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AlertSeattle: COVID-19 Weekly Update – March 20 – 26, 2021

AlertSeattleCOVID-19 Subscribers  This weekly alert provides new and updated information and links to City of Seattle programs and services for residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also contains helpful city, county, state and federal resources.     

ATTENTION: All Phase 1A, Phase 1B, Tier 1, and Phase 1B, Tier 2 eligible members of the public – including educators – can sign up now for the City’s vaccination appointment notification list. Once eligible members of the public sign up for the City’s notification list, they will receive an email notification when vaccination appointments become available at any of the City’s three fixed sites in Rainier Beach, West Seattle, and the Lumen Field Event Center. The notification list is available here, and residents can also contact the Customer Service Bureau at 206-684-2489 from Monday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. for assistance completing this form. In-language assistance is available over the phone.  

Add your name to our notification list now. 

SEATTLE NEWS 

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, WA STATE DEPARTMENTS, AND KING COUNTY NEWS 

NEW OR UPDATED RESOURCES AND SERVICES 

For the full list of resources and services, visit www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19

COVID-19 Vaccine Information (UPDATED) 

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has determined the following groups can get vaccinated: 

  • Health care workers, caregivers (paid or unpaid), first responders, long-term care facility residents 
  • People 65 years old or older 
  • People 50 years old or older in a multigenerational household 
  • Pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educators or school staff members 
  • Child care workers, which includes licensed family home child care providers 
  • Family members who live in the same home as a licensed family home child care provider 
  • High-risk critical workers in a congregate setting in the following industries: Agriculture; fishing vessel crews; food processing; grocery stores; corrections; prisons; jails or detention centers; public transit; remaining first responders 
    • Includes social workers who respond to health and safety needs 
    • Includes taxi and rideshare drivers 
    • Includes homeless shelter staff 
    • Does not include restaurant workers 
  • People 16 years-old or older who are pregnant 
    • Note: The City is only currently able to vaccinate people 19 years-old or older due to an issue with our registration software that we will have fixed by the end of the month. 
  • People 16 years-old or older with a disability that puts them at a high-risk of severe COVID-19 illness 
    • Note: The City is only currently able to vaccinate people 19 years-old or older due to an issue with our registration software that we will have fixed by the end of the month. 

If you are eligible, you can find the nearest vaccine provider at: doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/Immunization/VaccineLocations. Whether over the phone or online, you may experience long wait times in attempting to schedule your appointment. Please be patient. Vaccines may be in short supply now, but we anticipate this will change soon. 

  • City of Seattle: Learn more at the City of Seattle COVID-19 vaccination page at:  seattle.gov/vaccine
  • City of Seattle Vaccine Standby List: Residents who are 65 and older, live in ZIP codes most impacted by COVID-19, and have NOT yet received their first dose of the vaccine are eligible to sign up. If you qualify, sign up for the standby list at bit.ly/VaxStandby.  
  • Washington State Department of Health: Learn more about the state’s plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution at doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/vaccine
  • Public Health – Seattle & King County: Learn more about local efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine across King County at kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/vaccine.aspx

City of Seattle Free COVID-19 Testing (UPDATED) 

The City of Seattle, King County, and UW Medicine are offering free COVID-19 testing for people who live, work, or regularly visit Seattle. Drive-through and walk-up testing are available. You must first register online or over the phone. While testing is free, if you have medical insurance, please bring your insurance card or proof of insurance. Language interpretation is available. More information at https://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19/free-covid-19-testing.  

UPDATE: March 30 is the last day to register for COVID-19 testing at the Rainier Beach and West Seattle walk-up sites. If you are seeking COVID-19 testing after this date, visit the City of Seattle COVID-19 Free Testing page for a nearby testing location. 

City of Seattle Hygiene, Restroom, and Shower Facilities Map 

The City of Seattle has conducted an extensive accounting of every City-funded hygiene resource available. Human Services Department’s hygiene map includes all locations that are open and will be updated weekly. 

Seattle Protects (Access to Cloth Face Coverings)  

Seattle and King County announced a Health Directive for all workers and residents to wear cloth face coverings in all indoor public settings and outdoor public spaces where maintaining social distancing could be difficult. Learn more about how you can access free or low-cost masks. 

Pandemic EBT – Funds for Groceries (NEW) 

Families with children enrolled in free and reduced-price lunch at Seattle Public Schools will start receiving a benefit called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) by April 2021. Eligible families will automatically be mailed a P-EBT card with funds to purchase food while traditional breakfast and lunch services are not being provided in schools. P-EBT cards can be used to purchase food anywhere that accepts EBT – even farmers markets or online at Amazon or Walmart (see below for details). The benefit will be $25-$123 per child per month depending on the learning model at the child’s school. Families will receive one card per child enrolled in free or reduced-price lunch. Here is what families will need to do to receive this benefit: 

  1. Ensure they’ve completed the 2020-2021 school meal benefit online application, and 
  1. Ensure that the mailing address the school has on file is up to date. 

Learn more on Seattle Public Schools website or by calling the P-EBT Contact Center at 1 (833) 518-0282 (interpretation is available). Information will also be available on the OSPI P-EBT website in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Khmer (Cambodian), Punjabi, Somali, Ukranian, Amharic, Farsi, Taglog, Tigrinya, and Laotian. 

Child Care Assistance Program (UPDATED) 

The City of Seattle helps low- and moderate-income working families or families with a parent attending school to pay for child care for children ages one month to 12 years. Families receive a monthly voucher for child care that can be used at any one of the City’s participating CCAP providers, including licensed family child care homes and centers in Seattle. For more information, visit seattle.gov/ccap or call (206) 386-1050

GSBA and Comcast Ready for Business Fund (NEW) 

The expanded GSBA and Comcast Ready for Business Fund will provide $2,500 grants to small businesses seeking financial assistance as the COVID-19 economic crisis continues, with a continued focus on minority-owned businesses. The application opens on Monday, March 15 and closes on Friday, April 9, 2021. To learn more about the fund and to apply, please visit: thegsba.org/ready-for-business

DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 

For a full list of opportunities:  
http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/covid-19#iwanttodonatevolunteer.