 Yesterday, I was joined by Dr. Chris Spitters the Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District and Dr. Paul Schoenfeld with The Everett Clinic, Part of Optum. They provided an update on the County’s response to COVID-19, including mental health and wellness.
The video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLiWyOfDlXM&feature=youtu.be/495/COVID-19-General-Information.
Governor Inslee held a press conference yesterday to discuss the state's contact tracing efforts, including how it is done and the role it plays in the long-term response to this pandemic. More workers are being brought on to help with contact tracing statewide. They are trained to maintain the confidentiality of personal information from contact tracing interviews. These workers interview people with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and identify others who have been in close contact with them. These close contacts are then notified of potential exposure, while maintaining patient privacy, and instructed to self-quarantine.
The goal is to be able to test people for COVID-19, receive results, and notify the close contacts of those who test positive in a matter of days. During a contact tracing interview, people may be asked for information like age, address, and people with whom they’ve been in close contact. They will not be asked for information like their social security number or financial information. Among the new workers are National Guard members. They are not here for enforcement of isolation or quarantine, but rather are trained to assist with contact tracing.
For more information, check out this website: https://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/inslee-announces-contact-tracing-initiative.
The Snohomish County Joint Information Center is spreading the idea of the three essentials for a pandemic. The three essentials idea, which originated with the Everett Fire Department, is a play on the 10 essentials for hiking, a well-known piece of public safety information used in the outdoor recreation world.
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