Just over 22 months ago, the COVID-19 pandemic touched down in Seattle, and our lives were completely upended. We were able to move quickly and launch programs to curb the spread of the virus and keep our communities healthy and safe. Thanks in large part to our collective actions – Seattle is the safest major city in America. Even as cases have risen, Seattle has the lowest cases, deaths and hospitalizations of every city, and our decisions are driven by science and public health.
Vaccines and testing remain a critical tool to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Booster shots and vaccinations for kids 5 to 11 are readily available across Seattle.
Our work to save lives doesn’t happen by accident – it happens by the choices we make.
Public Health – Seattle & King County have issued recommendations to make things safer right now:
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Visit Washington DOH’s Vaccine Locator to get a booster appointment or seattle.signetic.com for our city sites in West Seattle, South Seattle and downtown Seattle;
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Get tested if exposed or symptomatic. We have test sites across the City;
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Avoid crowded indoor spaces during the holiday season;
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Limit the number of gatherings, and if possible, do a rapid test the day of the gathering;
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Gatherings will be safer in well-ventilated spaces. Open windows for fresh air;
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Postpone travel where possible;
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Now is the time to refresh your mask if needed. Make sure it is well-fitting and high-quality. Everyone ages 5 and older, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks in indoor public settings like grocery and retail stores, theaters, and entertainment establishments, and at outdoor events with 500 or more people. Masks are also recommended for everyone in crowded outdoor settings; and
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Take extra precautions for higher risk people in your life.
Mayor Durkan and the Seattle Office of Economic Development announce the grant recipients of the Neighborhood Economic Recovery Fund.
In August, Mayor Durkan announced more than $6 million in neighborhood recovery funding through the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act. (ARPA). Funding was invested through both direct grants to neighborhood business district organizations and public request for proposals (RFP) to support community driven solutions from a broader range of eligible applicants including business organizations, community organizations, cultural districts, cultural organizations, arts organizations, small businesses such as community event producers, artists, consultants, or a collection of individuals supporting neighborhood strategies with broadly shared benefits.
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Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, Councilmember Herbold, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, Seattle Fire Fighters Union, Local 27 President Kenny Stuart and Human Services Department (HSD) Director, Tanya Kim announced the launch of a third Health One unit to expand regular service of the program to South Seattle. The third unit is expected to become operational in early 2022 and will primarily serve the Rainier Valley, Mt. Baker, Beacon Hill and Central District neighborhoods, and provide additional coverage to Pioneer Square and West Seattle.
Seattle City Light (SCL) received approval from the Seattle City Council Transportation & Utilities Committee to transfer a 46,000-square foot plot of land, known as the Georgetown Flume site, to Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) to develop a new off-leash area and pedestrian thoroughfare in the Georgetown neighborhood. This connection will provide an acre of green space including 80 new trees, and is a critical part of the Georgetown to South Park Connection project, which, when completed, will create a walkable, bikeable connection between Georgetown and South Park.
Mayor Durkan with OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey
OL Reign today announced that Seattle’s Lumen Field will be the new home of the club beginning with the 2022 NWSL season. Lumen Field, which opened in 2002, also serves as the home of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders.
“OL Reign are returning to Martin Luther King Jr. County, and bringing one of the best women’s professional soccer franchises in the nation - further bolstering the future of our soccer community here in Puget Sound,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Having them back will help inspire current and future generations of soccer stars right here in Seattle, and I’m looking forward to being in the stands with my family to cheer them on as they fight to bring home the NWSL Championship next year.”
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Grants build on state legislature’s 2021 approval of new B.S. in Computer Science programs; students from backgrounds under-represented in tech are a special focus
This week, Amazon announced three interrelated grants to support start-up of new Bachelor of Science in Computer Science programs at community and technical colleges in Seattle and across Washington. The grants — each a million dollars — go to Seattle Colleges Foundation, the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program.
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The ORCA Recovery Card Program provides free ORCA cards to essential workers and encourages people to take transit while saving money on transportation.
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan announced this week that the ORCA Recovery Card Program, which provides free ORCA cards to essential workers in Chinatown-International District and Pioneer Square, will extend through December 31, 2022. People who received the card during the summer can continue using the same card free of charge for another year to help get them to where they need to go affordably and efficiently. The City of Seattle recognized the benefits of the ORCA Recovery Card with 91 percent of people using transit more frequently than they did before receiving their ORCA card, according to a survey conducted by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). The program supports small business recovery by assisting employees in traveling or returning to work in some of our most vibrant neighborhoods, helps people save money on transportation and encourages them to take transit more which helps the city meet sustainability goals.
With only a few weeks remaining in office, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Thursday said she hoped the incoming administration and the Seattle City Council will be able to find common ground as the city grapples with an ongoing host of pressing issues.
Durkan, who had served as a federal attorney, only served one term before deciding to not seek a second term.
During her term, Seattle experienced several major events, that include the COVID pandemic, street protests and civic unrest and a fractious relationship with the council.
“You know, I think this has been the most consequential time in Seattle history," Durkan said during an interview with KOMO News. "And I think it was an incredible honor to serve.”
As Mayor Durkan reflected on her term, she said what she is most proud of navigating has also been the most challenging.
“My term as mayor I think will be defined by the pandemic,” she said, noting that the Seattle area was the first U.S. city with a confirmed case of coronavirus but one of the first major cities to vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible population. “We had no resources, no testing, no help from the federal government. We fortunately had people who believe in science (and we had a) great collaboration. Even though it was very hard, I’m proud of what we did as a city.”
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