Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes information on the updated vaccine distribution and administration plan, King County’s COVID vaccination dashboard, a meeting with Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, important dates on the upcoming tax filing season, health updates, and more.


Washington Trivia

How did Vashon-Maury get its name?

(Answer is at the bottom).




Updated Vaccine Distribution and Administration Plan

Gov. Jay Inslee announced an updated statewide vaccine distribution and administration plan, speeding up the COVID-19 vaccination timeline by moving to Phase 1B1 group, which includes adults age 65 and over and people age 50 and older who meet certain risk criteria and live in intergenerational households. The plan also includes the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center, a new statewide public-private partnership that will boost vaccine distribution efforts through the help of Washington corporations, labor unions, health care groups and government entities.



Washington Department of Health Phase Finder:

To assess your eligibility to receive COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the Phase Finder web form.

COVID-19 vaccine facts:

• The vaccine does not contain the live virus that causes COVID-19; therefore, it cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
• COVID-19 mRNA vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way.
• The vaccine will help protect you from getting sick or seriously ill by teaching your body’s immune system to fight the virus.
• You may experience side effects that may be similar to COVID-19 symptoms such as headache, a sore arm, fatigue or a fever in the first two days after your vaccination.
• You should receive two doses at the recommended time for maximum effectiveness.


King County COVID Vaccination Dashboard

King County has a new dashboard that shows a summary of how many people have been vaccinated for COVID-19, their demographics, and the number of doses allocated to providers in King County. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in King County and view the COVID vaccination dashboard here.


Meeting with Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus

With the King County Courthouse and Auburn City Hall restricted, it was great to get outside during a sun break this week and share ideas of county/city cooperation with Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus on the suspension bridge between Isaac Evans and Dykstra Parks.



With Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus


IRS delays start of tax filing season to Feb. 12

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that they will begin accepting and processing 2020 tax year returns on Friday, February 12, 2021. This will allow the IRS to do additional programming and testing of IRS systems following the December 27 tax law changes that provided a second round of Economic Impact Payments and other benefits. Read more here.

January 15. IRS Free File opens. Taxpayers can begin filing returns through Free File partners; tax returns will be transmitted to the IRS starting Feb. 12. Tax software companies also are accepting tax filings in advance.

January 29. Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day to raise awareness of valuable tax credits available to many people – including the option to use prior-year income to qualify.

February 12. IRS begins accepting and processing invidividual tax returns for the 2021 tax season.

April 15. Deadline for filing 2020 tax returns.

October 15. Deadline to file for those requesting an extension on their 2020 tax returns.


Weekly King County Health Update: Hydrating to a healthier you

Many of us know that staying hydrated is important for optimal health. Accounting for 50-70 percent of our body composition, water is the most important nutrient we consume. On a microscopic level, it is a basic building material that is essential to the biochemical functions of every cell, tissue, and organ in our body. Good hydration is key to maintaining normal body functions as well as optimizing our thinking, memory, and physical performance.

How much water should you drink a day? The “eight glasses a day” advice is a general guideline for healthy people, but it is not a one-size-fits-all rule. Your healthcare provider can help you determine how much water you need based on factors such as your overall health, medications, age, sex, environment, exercise, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The CDC says that our daily fluid intake is a combination of water we consume from plain drinking water, other beverages, and water-rich foods such as salads and fruits. Plain water is the better choice over other beverages because it is calorie free, readily available, and free of the potentially adverse side effects of sugary, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks. Read more about healthy beverage choices, tips and guidelines from the CDC.




King County Case Update

As of Friday, January 15th, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 684 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 71,231. In addition, Public Health reported 15 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 1,180.









Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Known as the largest island in Puget Sound, Vashon Island was named by Captain George Vancouver after his friend Captain James Vashon during their exploratory missions in 1792. Over 50 years later, during the survey of the Sound in 1841, Lt. Charles Wilkes named the connecting island, Maury, which was after William Maury, a member of his crew.

Maury Island was connected to Vashon Island only during low tide, but local landowners decided to build an isthmus, an earth bridge, which linked the two islands together in 1916, renaming it as Vashon-Maury Island.



Compiled by Cyndee Navarro of my office.