Pandemic updates for Seattle: Thursday, February 17, 2022

King County’s vaccine verification rule will end March 1

King County is set to enter a new phase of the pandemic as officials roll back the Covid vaccine requirements put in place months ago.

Officials announced Wednesday that starting on March 1, proof of vaccination will no longer be required to enter bars, restaurants, gyms, and a host of other venues in King County.

While venues will no longer be required to check patrons’ vaccination status in March, officials say individual businesses can continue to set their own vaccination requirements.

“Our public health experts believe that now is the appropriate time to lift vaccine verification, based on high rates of vaccine coverage and the decrease in new cases and hospitalizations across the county,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine in a statement. “We are moving in the right direction, and can continue taking additional steps toward recovery.”

“This does not mean the pandemic is over,” he said. “It means the current state of Covid-19 in the county indicates that this policy is no longer needed as one of the key strategies to protect the community.”

Vaccine verification requirements went into effect throughout King County in October 2021. The rules required people 12 and older to show proof of full vaccination or a recent negative test in order to partake in a range of activities, such as: dining indoors at bars and restaurants ; going to the movies, museum, theater, or seeing live music; and attending large outdoor events like football games.

“We announced the vaccination verification policy in anticipation of a fall and winter surge in cases. The intent was to reduce Covid-19 transmission in high-risk indoor settings and thereby reduce the burden on our hospitals, while providing time for more people to get fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer, Public Health – Seattle & King County in a statement.

Read more here.

—Kate Walters, KUOW

King County jails count 16 Covid cases, down from January peak of nearly 200

A Covid outbreak in King County jails has “improved significantly” since last month, according to a spokesperson. During the outbreak, public defenders and corrections officers raised alarms about deteriorating conditions.

In mid-January as omicron swept through King County, the outbreak in the jails in Seattle and Kent peaked at 197 people in custody and 60 employees. Spokesperson Noah Haglund said the wave has now receded: Covid is now affecting a total of 16 people in detention and ten employees on leave.

Haglund said the outbreak disrupted kitchen and laundry services. The kitchen served pre-prepared food for three days, and the county used an outside vendor for laundry. But now he said those services have returned to normal.

During this recent outbreak, public defenders and corrections officers pressed King County to release more people, saying staff shortages were straining jail operations and keeping people confined to their cells. The jails were already short-staffed: there are currently 90 vacant positions for corrections officers, Haglund said. He said everyone in custody is now getting daily time outside of their cell, including people in Covid and quarantine housing units.