The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance last Friday for some people with weakened immune systems, recommending they get a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine three months after completing the initial series of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, rather than the current interval of five months.
Last week, Seattle received updated information on it’s COVID realities. According to data from King County and Washington state departments of health, as of Monday, February 14, 2022:
-733 new cases since Friday in King County. That’s a 25% decrease over the last seven days. An average of 1,211 new cases are emerging each day.
-70 new hospitalizations since Friday in King County. That’s a 7% decrease over the past seven days. 18% decrease in deaths over the past two weeks, with seven people dying every day in King County. The county reports 17 new deaths since Friday.
78.6% of King County residents are fully vaccinated.
-11,316 Covid-19 related deaths across Washington state; 1% death rate since the beginning of the pandemic. More than 11,000 people are contracting Covid each week in the state, on average; Washington was last at this rate in early January.
27% of hospital beds are occupied by Covid patients; That’s lower than at our peak, but still a historically high rate. 66% of Washington state’s total population is fully vaccinated.
-Seattle’s pandemic street permit for restaurants may be extended into 2023. The street permit program for Seattle restaurants and cafes is set to expire in May. But this week, the Seattle City Council is looking to extend it.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reports that the first child in the county has died of Covid. A girl under the age of 10 from Lakewood, with multiple underlying health conditions, passed away on Jan. 30. It marks the first person under 18 who has died from Covid in the county.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Friday that the city’s eviction moratorium will not last past February.The eviction moratorium was first implemented under Mayor Jenny Durkan in 2020. It was initially set to expire within a matter of months, but has consistently been extended as the pandemic continued to impose financial hardships. It allowed tenants to stay in their homes despite being late on rent while the pandemic disrupted work and steady paychecks. The latest expiration date for the eviction moratorium was set for February 14. Mayor Harrell signed a new executive order that extends the moratorium through the end of February. But after that, he says, it will expire.
