This week marks one year since the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in King County and sadly, our community experienced the first COVID-19 death nationwide. During our February 26, 2021 media briefing, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Dr. Jeff Duchin reflected on the anniversary — thanking our entire community for helping us progress towards a healthier tomorrow.
Over the past year, many of us have encountered milestones we never expected to experience: a first holiday season alone; an entire school semester online; nearly a year without hugging friends or family. This week marks another sad COVID-19 milestone – the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed death from COVID-19 in the U.S., which happened here in King County.
We must celebrate the beauty and fullness in all that Black children and youth are. Out in the world Black children and youths’ stories are living, breathing, and thriving narratives that demand more of us. They ask: do you see my humanity and are you willing to understand my full story? Today, we are grateful to share a poem by Nikai Mackie, who originally shared her piece with our community partner, Young-Women Empowered (Y-WE), in June 2020. We hope you intentionally sit and reckon with Nikai’s words.
When your vaccination phase arrives and you secure an appointment, King County Metro and our transit partner offers a number of transportation options to get you there.
February 23, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.
On February 23rd, Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Health and UW Medicine provided updates on the B.1.351 variant identified in Washington State.
A variant strain of the coronavirus that was first identified in South Africa has been detected in King County. The B.1.351 variant was identified through genomic sequencing at the UW Medicine Virology Laboratory on Feb. 22, 2021, from a test sample originating in King County.