7/1: Daniel López de Jesús, NWDC Detainee

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Daniel López de Jesús talks with Becky from inside the Northwest Detention Center about his story, the impact that immigration detention has on families and people of color, and the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 among incarcerated individuals.

Interview begins at 15:19.

STATE

  • The Washington State Department of Health is encouraging people to limit summer travel plans to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
    • State health officers note that if there’s a lot of cross-state travel this summer, it could spread disease around the state from areas with high COVID-19 activity to lower-incident areas.
    • The department urges travelers to stay close to home, stay six feet away from other people, keep in-person social circles small, and gather outdoors rather than indoors when spending time with others.
    • Camping with immediate family is a much safer choice than camping with a large group of people.
  • The Federal Trade Commission is advising that legitimate contact tracers from state and local public health entities will never ask for personal details or send you a link to click on.
    • Public health officials at all levels maintain that contact tracing is an important tool to slow the COVID-19 pandemic, and that individuals should not hesitate to communicate with someone identifying themselves as a contact tracer.
    • Contact tracers may call, email, text, or visit individuals, but will never ask for money, bank account information, or Social Security numbers– those are signs of scammers and not legitimate tracers employed by health departments.
    • Real contact tracers working for state health departments should be able to provide information about testing locations and how to make an appointment.
  • The Washington State Employment Security Department is focusing this week on outbound calling to resolve issues for those who have been waiting the longest.
    • The department advises that those who have been waiting for claim resolutions to answer the phone when it rings, because it could be about unemployment.
  • Commercial driver licenses and commercial learner permits that expired on or after March 1 have been extended to Sept. 30th, 2020.
    • The extension applies to all CDL types and endorsements.
    • The Department of Licensing urges individuals to renew online, as in-person appointments are very limited.
  • The Washington Poison Center released a new video today which discusses exposure to toxic chemicals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Alaska Airlines is allowing flight attendants to issue warnings to passengers who refuse to wear masks, indicating that those passengers may be banned from future flights for further noncompliance.
    • Exceptions are made for children under age 2, anyone with a medical issue that creates trouble breathing, anyone who cannot remove a mask without assistance, or anyone with a disability that prevents wearing a mask.

PIERCE

  • The new Pierce County Ferry schedule went into effect today, July 1st.
    • Riders can view the new schedule online at piercecountywa.gov/ferry, and printed schedules are available at the terminal.
    • Additional runs on July 3rd and 5th have been added to accommodate Independence Day travelers.
    • The ferry will follow the standard Saturday schedule on July 4.
    • Reminder: fireworks are prohibited on the ferry.
  • The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will not be applying to move into a modified Phase 2, due to increased case counts and increased rates of positive COVID-19 tests.
    • The target rate for a 14-day period is 25 per 100,000 residents; Pierce County is currently at 44.1 cases per 100,000.
    • The target positive test rate is 2%; Pierce County’s positive rate is 3.6%.
    • For now, team sports and swimming in public pools remain prohibited, and institutions like museums and libraries will have to remain closed.

JBLM

  • All service members at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will need to wear a mask in public areas to comply with the statewide order, per the base’s commanding officer.
    • The base maintains a 24-hour hotline for COVID-19 questions and concerns at 253-967-3831, and also maitains a list of resources for service members on the JBLM website.

TACOMA

  • The 2020 Taste of Tacoma has been cancelled.
    • Organizers had been working on a late-summer, redesigned festival layout that would have implemented strict safety measures, but due to Public Health mandates and continued restrictions on large gatherings, a safe festival was not possible.
  • The Tacoma Rainiers will livestream a fireworks show using drones and a variety of camera angles via Facebook Live this Friday, July 3rd, at 9:45pm.
    • The parking lot will be closed to the public, and those in the area of Cheney Stadium are encouraged to practice physical distancing if gathering to watch in-person nearby.
  • As a reminder, the City of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma will not be holding any 4th of July events on any Ruston Way properties, and there are no fireworks shows scheduled.
  • Tacoma’s on-street paid and time-regulated parking system resumes on Monday, July 6th.
    • The city will also launch a new mobile parking app for touchless payment.
    • More information about parking and the app is at CityOfTacoma.org/parking.

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free testing sites in our region:
  • For Pierce County locations, visit TPCHD.org/covidtest.
  • Patients can also call their health providers for tests.
  • In general, patients should arrive at testing sites wearing face coverings and expect the process to take about 15 minutes.
  • Some of the testing sites offer rapid test results, while others have a 48-hr turnaround time.