2/25: Thursday Briefing + Reporte de COVID-19

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Today’s Daily Briefing welcomes Chris from Latinx En Accion, as he brings us the Spanish language Reporte de COVID with info and resources about disease prevalence in our county, as well as vaccine resources for vulnerable members of our community. 

PERENNIAL RESOURCES

  • State-level updates on COVID-19 can be found online in multiple languages at coronavirus.wa.gov, and lots of COVID data displays are available at doh.wa.gov/CovidDataDashboard.
  • Going to wa211.org online or dialing 211 will link you to all sorts of resources for social, health, and financial assistance.
  • Dialing 311 will connect you to the City of Tacoma
  • The state’s Coronavirus hotline is 1-800-525-0127–it’s open 7 days a week 6am-6pm. Mondays have extended hours till 10pm!
  • You can also text the hotline at 211-211

STATE

  • The governor will be holding a press briefing at 3:30pm to give an update on the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • It will stream live on TVW.org and we’ll update our 6pm replay with live info if there are any immediate changes to anything in our current live KTQA Daily Briefing.

VACCINE INFO

  • Washington state is administering more than 26,000 vaccine doses per day on average, with a capacity of up to 45,000 doses per day once more vaccine is allocated to the state.
  • Washington state expects to receive 40,000 Johnson and Johnson vaccine doses as soon as the FDA grants emergency use authorization for the new option.
    • An FDA advisory group is slated to meet tomorrow to give recommendations on approval.
  • Washingtonians can find out if they are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines online at FindYourPhaseWA.org.
    • No further eligibility tiers or phases have opened up yet, but healthcare workers, first responders, elders 65 years and up, longterm care residents, and those over 50 who live in multigenerational households are all currently eligible.
    • The website COVIDwa.com has been a valuable resource for eligible individuals struggling to access vaccine appointments.
    • Eligible King County residents can seek appointment online at kingcounty.gov/vaccine or call 206-263-9600
    • Pierce County residents can check TPCHD.org/vaxtothefuture for providers offering appointments and for community vaccine.
    • Pierce County businesses or organizations with capacity to run or facilitate a community vaccination clinic can contact Gabe Moa-ali-i with the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department by calling 253-649-1412.
  • Individuals can also go to coronavirus.wa.gov to search for providers, clinics, and pharmacies that may be offering vaccine appointments elsewhere in the state.

REGIONAL

  • The Tacoma Pierce County Health Dept reported 150 new COVID cases today and 3 deaths due to Covid.
  • There were 101 new cases and 7 deaths reported yesterday.
  • The 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 193.

TACOMA

  • Two of the three warming shelters in Tacoma are closing to homeless individuals one a month earlier than previously planned.
    • Those who have been guests at the Eastside Community Center and Norpoint Community Center, both owned by Metro Parks Tacoma, will be no longer be able seek shelter at those locations after February 28th so that MetroParks has 30 days to prepare the facilities to reopen to the public for recreation.
    • Anyone needing to be connected to housing services can start by calling 211 or going to wa211.org.

TESTING SITES

  • There are numerous free COVID-19 testing sites in our region, including at Multicare, Franciscan, and Kaiser facilities; at Community Healthcare and SeaMar Community Health Centers; at Cheney Stadium, at the Lakewood State Emissions Testing Center, and more.
    • You can go to coronavirus.wa.gov and follow links for “Find Covid Testing Near Me” for specific locations.
    • In addition to permanent regular testing locations, The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Dept offers free mobile testing events. The remaining ones this week include:
    • Friday, Feb 26: Rainier View Christian Church in Graham
    • Testing runs 10am-3pm.
    • If you need later hours, the Lakewood State Emissions Inspection Station is open till 5:30pm
    • If your business or organization has the capacity to serve as a mobile testing site, get in touch with Tony Smith of the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department by emailing TSmith@TPCHD.org.
  • Some Walgreens pharmacies also now offer free drive-up rapid antigen testing for people Ages 3 and up, available  at Walgreens.com/COVID19Testing