Brooker said Monday that one issue with Lawyer was that he used his title as county health officer to submit a letter to the editor to several regional newspapers urging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine and explain why the vaccine is safe and effective. However, he did not clear the letter with the county Board of Health first, Brooker said.
His resignation came two days after Gerald “Frenchy” Cuvillier called Lawyer a “petty tyrant” and said Lawyer’s “rules of protocol just cost my wife her life.”
Cuvillier complained his wife was not given ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, or monoclonal antibodies. If she had, “she would be alive and well today,” Cuvillier said.
Close to half of Oregon’s state employees remain unvaccinated and were given a six-week extension to get vaccinated. This was after an agreement was negotiated by the SEIU 503, which represents about 24,000 state employees. The deal is very similar to the one union employees negotiated in Washington state.
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.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story reported Medical Lake School District had 290 positive COVID cases, based on a news report from KREM Channel 2 Spokane/Coeur d’Alene, owned by Tenga, Inc. KREM updated and corrected the story on the evening of September 20. We have updated our story to reflect the change.
[KING COUNTY, Wash.] – (MTN) A lot of data was released today that provided a mixed bag of news. In an exclusive story, plans to expand access to monoclonal antibodies in Washington have been hobbled due to tight national supply. The drugs are effective for some people as an early intervention to lessen the severity of COVID symptoms.
The number of new cases was unchanged over the weekend, while hospitalizations decreased about 7% in a week. ICUs remain more than 90% occupied statewide and the number of COVID-related deaths is part of the reason for the decline in total patients.
There were new COVID cases reported in all three school districts, with Bothell High School dealing with 9 confirmed cases between students and staff. The Northshore School District started COVID testing of all students, using a technique called “pool batch testing.”
If you think those numbers are concerning, Medical Lake School District in Eastern Washington with 1,979 students and staff, reported 60 confirmed COVID cases since school started 3 weeks ago. In contrast, the Bellevue School District with more than 20,000 students has reported 37 confirmed cases since August 27.
Governor Inslee formally requested military assistance from the federal government to prop up exhausted staff at Washington hospitals.
At Lumen Field, 68,500 Seahawks fans gathered to watch the Hawks lose their home opener in overtime. It also appeared that most fans decided that they didn’t need masks. We’ll see how that plays out in a couple of weeks.
New vaccination numbers show a positive trend statewide. We also unlock what demographic is keeping the vaccination rate so low in the northern half of Kirkland. Pfizer has formally applied for emergency use authorization of its vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds after completing Phase 2 and 3 testing in multiple countries.
Alaska, Idaho, and Montana continue to struggle while the latest data out of Oregon indicates the worst is over. In another part of America, one of the last places on Earth where COVID had never been detected ran out of luck.
In misinformation, we address a dangerous rumor that Idaho is operating under a universal DNR rule. (hint – it’s not)
The number of new cases has settled at a lower level from two weeks ago but remains unsustainably high. but. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, new cases are 833.4 per 100K, a decrease from Friday. In the Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, the rate is 295.1, statistically unchanged from Friday.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (13 counties)
521.1 (up)
40.00% to 49.99% (17 counties)
753.6
28.10% to 39.99% (9 counties)
806.4 (up)
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 19, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average was 489.8 COVID cases per 100K, which is statistically unchanged from Friday. Lincoln County reported an eye-popping 1,502.3 new cases per 100K. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Franklin (1,135.8) and Stevens (1,197.7). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Yakima. It is worth noting that Okanogan County is at 994.7, just under the 1,000 threshold. We will see the impact that Labor Day had on the 14-day average, as many test sites were closed on the holiday Monday.
The Johns Hopkins Washington State Overview is reporting alarming positivity rates. Positivity for the last 30-day rolling average is reported at 15.09% and the 7-day rolling average 24.16%. We do not believe these numbers accurately represent the test positivity rate and are a statistical anomaly.
Pediatric and adolescent cases increased again, with all school districts across the state back to in-person classes. Hospitalizations are up again for children birth to 11 while dropping for adolescents 12 to 19 years old. The highest rate of new cases is among people under 50 years old.
Hospitalizations were mixed with ages birth to 11 increasing, 12 to 19 years old increasing, and 20 years old indicating slight decreases for people 35 to 64 years old and a significant decrease among people over 80. There is a dark reality hidden in what looks like good news, which we cover in the hospital status section.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
230.0 (up)
1.2 (up)
Ages 12-19
267.0 (up)
2.1 (down)
Ages 20-34
240.4 (up)
6.5
Ages 35-49
220.5
10.5 (down)
Ages 50-64
167.2
18.1 (down)
Ages 65-79
114.9
24.0
Ages 80+
118.5 (down)
33.3 (down)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
Governor Inslee formally requests federal assistance to support Washington hospitals
Governor Jay Inslee (WA-D) sent a letter on Friday to Jeffrey Zients, the COVID-19 Response Coordinator, formally requesting “the deployment of Department of Defense medical personnel to assist with the current hospital crisis.” Oregon and Idaho made similar requests, with federal teams arriving in Oregon during the August peak, and arriving in the Idaho Panhandle two weeks ago.
“Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks. The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures, but are still overcapacity across the state.
“For these reasons, I have directed state agencies to request assistance from the federal government to provide Washington State with medical staff resources to help meet staffing needs in hospitals and in long-term care facilities. To date, the Washington State Department of Health has requested 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staff through the General Services Administration contracting process offered through FEMA.
“I am further requesting the deployment of Department of Defense medical personnel to assist with the current hospital crisis. In announcing the COVID-19 Action Plan, the President indicated that more clinical teams would be available. That assistance will be of significant value in Washington state.
“While there are hopeful signs that the current wave of infection is peaking, and some states are beginning to see declines, we have not yet seen that effect here. Washington State has historically lagged the country in previous COVID-19 waves, and the same pattern is playing out with the enormous impact we are seeing from the Delta variant.”
Last week, the state asked for 1,200 clinical and non-clinical staffers from FEMA to support hospitals and long-term care facilities. Last week in a press conference with the Washington State Hospital Association, hospitals leaders indicated they had already requested National Guard resources. According to the state officials, Washington National Guard members are already deployed supporting COVID response, flood, and climate-related disasters in the other part of the country.
EXCLUSIVE: Washington state won’t open public monoclonal antibody pop-up clinic
The Washington State Department of Health won’t be opening public clinics for appointment-based or walk-up monoclonal antibody treatments. WSDoH spokesperson Charlie Boisner told Malcontent News, “Washington is not looking to establish pop-up clinics, like other states have adopted, as a method to administer mAb treatments.”
Monoclonal antibodies are lab-engineered immune system proteins developed using similar processes as the FDA-approved mRNA Pfizer vaccine. For COVID-positive patients with mild symptoms and who don’t require supplemental oxygen, the therapy has shown to be highly effective in triggering a strong immune response. However, for those who have been symptomatic for more than a week with worsening symptoms, the therapy is not recommended.
In several southern states, pop-up clinics were opened in libraries, schools, and other government buildings. In early September, Washington State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah stated the state was looking to expand access to the early intervention treatment. Mr. Boisner indicated the state was continuing on that course. “We are focused on engaging with partners at the local level, with either the appropriate infrastructure in place or interest in establishing this infrastructure, to facilitate these treatments.”
In Florida, over 40,000 people were given monoclonal antibodies, and it is credited with preventing 10,000 hospitalizations. The success of the program came at a heavy price for emerging hotspots in the Mid-Atlantic, Appalachia, Montana, and the Pacific Northwest. In six weeks from mid-July to the end of August, seven Southern states went through over 70% of the national supply.
“The rapid increase in demand for monoclonal antibodies has significantly constrained supply. To assure an equitable distribution of what has now become a limited resource, the federal government has reverted to the method it used from November 2020 through February 2021 for allocating monoclonal antibodies,” the undersecretary said.
To provide a more equitable allocation, distribution will be based on the number of COVID-positive patients and hospital capacity. National requests for September and early October currently outstrip the remaining supply. On Thursday Regeneron, the maker of Regen-COV, announced the Biden Administration contracted the company to produce 1.4 million new doses, more than doubling the existing order.
“Given this reality, we must work to ensure our supply of these life-saving therapies remains available for all states and territories, not just some,” a Health and Human Services spokesperson said.
We asked Mr. Boisner about the supply issue and how this would impact Washington. “While we are anticipated to experience an impact to our supply of mAb products, we are not able to increase our allocation requests at this time. While this change has presented a challenge to navigate, we will work through the process and develop a system that allows for effective and equitable distribution of mAb treatments.”
Washington State Department of Health considering adding new tests sites in Spokane
The Spokane Regional Health District requested two new COVID tests sites and the Washington State Department of Health is considered two locations. Officials recommended locating the new centers at Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College.
Staffing is the biggest challenge to opening the sites.
“When we get to this level all of our systems get stretched,” said Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy secretary of COVID-19 response. “We’re all facing staff shortages and the people that administer tests are similar people and types of health care professionals that administer vaccines and they’re the same folks that work in our hospitals and clinics across the state.”
Washington children who lost father to COVID say Fox News host Tucker Carlson ‘played a roll’ in his death
The daughter of an unvaccinated man who died of COVID-19 told CNN’s “New Day” on Monday she believes Fox News host Tucker Carlson and misinformation “played a role” in her father’s vaccine hesitancy.
“He wasn’t by any means far-right. He was right in the middle, and he consumed media from both sides, and just some of the misinformation on one of those sides made him hesitant,” Katie Lane said. “He was going to wait for FDA approval, but by the time that Pfizer had been approved, it was already too late.”
Katie said that her father said he “wished he was vaccinated” during his final call with his wife.
“His final words to my step-mom on a Facetime call was that he wished that he was vaccinated,” she said.
Carlson, a right-wing commentator and the country’s most-watched cable news host, has for months spread false and misleading information about the COVID-19 vaccines and has refused to reveal whether he’s been vaccinated.
60 students, staff and family members test positive for COVID in Medical Lake School District
“In the first three weeks of school, we have tested approximately 290 people including staff and students. This has put a constraint on our supply of testing kits and we are waiting for more to arrive within a few days. However, this has unfortunately limited our ability to test all who request it. If you have the opportunity to test your symptomatic student through an outside provider that would be greatly appreciated and beneficial to you getting the results sooner than later.”
The message from Mr. Ames didn’t indicate how many students were in quarantine. Last week the district moved to virtual education for a day. No explanation was provided on why the decision was made. According to the KREM article, the cases started among members of the high school football team.
When compared to the Bellevue School District, the 60 confirmed cases in a district with less than 1,750 students is alarming. Since August 27, the district in Bellevue has reported 37 confirmed cases, while supporting more than 20,000 students.
Seahawks overtime loss at Lumen Field witnessed by 68,500 mostly maskless fans
Social media and the rights and freedom community erupted on the airways and on social media, during the Seahawks home opener loss to the Tennessee Titans. For some, the discussion was over a blown 15 point lead but for others, it was the spectacle of mostly maskless fans despite the state mandate.
There has been no comment on the situation by the Seahawks, the NFL, Mayor Jenny Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, or state officials. Fans 12 and older were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test to attend the game. Prior to game time, long lines formed to enter the park.
Editor’s Comment: Let’s hope that the percentage of fake vaccinations cards and tests results were low.
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Lincoln, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions, except Lincoln County, are so constrained that you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
We recommend avoiding travel to Lincoln County because the number of new cases per 100K residents exceeds 1,500.
Thank you
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Vaccination
Number of vaccinated Washington state residents increases
The Washington State Department of Health released updated vaccination numbers for the state and its 39 counties. On Monday, 75.8% of all residents 12 and over have received at least one dose, and 68.9% were fully vaccinated.
Every county showed an increase in vaccination rates, with several Eastern and Southwest Washington counties making significant gains. In San Juan County, 72.9% of residents are fully vaccinated, the highest in the state. Stevens County was in last place with 28.1% fully vaccinated.
The two counties have a stark difference in the number of new COVID cases. San Juan County was 57.7 cases per 100K people on Monday, the lowest state. Stevens County was 1,197.7 the second highest in the state.
Pfizer to apply for EUA FDA approval of vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds
Pfizer Inc. announced the results from a Phase 2/3 trial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine indicating it was safe and effective in children 5 to 11 years of age. The company has applied for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) with the Food and Drug Administration.
“Over the past nine months, hundreds of millions of people ages 12 and older from around the world have received our COVID-19 vaccine. We are eager to extend the protection afforded by the vaccine to this younger population, subject to regulatory authorization, especially as we track the spread of the Delta variant and the substantial threat it poses to children,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. “Since July, pediatric cases of COVID-19 have risen by about 240 percent in the U.S. – underscoring the public health need for vaccination. These trial results provide a strong foundation for seeking authorization of our vaccine for children 5 to 11 years old, and we plan to submit them to the FDA and other regulators with urgency.”
The Phase 1/2/3 trial initially enrolled up to 4,500 children ages 6 months to 11 years of age in the United States, Finland, Poland, and Spain from more than 90 clinical trial sites. Children in the study were given two low doses 21 days apart. The dose
The Pfizer site states, “emergency use of the product has not been approved or licensed by FDA, but has been authorized by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) for use in individuals 12 years of age and older.”
It seems likely this will be used to spread a fresh round of vaccine misinformation. The FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine, called Comirnaty, is FDA authorized for individuals 16 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Comimaty are the same formulations and currently is EUA approved for use in 12 to 15-year-olds.
There is speculation that the FDA could authorization the EUA by the end of October, but no timetable has been provided.
Does vaccination make a difference?
The Washington State Hospital Association Coronavirus Tracker provides some insight on the effectiveness of vaccines among all patients in Washington Hospitals. Currently, King County is the third most vaccinated county, and on average, 1 of every 772,000 residents is dying due to COVID. Benton County is 44.6% vaccinated, and 1 of every 11,632 are dying due to COVID daily.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 21.3% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 90.8% of capacity statewide, with 36.0% of ICU patients fighting COVID. The total number of hospital patients declined over the weekend.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 174 a day. The Department of Health reported there were 1,578 COVID patients statewide on September 19 and 277 on ventilators. That is a 6% drop in the last 7 days but it isn’t all good news.
During a COVID wave, new cases rise first, followed by hospitalizations, and finally deaths. The Washington Hospital Association reported that on Sunday, 30 patients died due to COVID-related illness. Between most hospitals suspending almost all elective surgeries and the increased number of deaths, hospital capacity is improving.
EvergreenHealth released its weekly update today, reporting 38 COVID patients under care in Kirkland, one less than a week ago. The hospital reported 76% of all patients and 75% of ICU patients were unvaccinated with 5 on ventilators. Of the 8 vaccinated patients, 75% were more than 60 years old. Data has shown that a vast majority of breakthrough cases are among people over 70 who have multiple health issues.
EvergeeenHealth Kirkland patient update for Monday, September 20, 2021
All eyes are on Eastern Washington hospitals with neighboring Idaho still operating under crisis standards of care.
Providence Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan Getz said things are continuing to worsen inside Eastern Washington hospitals as they continue to care for a surge in patients that have halted non-emergency surgeries and stretched their staff to a breaking point.
“Although we’re not practicing crisis standards of care on this side of the state, we still feel like we’re in crisis,” Dr. Getz said.
Hospitals in Spokane are caring for 221 COVID patients, almost unchanged from last week.
– Alcott Elementary (2*) – Ella Baker Elementary (3*) – Community School Elementary (7) – Dickinson Elementary (2*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Evergreen Middle School (1*) – Benjamin Franklin Elementary (2*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Inglewood Middle School (3*) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (1*) – Kamiakin Middle School (3*) – Helen Keller Elementary (1*) – Peter Kirk Elementary (2*) – Kirkland Middle School (1*) – Lake Washington High (1*) – Lakeview Elementary (1*) – Kirkland Middle School (37) – Muir Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Redmond High School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (2*) – Thoreau Elementary (4) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (12) – Bothell High School (62**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (19) – Canyon Park Middle School (5) – Cottage Lake Elementary (12) – Crystal Springs Elementary 31) – East Ridge Elementary (25) – Fernwood Elementary (10**) – Frank Love Elementary (24) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (10) – Inglemoor High School (5) – Innovation Lab High School (6) – Kenmore Elementary (17) – Kenmore Middle School (38**) – Kokanee Elementary (29) – Leota Middle School (3) – Maywood Hills Elementary (13) – North Creek High School (16**) – Northshore Middle School (9**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (6) – Secondary Academy for Success (9) – Shelton View Elementary (17**) – Skyview Middle School (78) – Sunrise Elementary (27) – Timbercrest Middle School (23) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Wellington Elementary (52) – Woodin Elementary (10) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (20**)
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
Seven more schools in the Lake Washington School District reported active-COVID cases over the weekend. Parents were notified this morning that 7 students at Community School Elementary had a COVID exposure, which happened outside of the school district.
One school in the Bellevue School District reported 3 new confirmed cases among students and faculty. The district does not report the number of quarantines.
Northshore School District now has 7 schools reporting 5 or more confirmed COVID cases. The district has 333 students and faculty in quarantine and 30 new positive cases in the last week – 18 students and 15 staff members. There are 9 confirmed cases at Bothell High School, 7 among staff members.
The Northshore School District started doing “pool batch testing” among all students on Monday. Testing will be conducted weekly at each of our school buildings over the course of three days. Students in grades K-12 will be tested.
The tests are self-administered by each student and adult in the classroom, while a trained teacher or a school-based COVID supervisor observes. Instead of the “long swab” that goes in the back of the nose, this test is a short, small swab. This type of testing provides privacy for each individual. If further confirmatory testing is required, every individual’s privacy will be protected throughout the process, including during contact tracing.
King County COVID vaccination rates – at least one dose ages 12 to 19 – by zip code as of September 20, 2021
Vaccination rates among adolescents 12 to 19 years old decrease significantly in an east-west line that intersects Juanita Bay of Lake Washington. In Kirkland, the vaccination rate among the age group who have received at least one dose is 90.7%, compared to 98034, with a rate of only 65.7%.
We will continue to recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School Districts request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
King County Public Health updated the vaccination rates by zip code, with the numbers improving throughout the region. The northern half of Kirkland continues to lag behind the rest of the local area. Vaccination rates dropped from the last update because the county is now using the population and demographic data from 2020. Previous reports used the 2019 census estimate.
King County COVID vaccination rates – at least one dose all ages – by zip code as of September 20, 2021
Zip Code
Percent vaccinated, at least one dose, 12 and older
98155
92.3%
98028
89.0%
98011
85.5%
98034
84.2%
98033
91.9%
98072
91.6%
98052
94.5%
98004
>95.0%
98039
93.3%
98005
94.0%
98007
88.5%
Vaccination rates for those 12 and older by zip code – at least one dose
National Round-Up
The United States reached another grim milestone as the number of total COVID deaths broke the record set by the 1918 Flu tonight. While hospitalizations nationwide dropped below 100,000 with the surges ending in Florida and Texas, the number of people dying continues to climb. The CDC reported on Friday the 7-day moving average rose to 1,448 people dying of COVID a day, a 17.4% increase from last week. Total hospitalizations dropped 5.7% to just over 97,000.
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 36,794 new cases and 291 deaths nationwide. Very few states provide data 7 days a week. Monday numbers are always artificially low. Tracking the moving average is a better way to understand national trends.
The Biden Administration announced the United States will accept vaccinated air travelers from 33 countries, including China, beginning in November. The decision, announced by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden’s administration, which said last week it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases.
Vaccinated travelers will be accepted from most European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Greece. Additionally travelers from Britain, Ireland, South Africa, China, India, Brazil, and Iran. Officials also announced that non-essential travel to Canada and Mexico will remain blocked at least until October 21.
Alaska
The situation in Alaska remains dire, with the state seeing the third-highest rate of growth for new cases in the United States. Statewide 16 ICU beds were available Monday morning, a slight improvement from last week. The results aren’t from a reduction in patients, but due to crisis standards of care deferring all but emergency surgeries. The 7-day rolling average for new COVID cases grew to 780 per 100K on Monday, with 2,054 new confirmed cases over the weekend.
America Samoa
The small United States territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was one of the only places on Earth that had not been touched by COVID. Over the weekend, that changed. Commercial air travel was suspended to the island in March 2020 and wasn’t restored until last week. On Saturday, the first commercial flight flew out of Honolulu with 260 onboard. When the plane landed, a vaccinated passenger, who started to become symptomatic during the flight, tested positive for COVID.
The person, who has not been identified, had been visiting the U.S. mainland, before traveling to Hawaii. Everyone was required to have a COVID test before the flight, with all passengers and crew testing negative.
The COVID-positive person was moved to quarantine at a facility in Pago Pago and for now, doesn’t require hospitalization. The other 259 people on the plane were moved to a quarantine location where they will need to stay for 10 days to be tested and monitored.
On Sunday, 3 more people tested positive.
Idaho
Idaho remains in crisis standards of care statewide and added 2,302 new confirmed COVID cases over the weekend with 36 deaths. To put this in perspective, Washington has 427% more people than Idaho and reported a similar number of deaths. The fatality numbers do not include non-COVID patients that died from deferred treatment or people who died in their homes.
A message left on an Eastern Idaho hospital’s whiteboard by Dr. Kenneth Krell, Director of the hospital’s ICU, went viral over the weekend.
A note left on the hospital staff whiteboard by Dr. Kenneth Krell, director of eastern Idaho’s largest intensive care unit. #idahoCovid19pic.twitter.com/ez4vOvJXVr
State officials in Montana are scrambling to prevent falling into the same trap that Idaho is in. Three large hospitals in Bozeman, Billings, and Helena are operating under crisis standards of care or are preparing to. Hospitals in Missoula remained very stressed as new COVID cases exploded across the vast state.
Governor Greg Gianforte’s office is in discussions to ask the Department of Veterans Affairs to accept otherwise ineligible patients at its facilities.
Gianforte, along with the state Department of Public Health and Human Services and Disaster and Emergency Services, “initiated discussions” with the VA and the federal Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response over the weekend, DPHHS spokesperson Jon Ebelt said in an email Monday.
States can request to send patients to a VA hospital by submitting a formal request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Oregon
The worst appears to be over in Oregon, as new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all declined last week.
“During Monday, Sept. 6, through Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, OHA recorded 12,997 new cases of COVID-19 infection – an 11% decrease from the previous week,” the Oregon Health Authority said in a news release.
The state recorded 281 new infections per 100,000 people during that week. Baker County, in eastern Oregon, experienced the highest rate of infections at 686 new infections per 100,000 people; the county population is little more than 16,000 people.
OHA noted 79% of statewide cases were classified as “sporadic,” meaning it could not trace them back easily to an event that’s likely to blame for the COVID-19 exposure. This contrasts with what OHA calls “clusters” or “outbreaks” that would be considered vectors for other infections. The high number of untraceable cases has been the norm throughout 2021 in Oregon, but the percentage has increased steadily since January.
Misinformation
There is rampant misinformation that Idaho is operating under a universal do not resuscitate order. This is not true. The false claims are coming from a section within the state’s crisis standards of care plan. In situations where a hospital can no longer support mechanical ventilation of ICU patients, the guidance recommends that no attempt at resuscitation be made if the patient goes into cardiac arrest.
“Adult patients hospitalized during a public health emergency, when crisis standards of care have been declared (and a hospital is using the mechanical ventilation allocation framework due to demand for ventilators exceeding supply), should receive aggressive interventions; however, they should receive NO attempts at resuscitation (compressions, shocks or intubation if not yet intubated) in the event of cardiac arrest. The likelihood of survival after a cardiac arrest is extremely low for adult patients. As well, resuscitation poses significant risk to healthcare workers due to aerosolization of body fluids and uses large quantities of scarce resources such as staff time, personal protective equipment, and lifesaving medications, with minimal opportunity for benefit. This universal DNR order does not apply to pediatric patients; however, pediatric patients requiring a ventilator after resuscitation would enter the ventilator triage protocol after resuscitation, just like other patients needing ventilator access.”
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) After a relatively quiet week for COVID news, things exploded over the last 24 hours, creating a super-sized update for today.
New COVID cases in Washington state were declining but now appear to be on a new unsustainable plateau. The gap between the highest and lowest vaccinated Hospital Region grows to the broadest level to date. One county’s new case rate has increased so high a new category had to be created.
Washington hospitalizations also plateaued, and ventilator use remains at near-record levels. In Olympia, St Peter’s Hospital reported 10 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours. We spent a lot of time examining reports that Eastern Washington hospitals are overrun with Idaho residents seeking treatment. We did not find any credible reports to support these rumors. We share our opinion on what Washington state should do to prevent our hospital system from joining our Pacific Northwest neighbors.
New cases and hospitalizations are up for children and adolescents statewide, and new COVID cases were reported in all three school districts we track. Snohomish County reported a 433% increase in active COVID cases at childcare centers and schools. In Yakima County, officials report 25% to 35% of new COVID cases among children. Parents in West Seattle and Olympia think COVID quarantine rules for unvaccinated adolescents are unfair.
Hundreds gathered in Olympia, and smaller pockets of protesters were across Washington, defying outdoor masking guidelines to protest against vaccine mandates. Some have adopted a view that harkens back to a dark time in world history.
Officials reported more than 20 people who have attended the Washington State Fair were COVID positive when they were there.
Most applications for religious exemption by Washington State Patrol employees have been rejected. In contrast, unions leaders representing 71,000 healthcare workers in Washington state say that the state is in an “unprecedented crisis.”
The University of Washington is seeking volunteers for a study of a new COVID vaccine booster. Phase 2 testing will include individuals vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
We expanded our travel advisory again to include the state of Montana and Lincoln County in Washington.
In vaccination news, the FDA votes on booster shots for people who received the Pfizer vaccine. An editorial in the British Medical Journal about the potential connection between COVID vaccinations and menstruation was misrepresented as a study in numerous headlines. The update is very late tonight, in part because we pored through reports and data to give you a lot more insight.
In regional news, the stories coming out of hospitals in Alaska, Idaho, and Montana are gut-wrenching. It is not hyperbole to state the ability to deliver medical care in all three states is collapsing.
Finally, in the misinformation section, we address an oldie but a goodie – do masks cause carbon dioxide poisoning? (no)
The last week of data indicates Washington has stepped down to a slightly lower plateau versus seeing a continued decline. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, new cases are 888.5 per 100K, a significant increase. In the Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, the rate is 290.0. This is the widest gap in new cases between the two hospital districts.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (12 counties)
488.8
40.00% to 49.99% (18 counties)
750.8 (up)
27.30% to 39.99% (9 counties)
768.0
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 17, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average was 489.2 COVID cases per 100K, which is statistically unchanged. Lincoln County reported 1,438.9 new cases per 100K, one of the highest rates recorded in any Washington county since new COVID cases have been tracked. Counties in the 1,000.0 to 1,399.9 range include Franklin (1,254.7) and Stevens (1,138.9). Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Grant, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Walla Walla. It is worth noting that Benton County is at 989.8, just under the 1,000 threshold, and Yakima County moved up to 791.2, just under the 800 threshold. We are concerned when we get to the middle of next week, and the test data from the Labor Day weekend is out of the 14-day rolling average, we will see another jump in the numbers.
The USA Today COVID Tracker also indicates a flattening over the previous week (when you adjust for the dip in weekend reporting and the bump when the data from over the weekend is reported). If you think we’re alarmists, we’re not the only journalists seeing this trend.
One other piece of discouraging news comes out of the United Kingdom. Healthcare experts highlighted how Delta peaked in the U.K. (and Israel) after 45 to 60 days before rapidly declining as a predictive model for the United States. The U.K. reported a record 26,911 new cases and a record-high number of hospitalizations – 8,339 patients. Even more worrying, 81.6% of all U.K. residents are fully vaccinated compared to 51.4% of the United States.
The Johns Hopkins Washington State Overview is reporting alarming positivity rates. Positivity for the last 30-day rolling average is reported at 15.23% and the 7-day rolling average 24.16%. We do not believe these numbers accurately represent the test positivity rate and are a statistical anomaly.
Today is the third day of updated data from the WSDOH, and we are feeling more confident about tracking trends now. Pediatric and adolescent cases increased. This isn’t surprising now that in-person school is back across all of Washington state. Hospitalizations for ages birth to 11 increased about 30%. However, the total number of children hospitalized is small, so don’t read too much into that bump.
New cases among all other age groups were flat or down slightly. With total new cases appearing to be settling on a plateau, this may be an early warning sign that new pediatric cases are increasing the overall number. This could have significant implications for states outside of Washington, particularly Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (read our national round up).
Hospitalizations also increased for ages 35 to 49 and people 80-years old and above. Both jumps were large enough to be notable but not alarming.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
208.4 (up)
1.0 (up)
Ages 12-19
248.6 (up)
2.4
Ages 20-34
232.2
6.5 (down)
Ages 35-49
220.0
13.2 (up)
Ages 50-64
160.3
19.8
Ages 65-79
114.2 (down)
24.8
Ages 80+
126.8
39.1 (up)
7-day case rate and 7-day hospitalization rate is per 100K within the age group – the target for 7-day case rate is <25.0, but there are other factors such as vaccination rates within the age groups, how many total tests within the 7-day period, and the positivity rate within each age group
The USA Today COVID Tracker reported 56 deaths on Thursday and an additional 56 deaths on Friday.
Snohomish County reports active COVID cases among childcare centers and schools increased 433%
A new Snohomish Health District report shows the rapid increase in cases associated with childcare facilities, K-12 schools, higher education, and youth sports and camps over the last month. For the two weeks ending September 16, there were nearly five times as many investigations in K-12 settings (202) than the previous period ending September 2 (42 investigations). There were 367 confirmed and probable cases and more than 2,100 close contacts involving childcare, schools, and youth sports during that timeframe.
The number of investigated cases in Snohomish County among child care centers, public and private K-12 schools, higher education, and athletic and youth camps increased from 950 to 2,160 – a 433% increase in two weeks.
“When cases occur among students or staff, and they will, we work with the schools to optimize the number of individuals being quarantined and try to prevent transmission in the school,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “From time to time, there may be a classroom or two in a school that may need to be temporarily closed depending on the number of cases, but those episodes won’t necessarily call for any change in school-wide, district-wide, or county-wide operations. We need students, families, and teachers to work with us to get cases down and keep the impacts small.”
Hundreds gather to protest vaccine mandates in Olympia while others do flag waves across the state
Only a handful of people there were wearing masks while standing on the side of the road, waving signs and hearing from the cars which support their cause. At least one protester held a sign with the hashtag, “pureblood.” Anti-vaccination adherents claim the reference is from the Harry Potter books. The term originated in Nazi Germany, where people were required to have a “Blood Certificate” to get married and have children. The idea was to have purebloods to ensure the survival of the Aryan race.
Olympia officials had begged people to stay away from the city due to a planned Proud Boys rally on the same day. On the Internet, several anti-vaccination groups along with counter-protesters advised their followers to stay away.
Today, the group Waking UP Washington organized several flag waves across Washington state with small groups dotted along I-5.
More than 20 people who worked at or attended the Washington State Fair were COVID positive
So far, 435,000 people have attended the fair, scheduled to end on September 26. At a vaccination clinic within the fairgrounds, 235 people have received vaccinations. On Friday, 50% of all residents in Pierce County were vaccinated.
Because Washington state is highly vaccinated, the current R0 is R1.1 (forecasted range R0.7 to R1.5) for all residents. If this is accurate, the impact shouldn’t be significant unless an infected person has an unusually high viral load, a super spreader, or moves around through highly unvaccinated groups.
25% to 35% of new COVID cases in Yakima County are children and adolescents
“Certainly, the schools have seen a lot of activity that they’re navigating. You probably saw that the Tribal School in Toppenish basically canceled school for the next two weeks after going quarantine, essentially hit the reset button,” Brueggemann said.
Washington state job growth slowed in August
State-level unemployment data was released yesterday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and individual states. In Washington, job growth slowed, with just under 17,000 new jobs created. The job market through Washington could best be described as white-hot overall, with tens of thousands of unfilled positions at every skill level.
Most applications for a relegious exemption by Washington State Patrol have been rejected
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported that of 364 religious exemptions applications received, 284 had been reviewed, and all were rejected. Initially, 373 applications were submitted, but nine employees rescinded their requests.
“As to your inquiry regarding relative exposure probabilities, I would suggest you direct it to qualified epidemiologists, but from my laymen’s perspective, it presupposes that lower or varied risks is [sic] somehow unworthy of attention. As we have all seen, the pandemic, it’s [sic] impacts, and response strategies have evolved over time as more has become known.”
When pressed on why the bar was so high for a religious exemption and all requests rejected to date, Loftis wrote, “…the search for accommodation can be difficult as by its very nature, working for WSP often has a significant public engagement component.”
Moving to our opinion, if we read between the lines, it appears state officials are concerned about long-term liability. Suppose an asymptomatic unvaccinated trooper were to pass COVID to a member of the public while on duty, and that person became hospitalized or died. In that case, it seems this would be a significant legal exposure.
Additionally, an asymptomatic or symptomatic officer with COVID couldn’t work for 14 days and could force others to quarantine.
West Seattle and Olympia families claim school guidelines for quarantining students are unfair
Jeremy Gollyhorn is upset with decisions about his child who had a COVID exposure at Denny International Middle School in Seattle. The 12-year old student is unvaccinated, and following state and national guidelines, is required to quarantine for 14 days. If they were vaccinated, they would have been permitted to return to class with a strong recommendation to get tested 3 to 5 days after the exposure.
Gollyhorn said it makes no sense.
“Vaccinated people can still spread COVID too, so what’s the difference there?” he said.
“It’s not fair,” said Willis, who reported her daughter chose not to get the vaccine because she did not think she needed it.
On September 8, we analyzed the new case, hospitalization, and death statistics in King County for the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. It is correct that vaccinated people can still become infected with COVID. Still, the number is extremely low, and most breakthrough cases are among the immunocompromised and people over 70 years old.
University of Washington seeking volunteers for COVID booster shot study
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine are enrolling volunteers for a COVID-19 booster vaccine trial. Volunteers will participate in the second stage of a phase 1 vaccine trial. Phase 1 vaccine trials are designed to test the safety and tolerability of and immune response to a new vaccine.
In the first stage of the trial, the experimental vaccines were given to unvaccinated volunteers. In this second stage, the vaccines will be given as a booster shot to volunteers who have already been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.
Unlike current vaccines, the trial vaccines seek to elicit an immune response to multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins in addition to the spike protein that is targeted by currently available vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.
The hope is that by targeting a number of coronavirus proteins, the vaccine will provide protection against a wide variety of SARS-CoV-2 strains and variants. The vaccine candidates were developed by Gritstone bio, headquartered in Emeryville, CA.
“With the emergence of the Delta and other COVID-19 variants, we need to stay ahead of the virus by developing effective vaccines that will aid in the prevention of all strains of COVID,” said Dr. Anna Wald, director of the UW Medicine Virology Research Clinic and head the UW School of Medicine’s allergies and infectious diseases division. She is the trial site principal investigator.
“We hope that these investigational vaccines enhance and broaden the immune response elicited by vaccines currently available in the U.S.,” said Dr. Tia Babu, acting assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a trial investigator.
To enroll, participants must be age 18 or older, healthy, without significant allergies, without a history of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, and have been vaccinated against COVID-19 at least four months prior to enrollment. Persons over age 60 are encouraged to participate.
Participants will be asked to:
Make nine to 14 or more in-person clinic visits and also will receive one to two telephone check-ins with study staff over 12 to 14 months.
Receive one or two injections of investigational vaccine.
Have blood drawn several times to monitor safety and to see whether the vaccine results in an immune response.
Keep track of how they’re feeling after the injection.
Interested participants should contact the UW Medicine Virology Research Clinic: gritstone@uw.edu or 206-520-4340
Washington state nurse unions urge immediate action to prop up hospitals
Washington unions that represent 71,000 healthcare workers are appealing for immediate action, saying that the state is on the brink of an “unprecedented crisis.” The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, and the UFCW 21 made a joint statement warning that the combination of work conditions, pay, chronic staffing shortages, and the ongoing “fifth wave” of COVID cases is decimating healthcare workers.
“Amid the fifth wave of COVID, spurred on by the Delta variant, and hospitals overflowing with patients who need critical care, our state health care workers continue to heroically perform their jobs a year-and-a-half into this pandemic,” said Julia Barcott, chair of the WSNA Cabinet and an ICU nurse at Astria Toppenish Hospital. “But nurses and other frontline workers are people, too. We’re losing overworked nurses to overwhelming burnout, the distress of working short-staffed, better-paying traveler nurse jobs, and even for signing bonuses of up to $20,000 to move to a different hospital. We’re worried for our patients and the impact of the staffing crisis on the care they receive.”
This isn’t just a crisis for frontline workers, it’s also a public health crisis. Because hospitals were already understaffed well before the coronavirus pandemic hit, we are now seeing a new story every day about a regional hospital at maximum capacity. Without immediately addressing the shortage of staff and untenable workloads for frontline workers, there could be dire consequences to Washington’s health care infrastructure.
“Chronic understaffing is a disaster for patient care. Health care workers don’t want to see patients stuck in overflowing ICUs or being treated in ER hallways, or be forced to turn away ambulances at the door, but that’s the reality of health care right now,” said Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 president. “Hospitals need to immediately respond to this patient care crisis. That means focusing on meaningful, sustainable solutions that will recruit and retain qualified caregivers in every department.”
As many anti-vaccination activists falsely conflate the staffing crisis with looming vaccine deadlines for health care workers, it’s important to understand that health care staffing shortages predate the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of years of staffing and management decisions, many hospitals already didn’t meet adequate staffing for average patient levels. COVID exacerbated this already strained infrastructure, and hospitals’ response to the pandemic has only worsened this preexisting crisis.
“What’s really driving this crisis is that hospitals have spent the last two decades balancing their budgets on the backs of health care workers and patients,” said Jane Hopkins, RN, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. “COVID has been a stress test on our health care system, and we are seeing the system fail that test due to management’s choice to understaff. Retention bonuses for frontline workers who have stayed on the job, adequate pay for extra hours worked, and aggressive hiring to staff at full capacity would go a long way right now.”
Opinion: To save Washington hospitals it’s time to close the borders
Military leaders, analysts, and planners evaluate the capabilities of a force using combat effectiveness. Combat effectiveness takes more into account than the number of well-trained soldiers and the quality and quantity of available equipment. It considers leadership, psychological stress, the level of support on the battlefield and the home front, and the clarity of mission. If enough of these factors deteriorate, a military unit or even an entire army can become “combat ineffective.” Our medical community has been combat ineffective for months, and no one is doing anything about it. It is time for a strategic retreat and for officials in Washington state to close the doors to out-of-state COVID patients.
We are expanding our travel advisories today. We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Lincoln, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Hospital resources in these regions, except Lincoln County, are so constrained that you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
We recommend avoiding travel to Lincoln County because the number of new cases per 100K residents exceeds 1,400.
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Vaccination
FDA panel votes against COVID booster shots for all, but recommends expanding the existing booster shot guidelines
The booster shot program the Biden Administration wanted to start on Monday for people who received the Pfizer vaccine will, at the minimum, be delayed. On Friday, an FDA panel voted 16-2 against booster shots for all. The vote was widely reported in news sources as breaking news.
FDA officials took a break and had a second vote to recommend booster shots for those over 65, at high risk for severe COVID-19, or who work in jobs with significant exposure to COVID patients. The panel voted 18-0 in support of the guidelines.
If the recommendation is authorized, this will expand the current booster shoot guidelines released in August. A third dose was approved for immunocompromised individuals who received the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
Medical conditions that warrant a second dose include receiving active treatment for cancer, organ transplant recipients, recipients of a stem cell transplant in the last 24 months, moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency, advanced or untreated HIV infection, people under treatment with high-dose corticosteroids such as prednisone, and those being treated with immunosuppressive drugs.
Vaccination impact on menstruation is being researched
When COVID first erupted across the globe, many infected women of childbearing age reported changes in their periods. Anecdotally, there are reports from women that periods became heavier after receiving the COVID vaccine, and others reported a change in their cycle.
The BMJ, the journal of the British Medical Association, published an editorial recommending an investigation into the possible link between the COVID vaccine and changes in menstruation. This story was widely run and in some publications misrepresented as the results of a study in the headlines. The editorial included this quote.
“Most people who report a change to their period after vaccination find that it returns to normal the following cycle and, importantly, there is no evidence that covid-19 vaccination adversely affects fertility. In clinical trials, unintended pregnancies occurred at similar rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.”
“Anecdotally, some women seem to be reporting heavier periods after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and we would support more data collection in this area to understand why this might be the case.”
“If you do notice any bleeding that is unusual for you, then we would recommend you contact your doctor. You can also report any concerns or possible side effects of the COVID-19.”
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom has a website similar to VAERS in the United States called Yellow Card. People can report suspected side effects of “medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and test kits.” Weekly reports are available at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency website. Just like VAERS, anyone can submit a Yellow Card report. Unreviewed data should not be considered indicative of any trend.
A study on the Potential Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination on Menstruation received $1.67 million in funding from the United States National Institute of Health on August 30. The study is a joint project conducted by Boston University, Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, Michigan State University – East Lansing, and Oregon Health and Sciences University – Portland.
Information on how to participate in the study is not available yet.
An article by Randy S. Morris, M.D., Board Certified in Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, and the Medical Director of IVF1 found neither COVID nor the COVID vaccine impacted fertility. The report, SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Seropositvity from Vaccination or Infection does not Cause Infertility, studied 143 women who underwent Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) from January 1to May 7, 2021.
All the participants gave serum samples and were tested for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG. Testing revealed 55 women who had COVID antibodies in their bloodstream. Participants were notified of the presence of antibodies, 35 were vaccinated, and 20 had experienced a COVID infection. None of the women who had COVID were hospitalized.
Dr. Morris wrote in the discussion section of his article, “In vitro fertilization with FET is an excellent method to study the impact of various factors on implantation since it bypasses many of the variables that normally impact a woman’s ability to conceive, such as ovulation, fertilization, and preimplantation embryo development. The current study failed to identify the difference in the implantation or pregnancy rates between women with documented seropositivity to the spike protein and women without seropositivity.”
They found no significant difference in a successful transplant rate among women who had no COVID antibodies (73.9%), those who were vaccinated (80.0%), and those who had natural immunity (73.7%).
Dr. Morris is a respected subject matter expert in this field. Before being part of the research group, women seeking IVF treatment to become pregnant received an extensive and detailed baseline study of their physiology and reproductive potential.
A connection to seeking fertility treatment in the first place due to the COVID vaccine cannot be made. The study was conducted from January 1 to May 7, 2021, and the first public COVID vaccine was received on December 14, 2020. It takes months of testing and preparation to perform a FET. The Mayo Clinic has an excellent article written in laypersons terms explaining the process of InVitro Fertilization.
The report does have limitations. The sample group of 143 participants is small and limited to women with a history of reproductive issues. The sample size of women who have antibodies due to a COVID exposure was limited to 20 people, which is very small. Reports typically aren’t peer-reviewed but do receive scrutiny from reputable journals before publication.
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 22.4% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 91.5% of capacity statewide, with 36.2% of ICU patients fighting COVID. All of these numbers are unchanged.
While ICU utilization has remained close to 90%, the number of patients in the ICU with COVID continues to increase. This is due to three factors. Hospitals are operating under “contingency care” protocols statewide and have canceled most elective surgeries that would require post-surgical ICU resources. Additionally, the surge of new cases that started in August is running its course. The timeline from infection to symptoms, hospitalization, ICU, and death can be 4 to 6 weeks, particularly among otherwise healthy individuals. Finally, Washington state hospitals are caring for dozens of out-of-state COVID patients, many of them critically ill.
The 7-day rolling average hospital admission rate for new COVID patients is 183 a day. This is down from a peak of 193 and above the winter surge, where daily admissions peaked at 115 a day. The Department of Health reported there were 1,649 COVID patients statewide on September 16 and 274 on ventilators. Hospitalizations declining 9% from September 9 to September 14 but appear to have plateaued.
Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, which said they were approaching the need to move to crisis standards of care last week, reported the situation has improved, but the facility remains exceptionally stressed. The hospital is at 103% capacity, with 45 patients treated for COVID, 95% unvaccinated. On Thursday, 75 employees of the hospital had to stay home.
– Alcott Elementary (1*) – Carson Elementary (2*) – Dickinson Elementary (1*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Ella Baker Elementary (1*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (37) – Kirkland Middle School (37) – Peter Kirk Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (1*) – Thoreau Elementary (4)
– Kamiakin Middle School (140) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (12) – Bothell High School (48**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (19) – Canyon Park Middle School (5) – Cottage Lake Elementary (12) – Crystal Springs Elementary (28) – East Ridge Elementary (17) – Fernwood Elementary (10**) – Frank Love Elementary (14) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (10) – Inglemoor High School (5) – Innovation Lab High School (4) – Kenmore Elementary (15) – Kenmore Middle School (38**) – Kokanee Elementary (24) – Leota Middle School (2) – Maywood Hills Elementary (11) – North Creek High School (16**) – Northshore Middle School (9**) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (6) – Secondary Academy for Success (7) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (78) – Sunrise Elementary (21) – Timbercrest Middle School (23) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Wellington Elementary (48) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Woodin Elementary (5) – Woodinville High School (21) – Woodmoor Elementary (19**)
Under Investigation
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
The Lake Washington School District data hasn’t been updated since Friday of last week. We have a confirmed report from the Lake Washington School District of one COVID case at Kirkland Middle School and 36 exposures.
Three more schools in the Bellevue School District have reported cases and quarantines.
Northshore School District now has 7 schools reporting 5 or more confirmed COVID cases. The district has 313 students and faculty in quarantine and 23 new positive cases in the last week – 22 students and one staff member.
We will continue to recommend that parents in the Bellevue and Lake Washington School Districts request better transparency on their publicly facing COVID dashboards.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulative Case Tracker is reporting 207,886 new cases and 2,635 deaths nationwide. Most states do not provide daily updates, so the number released on Friday tends to be inflated and represents multiple days of data. Tracking the moving average is a better way to understand national trends.
The COVID crisis in Alaska is deepening, with Providence Alaska Medical Center still operating under “crisis standards of care.” The inability to transfer patients to the largest and best-equipped hospital in the state is having a ripple effect on other hospitals.
Alaska has no state standard for “crisis standards of care,” forcing hospitals to make independent decisions. Government officials started forming a committee this week. Meanwhile, the state legislature considered more pressing matters.
Some anti-vaccination advocates believe that the distribution of COVID vaccines is a violation of the code, established after the full measure of Nazi atrocities in human medical experimentation was discovered. State Rep. Sara Hannan (Juneau-D) was in a race to the bottom, declaring Nazi experimentation on prisoners “produced results.”
“I did not mean to imply any support for NAZIs nor their experimentation in any way. My remarks were incorrect, insensitive, and hurtful. I am sorry and will strive to do better,” said Hannan.
Dr. Gina Wilson-Ramirez, an ER physician in Anchorage, described the situation at Providence. ER wait times for people with severe chest pain, and people are dying waiting to be treated. The waiting room for the emergency department is so full, portapotties were placed in the parking lot, and people were asked to stay in their cars. In the waiting room itself, doctors are now treating patients. Two COVID patients waited more than 8 hours before being seen and required oxygen.
Dr. Ben Westley, who also works at Providence, discussed a situation with two patients who needed dialysis to stay alive, but there was only one machine. Both were critically ill, one in their 30’s and the other older. Doctors decided to ration care between patients, putting one on dialysis during the day and the other at night.
The next day, the older patient was still declining, and there was still only one machine. The younger patient became prioritized for treatment.
Another patient who had COVID needed ECMO, which isn’t available in Alaska. After searching within the Providence network and five other facilities, no location could be found, and the man died.
“The way we’re getting equipment freed up is mainly when we’re discontinuing care on people. And it’s not always because they’re living,” said Dr. Wilson-Ramirez.
At Mat-Su Regional Medical Center near Wasilla, emergency department director Dr. Tom Quimby said he’s seen emergency patients wait as long as five hours. The 125-bed hospital has 42 COVID patients, and the ICU is at 100% capacity – every patient with COVID and on ventilators. Over 50% of the patients arriving in the emergency department have COVID.
“We’ve all seen COVID-19 cases continue to spread rapidly across our nation, the state of Alaska, and in our local community,” U.S. Air Force Col. Kirsten Aguilar, 673d Air Base Wing and JBER commander, said in a statement Friday. “After close consultation with JBER mission commanders, I have decided to declare a Public Health Emergency.”
Commanders advised personnel to avoid places that do not require masks or social distancing, and the base has moved to Health Protection Condition Bravo.
There were 64,714 deaths and 57,641 births in 2020. Harris, holding his weekly update on the state’s efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, said data going back more than a century showed it was the first year in which the births and deaths data was flipped. He added it could happen again in 2021 if the state continues with its current trend.
“The numbers of deaths have, unfortunately, not declined at this point,” Harris stated of Alabama’s death rate, which includes at least seven pregnant women.
Popular YouTube vintage resellers Dusty and Tristan Graham, who espoused anti-vaccination views and conspiracy theories on their channel, both died of COVID. Tristan Graham, who had previously survived bone cancer, died at home on August 25. Dusty Graham died on Thursday.
Little did she know, she would become a rare statistic.
“I started to go into anaphylaxis shock – my mom was there with me – I had my EpiPen ready. We were prepared if something happened, hoping it wouldn’t because it wasn’t supposed to compare to statistics and ingredients – everything we thought,” said Case.
Per the CDC, two to five people per million vaccinated in the U.S. experience anaphylaxis after a COVID-19 vaccine.
Eva Baisey, known as one of the longest living heart transplant recipients in medical history, has died from COVID-19 at age 55. She passed away on September 12, 2021 — more than 34 years after receiving a heart.
While she was vaccinated, her husband had refused to take it. “There was so much information floating around. He didn’t have all the facts,” she said about why her husband wasn’t vaccinated.
“My purpose is to make sure no one goes through what he went through. There wasn’t one day, one hour, one moment that he didn’t suffer,” she said. “This did not have to happen.”
Florida has had 63 law enforcement officers die of COVID.
GOP leaders in Hillsborough County are scrambling after Gregg Prentice died of COVID and took how to access the financial information of the Hillsborough County Republican Executive Committee to the grave with him. Prentice, who was 61, died one day after being diagnosed with COVID and was staunchly against wearing masks.
Friend Jason Kimball blames Tampa General Hospital for the 61-year-old’s death, alleging staff “illegally intubated” Prentice the day before he died. During a Sept. 13 Tampa City Council meeting, Kimball requested an investigation be launched. However, members of the City Council denied any wrongdoing or mistreatment from the hospital.
“My public comments are really going to be about Tampa General Hospital,” Kimball said at the council meeting. “There’s a dire situation going on right now…that I don’t think anyone is aware of, and I have firsthand knowledge of it. They’re intubating everyone entering Tampa General Hospital as a first line of action. They’re using fatality-treatment protocol, and I think that the city council really needs to do an investigation…They’re intubating people illegally. …When you call 911, and you go to that hospital, you’re going into a bad situation.”
Councilman John Dingfelder quickly shut down Kimball’s comment, blasting it as “dangerous.”
Hawaii
Approximately two weeks ago, Honolulu started requiring so-called vaccine passports to enter certain businesses. Yesterday state officials reported hospitalizations had dropped 25%.
Idaho
The crisis in the Gem State is deepening, with doctors and nurses now working in impossible conditions and forced to make unthinkable choices. In Idaho’s St. Luke’s Health System, patients are being ventilated by hand — with a nurse or doctor squeezing a bag — for up to hours at a time while hospital officials work to find a bed with a mechanical ventilator, said chief medical officer Dr. Jim Souza.
Over the past seven days, 1/2 of 1% of every person in Idaho tested positive for COVID.
Chris Roth, president, and CEO at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise said the overwhelming patient volumes result from COVID-19 patients and historic levels of traditional patient care, with the latter primarily brought on by pent-up demand from patients delaying care last year because of COVID-19.
“I’ve never seen any volumes even close to what we’re seeing in my history at St. Luke’s of 14 years,” Roth said.
St. Luke’s had a record 173 COVID-positive admissions to its hospital at the end of August, breaking the 172-admissions record back in the December surge. It recently broke the record again with 281 COVID-19 admissions.
“If we continue on this course over the next several weeks, St. Luke’s Health System will become a COVID health system,” said Roth, noting it will consume every resource and bed it has with coronavirus patients. The vast majority of St. Luke’s ICU patients are COVID positive, with 98% of them unvaccinated.
Although state officials reported a steady number of 170 ICU patients across the state, the number isn’t increasing because there is no more ICU capacity.
To free up space, hospitals are discharging patients that still require critical care, such as high flow oxygen delivery. Norco Medical President Elias Margonis said the company had seen an increase in customers seeking specialty oxygen equipment that flows at a rate of 8, 12, or 20 liters per minute rather than the standard 4 or 5 liters per minute, he said.
Primary Health Medical Group, Idaho’s largest independent primary care and urgent care system, is so swamped with patients they have been forced to close early, with wait times stretching for hours.
There is rampant misinformation that Idaho is operating under a universal do not resuscitate order. This is not true. The false claims are coming from a section within the state’s crisis standards of care plan. In situations where a hospital can no longer support mechanical ventilation of ICU patients, the guidance recommends that no attempt at resuscitation be made if the patient goes into cardiac arrest.
“Adult patients hospitalized during a public health emergency, when crisis standards of care have been declared (and a hospital is using the mechanical ventilation allocation framework due to demand for ventilators exceeding supply), should receive aggressive interventions; however, they should receive NO attempts at resuscitation (compressions, shocks or intubation if not yet intubated) in the event of cardiac arrest. The likelihood of survival after a cardiac arrest is extremely low for adult patients. As well, resuscitation poses significant risk to healthcare workers due to aerosolization of body fluids and uses large quantities of scarce resources such as staff time, personal protective equipment, and lifesaving medications, with minimal opportunity for benefit. This universal DNR order does not apply to pediatric patients; however, pediatric patients requiring a ventilator after resuscitation would enter the ventilator triage protocol after resuscitation, just like other patients needing ventilator access.”
In Ammon, protesters gathered against vaccine mandates. “There is a huge pushback against vaccine mandates,” protest organizer and association spokeswoman Halli Stone said. “You can see there is a great deal of sentiment. People care. If they have a point to rally, they come out. They hate being told they have to take an experimental vaccine that has been proven to be dangerous.”
Many protestors at the event were adamant they were not anti-vaccine. Still, multiple people shared they are not getting vaccinated and have concerns about its safety, despite the FDA saying vaccines are safe.
IU Health said that employees who didn’t comply with the September 1 deadline were placed on a two-week unpaid suspension period ending September 14, with the 125 employees resigning afterward, according to the spokesperson.
“A total of 125 employees, the equivalent of 61 full-time employees, chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and have left the organization,” a spokesperson said.
“Most of the employees who chose not to be vaccinated worked part-time, less than part-time or have not worked for a number of months.”
Mississippi’s death rate from COVID-19 is 308 per 100,000 people, as of Sept. 17. New Jersey’s is 306. Louisiana and New York, respectively, have the next-highest rates, with 288 and 281 per 100,000 people.
Mississippi’s top health official said Thursday that the numbers of new virus cases are still “far more than we’d like to see” and warned that more deaths would follow.
“We’re recording well over 2,500 (cases) a day, in recent days, far more than we’d like to see,” said State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs. “A lot of that’s going to translate into the tragedy.”
“It is really dire,” said Dr. James McKay, chief physician executive for Providence Montana, who oversees St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula and St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson. “It has never been this bad.”
Officials at Billings Clinic said the transition into crisis care could occur “rapidly” and that it would also impact patients with conditions unrelated to COVID-19. The number of COVID patients at the hospital in Missoula has increased dramatically in recent weeks, and that many are younger, some in their 20s and 30s. The hospital has turned an ambulance garage into a makeshift triage area for COVID patients to handle the increase.
The temporary emergency rule waives regulations to make it easier for hospitals to transfer certain patients to other healthcare facilities, freeing up needed hospital beds.
Gianforte said in a news release: “As our hospitals and health care workers continue to work around-the-clock to deliver life-saving care to Montanans, this new tool will help reduce the burdens our providers face. We will continue to work with hospitals and providers to support their ongoing response.”
Additionally, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry has started reaching out to nurses, nurse practitioners, and other medical workers whose licenses may have expired or retired to ask for help.
“The Department hears regularly from employers, including health care providers, who have been impacted by the ongoing workforce shortage. With COVID-related hospitalizations increasing statewide, at the Governor’s direction, the Department is looking at ways to mitigate the health care worker shortage and ensure there are no unnecessary delays in the licensure process for individuals qualified to provide medical services,” wrote Jessica Nelson, public information officer for the department.
Total COVID cases have jump 55% in the last two weeks, outstripping COVID ravaged Idaho.
The three women repeatedly punched the host at Carmine’s on the Upper West Side and broke her necklace Thursday afternoon after she asked for proof of vaccination, which is required to dine inside at a restaurant in New York City, police said in a news release.
All three women are from the Houston area and have been ordered to appear in a New York court on October 5 after receiving citations for misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief. The 24-year old victim was treated at a New York hospital and released. She is expected to recover fully.
Jeffrey Bank, the CEO of Carmine’s, said the restaurant was forced to hire security. “It’s ridiculous that she’s sitting here saying, ‘Please don’t assault me.’ It’s just surreal,” Bank said, adding the restaurant was hiring security. “We want everyone to feel safe. Is it necessary? I don’t know, but after last night for sure, we’re going to have it.”
“We will push back against widespread propaganda by producing our own media, and advancing our own narrative, instead of succumbing to the one being pushed on us. We will not accept the rampant politicization of science and medicine, and we will return these institutions to being neutral sources of information for the benefit of society, over government and corporate interests,” a press release about Saturday’s event reed on the organizers’ website.
State officials reported that five people had been hospitalized for ivermectin poisoning, including two that required critical care.
Between August 1 and September 14, the Oregon Poison Center at OHSU saw a total of 25 cases of “Oregonians intentionally misusing ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19.” Of those cases, five had to be hospitalized–two people became so severely ill that they had to be admitted into the ICU.
The poison center reported that recent cases displayed various symptoms, including mental confusion, balance issues, low blood pressure, and seizure. Patients sickened by the drug ranged in ages from the 20s to 80s. OHSU said there was an even split between men and women who took the drug and between people who were attempting to treat COVID-19 and trying to prevent getting the virus.
In Salem, Oregon, 500 people gathered to protest vaccine mandates. Luke Yamaguchi, an Albany nutritionist who serves on the board of the protest sponsor, Oregonians for Medical Freedom, slammed Gov. Kate Brown’s mask mandate for school children and in outdoor public spaces — drawing jeers and laughs from the unmasked assembly.
“Mandated medicine has no place in a free country,” said Yamaguchi. “Who is to say that you will necessarily agree with the next vaccine that is mandated?”
Officials reported 1,002 people with coronavirus in hospitals across the state, which is 25 fewer than Thursday. There are 287 people with coronavirus in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, one more than Thursday.
The OHA said 58 available adult ICU beds out of 658 total (9% availability) and 369 adult non-ICU beds out of 4,246 (9% availability).
“We’re in September, and our cases, our hospitalizations, our deaths are actually higher than they were last year. So I don’t think we should lower our guard. We should actually apply the tools that we have that we know work,” he said.
Peter Graven, analytics director of OSHU, said all cases are tipping downwards in Oregon, and breakthrough cases are just a small fraction of the total number for the state.
Texas
Parents in a conservative corner of Texas are turning one of Governor Greg Abbott’s “pro-life” mantras on its head, arguing in a federal lawsuit that his school mask policy is threatening the lives of their children.
The school district said in a statement that it couldn’t address specific claims while the case proceeds but that it “strongly disagrees that the students’ constitutional rights have been violated by leaving masks as an option for students and staff.”
The district “continues to work proactively and professionally with parents who have questions or concerns about Covid-related issues,” it said. “The vast majority of these concerns have been resolved without the need for litigation.”
On Wednesday, there were 45 COVID-19 patients at the Wyoming Medical Center and 43 at the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Four hospitals had no available intensive care unit beds on Wednesday. Three had only one ICU bed open. While ICU beds are not exclusively used to treat COVID-19 patients, when hospitals deal with surges in these patients, that can put a strain on their ability to care for other types of critical-needs patients.
More alarming is the growing number of pediatric patients. Wyoming has 37 hospitals and no dedicated children’s hospitals. Pediatric resources are already stretched to the limit in the state. Officials are concerned that the state will run out of resources and have limited options to transfer patients to other regions.
LaTulippe was recorded dismissing the importance of masks in a speech at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Salem on November 7, 2020.
“I hate to tell you this, I might scare you, but I and my staff, none of us, once wore a mask in my clinic,” he told the crowd, reported The Huffington Post. “And how many problems did we have in our clinic from that? Zero.”
The Oregon Medical Board issued an emergency revocation of his medical license in December 2020. On September 2, the board made a final order permanently revoking his license for “dishonorable or unprofessional conduct; repeated negligence in the practice of medicine; and gross negligence in the practice of medicine.” He was also fined $10,000.
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) Today is Yom Kippur, so this will be an abbreviated COVID update. Today provided more indications that for new cases Washington is moving past the peak, but the percentage of tests coming back positive jumped significantly. For Washington state, this is the most positive COVID update since August 17.
The gap between the most vaccinated and least vaccinated counties continued to widen.
Seattle and King County announced the region is implemented a so-called “vaccine passport” that will begin on October 25.
We issue two corrections to our school district COVID dashboard, and 2 more Northshore SD schools have 5 or more confirmed COVID cases detected.
Regionally the situation in Alaska and Idaho has gotten worse, with Alaska down to 14 ICU beds statewide, and Idaho moving to crisis standards of care statewide.
Another decline in new trends, which is good news. In the South Central Hospital Region, which includes Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties, new cases are 862.8 per 100K people while the Central Hospital Region, which represents King County, had a rate of 288.8.
Percent of Total Population Fully Vaccinated
Average 14-Day New Case Rate (unadjusted)
50.00% or above (12 counties)
494.1
40.00% to 49.99% (18 counties)
717.4 (down)
27.30% to 39.99% (9 counties)
754.1
14-Day New COVID Cases per 100K average by Vaccination Rate, Not Adjusted for Population
Through September 15, Washington’s statewide 14-day rolling average was 484.9 COVID cases per 100K. Lincoln (1,384.6 per 100K), Franklin (1,226.8 per 100K), and Stevens (1,106.5 per 100K) reported an extreme number of new cases. Counties in the 800.0 to 999.9 per 100K range include Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Douglas, Grant, Lewis, and Okanagan. This is an encouraging sign in case numbers, although there remain concerns with growing reports statewide of people finding it challenging to get tested. Additionally, home rapid tests are not included in the data.
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 14.02%, and over the previous 7 days, 16.98%. These 7 day rolling average for positivity jumped almost three percentage points from yesterday and the 30 day rolling average moved above 14% again. A single day of data does not make a trend. If we see similar numbers on Friday this would be a red light on the dashboard that access to COVID testing is more than an anecdotal issue.
The Department of Health changed how they are reporting Cases, Hospitalizations, and Testing by Age, yesterday. With the second day of data, we can provide a trend, but two days of data don’t show a complete picture. For right now consider these the current numbers. The data is encouraging.
Age Group
7-Day Case Rate
7-Day Hospitalization Rate
Ages 0-11
200.1 (down)
0.7
Ages 12-19
233.3 (down)
2.2
Ages 20-34
233.3 (down)
7.0 (down)
Ages 35-49
217.3 (down)
12.3 (down)
Ages 50-64
161.4 (down)
20.0
Ages 65-79
119.4 (down)
25.0 (down)
Ages 80+
123.6 (down)
37.7 (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
King County announces testing and vaccination requirements to enter restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters, and more
King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, and community, health care, small business, and arts and culture partners joined in support of requiring verification of full vaccination or a negative test to enter certain indoor and outdoor activities and establishments.
A Health Order issued today by Public Health – Seattle & King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin, going into effect on October 25, will protect customers and workers through providing safer spaces, protecting our health care system, and helping prevent business closures. It will apply to:
Outdoor events with 500 people or more – such as professional and collegiate sports and entertainment events
Indoor entertainment and recreational events or establishments – such as professional and collegiate sports, entertainment, performing arts, museums, theatre, live music, gyms, and conferences/conventions.
Restaurants and bars (including indoor dining) – this does not apply to outdoor dining, take-out customers, and places that aren’t primarily used as a restaurant, such as grocery stores.
The order gives the option for a longer preparation period for smaller restaurants and bars with a seating capacity of 12 or less, with an implementation date of December 6. The entire order is not expected to be permanent. It will be reviewed no later than six months after the October 25th implementation date to assess its continued need based on future outbreak conditions.
“We are at a critical point in this pandemic, with high levels of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and no certainty as to what will follow the Delta variant,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Vaccination is our best shield against this deadly virus. With over 85 percent of King County residents having received at least their first vaccine dose, vaccine verification will help keep people safe and keep businesses open.”
Corrections
We have two corrections today both related to the Lake Washington School District. The first involves Robert Frost Elementary. We received multiple parental reports that due to quarantined students, one classroom had been made virtual. The way we report data, placed Robert Frost Elementary in the closure column. Those reports were incorrect and we will update the scorecard today.
The second error involves Henry Thoreau Elementary. On the Lake Washington School District COVID scorecard, there is a single active case at the school. We received the official communication from the LWSD, indicating there was one case, and three students quarantined. Yesterday, when the scorecard was updated from 1 to 4, the footnote asterisk was not removed. Because the asterisk remained, it created confusion on the number of active cases. We apologize for the omission, and we have updated the scorecard to indicate that the number is active cases and quarantined combined.
Travel Advisories
We recommend avoiding all travel to Spokane, Yakima, Klickitat, Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties, along with the states of Alaska and Idaho. Hospital resources in these regions are so constrained that you may receive inadequate care if you experience a medical emergency.
Thank you
Thank you to our new subscribers and those of you who have made one-time contributions. On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping us keep the lights on!
No promotional consideration has been given, or requested from the n95 project or any manufacturer of masks
Vaccination
No update
King County, Washington is reporting over 85% of age eligible residents are vaccinated with at least one dose. The highest rates of positivity are in areas with low vaccination rates statewide. The FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer vaccine for anyone 16 and over.
COVID vaccines are free for anyone over 12 years old, and no appointment is necessary at most locations. Lyft and Hopelink provide free transportation, and KinderCare, the Learning Care Group, and the YMCA offer free childcare during vaccination appointments or recuperation.
According to the DoH COVID Dashboard, 22.7% of all acute care patients hospitalized in Washington have COVID. A hospital system caring for this many COVID-positive patients in acute care is considered to be under “severe stress.” ICUs are at 91.8% of capacity statewide, with 36.1% of ICU patients fighting COVID. This is unchanged from yesterday
The hospital admission rate Epidemiologic Curve dashboard is not working for the second day in a row. The Department of Health reported there were 1,654 COVID patients statewide on September 15 and 259 on ventilators. New cases were up slightly, while the number of patients on ventilators decreased.
EvergreenHealth COVID patient information for September 13, 2021
On September 13 EvergreenHealth reported 39 COVID patients in Kirkland. This morning they released detailed information about the patients. 77% of COVID patients are unvaccinated, which includes a pediatric patient under 12-years old. In the ICU 91% are unvaccinated and 4 are on ventilators.
Two-thirds of the vaccinated patients are 60 years old or older, while 51% of all patients are birth to 59 years old.
– Alcott Elementary (1*) – Carson Elementary (2*) – Dickinson Elementary (1*) – Eastlake High (1*) – Einstein Elementary (1*) – Ella Baker Elementary (1*) – Robert Frost Elementary (9) – Juanita Elementary (2*) – Juanita High School (37) – Peter Kirk Elementary (1*) – Redmond Elementary (2*) – Redmond Middle School (1*) – Robert Frost Elementary – Rose Hill Elementary (1*) – Rose Hill/Stella Schola Middle School (1*) – Thoreau Elementary (4)
– Kamiakin Middle School (140) – Mark Twain Elementary (3*)
Northshore
YELLOW
– Arrowhead Elementary (11) – Bothell High School (42**) – Canyon Creek Elementary (17) – Canyon Park Middle School (5) – Cottage Lake Elementary (12) – Crystal Springs Elementary (14) – East Ridge Elementary (15) – Fernwood Elementary (8**) – Frank Love Elementary (20) – Hollywood Hills Elementary (4) – Inglemoor High School (5) – Innovation Lab High School (4) – Kenmore Elementary (37**) – Kenmore Middle School (37**) – Kokanee Elementary (20) – Lookwood Elementary (1) – Maywood Hills Elementary (10) – North Creek High School (15**) – Northshore Middle School (7) – Ruby Bridges Elementary (6) – Secondary Academy for Success (1) – Shelton View Elementary (18**) – Skyview Middle School (77) – Sunrise Elementary (21) – Timbercrest Middle School (23) – Westhill Elementary (6) – Wellington Elementary (24) – Woodin Elementary (5) – Woodinville High School (19) – Woodmore Elementary (20**)
Under Investigation
Local Districts Scorecard – * indicates positive cases only ** indicates 5 or more confirmed positive cases
The Lake Washington School District data hasn’t been updated since Friday. As noted in our corrections section, we have updated the report to indicate that the parental reports we received were inaccurate.
Northshore School District now has 7 schools reporting 5 or more confirmed COVID cases with an expanding number of students in quarantine across the district. We would appeal for other school districts to follow their model of transparency.
Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville
No update
National Round-Up
Johns Hopkins University Cumulitaive Case Tracker is reporting 171,350 new cases and 2,678 deaths nationwide.
Today is Yom Kippur, and we are providing an abbreviated national news section.
Doctors, nurses and administrators around the state have described staffing shortages and an overburdened system trying to provide care for higher numbers of COVID-19 patients and non-COVID patients alike.
Providence Alaska Medical Center doctors announced this week the hospital has started rationing care under crisis-care protocols, a worst-case scenario that forces providers to prioritize patients most likely to recover. Limited resources at Alaska Native Medical Center are prompting longer waits and delayed surgeries. Alaska Regional is prioritizing surgeries for the most critical patients and postponing or rescheduled others.
Alaska’s 7 day rolling average case rate is shocking – 667 new cases per 100K residents. Almost 52% of new cases are among people age 10 to 39. Officials reported there are only 14 ICU beds available in the entire state.
Idaho
Idaho officials announced this morning that all hospitals are now operating under crisis standards of care. This is the first time a full state has had to make such drastic measures. Hospital officials made public appeals for weeks as the condition deteriorated, but Idaho’s own state public health officials and lieutenant governor actively worked to undermine those efforts.
“It’s just nonstop trying to find placement for these patients and the care that they need,” said Brian Whitlock, the president and CEO of the Idaho Hospital Association, who noted that hospitals across the state are struggling with the same issue. “It really is a minute-by-minute assessment of where beds are open, and hospitals saying we don’t know where we’re going to put the next one.”
Health leaders in Washington state said that they are attempting to help their neighbors states, but they are keeping a close eye on their own bed space.
It’s become an ethical challenge, as Washington has been aggressive in its Covid safety measures while Idaho’s state leaders have done little to address the latest surge.
Dr. Doug White, the director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Program on Ethics and Decision Making in Critical Illness, said that while Washington’s health care services may feel a moral obligation to help, the need for action falls to Idaho’s state government.
Oregon
Ten months after making comments at a Stop the Steal Rally, and his refusal to wear masks even around patients, Dr. Steven LaTulippe has had his medical license revoked. His license has been temporarily suspended, but state officials made a change in his status today.
Misinformation
Taking the day off
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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