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Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters provided updates Tuesday on the community’s response to COVID-19.
Topics included: a brief review of the last year since the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was identified in Snohomish County; a new round of grants available for the County’s small businesses, and; the expansion of eligibility for vaccines to all people 65 and older, as well as those 50 and older who live in a multigenerational household.
Executive Somers said more vaccine doses are needed to take fullest advantage of the drive-thru sites set up by the Snohomish County Vaccine Task Force here.
“I am frustrated and find it frustrating that we're having to fight for extra doses each week,” he said. “Last week we were given an allocation and only 2,300 doses by the state. We complained about it. We were able to receive an extra thousand doses from another county another facility that helped a little bit but 3,300 is far below the 30,000 capacity that we have stood up.”
Snohomish County is the third most-populous county in the state, with nearly 900,000 residents.
As Dr. Chris Spitters noted, “We have neither unlimited vaccine supply nor unlimited immunization capacity, although tremendous gains are being achieved by the Department of Emergency Management in standing that up. When it is time for you to get your vaccine, register and keep your appointment. And continue to do those three W’s: wear a mask, wash your hands, watch your distance from others.”
Watch the briefing: https://youtu.be/M1gW1x-cEaY
Or read the transcript:
https://www.snohd.org/DocumentCenter/View/6394/Transcript-Media-Availability-0119-
 Snohomish County vaccine data through Jan. 16, 2020.
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced that COVID vaccine providers can move to Phase 1b1 of vaccination immediately. Phase 1b1 includes all people age 65 and older, and those 50 and older in multigenerational households.
Eligibility information, as well as information on how to get vaccinated, has been updated at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine and https://snohomish-county-coronavirus-response-snoco-gis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/covid-19-vaccine
Be sure to check with your regular healthcare provider, local clinic, or pharmacy on vaccination plans. If your provider does not offer COVID-19 vaccine, you can register for an appointment at one of the drive-thru vaccination sites coordinated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce. Please note that appointments may book up quickly for the drive-thru sites, so check back.
Vaccine supply is still limited, and it will take time to vaccinate everyone who is now eligible. We ask everyone to be patient as work continues to get Snohomish County residents vaccinated as quickly as possible.
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday announced an updated statewide vaccine distribution and administration plan to increase the number of Washingtonians vaccinated and establish infrastructure capable of mass vaccinations in the coming months. With the expanded vaccine distribution system, the state set a goal of vaccinating 45,000 Washingtonians per day.
Included in the plan is the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center, a new statewide public-private partnership to boost vaccine distribution efforts. The collaboration includes Washington corporations such as Microsoft and Starbucks plus labor unions, health care groups and government entities.
“This is a massive effort, and as noble as any cause will be in 2021: Because this is the year we choose to get vaccinated, Washington,” Inslee said during a press conference Monday. “We are removing as many impediments as possible to Washingtonians getting vaccinated, we are going to deliver every dose that comes into our state. We will still be dependent on the federal government for doses, but we are doing everything we can once it gets here.”
Initiatives announced Monday include:
1) Update to vaccine distribution phases
Effective immediately, the first tier of Phase 1b for vaccine distribution is changing to include those who are 65 and older.
The change aligns with new federal guidance from the CDC and makes the vaccine more accessible to more people in high-risk categories. Additionally, the state will allow providers flexibility for Phase 1B tier 2 through tier 4 eligible individuals to allow for easier administration of the vaccine in congregate settings and workplaces to help increase the throughput. Once we have administered first doses to at least 50% of the individuals in Phase 1B tier 1, we will move to Phase 1B tier 2.
2) Reporting requirements
Also effective immediately is a new requirement for providers administering vaccines, mandating that 95% of vaccine allocations be administered within a week of receipt, and every does acquired prior to this week must be administered by Jan. 24.
Providers must submit vaccine data to the state within 24 hours of administration and starting tomorrow, daily information on dosages (i.e. quantity on hand, number administered) must be submitted to the Department of Health.
3) Infrastructure for increased vaccinations
To assist in the administration of vaccine doses currently on hand, DOH will coordinate volunteer vaccinators to support vaccine administration in Spokane, Kennewick and Bellevue. DOH will also connect with all vaccine administrators across the state to assess where additional assistance is needed to meet the new requirements.
The state will also be establishing multiple high-vaccination sites to prepare for future vaccine allocations. Some of the sites will build upon existing infrastructure. DOH will coordinate with local health officials and the National Guard to set up the sites.
Four sites will be set up to begin vaccine administration starting next week: Spokane Arena in Spokane, the Benton County Fairgrounds in Kennewick; Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee; and the Clark County Fairgrounds in Ridgefield. (Note: the Snohomish County Vaccine Task Force already is operating similar sites here.)
Rogelio Riojas, president and CEO of SeaMar Community Health Centers said that this infrastructural growth is necessary to protect all Washingtonians.
“We need to expand our efforts and work seven days a week on our vaccination plans to defeat this dreaded virus,” Riojas said. “Essential workers, especially farm workers and people of color, are disproportionately getting sick and dying because they cannot work from home. We must get them vaccinated.”
The Department of Health also announced their new Phase Finder tool, designed to help Washingtonians find out if they are eligible for a COVID vaccine now or if not, sign up to be notified when they become eligible.
You can access it at: http://findyourphasewa.org/.
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.
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Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers on Tuesday announced the reopening of the Small Business Relief, Recovery, and Resiliency (R3) Grant Program. This grant program is a key part of the relief and recovery action Snohomish County is taking to help businesses impacted by the pandemic. This grant program is part of the package of COVID-19 responses funded by CARES Act resources. Businesses that previously applied to the R3 program in 2020 but have not yet received an award will automatically be considered in this round and do not need to reapply.
“Our small businesses and their workers have been hurting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Executive Somers. “Getting more resources directly into the hands of small businesses has been a very high priority for Snohomish County. As we transition into future phases, we want to make sure our businesses are able to open and keep staff employed.”
“We know that our business community has been struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, and we want them to know the county is doing all we can to help,” said Snohomish County Council Chair Stephanie Wright. “We will continue to pursue every possible avenue to keep our businesses financially secure and the public healthy.”
The application for the R3 Grant Program is now reopened. Small business owners who have not previously applied for the R3 grant program may visit www.workforcesnohomish.org for details and application materials. Applicants can also request a direct link to the application and instructions by sending an email to requestgrant@workforcesnohomish.org. It is anticipated that it will take most businesses less than 30 minutes to apply. It is also anticipated awards will made within two weeks of application close. Grants in amounts up to $25,000 will be awarded to qualifying businesses.
Economic and unemployment data for Snohomish County provides insight about our hardest hit businesses. The focus of this grant program is on small businesses that are critical to supporting our community’s broad-based recovery. Priority will be given to dining, retail, hospitality, arts and entertainment, and service sector establishments. Minority, women and veteran owned businesses are encouraged to apply.
Funding is intended to support business sustainability through the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds received must be used to cover expenses that have not been previously accounted for and are incurred between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
Businesses that previously applied to the R3 program in 2020, but have not yet received an award will automatically be considered in this round and do not need to reapply.
Application materials for the grant program are available at www.workforcesnohomish.org. Applicants can also request a direct link to the application and instructions by sending an email to requestgrant@workforcesnohomish.org.
Questions about the application should be directed to Workforce Snohomish at snocogrant@workforcesnohomish.org.
For more general information, please go to https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/5600/COVID-19-Business-Recovery, the County’s comprehensive page for residents and small businesses impacted by COVID-19.
See the full press release for more information.
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The latest case rate for Snohomish County is 383 per 100,000 residents. This is a slight decrease from last week, but we are a long way from being able to reopen.
The snapshot is provided as an informational item, but it is not an official decision making tool. Snohomish County remains in Phase 1 of Healthy Washington--Roadmap to Recovery.
Based on our preliminary data, and given the increased cases and test positivity rates after the holidays, we anticipate numbers going back up for the next reports being run by the Department of Health on Friday.
While people are waiting to get their vaccines, it is still critically important that we stay vigilant about wearing face coverings, limiting social gatherings and watching our distance. These efforts will help get the transmission levels down in the more immediate term and the vaccines will help keep them down.
 Snohomish County COVID two-week rolling case rate, through Jan. 16, 2021
 COVID-19 activity and capacity in Snohomish County
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The City of Everett’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is accepting applications for projects that assist with tourism development and promotion in the city of Everett. Public and non-profit agencies are encouraged to submit applications by Friday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m.
LTAC plans to offer two rounds of funding totaling $200,000 for 2021. The first round will prioritize events or projects promoting tourism which also align with current public health and safety guidelines and occur before May 31, 2021. The second round of funding will be for events happening after May 31 and is contingent on local COVID-19 conditions and case counts, and what activities are allowed at the time. First-round funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible applicants and first-round applicants will also be eligible for second-round funding if it becomes available.
Applications are available at everettwa.gov/ltac. For questions, additional information or technical assistance, applicants may contact Julio Cortes, senior communications officer, at 425-320-9147 or jcortes@everettwa.gov.
Read the full release.
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The Lynnwood Recreation Center has opened its weight room by appointment only for socially distanced workouts. The full Recreation Center is CLOSED, with the exception of the lap pool, wellness pool, weight room, and a few fitness classes, which are open with limited capacity.
To register for a session by phone, please call 425-670-5732, or online, by logging in to your account and looking for Facility Access - Lap and Wellness Pool Access, Facility Access - Group Fitness. To go directly to the online registration page, click here.
Please call the Lynnwood Recreation Center at 425-670-5732 to hear about their virtual class options.
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UI Payments of extra $300 should start in mid-January
The new federal legislation that expands and changes CARES Act provisions includes an extra $300 per week for eligible claimants who are receiving benefits from any unemployment program. The extra payment is called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). Claimants who are eligible for benefits from the week ending Jan. 2, to the week ending March. 13, will receive the extra amount. Payments should start Jan. 15. Track developments on ESD’s website and social media.
Information regarding ESD waiting week
On March 28, 2020, Gov. Inslee issued Proclamation 20-21, which waived the statutory requirement that unemployment-benefits claimants serve an unpaid waiting week before they start receiving benefits. Following several extensions from the Legislature, the proclamation and the waiver expired on Dec. 28, 2020. Washington's Employment Security Department (ESD) has adopted emergency rules to provide guidance regarding unemployment claims that are being filed now and how the waiting week waiver affects an individual's claim. For more information on all ESD’s rulemaking activities, please visit agency rulemaking homepage.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza, recently announced the launch of Ascent, a first-of-its-kind, free digital e-learning platform geared to help women entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses. Ascent has valuable content such as tips on preparing and recovering from disasters, strategic marketing and business financial strategy development.
Ascent is a joint initiative between the White House, the SBA, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Designed to support women entrepreneurs looking to remain resilient in their operations, Ascent is packed with content and resources from each agency and backed by academic research.
Ascent offers several key journeys to assist women business owners with strategies towards growth and success, including Disaster & Economic Recovery, Strategic Marketing, Your People, Your Business Financial Strategy and Access to Capital. Each journey contains content and tools needed to grow your business. Additional topics will be added over time.
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Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through Jan. 19, 2021
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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