Megan Dunn's eNewsletter
Snohomish County Council
3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201
8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail: ContactDistrict2@snoco.org
Paula Rhyne, Legislative Aide
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Dear Friend:
As you know, our region is at the epicenter of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) outbreak. There have been dozens of confirmed cases, and sadly, deaths as well. Snohomish County and the Snohomish County Health District have been working hard to respond to this outbreak. We have been working in conjunction with the City of Everett, King County, the State of Washington, the National Center for Disease Control, and our Federal delegates as well. I’ve been in contact with Tulalip Tribes and Mayors Cassie Franklin and Jennifer Gregerson. As a member of the Health District, I’ve also been part of the local and state updates with Governor Inslee.
I’m writing today to ensure that you have the resources that you need to stay updated and to provide information to help protect the most vulnerable residents of our County.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office if we can be of assistance in any way. Feel free to email us at ContactDistrict2@snoco.org or call us at 425-388-3494 and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We are committed to being responsive to our constituents and would be happy to answer any questions or help to resolve any concerns that you may have.
Sincerely,
Megan Dunn
Executive Somers Issues a Local Declaration of Emergency
Executive Somers recently issued a Local Declaration of Emergency. The Declaration helps to streamline various County functions to help the County quickly respond to this situation. Namely, the County will be able to streamline the procurement process so that the County can purchase emergency response materials quickly so our first responders can have the equipment and protection masks that they need to adequately respond to situations.
Here are some resources that will have the most up-to-date information:
Here are some recommendations about how we can all help fight the spread of illness:
- Wash hands often
- Use hand sanitizer often
- Keep hands away from your mouth, eyes, and face
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and “high tough” areas
- Cover your coughs and sneezes, and then wash hands
- If you feel sick, stay home
All of this can be found on this printable poster:
I recently spoke with our federal representatives: Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell, Representative Larsen, Representative DelBene, and Representative Jayapal regarding the need to secure funding to help with the response efforts. They are all extraordinarily supportive and are working hard at the federal level for our public health and safety.
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With Representative Jayapal |
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With Representative DelBene and Councilmember Low |
On the State level, I recently met with Governor Inslee and he shared that, among other responses, our State Government is pushing through an emergency bill to release $100M from the State’s funding to help efforts across the state. $50M is from the Rainy Day Fund and $50M is from the Disaster Response Fund. The State is also working on L&I worker protections and having money available for small businesses who are impacted by a decrease in business. Here is a letter from Governor Inslee with information on the work that they are doing at the State level. Additionally, if you are an employer or worker and need financial assistance, please look through this resource list (and forward the link to others who are also impacted!) for ways that the State may be able to help you during this time.
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Meeting with Governor Inslee and County Officials at the Health District |
Protecting the most vulnerable in our communities is a top priority of mine. I recently signed on to a letter from Attorney General Bob Ferguson which calls for the federal government to halt the implementation of the Public Charge Rule in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. This Rule would increase the prevalence of communicable diseases because it deters people who are in the country with a green card or worker visa from getting public health services. The rule puts their citizenship status and application at risk even though they are here legally. Removing all barriers that may be in anyone’s way to access healthcare in a time like this is imperative and protects community health.
We have also been receiving reports from Bloodworks Northwest that their donated blood supply is low. The organization has been experiencing cancelled blood drives and donor appointments due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 virus. I want to reassure you that it is still perfectly safe to donate blood! Please check Bloodworks Northwest’s website to answer any questions you may have and to learn more about where you can donate blood.
I also reached out to Snohomish County PUD to ask if they would be willing to suspend disconnects for families who may not be able to work as a result of COVID-19. Snohomish County PUD has agreed to suspend all disconnects at this time. This is great news for our working families who may not be able to make ends meet right now due to the outbreak.
Additionally, Snohomish County PUD asked me to let people know that if you need to make a utility payment, please do so online versus visiting a customer service counter. This web page has more information on how you can get in touch with them regarding your account. Also, more info on their response to COVID-19 can be found here.
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I recognize that not all people have the same workplace protections, and that there are equity issues concerning some response suggestions. Some workers have little or no paid leave, other workers do not have the ability to work from home, and some workers do not have job security if they need to stay home to care for their children while schools are closed. I am working closely with other County officials, labor representatives, and the state to ensure that people have the job and financial security they need while our region responds to this public health outbreak. I will be working hard to ensure that there are worker protections and small business protections in place to safeguard people whose jobs and livelihood will be impacted.
I am following this matter closely and am working alongside other local officials to ensure that we can do all that we can to keep Snohomish County safe and healthy. I'll provide updates as I can, but for the most up-to-date information, bookmark the Snohomish County Health District's page.
If you have any further questions, or if I can be of assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to contact our office at contactdistrict2@snoco.org or at 425-388-3494.
Thanks,
Megan Dunn
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