9/16: Wednesday Briefing

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STATE

PIERCE COUNTY

  • The Pierce County Council has made more money available for rent and mortgage assistance to small businesses.
    • Oct 2nd is the deadline for this round of funding
    • Applications available online at piercecountywa.gov on the Economic Development Department webpage.
  • Pierce County essential works and residents who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 may qualify for childcare assistance.
  • Call or text Childcare Resources at 1-800-446-1114, or visit PierceCountyWa.gov for more info.
  • The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reminds anyone who may have been were exposed to somebody with COVID-19, stay home and away from others for 14 days. Don’t go to work.
    • Temporary Care Centers provide temporary housing for people, screened through the Health Department, who don’t have a safe space to isolate or quarantine from others.
    • See TPCHD.org/coronavirus for info on temporary care centers.

TACOMA

  • Due to continued hazardous air quality, Metro Parks Tacoma will keep the following facilities closed through Thurs, Sept 15:
    • Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
    • W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory
    • Point Defiance Marina (limited access to boathouse tenants only)
    • Meadow Park Golf Course
    • Park Restrooms
    • MetroParks will assess reopening facilities daily based on conditions.
  • MetroParks has opened the East Side Community Center at 1721 East 56th Street as an air quality relief site, open 8am-4pm for community members who need refuge from the smoke.
  • Tacoma Public Schools has shared a timeline for students’ return to partial in-person learning:
    • Students kindergarten thru 2nd grade may return no sooner that Sept 28th for in-person schooling on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and preschool cohorts would return to in-person schooling on a reduced schedule to be determined by individual schools.
    • 4th and 5th graders could return to in-person schooling after October 11th two days per week.
    • Middle and High school students could return to twice weekly in-person learning no sooner than November 2nd.
  • Tacoma City Council has launched new ‘Virtual Forum’, restored verbal public comment, and formalized return of Community Forum
    • Virtual Forum will take place the 4th Tuesday of each month at 6 PM, or promptly following the adjournment of the regular Council meeting, starting on September 22nd.
    • Virtual Forum will last as long as the COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency and associated restrictions for gathering in large groups are in place.
    • Virtual Forum items of discussion will be limited to matters that City Council has jurisdiction over.
    • Verbal public comment at the beginning of each Council meeting will be reinstated starting September 22nd.
    • Community Forum will occur on the second Tuesday of each month on issues that the City Council has jurisdiction over
    • While meetings continue virtually during the pandemic, those who would like to provide verbal public comment for agenda items will indicate their desire by pressing the “raise hand” button near the bottom of their Zoom window or by pressing *9 on their phone as they listen, and then their name or last four digits of their phone number will then be called out when it is their turn to speak.
    • Written public comment on agenda items may be emailed to cityclerk@cityoftacoma.org on Tuesday before 4 PM.
    • Written comments will be compiled and sent to the City Council, and also posted at cityoftacoma.org/writtencomments.
  • The Evergreen State College Tacoma campus has changed their requirements and now will accept students with ANY number of college credits
    • For more info, call the Tacoma Campus at (253) 680-3000
  • The Rainbow Center will be distributing fresh boxed meals, non perishable food boxes, masks and hygiene and sanitizing supplies tomorrow, Thursday, Sept 17 at 11am at 2215 Pacific Ave in Tacoma
    • Rainbow Center is also providing ongoing eviction prevention and rental assistance guidance for anyone renting their residence
    • Email the Rainbow Center Advocacy Team at advocacy@rainbowCNTR.org or call 253-383-2318
  • Power Up Pierce is hosting a Drive-Thru Resource Fair at the Family Investment Center in Salishan this Friday, September 18th, from 1 to 4pm.
    • Information for employment, training opportunities, and community resources will be provided at 1724 East 44th St. in Tacoma.
    • More info available by calling (253) 593-7300
  • The Tacoma Urban League will host a webinar on Friday, Sept 18 at 3:30 pm called “Back To Business” focused on maintaining health and wellness, getting businesses up and running, and adjusting to the start of the school year.

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free testing sites in our region:
  • For Pierce County locations, visit TPCHD.org/covidtest.
  • Tuesday and Wednesday’s mobile testing events in Pierce County were postponed due to hazardous air quality, but the following are still scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday and Saturday:
    • Washington State Fair in Puyallup on Thursday, Sept 17
    • The Tom Taylor Family YMCA in Gig Harbor on Friday, Sept 18
    • The Puyallup United Methodist Church in Puyallup, Journey Church on Pearl St. in Tacoma, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church on East McKinley in Tacoma, all on Saturday, Sept 19
  • No ID is required and tests are free and open to anyone.
  • Patients can also call their health providers for tests.