Greetings, Seattle Metro Chamber members and partners,
I’m bringing you quick updates on breaking news happening in our state and in King County that will impact your business and our community.
COVID-19 News
Today, Gov. Jay Inslee announced March 21 is the end date for Washington state’s mask mandate for indoor public spaces and schools. Public Health – Seattle & King County said this afternoon it will keep watching the numbers closely and will reassess the mask mandate in the coming weeks. Last week, Gov. Inslee announced the outdoor mask mandate for events with 500 people or more ends Feb. 18.
We shared yesterday that King County is ending its vaccine verification requirement for about 10,000 businesses on March 1. Washington state is ending its vaccine verification requirement for large events March 1.
The Chamber team knows these announcements will impact your employees and customers and the team has been working at warp speed behind the scenes to build and share free resources for businesses. Join us online at 2:00 p.m. Feb. 22 for a #WeGotThisWA Series: Ramping Down King County Vax Verify – free to all regardless of Chamber membership.
REGISTER FOR WEBINAR
These developments lifting COVID-19 restrictions are encouraging – as is seeing King County, the city of Seattle and many local businesses announcing concrete return-to-office dates for employees. Here at the Chamber, we are starting to hold more meetings and events in person, and I’ve enjoyed these opportunities to connect with more of our members.
Homelessness: Partnership For Zero Kickoff
In addition to the encouraging developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, today also marks an important moment in our approach to ending homelessness in our region, as The Seattle Times reported.
I was honored to join regional leaders at the official announcement of the Partnership for Zero today, at the Pike Place Marketplace Deck in Seattle. This feels particularly special to me after years of work toward this goal. In 2018, I had the opportunity to work on behalf of King County Executive Dow Constantine and alongside then-consultant Marc Dones when we conceived the idea of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. We recognized the need for a unified, regional approach to homelessness.
In 2021, during my first year at the Chamber, I was excited to work alongside Jon Scholes, President and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, and Marc Dones, now CEO of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, to develop a focused approach to helping those unsheltered in our community get inside – with a major emphasis on downtown Seattle.
And today I am thrilled, but not surprised, that in partnership with Challenge Seattle, our business and philanthropic communities have stepped up to take action and make this work a reality by contributing $10 million through We Are In, a coalition supporting the work of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
Partnership for Zero is an extraordinary collaboration and historic investment with the goal to build a future where homelessness is rare overall and brief when it occurs.
By combining resources and investing in targeted infrastructure and capacity, we can put every person who is experiencing unsheltered homelessness on the path toward permanent housing. We have full confidence in the King County Regional Homelessness Authority and We
Are In to make real change in our communities and the lives of our unhoused neighbours.
The Pacific Northwest is known for its innovation, diversity, and prosperity. We are on the cutting edge of progress. Today is our moment to take the lead on one of the most important challenges we face: homelessness. As a region, we have the talent, resources, and knowledge to ensure King County is a vibrant, equitable, and inclusive community for all.
Looking forward to big things ahead,
Rachel
Rachel Smith
President and CEO
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce