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Home My WebLink AboutCOW 2020-11-23 Item 4B - COVID-19 - Coronavirus Weekly ReportCOUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS Initials Meeting Date Prepared by Mayors review Council review 11/23/20 RB ITEM INFORMATION ITEM No. 4.B. 89 STAFF SPONSOR: RACHEL BIANCHI ORIGINAL AGENDA DATE: 11/ 23/ 20 AGENDA ITEM TITLE A weekly update on the City's planning and response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) CATEGORY 11 Discussion 11 /23/20 ❑ Motion Mtg Date ❑ Resolution Mtg Date ❑ Ordinance Mtg Date ❑ Bid Award Mtg Date ❑ Public Hearing Mtg Date ❑ Other Mtg Date Mtg Date SPONSOR n Council 11 Mayor ❑ HR ❑ DCD ❑ Finance ❑ Fire ❑ TS ❑ P&R ❑ Police ❑ PTV SPONSOR'S The City is actively engaged in regional efforts to address the coronavirus (COVID-19). SUMMARY Staff are providing the Council with updated information regarding the City's response to COVID-19. REVIEWED BY ❑ Trans&Infrastructure ❑ CommunitySvs/Safety ❑ Finance Com ❑ Planning/Economic Dev. ❑ LTAC ❑ Arts Comm. ❑ Parks Comm. ❑ Planning Comm. DATE: N/A COMMITTEE CHAIR: RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR/ADMIN. COMMITTEE N/A N/A COST IMPACT / FUND SOURCE EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $ $ Fund Source: Comments: MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 11/23/20 Coronavirus Report 89 90 Coronavirus Response Update November 23, 2020 * Denotes All New Content in the Section * Essential Services and City Operations With the recent Governor's order, staff is being extra vigilant to ensure that worksites are being inhabited under the mandated 25% capacity and that City facilities are being utilized only be staff who must report to work in order to complete their jobs. Financial Stability On Monday, October 5 the Mayor presented his proposed budget for the 2021-2022 biennium. Noted in the budget video and letter is the fact that the City is in better financial shape than anticipated in May when various cost-cutting measures were implemented. Due to the early action of the Council and the tremendous sacrifice by our non - represented staff and most of our labor partners, the City is in a good financial condition in 2020. While in May of this year the City initially projected the need to use $4.8 million in contingency in 2020, the proposed Mayor's budget uses only $700,000 from contingency this year and zero ongoing contingency in 2021 and 2022. Even with utilizing this amount of contingency on a one-time basis, the City still approaches 2021 and 2022 with contingency and reserve funds higher than the Council's adopted policies. Police Staffing and Calls for Service There have been no changes to Police staffing since the last report. Fire Staffing and Calls for Service There have been no changes to Fire staffing since the last report. * Human Services This week human services staff assisted three households (six individuals) with a total of $2,102.90. Rental assistance funds from HB 1406 totaled $1,922.90; one family also received $180 in utility assistance from human services contracted general funds. New (shared at 11-17 budget workshop): A King County Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program (EPRAP) is housed at Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC). This team includes six staff members and the on-site Best Starts for Kids case manager is the acting supervisor. This branch of EPRAP focuses on Tukwila and neighboring cities both for small landlords (nine units or less) and individual renters. King County pulls names weekly and a resident/landlord's name stays in the lottery until it is drawn. Since EPRAP began their program at RPUMC, they have paid approximately $800,000 to landlords and tenants who owe at least one month's back rent. Out of the 580 tenants served, 300 of these are Tukwila residents. 91 * Business Recovery Business Re -Openings and Closings As of November 18, King County continues in Phase 2 of Washington's "Safe Start" four phase business reopening plan. The State continues to be "on pause" for counties to move into higher phases. Twenty-two counties are in Phase 2 and 17 are in Phase 3. None are in Phase 4. Currently, COVID cases are surging and on November 15th the Governor announced new restrictions on some types of businesses through December 14. Currently, most of Tukwila's business activities are allowed to be open (some under significant capacity limitations and safety procedures). Key Tukwila business activities still not allowed in this Phase include indoor card rooms, indoor events, indoor bowling (except some league play), spectators at events, and vending game areas (pool tables, video games, arcades, etc.). For Tukwila, the new restrictions that have the greatest impact are: • Restaurants and bars are closed for indoor service. Outdoor dining and to -go service is still permitted. • Personal services are limited to 25% of maximum occupancy (they were at 50%). • Fitness facilities and gyms are closed for indoor operations. • Bowling centers and movie theaters are closed for indoor service. • Museums are closed for indoor service. • In-store retail is limited to 25% indoor capacity. This is a decrease from 30% today. It will affect the mall and some retailers but not all retail since some retail never operates at maximum capacity. The largest impact on Tukwila businesses will be on the restaurants. The limit on indoor dining also closes the food court at the mall. Business Assistance Work continues on SavingLocalKC.com, ExperienceTukwila, Southside Promise, collaborating with the Chamber and other regional organizations, and the small business grant program. Unemployment The unemployment data report will be included monthly. Data through October is included as a separate attachment. Business Clean and Safe Protocols Tukwila businesses are investing significant effort to reassure their customers that they have clean and safe protocols and that customers can shop and dine safely. Businesses are taking steps such as: requiring customers and employees to wear masks, frequently sanitizing customer service areas, enforcing social distancing, increasing ventilation, posting signage promoting the safety protocols, following the State's reopening guidelines, and implementing best practices recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Washington State Department of Health (WSDOH). The Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce is leading the Southside Promise, which is an outreach initiative that provides businesses with tools and resources to reopen successfully and draw tourists and members of our community to those newly re -opened businesses, all while remaining committed to public health. Participating businesses receive reopening checklists, safe procedures, forms, signage, technical assistance, and marketing. The Southside Promise launched in early August and is funded with $50,000 from Tukwila's lodging taxes. The Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority and Visit Seattle are asking tourism and hospitality businesses to take the All Clear King County Pledge. As businesses take the pledge, visitors and residents can feel reassured that companies and service providers are taking the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe as they travel in their nearby communities. Businesses who take the pledge can participate in a countywide "Do Something" marketing campaign intended to encourage King County residents and visitors to safely support local businesses. The Do 92 Something campaign launched in early October and is funded with $8 million from King County's federal CARES Act funds. * Meeting our Community's Basic Needs Tukwila Food Pantry • 11/17/20 • 11/14/20 • 11/12/20 509 individuals served 527 individuals served 624 individuals served Senior Meal Distribution: Meals numbers reflect distribution for the week of 11/16 • 650 meals delivered • 55 total households served • 65 total residents served During the week of November 9-13, the Fitness Room at the Tukwila Community Center served 97 people, and 74 people attended in-person fitness classes. Note, the facility was closed on November 11 for Veteran's Day. Indoor fitness offerings by appointment were placed on hold beginning November 18, 2020 per Governor Inslee's orders to help slow the spread of Covid. The Youth Care Program at the Tukwila Community Center started the week of October 12, 2020. Attendance has ranged from 9 —13 kids per week. SkyHawks Sports is operating the program. Youth meal and recreation activity kit distribution for the week of November 9 —12 (there wasn't distributed on 11/11 due to Veteran's Day). The following was distributed: • Recreation Activity Kits: 350 • Meals: 172 • Snacks:403 • Masks: 104 • Breakfast: 403 • Overall Attendance: 199 Public Safety Plan Construction Projects There have been no changes to the Public Safety Plan projects since the last report. Compliance with the Governor's Order There have been no changes to compliance issues since the last report. * Covid-19 Testing Sites Below are the three current nearest testing sites in/to Tukwila. For more information on free testing sites in King County, visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/testing.aspx • Tukwila Pantry, testing is no longer being offered at the Tukwila Pantry • Highline College, Wednesdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Church by the Side of the Road, beginning Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 8:30 to 5:30 Monday through Saturday. • Abu Bakr Islamic Center expects to offer free testing once a month. 93 Overview The following are the number of individuals tested over the past week at the Church by the Side of the Road. This is a regional testing facility drawing individuals from across south King County. Positive rates from range from 15 — 17% as of this writing. All testing locations in the region are seeing a significant surge in the number of people requesting tests. King County has contracted with off-duty officers to provide traffic management along Tukwila International Boulevard and Military Road to mitigate traffic impacts in the neighborhood. • 11/11— 459 individuals tested • 11/12 — 409 individuals tested • 11/13 — 467 individuals tested • 11/14 — 422 individuals tested • 11/15 — closed • 11/16 — 749 individuals tested • 11/17 — 711 individuals tested * Public Health —Seattle & King County Covid-19 Outbreak Summary—Tukwila L.43 King County Public Health - Seattle & King County COVID-19 Outbreak Summary Update date 11/18/2020 1:52 PM Click on the icons to explore this dashboard: Demographics Geography Geography over time c Select city to compare: Count New since yesterday 7hkwila Summary of counts for Tukwila Overall Percent Rate per 100,000 Compared to King residents County rate Past 14 days Count Percent Positives 762 1 6.2% of all tests Hospitalizations 40 1 52% of all positive cases Deaths due to 3 0 0.4% of all positive cases COVID-19 illness All test results 12,338 66 People tested 5,802 15 Legend: . Lower than overall King County rate 3,640.7 . 127.0 8.6% 191.1 . 7 5.5% 14.3 0 0.0% 58,948.9 . 1,469 27,721.0 • 586 • Similar to overall King County rate . Higher than overall King County rate 94 City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: City Council FROM: Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator DATE: November 18, 2020 SUBJECT: Unemployment Report for October 2020 The attached table shows unemployment claims for zip codes 98168 and 98188 through the week starting October 25, 2020. As you can see from the chart, total initial claims and total unduplicated continuing claims have declined significantly from their peaks earlier in the year. Initial and unduplicated continuing claims for Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) has increased over the past two months, which reflects people who are still unemployed but ran out of the regular benefits and are now on PEUC. Even including workers who are on PEUC, total unemployment claims continued to decrease through October though at a slower rate than over the summer. The chart shows positive trends which indicate we do not see significant new job losses and it is very likely that people are returning to work. However, the number of people who are unemployed remains very high. The current unemployment rate for the residents of the City of Tukwila is not available but can be very roughly estimated for these two zip codes at 14.2% by the end of October. This is significantly higher than the unemployment rates for October for the United States, Washington State, and Seattle Metro Area of 6.9%, 6.0%, and 4.8%, respectively. It is important to note that, due to rising rates of infection starting in late October, on November 15th the Governor announced new business closures through December 14th. Due to the closures and customer reaction to the increasing infections, we should expect the unemployment rate to increase in November and December. Notes: (1) Unemployment data is not available for the specific boundaries of the City of Tukwila. The attached chart includes data for two zip codes, which include parts of Tukwila, SeaTac, and possibly parts of unincorporated King County. (2) Initial Claims reflect the week when an unemployed person first files a claim. The person may have become unemployed prior to the week in which they first filed. (3) Unduplicated Continued Claims reflect the total number of claims paid during a specific week. This number may be seen as an approximation of the number of people who are unemployed during that week. (4) Regular Unemployment is the standard program for unemployed workers. Eligible unemployed workers may receive regular unemployment for up to 26 weeks. September ended approximately 26 weeks after the start of job losses caused by the pandemic and some of the reductions in Regular Unduplicated Continued Claims may be due to lapse of eligibility. 95 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 (5) Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) is an extension of regular unemployment benefits that is available 3/29/20 through 12/26/20. Under PEUC unemployed workers can receive benefits for an additional 13 weeks. After PEUC ends, participants may receive up to 20 weeks of Extended Benefits. (6) Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is not included in this report because it covers self-employed people, independent contractors, and part-time workers (with fewer than 680 hours). It is available from 2/2/20 through 12/26/20. (7) Unemployment data provided by Washington State Employment Security Department. 96 Week # Start Date Unemployment Claims Zip Codes 91868 and 98188 Initial Claims Unduplicated Continued Claims Regular PEUC Total Regular PEUC Total 10 8 -Mar 299 * 299 * * * 11 15 -Mar 1,573 * 1,573 12 22 -Mar 2,227 * 2,227 * * * 13 29 -Mar 2,313 * 2,313 * * * 14 5 -Apr 1,902 * 1,902 * * * 15 12 -Apr 1,181 89 1,270 6,279 - 6,279 16 19 -Apr 1,886 2,609 4,495 6,228 59 6,287 17 26 -Apr 1,449 612 2,061 6,859 99 6,958 18 3 -May 1,226 508 1,734 7,155 123 7,278 19 10 -May 1,227 519 1,746 7,377 136 7,513 20 17 -May 514 246 760 6,888 123 7,011 21 24 -May 427 153 580 7,088 124 7,212 22 31 -May 388 115 503 6,367 145 6,512 23 7 -Jun 390 112 502 6,069 154 6,223 24 14 -Jun 385 87 472 5,895 174 6,069 25 21 -Jun 388 94 482 5,968 204 6,172 26 28 -Jun 390 90 480 5,790 214 6,004 27 5 -Jul 385 88 473 5,689 191 5,880 28 12 -Jul 349 68 417 5,591 199 5,790 29 19 -Jul 333 87 420 5,345 198 5,543 30 26 -Jul 296 62 358 5,292 197 5,489 31 2 -Aug 273 75 348 4,904 235 5,139 32 9 -Aug 256 93 349 4,776 280 5,056 33 16 -Aug 202 73 275 4,618 315 4,933 34 23 -Aug 242 80 322 4,574 341 4,915 35 30 -Aug 281 108 389 4,474 388 4,862 36 6 -Sep 210 171 381 4,400 452 4,852 37 13 -Sep 224 164 388 4,182 557 4,739 38 20 -Sep 221 174 395 3,918 797 4,715 39 27 -Sep 212 163 375 3,419 1,136 4,555 40 4 -Oct 308 127 435 3,046 1,427 4,473 41 11 -Oct 249 129 378 2,785 1,604 4,389 42 18 -Oct 204 107 311 2,545 1,719 4,264 43 25 -Oct 155 81 236 2,439 1,751 4,190 Note: See memo for explanations of the data. Office of Economic Development Updated 10/12/20 97