>> GOOD EVENING, SEATTLE.
I'M JOINING YOU FROM THE
FILIPINO CENTER OF SEATTLE.
THIS COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO BE
HIT HARD BY COVID.
LIKE SO MANY IN SEATTLE, THEY
STEPPED UP AND TRIPLED THE MEALS
THEY SERVE.
NOW THEY'RE JOINING THE EFFORTS
TO VACCINATE SEATTLE EQUITABLY.
SOON WE'LL TRANSFORM THIS VERY
ROOM INTO A ONE-DAY CLINIC FOR
FILIPINO ELDERS.
THIS PAST YEAR CHANGED
EVERYTHING FOR ALL OF US.
MASKS, TESTING, ISOLATION,
LOSING LOVED ONES.
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS STRUGGLING
EVERY DAY JUST TO SURVIVE.
WORKERS FACING LOST WAGES, JOBS,
AND UNABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT.
PARENTS GRAPPLING WITH
CHILDCARE, KIDS AT HOME, AND
ONLINE LEARNING.
AND THE PANDEMIC
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIT OUR
INDIGENOUS, BLACK, AND LATINX
COMMUNITIES.
THE PANDEMIC IS OUR LIFETIME'S
CHALLENGE, AND IT HAS AMPLIFIED
CHALLENGES WE'VE ALREADY HAD.
HOMELESSNESS, PUBLIC SAFETY, THE
CLIMATE CRISIS, AND RACIAL
INEQUITIES IN EVERY SYSTEM.
HEALTHCARE, EMPLOYMENT,
EDUCATION, AND POLICING.
IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE'LL
DISCUSS AND IMPLEMENT PLANS TO
CONTINUE PROGRESS ON EACH OF
THESE ISSUES, INCLUDING THE
CONCRETE STEPS WE'LL TAKE
TOGETHER TO RECOVER AND REOPEN
DOWNTOWN, INCLUDING STEPS WE'LL
TAKE TO IMPROVE THE LIVEABILITY
AND SAFETY OF DOWNTOWN.
WE'LL OPEN HUNDREDS OF SHELTER
SPACES AND AFFORDABLE HOMES TO
BRING MORE NEIGHBORS INSIDE,
FROM OUR PARKS AND STREETS SO
THEY CAN GET STABILITY AND
SERVICES.
WE'LL ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY,
EXPAND ALTERNATIVES TO POLICING,
AND HAVE OTHER RESPONSES.
WE'LL INVEST NEARLY $100 MILLION
IN THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCY OF
BLACK AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR TO ADDRESS GENERATIONAL
DISPARITIES.
THIS WORK WILL BE HARD.
WE WILL NEED ALL OF US.
WE WILL HAVE TO FOCUS ON OUR
SHARED GOALS.
RIGHT NOW OUR MOST IMPORTANT
SHARED GOAL IS GETTING THIS
PANDEMIC BEHIND US AND BEATING
THIS VIRUS.
VACCINATIONS ARE THE PATH TO
HEALING, RECOVERY, AND
REOPENING.
THAT'S HOW WE BEAT THIS VIRUS
AND HOW WE CAN FULLY REOPEN OUR
BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS AND BRING
WORKERS BACK DOWNTOWN.
THE HEALTH OF DOWNTOWN IS SO
CRITICAL TO THE ENTIRE CITY AND
REGION.
TO BEGIN OUR VACCINATION
PROCESS, OUR SEATTLE FIRE MOBILE
TEAM STARTED WORKING AROUND THE
CLOCK LAST MONTH TO VACCINATE
VULNERABLE AND IMPACTED
NEIGHBORS, EVEN WHEN WE HAD A
FOOT OF SNOW.
THEY PROVIDED MORE THAN 4400
VACCINATIONS TO WORKERS AT ADULT
FAMILY HOMES, HEALTHCARE
WORKERS, GROCERY STORE WORKERS,
AND ELDERS IN OUR HARDEST HIT
COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE DOING HEROIC WORK AND
ARE ON TRACK TO VACCINATE
THOUSANDS OF SEATTLEITES.
BUT WE NEED TO DO SO MUCH MORE
AT A TIME WHEN THE CURRENT
SUPPLY AND GETTING AN EMPLOYMENT
IS BEYOND FRUSTRATING.
HOPEFULLY BY SPRING THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WILL INCREASE
SUPPLIES AND THE CITY WILL BE
ABLE TO LODGE MASS VACCINATION
SITES THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE
IN ALL PARTS OF OUR CITY.
RAINIER BEACH, WEST SEATTLE,
DOWNTOWN, AND MULTIPLE SITES IN
NORTH SEATTLE.
WE'RE READY.
I WANT US TO BE THE FIRST CITY
IN THE COUNTRY TO VACCINATE 70%
OF OUR ADULTS.
IT IS THE MOST DAUNTING AND MOST
IMPORTANT OPERATIONS OUR CITY
GOVERNMENT HAS EVER TAKEN.
IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US WORKING
TOGETHER, GOVERNMENT,
HEALTHCARE, PHILANTHROPY,
BUSINESS, AND YOU.
I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH A
LOT AND YOU'VE DONE ALL THAT YOU
CAN.
BUT EACH OF US HAS A ROLE TO
PLAY.
WHEN YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, GET YOUR
APPOINTMENT AND GET VACCINATED.
HELP FAMILY OR FRIENDS MAKE OR
GET TO APPOINTMENTS.
AND IF YOU CAN, CONTRIBUTE TO
THE NEW, ALL-IN MILLION VACCINE
EQUITY FUND THAT WE ESTABLISHED
TODAY.
IT'S A FANTASTIC PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP THAT WE WANT TO
SUPPORT VACCINE EFFORTS IN OUR
HARDEST HIT COMMUNITIES.
WE PULLED TOGETHER AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC TO
SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED
AND WE CAN DO IT STILL.
I KNOW EVERYONE IS JUST SO TIRED
BUT WE ARE SO CLOSE.
WE HAVE SACRIFCED AND BEEN
THROUGH SO MUCH.
WE CAN'T LET OUR GUARD DOWN NOW.
NOT UNTIL WE GET ENOUGH PEOPLE
VACCINATED.
WE MUST STILL WEAR MASKS,
PHYSICAL DISTANCE, AND NOT
GATHER.
WE JUST CAN'T LET UP.
IN CLOSING, I WON'T SUGARCOAT
IT.
WE HAVE A TOUGH ROAD AHEAD.
BUT THERE IS HOPE ON THE
HORIZON.
WE WILL EQUITABLY VACCINATE OUR
COMMUNITY.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR
NEIGHBORS WITH ASSISTANCE FOR
RENT, MEALS, CHILDCARE, AND
SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE WILL BRING WORKERS BACK
DOWNTOWN.
WE WILL OPEN MANY NEW AFFORDABLE
HOMES, MANY THAT I ANNOUNCED
JUST THESE LAST THREE YEARS.
WE WILL BRING MORE PEOPLE FROM
OUR PARKS AND STREETS INTO
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND
NEW 24/7 SPACES, LIKE TINY
HOMES.
WE'LL FORGE A MORE EQUITABLE
ECONOMY WITH PROGRAMS LIKE THE
SEATTLE PROMISE WHICH GIVES OUR
PUBLIC SCHOOL GRADUATES FREE
COLLEGE AND A PATHWAY TO
OPPORTUNITY.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO GATHER AGAIN
AND WE'LL OPEN OUR NEW
WORLD-CLASS CLIMATE PLEDGE ARENA
TO WATCH OUR CHAMPIONSHIP STORM
AND RELEASE THE KRACKEN.
SEATTLE, WE ARE WRITING THE
FINAL CHAPTERS OF THIS
GENERATIONAL CHALLENGE.
THE STATE OF OUR CITY IS
RESILIENT.
WE ARE FATIGUED BUT DETERMINED.
WE ARE CHALLENGED YET
COMPASSIONATE.
NEVER BET AGAINST SEATTLE.
THIS YEAR WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE
TESTED BUT WE WILL BEGIN TO
RECOVER AND REBUILD MORE
EQUITABLY.
THANK YOU, AND PLEASE REMEMBER,
MASK UP AND STAY SAFE.