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Cases in Snohomish County continue to surge, with the latest two-week case rate at 428 per 100,000 residents through December 5. Hospitalizations have been hovering between 90 and 100 each day, and the number of deaths continuing to increase.
In addition to case counts, new maps and an analysis of race and ethnicity data were published this week:
The majority of new cases continue be in 20-49 year-olds. Case investigations reveal that roughly two-thirds of all new cases are from close contacts or community acquired. This means people are getting COVID from people they know or live with, or in community settings like workplaces, church and social settings or get-togethers.
This is leading to an increase in the number of new workplace outbreaks in the recent weekly report through November 28. The number nearly doubled, from 19 workplace outbreaks the week ending November 21 to 32 workplace outbreaks for the week ending November 28. There are also outbreaks in 56 long-term care facilities, including 16 of the 17 skilled nursing facilities in Snohomish County, accounting for 572 cases in recent weeks.
All of this paints a pretty bleak picture, and the community’s help in continuing to follow the public health measures is needed to turn this around. However, there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
“We’ve all be planning and preparing for vaccine distribution here in Snohomish County since late-July,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “There will likely be hiccups as we embark on a vaccination effort of this scale and complexity, but I want to assure you that partners across Snohomish County are fully engaged and prepared to rise to the challenge.”
While an exciting step, it will take time before distribution and supplies are able to reach the broader community. The vaccination effort will roll out over the coming 6-9 months, with substantial benefits of these effort likely not being felt until the latter part of 2021. To learn more, see the state’s update on vaccine distribution.
 Successful mock vaccine delivery
The Health District was also selected by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be the state’s test site for mock vaccine delivery last week.
Staff received a box that was simulated to be how shipments would arrive. The package took less than 24 hours to get to here once shipped. Inside a dry ice pod with essentially an empty pizza box, but staff followed all instructions provided as if vaccine vials were included.
Participating in this mock delivery helps both the Health District and DOH better understand the expectations for future deliveries. It also helps staff provide more-informed guidance for ensuring safe handling and storage procedures to our partners in the community.
Read the full release.
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The locations and schedules for next week’s drive-thru testing operated by the Health District are as follows:
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3900 Broadway site in Everett – open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Everett Community College site at 915 N. Broadway – open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon
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Evergreen State Fairgrounds in the front parking lot off of 179th Ave SE in Monroe – open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Sultan Elementary School site at 501 Date St – open Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Testing is by appointment only and registration is now open at www.snohd.org/testing. Those without internet access or needing language assistance can reach the Health District’s call center at 425.339.5278. The call center is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Callers after hours or on weekends can leave a message, which will be returned on the next business day.
Testing is open to anyone, regardless of symptoms, but remains strongly encouraged for individuals that fit the following criteria:
- Anyone with any of the following COVID-19 symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea); or
- Close contact of a confirmed case; or
- Anyone who lives or works in a congregate setting; or
- Work in healthcare, EMS, law enforcement or other fields where work settings have a higher risk of catching or spreading COVID-19; or
- Part of a family or social network that has had a case.
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The Health District recognizes that these are very difficult times for the food service industry, and the agency has been working hard to support the businesses where possible. On December 10, the Board of Health approved a three-month extension in paying for annual operating permit permits without a late fee.
Food establishments had already received annual invoices for their 2021 operating permits, which stated that they needed to be paid in full prior to December 31 to avoid a late fee. With the Board’s unanimous approval of Resolution 20-28, payment may be deferred to March 31, 2021.
For the establishments that have chosen to temporarily close due to COVID operating restrictions, the $300 late fee has been waived so long as the permit renewal occurs before the facility reopens to the public. Facilities that have chosen to temporarily or permanently close must notify the Health District.
Food establishments may contact the Environmental Health Office at 425.339.5250 or ehquestions@shd.org with questions or if additional information is needed.
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The latest statewide situation report on COVID-19 transmission from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) shows that COVID-19 is continuing to spread rapidly across the state. The report uses data with a longer than usual lag time due to the Thanksgiving holiday and reflects considerable uncertainty in the current situation.
Report findings include:
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COVID-19 continued to spread at a rapid pace throughout the state through mid-November. The best estimates of the number of new people each COVID-19 patient will infect was 1.44 in western Washington as of November 15. The goal is a number well below one, which would mean COVID-19 transmission is declining.
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30 of 39 counties had rates above 200 new cases per 100,000 people prior to Thanksgiving. This indicates that COVID-19 activity is both high and widespread in Washington.
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Cases, hospitalizations and deaths continued to increase sharply since the last situation report. The seven-day rolling average case count in western Washington was more than eight times higher on November 20 than September 12.
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Daily hospitalizations have been on the rise, with hospital admissions reaching peak March levels as of November 20. In western Washington, daily hospitalizations increased over four times since the beginning of October.
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Over the month of November, the number of hospital beds occupied by patients with COVID-19 rose sharply across the state. Intensive care unit (ICU) beds occupied by COVID-19 patients show a similar trend, with particularly steep increases in western Washington.
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If hospital admissions continue to grow, we could see hospital occupancy double every two weeks. Washington hospitals have already reduced non-urgent procedures to increase capacity, and ability to create further capacity may be limited. It’s not yet clear whether we are beginning to see a leveling off of hospital admissions or if exponential growth will continue.
If our November 1 transmission rates persist, hospital admissions will reach record levels.
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Growth in cases is widely distributed across the state. Among the five largest counties, Clark, Snohomish and Spokane continued to see increases in case counts.
- Many small counties are still affected by the surge, with high case counts for their population size.
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The overall percentage of Washington state residents with active COVID-19 infection was higher in November than the peak in late March. The best model-based estimate as of November 20 was 0.52%.
“We are still seeing some alarming trends in our data as we wait to see the full impact of any gatherings that took place over Thanksgiving,” said Secretary of Health John Wiesman. “We must stay the course going into winter holidays to avoid overwhelming our hospitals.”
Read the full release.
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Help keep our community safe from the spread of COVID-19. If you plan on travelling outside of Washington, it's important to also plan on quarantining at home for 14 days after your return. If taking a trip is unavoidable, please follow the guidelines at https://coronavirus.wa.gov/travelers-commuters.
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Snohomish County has the unenviable distinction this week of being one of the places in the U.S. with the steepest increase in COVID-19 deaths, according to data maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC’s interactive COVID data tracker makes it possible to explore differences in how the pandemic is playing out among counties and states across the country.
The CDC’s data show that between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6, the county had 28 confirmed COVID deaths. Between Monday and Thursday there were at least 15 more. As of Thursday afternoon, a total of 323 local lives had been lost to the disease since the start of the pandemic. COVID deaths in the county have been climbing since October, along with the third wave of infection.
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It’s hard not to give in to peer pressure and gather with your friends to play sports. Be safe and take a break. It’s not forever, just for now. #PlayCovidSafe
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What do we need to know about vaccines? With highly anticipated COVID-19 vaccines on their way, Washington’s leading experts are here to go beyond the headlines and bring you the scientific facts. This live conversation will dig into how vaccines work, how they’re usually developed, and what is the same or different about the proposed COVID-19 vaccine. Researchers from Fred Hutch will talk about their participation in Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials, while leading physicians will answer the “most-asked” vaccine questions they hear every day.
Register here.
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¿Qué necesitamos saber sobre las vacunas? Expertos de salud del estado de Washington participarán en una conversación en vivo, en español, para hablar sobre el impacto del COVID-19 en la comunidad latina, la ciencia detrás del desarrollo de las vacunas y cómo se está desarrollando la tan esperada vacuna contra el COVID-19.
Regístrate aquí para el evento en español el jueves, 17 de diciembre.
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The IRS and its Security Summit partners are warning people to be aware of a new text message scam. The thief’s goal is to trick people into revealing bank account information under the guise of receiving the $1,200 Economic Impact Payment. Here’s how this scam works People get a text message saying they have “received a direct deposit of $1,200 from COVID-19 TREAS FUND. Further action is required to accept this payment… Continue here to accept this payment …" The text includes a link to a phishing web address.
This fake link appears to come from a state agency or relief organization. It takes people to a fake website that looks like the IRS.gov Get My Payment website. If people visit the fake website and enter their personal and financial account information, the scammers collect it. Here’s what people should do if they receive this message Anyone who receives this scam text should take a screenshot and include the screenshot in an email to phishing@irs.gov with the following information:
- Date/time/time zone that they received the text message
- The phone number that received the text message
The IRS doesn’t send unsolicited texts or emails. The agency will never demand immediate payment using a gift card, prepaid debit card or wire transfer or threaten to have a taxpayer arrested.
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Unemployment claims up 8% here
New unemployment claims jumped about 8% in Snohomish County during the week of Nov. 29 – Dec. 5, rising from 2,276 to 2,459. Statewide, there was a 10.1% increase in new claims, which totaled 24,587, according to data released Thursday by the state Employment Security Department (ESD).
Initial regular claims are about 145% above those filed during the same period last year, according to state data. In the week ending Dec. 5, the state paid out more than $148.8 million for 300,987 individual claims. Since the crisis began in March, more than $12.8 billion in benefits have been paid to over 1 million Washingtonians.
For more information, see the full press release.
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 Job search requirements to remain suspended through Jan. 19
Job search requirements remain suspended through Jan. 19, 2021. This means the soonest claimants will be required to actively seek work is the week of January 24. You can continue to answer “no” to the job search question on your weekly claim until the suspension is lifted. More information is available here.
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Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler extended his emergency order, directing all state-regulated health insurers to make additional coverage changes to aid consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. His order is in effect until Jan. 10 and requires health insurers to:
- Continue coverage for providing telehealth via methods including telephone and video chat tools such as Facetime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangout video, Skype and Go-to-Meeting.
- Cover all medically necessary diagnostic testing for flu and certain other viral respiratory illnesses billed during a provider visit for COVID-19 with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.
- Treat drive-up testing sites for COVID-19 as provider visit with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.
To help free up hospital beds, Kreidler is directing health insurers to waive or expedite prior authorization requirements for home healthcare or long-term care facility services to speed up discharging patients who are ready to leave.
Read the full release.
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To provide more accurate daily reports, DOH announced changes to how it reports deaths from COVID-19. These changes will streamline the process as death counts increase. Rather than a preliminary cause of death, the agency will only use the official registered cause of death on the DOH dashboard, providing more precise reporting.
The normal process for releasing final death data is complex, involves multiple data systems, and can take up to 18 months from start to finish. This modified process requires adjustments to how information is made publicly and quickly, without impacting the quality of the data or reporting.
Deaths due to factors other than COVID-19 can be hard to definitively rule out. For many of these conditions, COVID-19 may have hastened the death. These are the deaths being reviewed, along with local health jurisdictions like the Snohomish Health District, to assess COVID-19’s impact on the death.
These changes will result in an adjustment of death totals, including a removal of some deaths from figures made public. Initially, 15-20 of those reported deaths from Snohomish County have been removed and will be added back once the cause of death is investigated and officially determined to be due to COVID-19. This process will take about two weeks.
See DOH’s press release to learn more.
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Right now, many are feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from the ongoing stress of living through a pandemic. Both kids and adults can experience exhaustion, where they may feel depleted, like they are running on empty, using up all their physical and emotional energy without a chance to recharge.
DOH has launched the “Coping with COVID” podcast series. In the newest edition, Kira Mauseth, PhD and Doug Dicharry, MD talk about how exhaustion affects both children and adults, and strategies for families to cope as we make our way through the pandemic.
Read the article and listen to the podcast here.
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Cumulative cases from Jan. 2020 through Dec. 11, 2020.
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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