|
|
Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced a modification to the Roadmap to Recovery plan, allowing regions to move forward if three of four metrics are met. The Puget Sound Region met three metrics and will move to Phase 2.
The following activities will now become permissible when Snohomish County moves to Phase 2 on Monday, February 1:
- Social gatherings – indoor gatherings of no more than five people outside the household, and a maximum of 15 people for outdoor gatherings. Both indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to two households, and face masks and physical distancing still apply.
- Dining – indoor dining available at 25 percent capacity, with a max of six people per table and a limit of two households. Alcohol service must end by 11 p.m., but bars that do not serve food must still remain closed.
- Weddings and funerals – ceremonies and indoor receptions, wakes or similar gatherings are permitted, following the appropriate venue requirements. If food or drinks are served, eating and drinking requirements apply. Dancing is prohibited.
- Recreation and fitness – indoor fitness, training and sports at 25 percent capacity. Low and moderate sports competitions are permitted, with high risk sports competitions permitted outdoors only.
- Entertainment – indoor entertainment venues may have a maximum of 25 percent capacity or 200 people, whichever is less. Outdoor venues may have groups of 15, limited to two households, and a maximum of 200 people at the venue.
Rather than weekly updates, the Washington State Department of Health will update data by region every other Friday. Regions that continue to meet at least three of the four criteria will remain in Phase 2. However, if a region drops to two of four metrics, it will move back to Phase 1.
“This is good news and I am grateful for everyone’s efforts and sacrifices to get us here, but we can’t celebrate too soon or let our guard down,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “While case counts and hospital numbers are going down, we still have lost more than 70 residents to COVID since the beginning of the year. We’re far from out of the woods and still in a precarious position.”
County Executive Dave Somers also welcomed the news.
“I appreciate the Governor’s leadership during this difficult time and know this adjustment will allow our businesses and workers to more quickly get back to what they do best: providing goods and services to our community,” Somers said. “Our small businesses are key to our recovery. Too many of them are struggling because of the pandemic, and the best thing we can do is allow them to get back to work as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
See the full press release for more details, as well as information about the appearance of the B.1.1.7 COVID variant in Snohomish County.
Facebook
Twitter
|
|
|
A fourth mass vaccination site has opened in Snohomish County, just three weeks after the first drive-thru site in the county began operating.
Vaccination at the Arlington Municipal Airport began Friday. That site is expected to continue operating as long as doses are available. While exact capacity at the site will vary, hundreds of vaccines can be administered there per day. Appointments for the weekend at the Arlington site are expected to open for registration soon.
Like the other Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce sites, the Arlington location is by appointment for those who live and work in Snohomish County, and is for those who are eligible in the current phase.
Appointments at all of the sites have been booking rapidly. There is still much higher demand for COVID vaccine than doses available.
“Working with our partners from around the county, we are committed to making sure everybody who wants the COVID vaccine has that opportunity,” Snohomish County Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann said. “Our team’s goal is to safely and equitably deliver vaccine doses as rapidly as possible. We ultimately expect to support enough drive-thru and walk-in mass vaccination sites that 50,000 doses can be delivered to residents each week, depending on vaccine supply.”
Information on who is currently eligible, as well as links to register for appointments at the drive-thru sites, are available at bit.ly/SnoCoHub under the “COVID-19 Vaccine” button. Those with limited or no internet access, or who need language support, can call the COVID-19 call center at 425-339-5278.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine is administered at the Arlington site by EMS staff from the Snohomish County Fire Taskforce. The other drive-thru sites – Paine Field in Everett, Edmonds College, and the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe – are currently administering the Moderna vaccine.
Information on which vaccine is being administered at each site is now noted on the website with the registration links, and patients will be provided a vaccination card at their appointment with information on which brand of vaccine they received and the target date for their second dose. Patients should save their card, and it’s a good idea to take photo on their phone in case the card is lost or damaged.
According to CDC guidelines, individuals should receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine at least 28 days apart. The Pfizer vaccine should be two doses at least 21 days apart. The second dose should be as close to the recommended interval as possible. However, if that is not feasible, the second dose may be up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first. Even if the second dose is delayed somewhat beyond these recommended intervals, there is no need to restart the series and both doses count.
The first Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce drive-thru site opened Jan. 6, and since then more than 15,000 vaccinations have been administered at the sites. Other vaccinations have been provided by healthcare partners.
“It is great that so many people are wanting to get vaccinated, and we appreciate the leadership of the Department of Emergency Management and other partners across Snohomish County coming together to make that possible,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “As we’ve shared, it will likely take a couple of months to work through Phase 1b1. We’re only a week or so in, but things are starting to pick up speed.”
The taskforce is one piece of an extensive effort to vaccinate people, and the mass vaccination sites are to supplement the existing healthcare system. Countywide, more than 48,000 vaccines have been administered. That number includes both first and second doses as of January 23. Vaccine numbers are updated weekly on Tuesdays at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine.
Data show that Snohomish County ended last week with more than 42,000 people having received the first dose of a COVID vaccine. That’s a population roughly equivalent to the number of people living in Edmonds or Lynnwood; about double that of Arlington or Monroe; equal to about 60% the residents of Marysville, or enough people to fill a third of the homes in Everett.
Additional mass vaccination sites are under development. Exact dates and hours of operation may vary. The limiting factor at this time is vaccine supply.
“When we receive an increased vaccine supply, we can continue to stand up mass vaccination sites, like the Arlington Airport site, to ensure we have the capacity to get everyone vaccinated,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “As the federal and state governments fix the vaccine supply problems, we have the ability to expand access quickly without further delays. The lack of vaccine supply is frustrating for all of us, and we will continue to advocate for more vaccines coming into the county to get everyone vaccinated.”
Even after being vaccinated, people should continue to wear a mask in shared spaces, avoid large gatherings, stay home if they feel ill, wash their hands, and clean and sanitize surfaces. It is important to keep up with preventive measures while work continues to vaccinate more people.
“We are happy to partner with the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce to bring this resource to our community,” Arlington Mayor Barbara Tolbert said. “As we all want to return to a life more normal for us, getting our community vaccinated is the first real step to crushing this pandemic.”
The taskforce brings together public health, emergency management, law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, human services, transit, public works, and other partners within Snohomish County.
See the full press release for more information.
|
|
|
The locations and schedules for next week’s drive-thru testing operated by the Health District are as follows:
-
3900 Broadway site in Everett – open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Everett Community College site at 915 N. Broadway – open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- 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.
- 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.
|
|
|
Equitably and safely vaccinating Washington educators and school staff is the goal of the new “Get Ready” plan announced Friday by state Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal and Kaiser Permanente Washington president Susan Mullaney.
The plan is designed to be launch ready when personnel become eligible under Washington state’s vaccination protocols, and will focus on supporting a safe return to school for communities across the state and ensures a commitment to fairness, equity, and consistency in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Keeping our educators and school staff safe is very important to me,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “This announcement does not allow educators to move ahead in the current prioritization, it means when it is their turn, we are ready to move ahead. I’m excited about today’s announcement and look forward to working with Superintendent Reykdal, Kaiser Permanente, and our labor partners as we continue our efforts to make sure our educators and school staff have rapid and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible.”
The announced plan will include approximately 14 to 20 vaccination locations along the I-5 corridor and in Spokane which will be capable of offering vaccination to upwards of 80% of school employees.
“Knowing we needed a plan for vaccinating our 143,000 school employees, my first call was to Susan Mullaney and the Kaiser Permanente team,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “Although our schools are already reopening safely without widespread vaccinations, we know this will expedite that process and ultimately benefit our students, their families, our educators and staff, and our communities as a whole.”
School districts are encouraged to maintain existing vaccination plans already in development; however, this integrated approach will offer an equitable approach to vaccinating school employees in Washington. All vaccination efforts will be in coordination with the newly formed Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center, and vaccine availability will continue to be dependent upon the number of vaccines the state receives.
See the full press release for more information.
|
|
Small businesses in Snohomish County that have not yet received a CARES Act grant can apply for the third round. If you applied in previous rounds, you will be considered in the third round (no need to reapply). Snohomish County anticipates awarding eligible small businesses with a one-time cash grant of up to $25,000 through the grant’s administrative entity, Workforce Snohomish. Small businesses can follow the simple online application process to apply for a grant of $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $25,000 based on justifiable need and business resiliency.
See the Workforce Snohomish R3 Grant page for more information, including materials translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
|
|
|
|
Washington State Department of Health has published a new blog to help people understand when and where they can get the COVID-19 vaccine. The blog explains how Phase Finder works, what to do if you have difficulty with the Phase Finder tool responding to your data input, and why DOH can’t predict when additional people will be eligible for vaccination.
If people don’t have access to the internet or struggle with technology, they can call
2-1-1 or 1-800-525-0127 and press #. People can also text ‘vaccine’ to 211-211. These numbers are staffed by specialists who can help with all kinds of community resources, including COVID-19 and Phase Finder questions.
Read the full blog.
|
|
The state Department of Health released this statement Wednesday regarding eligibility for COVID vaccinations at its four mass vaccination sites:
Given the limited supply of vaccine that is available at this time and our state’s commitment to equitable and fair access to vaccine, the state of Washington is requiring that those seeking COVID-19 vaccines in its four mass vaccination sites (Ridgefield, Spokane, Kennewick, and Wenatchee) must either live or work in Washington state.
Regardless of citizenship or immigration status, all eligible people living or working in Washington should get vaccinated.
All of us recognize the desire to get vaccinated and know that neighboring states also are vaccinating their people. If you do not live or work in Washington, please do not make vaccine appointments or travel to these Washington mass vaccination sites for vaccines.
People who register for vaccines at these four sites may be asked to provide one of the following:
- driver's license or work/school ID,
- letter with your address,
- utility bill,
- statement/letter with a Washington state address, or
- voucher from an employer, faith-based institution, health care provider, school, or other registered organization or agency, etc. that the person lives or works in Washington state.
The vaccine site will not make a copy or record this information in any way. This is only to show that the person currently resides or works in Washington state.
|
|
|
|
The state Department of Health, with the help of the Washington National Guard and local and private sector partners, is setting up four COVID vaccination sites this week. They are in Kennewick, Ridgefield, Spokane, and Wenatchee. Due to high call volume to the state’s COVID-19 Assistance Hotline (1-800-525-0127), the fastest service for the state sites is self-service.
- Use Phase Finder to see if you're eligible to get vaccinated. (It's OK to ask a friend or family member for help.)
- If you’re currently eligible, you will get a confirmation. Print or take a screenshot of this page. If you signed up for emails, it will also be sent to you automatically.
- Phase Finder will show you locations where you can get the vaccine. Use the link provided to schedule your appointment. (Phase Finder does not schedule appointments – it only gives you a list of places where you can schedule an appointment.)
- Take the eligibility confirmation from Phase Finder with you to your appointment.
Washingtonians without internet access, or who may not be comfortable using online tools, can call the COVID-19 hotline for help making appointments for three of the mass vaccination sites. Please note: The hotline does not have special access to appointments -- they use the same scheduling tools available to the public for self-scheduling. The State COVID-19 Assistance Hotline is a general information line related to COVID-19. If you need information or have a general question, call 1-800-525-0127, then press # or text 211-211 for help. You can also text the word “Coronavirus” to 211-211 to receive information and updates on your phone wherever you are. You will receive links to the latest information on COVID-19, including county-level updates, and resources for families, businesses, students, and more.
|
|
|
The state Department of Health on Friday released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19. Some findings include:
- Declining COVID-19 transmission provides an opportunity to get case and hospitalization rates under control before the faster-spreading B.1.1.7 variant takes hold in the state. The best estimate of the reproductive number (how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect) on Jan. 8 was 0.73 in western Washington and 0.71 in eastern Washington. The goal is maintaining a reproductive number well below one—meaning COVID-19 transmission is declining—for a substantial amount of time.
- Case rates are still high across the state but are moving in the right direction. Twenty-nine of 39 counties had rates above 200 new cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period ending on Jan. 14. Five counties had rates above 500 new cases per 100,000 people.
-
Many counties, including Snohomish, saw sharp declines in case counts after the first week in January, returning to early to mid-November levels. Other counties experienced smaller declines or flattening trends in January.
- Total hospital admissions flattened at a high level starting in late November, with a slight decline beginning in mid-January. Hospital bed occupancy plateaued in late December and early January, then started to decline slightly in mid-January.
“While we are seeing some initial encouraging signs in the data, disease activity is still high and our state just detected the first cases of a variant that spreads more easily and quickly,” said Dr. Scott Lindquist, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases. “Now is the moment to drive down our disease rates and free up more hospital capacity by reducing the number of severe cases that require hospitalization. We can all contribute by avoiding gatherings with people who don’t live with us, wearing masks, watching our distance and washing our hands.”
|
|
|
New unemployment claims in Snohomish County dropped from 2,029 to 1,698 during the week of January 17-23, a 16% decline from the prior week that also mirrored results elsewhere in Washington.
There were 16,461 initial regular unemployment claims statewide during the same period, down 14.3% percent from the prior week, according to data released Thursday by the state Employment Security Department.
Initial regular claims applications statewide remain 107% above last year’s weekly new claims applications, reflecting the ongoing havoc from the coronavirus.
See the full press release for more information.
|
|
|
Small businesses are the backbone of Washington’s economy and many have been devastated during the pandemic. Many have closed, others are barely hanging on. Small businesses owned by people of color have been particularly impacted. In response, Congress has passed several aid packages and the State of Washington has provided relief, along with many local communities. But resources can be difficult to find, and the applications can be challenging to navigate. See www.SmallBizHelpWA.com for more information and resources.
SBA works to improve first draw PPP loan review
The U.S. Small Business Administration is taking steps to improve the First Draw Paycheck Protection Program loan review so that small businesses have as much time as possible to access much needed PPP funds. The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on ensuring small businesses receive the support they need to keep their doors open and continue to employ millions of Americans across the country. The Administration is working with the Agency to identify immediate solutions to address eligibility, compliance, integrity, and promote transparency.
See the full press release for more information.
|
|
|
We are making so many positive strides forward. We ALL hope to see more and more normalcy returning the further we progress into 2021. To get there, we have to keep our guard up: Wearing masks, washing hands and watching distance. www.snohd.org/covidvaccine
Facebook
Twitter
|
|
|
Those of us working in Snohomish County’s Emergency Coordination Center during the COVID crisis are blessed to run with a pack of four-legged friends. The dogs of the ECC never fail to brighten our dark days. This video is in their honor, and to share some of their sweetness with you. #InItTogether
Facebook
Twitter
|
|
|
Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through Jan. 29, 2021
|
|
|
ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
