 The number of COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County continues to drop, but transmission remains high, and the healthcare system continues to be under siege, a virtual press conference was told Tuesday.
The 14-day COVID case rate has dropped from roughly 400 to 305 new cases per 100,000, said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer with the Snohomish Health District.
“The trajectory is great,” Dr. Spitters said. “Let's hope it sustained. Let's all do everything we can to continue it, but to also keep in mind that we're still at a very high level of transmission and that all of the common-sense prevention measures – especially masking and social distancing – are still indicated.”
Even though the number of patients hospitalized for treatment of COVID has declined by roughly a third compared to recent weeks, the healthcare system remains “under siege,” he said.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers briefed reporters on his plan for helping the community recover from the pandemic. It was approved by the County Council last week,
The recovery effort is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The county received about $80 million this year and anticipates similar support in 2022.
Executive Somers detailed how the money will be spent to support economic recovery while also addressing public health challenges, improving access to affordable childcare, and ensuring people are fed and have shelter.
“All of these investments really are going to help those in need and are intended to ensure we are doing all we can to help our community recover from the pandemic,” Executive Somers said. “A lot of businesses and families have suffered through this, and we’ve got a lot of work to do to recover and gain some stability in our communities.”
Watch a video of the full briefing: https://youtu.be/s6209nSeR6c
 We hit two big milestones here in Snohomish County this month. The one millionth dose of COVID vaccine was administered recently, and we have reached 75% of eligible residents 12 and up having had at least one dose. With more than 489,000 residents fully vaccinated and another 42,000 partially vaccinated, Snohomish County has one of the highest vaccination rates in the state.
More than 13,300 doses were administered during the one-week period ending October 5. That’s more than one dose a minute for a full seven days. Every five minutes, three more people here became fully vaccinated, the data show.
“More people initiated COVID vaccination last week than in any week since mid-June,” noted Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “Let’s keep that increasing trend of participation going!”
Some of this increase may also be the result of people seeking their Pfizer boosters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health have recommended that the following individuals should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months after they completed their vaccine series:
- People 65 years of age and older,
- People 18 years of age and older living in a long-term care setting, and
- People 50 – 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions or those at increased risk of social inequities.
Additionally, the following individuals who completed a Pfizer vaccine series at least six months ago may receive a Pfizer booster dose:
 Watch the weekly update from Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters.
https://youtu.be/s6209nSeR6c
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