SEATTLE (December 20, 2021) – As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads around the country and in King County, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan urged Seattle residents to get boosted, wear masks, and get tested at the first sign of possible exposure. At our partner sites, hours and locations have been expanded to meet testing demand. In addition, Mayor Durkan announced the Rainier Beach and West Seattle vaccination clinics will remain open for boosters and vaccinations into January 2022.
“Seattle – we know how to make it through the latest wave of the pandemic: get vaccinated and boosted, wear a mask, limit indoor gatherings, and get tested. Over the holidays and into 2022, Seattle has free, easy and accessible testing available and Seattle has been leading the way with nearly 50% of eligible individuals boosted. During this latest surge, we can limit the spread and help keep our loved ones and community safe,” said Mayor Durkan. “Thanks to the collective action of our residents and our health care partners Seattle continues to have the lowest cases, hospitalizations, and deaths of any major city in the country.”
City of Seattle vaccination clinics have administered over 320,000 doses of life-saving vaccines including 54,000 booster doses. In Seattle, 90% of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 50% of eligible residents who have been fully vaccinated also have received boosters. Clinics included the largest civilian-led site in the country at Lumen Field for initial vaccines, the Amazon Meeting Center clinic in South Lake Union which provided an initial surge for boosters, and smaller neighborhood clinics throughout the city which ensured an equitable vaccine distribution. The Rainier Beach clinic will be open as normal December 21 from 1 – 7 p.m., closed on December 23, open on December 30 from 1 – 5 p.m., and will resume operations on January 4, 2022. The West Seattle clinic will re-open January 7, 2022. The South Lake Union clinic administered its final vaccines on December 19.
“I know this news of a new surge of cases is coming after two long and exhausting years of our community working so hard to protect one another. As we reconnect with family and loved ones over the holidays, now is an important time to take steps to reduce our risk to get through this unprecedented surge as safely and healthy as possible,” said Dennis Worsham, Interim Director, Public Health – Seattle & King County.
Testing sites include fixed locations with UW Medicine in Aurora, SODO, Rainier Beach, and West Seattle, as well as seven Curative kiosks placed throughout the city. In partnership with the City, UW Medicine has also opened a site at City Hall that is now open to the public. Appointments are encouraged at all locations and sites will only be closed on Christmas Day. Curative has also extended hours at their Northgate, Gas Works, and Mount Baker testing sites for additional hours December 21-23. Over 1.3 million tests have been administered at City of Seattle, UW, and Curative sites since their launch in 2020 and approximately 60% of all Seattle residents have used the test sites at least once. For more information about any of the sites, including UW Medicine, please visit: www.seattle.gov/covid-19-testing.
For more information, visit the City’s vaccination website at www.seattle.gov/vaccine. The site contains vaccination information in seven languages, and in-language assistance is also available over the phone. Even as more residents get vaccinated, public health measures like social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing hands remain critical. Please continue to follow all public health guidance, and visit this website from Public Health – Seattle & King County for more information