News from and about King County… from COVID-19 updates to community news affecting our daily lives.

Dear Friends:

Today’s e-news includes information on recognizing essential workers, the Governor’s announcement on projected COVID-19 vaccination timeline, the expansion of eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines to veterans, educators and licensed childcare workers, updated international travel guidelines, King County Metro’s upcoming service restoration and changes, King County Elections’ Voter Education Fund, health updates, and more.


Washington Trivia

An actress on the original “Melrose Place” attended Thomas Jefferson High School. Who is she?

(Answer is at the bottom).




It’s that time of year!

Put the diet on hold and support a great cause. The Girl Scouts movement was started to prepare “girls to meet the world with courage, confidence, and character.” In 1917, cookies slipped into the formula. Buy the cookies, share the cookies!




King County Council recognizes essential workers

On Tuesday, March 2nd, the King County Council delivered an official recognition, honoring the sacrifices made by public health employees, healthcare workers, first responders, educators, and all essential workers since the Proclamation of Emergency a year ago, March 1st, 2020. It also calls attention to the approximately 332,000 jobs lost across Washington State and the thousands of businesses that have closed during the economic shut down.




Governor announces projected COVID-19 vaccination timeline in Washington

With the increasing vaccine supplies received by the state and the assumption that it will continue to increase, Governor Jay Inslee announced the projected COVID-19 vaccination timeline in the coming weeks. Read more in the KIRO7 article here.



Comorbidities refer to the simultaneous presence of two or more medical conditions in a patient. Visit the CDC’s website for a list of medical conditions that increase risk for severe illness from the COVID-19 virus.


Puget Sound veterans now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care system announced today that veterans in the Puget Sound region are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine – regardless of age, health or living situation. The only eligibility requirement is that you must be enrolled in the VA system. Veterans who aren’t enrolled can check their eligibility on the VA website.

The health care system is offering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at the American Lake and Seattle medical centers, as well as the Silverdale and Mount Vernon clinics. Appointments are required and higher risk veterans will be prioritized. Eligible veterans can call 206-716-5716 or contact their primary care team to sign up.


Educators and licensed childcare workers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine

On Tuesday, Governor Jay Inslee announced the state is adding educators and licensed childcare workers to Washington’s Phase 1B1 of the COVID-19 vaccination phases, making them eligible to get vaccinated through existing providers and the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program that operates through national and independent pharmacies. Read more here.


Updated International Travel Guidelines

Governor Jay Inslee announced that all air passengers must comply with the requirements ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when traveling from outside the country to Washington state. The CDC currently requires all such air passengers to obtain a negative viral COVID-19 test within 3 days of travel or to present proof of recovery from COVID-19. Read the full proclamation here.


King County Metro restores bus trips, revises schedules beginning March 20

In response to fluctuating ridership, King County Metro will restore and revise transit service on March 20th as part of its regular spring service change. More trips will be added to 15 routes where there is high ridership demand, while individual trips will be suspended on 10 peak weekday routes due to low ridership and financial reasons. For more information, call 206-553-3000 between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday, or visit Metro’s website here.


King County Elections launches Voter Education Fund for 2021-2022

On March 1st, King County Elections launched their fifth Voter Education Fund (VEF) cycle in partnership with the Seattle Foundation. Organizations can apply for up to $40,000 to develop a two-year campaign, or up to $15,000 to provide a series of smaller activities. The application period ends on April 2nd. For questions, please contact Bao-Tram Do at 206-407-4366 or b.do@seattlefoundation.org.




Washington state reaches 5,000 COVID-19 deaths

Yesterday, Washington state reached 5,000 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, with 342,236 coronavirus cases, 19,466 hospitalizations and 5,012 deaths. Read more in the KOMO News article here.


King County COVID Vaccination Update

Today, there were 378,925 first dose and 213,023 second dose vaccines administered among King County residents, bringing the total of all administered doses to 591,948. For more information, visit the King County COVID Vaccination Dashboard here.



Phase Finder: To assess your eligibility to receive COVID-19 vaccine, please visit the Washington Department of Health Phase Finder web form.

Register by phone: For assistance on registering by phone, call King County Public Health Call Center at 206-477-3977 or Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press # for help with registration by phone.

Other Vaccine Locations: Visit Washington Department of Health’s website or VaccineFinder.org for other vaccine locations in the state. If you have any questions, contact COVID.Vaccine@doh.wa.gov.


King County Case Update
Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 209 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 82,716. In addition, Public Health reported 7 new deaths, bringing the total in the county to 1,411.









Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Jolyn Christine Heutmaker, professionally known as Josie Bissett, is an actress best known for her role as Jane Mancini on the TV series “Melrose Place.” Born in Seattle in 1970, Josie began her career as a model at the age of 12. She attended Thomas Jefferson High School and moved to Japan to model before she went to Hollywood.

Josie had several movies, television shows and commercials as well as books inspired by her children. After “Melrose Place” ended, she returned to the Puget Sound region with her family and now resides in King County.



Compiled by Cyndee Navarro of my office.