Seattle Pride Parade is back and King County is marching
Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 26 at 11 a.m. to join your colleagues representing King County in the 2022 Seattle Pride parade. Participants will be required to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test in order to participate. T-shirts will be available for sale, so stand by for more information. There will be 150 adult size t-shirts available at no cost on a first-come, first-serve basis the morning of the parade. Further details about when and where we will meet for the Parade will be sent out once it is available. To stay up to date on all things related… Read More
Changes coming to King County COVID-19 testing sites
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider As King County COVID-19 case rates have fallen from the Omicron peak earlier this year, and as the availability of free rapid self-test and community testing options have increased, demand at King County COVID-19 test sites has significantly declined. In order to better align with demand and transition to long-term testing solutions, Public Health – Seattle & King County will end its operations of our Tukwila, Federal Way and Auburn COVID-19 testing sites. The last day of King County operations for the Federal Way and Tukwila testing sites… Read More
Immunocompromised? You may be eligible for this medication to help protect from COVID
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider If you or someone you know is at higher risk from COVID-19 because of a compromised immune system, pre-exposure prophylaxis (also called PrEP, available as the product Evusheld) can help to protect from severe disease. When taken before infection or exposure, Evusheld helps your body fight the coronavirus and avoid getting really sick or needing to visit the hospital. Find more information here.
KCTV celebrates Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander month
There’s a saying in Vietnamese, “Uống nước nhớ nguồn” that translates to “when you drink from a river, remember its origins.” Throughout the month of May, KCTV will feature local AANHPI leaders each week to see how their past is connected to the present. This week features Rachel Yang, a Korean-American chef and James Beard nominee that co-owns the Relay Restaurant Group, which includes the popular Joule and Revel restaurants. You can see the YouTube video here and Facebook video here. Watch for upcoming features including artist Erin Shigaki, writer and UW Professor Shawn Wong, and… Read More
New ORCA card system begins on May 16
Cross-posted from Metro Matters Starting May 16, hundreds of thousands of ORCA transit customers across the Puget Sound region will have access to a new website, smartphone app, and real-time value loading for their ORCA cards. Customers will also begin to see new card readers and vending machines as technology is updated and rolled out at transit locations throughout the region. This will mark the start of ongoing improvements to the ORCA system over the next several years. Get more information here.
May is Mental Health Month: Back to Basics
Mental Health Month is celebrated in May of each year. Due to the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the national conversation around mental health is normalizing. This year, Mental Health America has focused Mental Health Month on “Back to Basics,” helping re-center us on what mental health is, how we can support our mental health, and what resources are available to help. Learn more here.
Level up: King County International Airport moves toward next step in Airport Carbon Accreditation Program
Climate change caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions will have long-term consequences for the environment, the economy, and public health and safety. To do its part to reduce the threat, King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. After achieving Level 1 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACAP) in 2021, the airport is now on track toward Level 2, demonstrating actual reductions of harmful greenhouse gases emitted in airport operations. Read the story here.
King County releases Reimagining Public Safety report and pilot program recommendations
A new report released shares findings from the Reimagining Public Safety Survey that launched last fall, including pilot program recommendations and future community engagement strategies. King County is sharing the community-driven recommendations from a report on reimagining public safety in urban Unincorporated King County with the results of the Reimagining Public Safety Survey. Read the full announcement here.
Take a tour of land conservation successes in the Green-Duwamish Watershed
Protecting greenspace in urban communities is a significant challenge. The land is expensive to buy and it is more difficult to restore ecological functions in industrial river corridors than in less impacted ecosystems. But for the Land Conservation Initiative – a regional partnership to protect the last, best 65,000 acres of the highest conservation value open space before they are lost forever – providing more equitable access to the outdoors and improving habitat for some of the most productive salmon runs in the state are calls to action. View the video below and… Read More
King County Superior Court receives technology award for outfitting courtrooms with video
Cross-posted from the King County Superior Court blog While many courts across the country remained closed during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote courtroom technology enabled King County Superior Court hold trials. From July 2020 to March 2021, Superior Court held more than 600 trials, including over 100 jury trials, and thousands of hearings. Superior Court received the Technology Achievement Award in the Connected Government Category for “the successful delivery of a new, modern video system for 48 trial courtrooms to allow remote jury selection, participation, and witnesses for civil trials.” Click here… Read More
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