Guidance on cloth face masks
On Friday, additional guidance on cloth face masks was provided by federal and local public health authorities, and King County quickly moved to identify a supplier and put in an order for cloth masks for front line, non-medical workers. The cloth face masks recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance. The county is continuing efforts to identify suppliers and obtain medical masks for healthcare workers and medical first responders.
The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend that people wear cloth face masks when they are in public settings where they cannot maintain six (6) feet of distance from others. This recommendation is not a substitute for existing guidance to maintain six feet of physical distance from non-household members, whenever possible, and performing frequent hand hygiene with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
While the county will make cloth masks available as we receive them for employees who have contact with the public (non-medical staff), this is not a mandate that you must wear a face covering. It is considered an additional layer of protection. These cloth masks will be received in batches and distributed to departments with frontline employees as supplies arrive.
King County supports employees who may choose to wear a cloth face mask while they are working. If you voluntarily choose to wear a cloth face mask, please carefully review and follow the guidance here.
Masks are not the most important protection!
Staying apart from others is our best protection against COVID-19. The most important ways of preventing COVID-19 are frequent handwashing, avoiding touching your face, staying away from ill people, staying home and avoiding all non-essential activities and contact with others. Mask use does not replace the need to follow these important precautions to prevent illness.
Additional information on the use of cloth face masks can found from the CDC, the Washington Department of Health, and Public Health – Seattle & King County.
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New FSA rules in response to COVID-19
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, contains important provisions that affect Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
In addition, under existing rules, certain changes in your situation—called “qualifying life events”—may allow you to increase or decrease contributions or enroll or disenroll from your FSAs. For example, if your spouse loses a job due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or any other reason, and can no longer participate in their employer’s FSA plan, you can enroll in King County’s Health Care and Day Care FSAs or increase your contributions using the FSA Change Form.
Your Health Care FSA
Under the CARES Act, you can now use your Health Care FSA to pay for or receive reimbursement for:
- Over-the-counter drugs and medicines without a doctor’s prescription.
- Menstrual care products, which are now considered a qualified medical expense. All expenses incurred after Dec. 31, 2019, qualify, and the provision has no expiration date.
Your Dependent Day Care FSA
If you have a Dependent Day Care FSA, you can reduce or cancel your contributions due to the current situation with school and day care closures. If you want to make changes to your Day Care FSA, please contact The Benefits Team.
The following scenarios have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic that may affect your Day Care FSA:
- Your child’s day care closes, causing a loss of care and care expenses, and resulting in a significant reduction of your annual cost of care. Because your care expenses have decreased, you may decrease your FSA election or stop participating in the plan.
- You are now working from home and can keep your children home instead of using day care, resulting in a significant reduction of your annual cost of care. Because your care expenses have decreased, you may decrease your FSA election or stop participating in the plan.
- Your child’s school closed and you need to enroll your child in day care to allow you to continue to work. This new care expense allows you to enroll or increase your current FSA election.
Keep in mind, you must request the FSA change within 30 days of the status change event.
If you opt to stop participating in the plan, contributions already made will not be refunded, however, you may use your FSA to get reimbursed for expenses incurred between Jan. 1 (or your start date) and the date you stop participating.
It may be safer to reduce your annual contribution to the amount you’ve already contributed year-to-date. This means you can use the funds you’ve already contributed for expenses incurred through the end of the year.
Once our usual day-to-day operations resume, you can again make changes to your Day Care FSA elections—reducing or increasing your expenses or enrolling or disenrolling in the plan, within 30 days of the status change event.
For more information or to request a change to your FSA, please contact the King County Benefits Team at KC Benefits or 206-684-1556.
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Tech Tip: Changing your password and updating your computer when working remotely
King County Information Technology (KCIT) has developed two documents that explain how to change passwords and receive Windows updates while working remotely on a King County device. Both processes require employees to use VPN AnyConnect. Employees should submit a HelpDesk ticket if VPN permissions are needed.
KCIT’s Telework site has more information to help employees work remotely. Contact the KCIT Help Desk if needed at 206-263-4357 or https://helpdesk.kingcounty.gov.
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Doing our part to flatten the curve
Downtown Seattle is home to more than 330,000 jobs and 88,000 residents. The heart of the region, the economic engine, is now quiet. While downtown Seattle is at a near-standstill, we’re flattening the curve and doing what we can to battle COVID-19. The heart still beats strong and we’ll be ready for the comeback. View this video to learn more.
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Healthy eating during the coronavirus response
Now that you have stocked up on groceries, you may be wondering how to best use all the rice and beans you bought and what recipes will boost your immune system. Balanced You has got you covered.
There’s no better support for your immune system than sleeping well, exercising, managing your stress, washing your hands, and eating a healthy diet. Evidence for specific foods that boost immune responses is mixed, but sticking to a balanced diet filled with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables will help you get the necessary vitamins C and D, and Zinc.
Read more from Balanced You
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Featured Job: Disease Control Officer – Associate Pathologist
Salary: $182,812.45 – $231,725.73 Annually
Location: Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DPH – Public Health
Job Number: 2020AB11527
Division: Prevention
Closing: 4/16/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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Update for April 6, 2020: Public Health – Seattle & King County reminds residents that keeping apart from others is key to preventing new outbreaks of COVID-19, and also announces 164 new cases
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Public Health—Seattle & King County urges everyone, even people who are young and healthy, to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19. In addition, Public Health reported 164 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the official case count in King County to 3,331. Fourteen new deaths were reported, bringing the total of COVID-19 deaths in King County to 222.
Story: Staying apart prevents new outbreaks of COVID-19 illness
Public Health – Seattle & King County urges everyone, even people who are young and healthy, to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you must go out, stay at least six feet apart from others. Staying home and avoiding all non-essential contact with others is the best way to stay healthy, keep others healthy, and prevent the new coronavirus from suddenly spreading rapidly and overwhelming King County’s healthcare system.
Read more from Public Health Insider
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Free employee virtual training series: Investment strategies in volatile markets
Financial markets are volatile whenever the future earnings of companies, the stability of industries, or the direction of global economies are uncertain. This webinar series is brought to you by My Secure Advantage (MSA). Available dates are:
- Friday, April 10, 2020 at noon. Register here.
- Friday, April 17, 2020 at noon. Register here.
- Friday, April 24, 2020 at noon. Register here.
Each webinar in this series by will include government and corporate actions intended to stabilize the markets, investing principles, including current investment opportunities and challenges, and a question and answer period. If you register and cannot attend, a recording of the webinar, along with a copy of the session presentation and handouts, will automatically be sent within 2 business days.
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Free virtual training for employees: Navigating Uncertainty. Growing Resilience, April 14
Join Making Life Easier as we learn how to navigate these uncertain times with courage, perseverance and a hope that allows us to reimagine a better story ahead. This webinar will help you sShift your perspective when facing adversity from “danger” to opportunity, normalize major life disruptions within the framework of transition, and learn tools that enable growth of resiliency, promotes perseverance and good choice-making.
This webinar will be held on Tuesday, April 14 from noon to 1.pm. Register here.
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Telecommuting with children at home
To slow the spread of coronavirus, all King County employees who can telecommute should now be telecommuting. Because K-12 schools have closed, King County is temporarily allowing parents and caretakers to telecommute while caring for children at home.
Telecommuting with children at home is a new experience for most employees and can present its own unique challenges. As such, Balanced You has put together some advice to help you continue to be productive and keep your family safe.
Read more from Balanced You
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