Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters on Tuesday morning provided the first COVID-19 briefing of 2021.
Discussion focused on the roll-out of COVID vaccine doses here and continued use of federal funding in the pandemic response.
Dr. Spitters said roughly 11,000 vaccine doses already have been administered in the county, mainly among health care workers and emergency responders. Thousands more will be vaccinated in the weeks and months ahead.
While the vaccines provide hope, people still must wear masks, avoid indoor gatherings and maintain social distance. “Right now, we're really reliant on everybody to continue to do all those things we've been asking since the start of the pandemic,” Spitters said.
Meanwhile, the community has secured funding to help the county work toward recovery, Executive Somers said.
“The Emergency Coordination Center in Everett has focused on meeting the benchmarks that were really established by Governor Inslee’s safe start plan and that those goals were really reducing the secondary impacts of COVID-19 on Snohomish County residents in two areas,” he said. “One is really supporting our communities, but also getting ready for implementation of vaccination and recovery.
Watch: https://youtu.be/d2-ItBEqsq4
Or read the transcript: https://www.snohd.org/DocumentCenter/View/6189
Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday shared details of a new roadmap for fighting COVID in Washington.
As he outlined during a televised press conference, the Healthy Washington plan goes into effect Monday, Jan. 11. It replaces the Safe Start plan that has determined much of the statewide response to COVID since spring, including restrictions on businesses, public gatherings and recreation.
The plan takes a regional approach to attacking the virus, dividing Washington into eight areas. It focuses less on hitting hard-target case numbers and more on trends.
Snohomish County’s performance will be tracked as part of a region that includes King and Pierce counties. The roadmap’s regions were developed based on available health care services.
Under the new plan, there initially will be two phases, with all regions starting in the first phase, the most restrictive. It is like Phase 1 under Safe Start, with no indoor dining permitted but other essential businesses such as manufacturing and construction continuing to operate following specific guidance.
Phase 2 would allow more indoor activity, including dining at 25% capacity. People would still be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
To move into the next phase, the region must hit each of these metrics:
- Decreasing trend in two-week rate of COVID cases per 100,000 in population. The decrease must be greater than 10% in the most recent two-week period compared to the prior two-week period.
- Decreasing trend in the two-week rate of new COVID hospital admission rates per 100,000 in population. The decrease must be greater than 10% in most recent two-week period compared to the prior two-week period.
- COVID test positivity of less than 10%.
- ICU occupancy (total) of less than 90%.
The state Department of Health will calculate and share performance results each Friday, with regions cleared to move to Phase 2 eligible to do so the following Monday. All four metrics must be met to advance, and a region must continue to meet at least three metrics to remain in Phase 2. A region can be returned to Phase 1 if it is unable to meet two or more metrics. State and local public health officials also may move a region back to Phase 1 if necessary.
Watch the recording.
Vaccination is an important step on the path out of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a phased plan for administering the vaccine and it will take time before most of the public is vaccinated against COVID. In the meantime, even once a safe and effective vaccine is available, people should maintain other preventive measures. At this time, Phase 1A is being vaccinated, which includes:
- High-risk workers in health care settings
- High-risk first responders
- Residents and staff of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other community-based, congregate living settings where most individuals over 65 years of age are receiving care, supervision, or assistance
If you are a member of the group in Phase 1A and have not been vaccinated please contact your primary care doctor or email: COVIDVaccine@snohd.org or call 425-339-5278.
If you do not fall within the above categories, you will be eligible in a future phase.
The Joint Information Center’s FAQs about COVID-19 vaccine are now available in additional languages at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters give updates on the response to COVID-19.
https://youtu.be/d2-ItBEqsq4
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