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The region, state, and country are facing the third wave of COVID-19 cases.
Seattle is nearing 11,000 cases with 34% of the city’s total cases in November alone. Hospitalizations have reached the same levels as March and April. And unfortunately, 12 Seattle residents have lost their lives to COVID-19 in November.
 This third wave is the most dangerous phase. All of us are tired, but it is our doctors, nurses, and essential workers who are the most at risk in the weeks to come. Our health care workers have been on the frontlines of this crisis for the last nine months and now are seeing the highest cases to date.
Our choices matter, and we need everyone to protect our community and keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. If we all do our part, we can reverse this trajectory and protect our community's health and our economy.
We have flattened the curve before, and we must do it again. We know how to beat this virus: limit our social gatherings, mask up, get tested when exposed or have symptoms, stay home when sick, ensure six feet of social distance, and follow public health guidance for businesses and workplaces.
The Washington DOH, Institute for Disease Modeling, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and University of Washington show that we can change the trajectory as we did in March:
 Hope is on the horizon in 2021 with a vaccine, but the next few weeks and months are critical. Without a doubt, the pandemic has been challenging for our small businesses, residents, families, and workers. People are hurting. While all of us are immensely frustrated that the federal government has yet to pass another COVID-19 relief package, there are some local and state resources available.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the City of Seattle has worked quickly to launch COVID-19 relief programs including rent relief, expanding shelter for people experiencing homelessness, child care, grocery vouchers, direct cash assistance for immigrants and refugees, and financial assistance to small businesses. Residents and businesses can find a list of existing COVID-19 relief resources and policies on this website.
As always, please continue to write me at [email protected], reach out via Twitter and Facebook, and stay up-to-date on the work we’re doing for the people of Seattle on my blog.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
 
The Office of Economic Development has launched the new Shop Your Block retail map to support small businesses throughout the holiday season. Shop Your Block connects consumers to local small retail businesses throughout Seattle using the new retail map and online neighborhood marketplaces.
Shop Early. Shop Local. Shop Safe. Shop Your Block.
COVID-19 hospital occupancy is rapidly increasing throughout Washington as the state continues to experience exponential growth in new cases. The Department of Health is seeing alarming increases in the number of COVID-19 patients in our hospitals as well as the number hospitalized in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds—critical capacity needed to treat severe COVID-19 cases as well as other patients with serious conditions.
The trend is highlighted in new data added to the state’s Risk Assessment dashboard today. The dashboard shows that the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in our hospitals doubled from 471 on November 1st to 932 on November 23rd. In addition, the number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in our ICUs increased about 75% from 124 on November 1st to 214 on November 23rd. If this doubling rate continues, we may have over 1800 COVID-19 patients in our hospitals by mid-December.
Because COVID-19 patients may stay in the hospital for several weeks, hospital occupancy will continue to rise for some time even after hospital admissions level off. In some cases, large hospital systems are facing situations that would necessitate delaying non-urgent procedures due to a lack of staffed hospital beds. Situations like this can cause other patients with non-COVID-19 conditions to have to wait, and this also impacts anyone else who may need to seek care. It is imperative that we ensure access to hospital care for anyone who needs it, whether they have COVID-19 or another illness or injury.
“This situation is extraordinarily urgent, and we need everyone in Washington state to take action now to stop the spread of COVID-19 before our hospitals and frontline healthcare workers are overwhelmed,” said State Health Officer Dr. Kathy Lofy. “I am extremely concerned about the current exponential growth of COVID-19 cases. We must all re-commit to flatten the curve now.”
As COVID-19 cases surge across the region and state, Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan signed a new Executive Order to create additional testing capacity. The kiosk pilot program will initially provide two walk-up testing kiosks in North Seattle and Central Seattle with more kiosks in mid-December.
Currently, the City of Seattle is conducting 5,500 – 6,000 tests per day at the four citywide testing sites. These two kiosks sites will add capacity to conduct at least 1,000 tests per day. The City is evaluating five additional kiosk locations for the coming weeks that could add additional capacity for at least 2,500 tests. By mid-December, at least 9,000 tests per day could be administered through the City-sponsored sites.
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced that the City is accepting applications for $4 million in new Small Business Stabilization Fund grants provided by the Office of Economic Development (OED). Launching the expanded Small Business Stabilization Fund was one of Mayor Durkan’s first COVID-19 relief actions, and to date, OED has provided 469 small businesses with $10,000 grants through this fund. The Small Business Stabilization Fund application will accept applications from Monday, November 9 until Monday November 30, 2020.
The newest round of the Small Business Stabilization Fund is funded by the joint COVID-19 relief bill that the Mayor and City Council passed in August. In the joint legislation, the Mayor and City Council allocated $5.5 million for Small Business Stabilization Fund grants and committed to spend $2.5 million in 2020, and another $3 million in 2021. After accounting for administrative costs, OED will be able to provide small businesses and economic opportunity non-profits $2.37 million for grants in 2020 and roughly $1.6 million for grants in 2021. Additionally, the City is committing $1.25 million in 2021 to work with community-based organizations to help improve our prioritization of grants to the most vulnerable and traditionally underserved businesses.
The City of Seattle and non-profits are offering programs for child care, preschool, remote learning and meals. Read more in The Seattle Times:
Are you looking for resources to help your school-age children through the academic year? From free tutoring to meals and enrichment programs, they’re out there — if you know where to look.
Across Seattle, agencies that typically serve youth and families have reallocated funds, staff and other resources to offer more support. Community organizations and grassroots groups have also stepped up their efforts to help fulfill needs that might normally have been met in-person while kids were attending school.
The Seattle Parks and Recreation operates seven learning hubs across the region, offering free learning support, enrichment programs and meals to middle and high school students — the age groups not served by the department’s child care and preschool programs.
“We know remote learning can make things more difficult for families,” said Damien Hicks, the department’s manager of Community Learning Centers.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan recently announced a new initiative to provide free child care for income-eligible families for the remainder of 2020. Seattle Parks and Recreation will provide copay relief to 145 families in its child care program who currently receive a scholarship. The Department of Education and Early Learning will cover all remaining child care costs for 301 families currently in the Child Care Assistance Program.
The Teen Learning Hubs will remain free and open to all students on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 18. Although students are socially distanced at the sites, the hubs give teens the opportunity to get out of the house and have some masked face-to-face time with their peers. Hicks said his department is always looking for partners to help offer more programs and activities, and also more bilingual support.
Read more about other programs from the City of Seattle and other non-profits
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