COVID-19 Update from Executive Somers

Snohomish County, Washington sent this bulletin at 06/08/2020 12:48 PM PDT

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Snohomish County Responds: June 8, 2020 Update

Snohomish County Moves Into Phase II of Safe Start Plan

On Friday, I received notification from the Washington Secretary of Health John Wiesman that Snohomish County's Phase II variance application was approved. The official approval letter is available online and was effective immediately. I submitted the application Monday, June 1, as soon as we were eligible and am grateful we heard so quickly.

Snohomish County is now able to take the next step in safely reopening our businesses and getting more people back to work. During a pandemic, every step forward must be done carefully, and I am thankful for the work each of us throughout our community has done to get us to this point. As we transition into the next phase, we must remain vigilant to maintain social distancing and necessary sanitation practices to keep our communities healthy and help our economy recover as quickly as possible.

I would like to thank Governor Inslee and Secretary Wiesman for their support in moving Snohomish County to Phase II. It’s vital that each of our businesses and every county resident carefully review and adhere to the guidance for Phase II. We still have a ways to go, but this is a first, positive step in the right direction.

Now that the plan has been approved, Snohomish County businesses authorized to open in Phase 2 may do so as long as they are able to meet their industry-specific health and safety guidelines. General questions about how to comply with the agreement practices can be submitted to the state’s Business Response Center at https://coronavirus.wa.gov/how-you-can-help/covid-19-business-and-worker-inquiries.

“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of many, we are well-positioned for the next phase here in Snohomish County,” said Stephanie Wright, Chair of the Board of Health and Vice Chair of the County Council. “We need to proceed carefully as a community to ensure cases remain low so that we can continue on this phased re-opening path.”

The Washington State Department of Health recently launched a risk assessment dashboard. Individuals can see data at the county- and state-level relating to the metrics used to determine readiness to move between phases. The Snohomish Health District will also be reporting out on its progress on a weekly basis moving forward.

While Phase II does re-open some businesses and activities, there are still restrictions in place that residents should be aware of. In Phase II, general guidelines include:

Gatherings with no more than 5 people from outside your household per week. This includes outdoor recreation like camping, hiking or beach trips.
High-risk populations – such as people older than 60, those with underlying health conditions, or pregnant women – should continue to stay home aside from essential business and errands.
Non-essential travel will be limited to activities that are approved to reopen under Phase 2, and those will come with health and safety guidance to follow. For example, restaurants could reopen at limited on-site capacity, with appropriate social distancing, no more than five customers per table, and no bar-area seating.
For people who can continue to work remotely, teleworking is strongly encouraged.

“Our businesses and residents are ready to safely get back to work, and the transition to Phase II will help do just that,” said Snohomish County Council Chair Nate Nehring. “Our local economy needs this boost, and I’m grateful for the bipartisan effort at the local level to advocate for safe reopening.”

Beginning June 8, all employees will be required to wear a cloth facial covering, except when working alone in an office, vehicle, or at a job site, or when the job has no in-person interaction. Employers must provide cloth facial coverings to employees, unless their exposure dictates a higher level of protection based on safety and health rules and guidance from the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). Refer to L&I’s Coronavirus Facial Covering and Mask Requirements for additional details. Employees may choose to wear their own facial coverings at work, provided it meets the minimum requirements.

Employers must also post signage at their place of business strongly encouraging customers to wear cloth facial coverings. Businesses are encouraged to require customers to wear cloth facial coverings, in order to protect employees from exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace.

The City of Everett, in partnership with the Snohomish Health District and Snohomish County, has developed a toolkit to help small businesses begin to navigate Phase II. This resource can help guide business owners as they create a safe reopening plan and welcome back customers in the coming days and weeks. Visit www.everettforeverett.com/safeopening for more info and links to signage, or click here to download the “Getting to Safe” guide.

Friday's COVID-19 Press Conference

To see Friday's update from Executive Somers, Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District, and Brian Nielsen, Deputy Regional Administrator for the Washington Department of Transportation, please go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y39br_g_E9s&feature=youtu.be .

(At the very end of this recording, Executive Somers receives the news that the County had been approved to move to Phase II.)

George Floyd and Fighting Racism

On May 25^th, police officers in Minneapolis brutally murdered George Floyd, a beloved member of his community, proud father, and man in pursuit of the American Dream.

Everyone across the globe witnessed the horror as a police officer kept his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Three other police officers watched and allowed this murder while bystanders reacted to the trauma but were prohibited from intervening. We have heard the pain of Mr. Floyd’s friends and family who were forced to watch him cry, beg for his life, and call for his deceased mother as he took his last breath. It is very painful for any person of character and moral values to watch.

I know that this would never happen to me or someone who looks like me. I also know that this horrifying video will save the lives of other Black men and women.

In the days since the murder, we have seen people around the world rush to the streets to peacefully protest police brutality and the continued murders of Black men and women. While people march for peace and justice, agitators, opportunists, and white supremacist groups have infiltrated some of these protests and caused damage around our nation. They do not seek justice for George Floyd but instead seek to take advantage of the peaceful protests to spread chaos and conflict.

I’ve also seen the best and worst of our community here in Snohomish County over the last week. Peacefully protesting is a right that we hold dear, and seeing our streets and roads jammed with people upset about injustice is heartening. It is the essence of being American to raise your voice against injustice. It is foundational to who we are.

On the other hand some chose to line our streets with symbols of hate, displaying signs of white superiority, and attempting to intimidate those who wished to peacefully assemble.

I’m sad it must still be said: I condemn racism and white supremacy. There is no room for it in Snohomish County or America. I grieve that we are still at a place in our county and country where people feel emboldened to publicly display hate and actively intimidate people of peace.

The issues that have transpired over the last two weeks are not unique to this place or time. The continued brutalization of Black men and women is a symptom of institutional racism. It must be and will be addressed.

Institutional and systemic racism are real. Deep seated racism in our country adversely impacts Black Americans, Indigenous people, and people of color in every facet of their lives including wealth, employment, education, criminal justice, housing, privacy, and healthcare, to name a few. During my many years working for Tulalip Tribes, I witnessed countless examples. I have seen it even if I have not experienced it directly.

Last week, I was presented with a message from Leslie Dwight that inspires me to do better. Leslie wrote, “What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for? A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw – that if finally forces us to grow. A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber. A year we finally accept the need for change. Declare change. Work for change. Become the change. A year we finally band together, instead of pushing each other further apart. 2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.”

I have always been a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and dismantling racism. I also recognize that, like everyone, I should do more. Addressing institutional and systemic racism isn’t political. This is a moral issue where one must take a stance. I am choosing to act. To do otherwise would betray my core beliefs as an American and human being.

Later this week, I will be announcing my policy goals and actions that I hope we can implement in Snohomish County to meaningfully move us toward becoming an anti-racist government and community. I plan to work with community leaders on our package of reforms. We need everyone engaged in this important work.

I will continue to stand with Black and African Americans in solidarity. I believe Black Lives Matter. I will continue to stand with you, my fellow Snohomish County residents, as we tackle this evil together.

Please support our communities of color, amplify voices of color, and demonstrate kindness toward yourself and others.

We all heard Mr. Floyd’s six-year-old daughter bravely say, “My daddy changed the world.” Every one of us has a duty to make her words our reality.