Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes updated information on the Paycheck Protection Program, updated guidance to wear masks on King County Metro buses, highlights on work being done by the Auburn Valley YMCA, and more.

Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act

Yesterday, the Senate passed the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. The package was passed by the House of Representatives today. The $484 billion spending package includes over $320 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program ($60 billion of which would be for community-based lenders, and for smaller banks and credit unions, to assist small businesses who do not have established relationships with large banks, and had difficulty accessing funds in the first round). It also includes $75 billion for hospitals, and $25 billion for COVID-19 testing.

Staying Healthy in a Multigenerational Home

Stay Home, Stay Healthy guidelines remain an important part of the community’s response to COVID-19. In a home with multiple generations, ensuring everyone’s health can require some additional attention. You can read more at this link.

Community Organizations Stepping Up in South King County

Last week I visited with Jason Berry, Executive Director of the Auburn Valley YMCA to talk about the role they are playing in the COVID-19 response. The Auburn Y has been converted to a community response center, providing critical services like child care for kids of essential workers, grab and go meals for young people, and wellbeing calls to senior and vulnerable members to check in, offer support and help people avoid social isolation.



With Jason Berry, Executive Director of the Auburn Valley YMCA.

The Y has continued to operate their Early Learning Center at Lea Hill as well as their youth and young adult homelessness and mental and behavioral health and substance abuse therapy services throughout the county. If you need assistance and think they can help, you can reach them at 253-833-2770. Thank you, Jason for everything you and your team are doing for our community during this crisis, and leading by example in South King County.

Metro Urges Customers to Wear Masks or Face Coverings

Responding to evolving guidance from public health officials and the feedback of drivers and other frontline employees, King County Metro strongly urges all customers to wear a mask or face covering while using public transportation. Masks or face coverings help protect the wearer, other passengers, and Metro employees. More information can be found here.

Additionally, Metro also continues to use its Transit Alert system to alert passengers to our newest rider information. A most recent sample of this information, which contains the guidance above, can be found in the Transit Alert below. You can register for Transit Alerts here.



Metro Institutes Passenger Limits to Maintain Spacing on Buses

To help maintain six feet of separation from others, Metro identified the optimal number of riders on a 4-foot bus to be 12 and on a 60-foot bus to be 19. The optimal number of passengers in the ADA priority seating area is one. More details are available at the Metro Matters Blog.

King County Financial Resources Guide

King County has compiled a brand new resource guide to help people and families get through this crisis. This comprehensive guide includes:

• How to apply for unemployment
• Housing resources
• Information on utilities and internet
• Cash assistance
• Food assistance
• Childcare resources
• Resources for undocumented communities
• Small business loans and disaster assistance
• In-language resources

You can click this link to download the guide in English. Downloads are also available in ten other languages:

Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya, Vietnamese

UW Medicine Data Institute Projections

UW Medicine’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation continues to update their COVID-19 forecast. UW Medicine’s models have been used by policy makers across the country to evaluate the ongoing COVID-19 response. You can view the projections here.



King County Case Update

As of today, Seattle - King County Public Health was reporting 120 new cases, bringing the total in King County to 5,569. They also reported 5 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the County to 384.

Stay In. Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember