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As other regions around Washington join the Puget Sound Region in Phase 2, the most recent report shows low or decreasing trends for all four metrics. This means Snohomish County will continue in Phase 2 for an additional two weeks.
The reported metrics for the Puget Sound Region published February 11 are as follows:
- A region must have a 10 percent or greater decrease in the rate of COVID cases per 100,000 population in most recent 14-day period measured compared to the prior 14-day period. The Puget Sound Region had a 41 percent decrease January 17 through January 30 compared to January 3 through January 16.
- There must be a 10 percent or greater decrease in the rate of new COVID hospital admission rates per 100,000 in most recent 14-day period measured compared to the prior 14-day period. The Puget Sound Region had a 14 percent decrease January 24 through February 6 compared to January 10 through January 23.
- Test positivity should be less than 10 percent for the most recent 7-day period measured. The Puget Sound Region had a 6 percent test positivity for January 17 through January 23
- Total ICU occupancy within a region must be less than 90 percent for the most recent 7-day period measured. The Puget Sound Region had 85 percent occupancy for January 31 through February 6.
“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, absolute numbers and rates of cases, deaths, and hospitalization are still at very concerning levels. We 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.”
New CDC recommendations
This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated recommendations regarding masks and also modified quarantine guidance for close contacts who are fully vaccinated.
During a study in January, researchers found that two modifications to masks could improve the fit of masks and reduce the wearer’s exposure to aerosolized droplets known to transmit the virus. The two modifications were:
- wearing a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, known as double masking
- knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask where they attach to the mask’s edges and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face.
"We encourage people to consider double-masking or adding layers, as it may provide additional protection both for others and for the person wearing the masks,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “The two most important things are making sure that--whether one mask or two are used--that masks are multilayer tightly woven cloth and that they fit snugly, covering both your nose and mouth. We must all be consistent about wearing masks when around people we don’t live with.”
The CDC also indicated that fully vaccinated people do not need to quarantine at home if they are a close contact of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case if all three of these items apply:
- Fully vaccinated. This means it has been at least 14 days have passed since they received both doses in a two-dose series. If a single-dose vaccine is authorized by the FDA, this would also include people who received that single-dose series vaccine at least 14 days prior; and
- Recent vaccination. This means those who received the last vaccine dose within 3 months of the possible COVID-19 exposure; and
- Asymptomatic. This means that Individuals have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure.
If people do not meet all three of the above criteria, then they must continue to follow current quarantine guidance after exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
“We are pleased to see CDC’s confidence in the vaccine’s efficacy is translating into greater flexibility in public health management of exposed individuals who are fully vaccinated,” noted Dr. Spitters. “The practical benefits of this greater latitude also provides further incentive the community to get vaccinated when they become eligible and appointments are available.”
Read the full press release..
Drive-thru testing will continue to be available next week. Testing sites are closed this weekend due to winter weather. Weather permitting, testing sites will be open Monday. Find info or sign up at www.snohd.org/testing.
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There's no better way to show that you care for others than to help protect them from getting sick. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Watch your distance. #InItTogether
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released detailed recommendations for reopening schools. In brief the CDC says:
Schools providing in-person instruction should prioritize two mitigation strategies:
- Universal and correct use of masks should be required.
- Physical distancing (at least 6 feet) should be maximized to the greatest extent possible.
Further, the CDC offered these observations about options for in-person instruction (either full or hybrid) when strictly using mitigation strategies:
- In-person learning for elementary schools is likely to have less risk of in-school transmission than for middle schools and high schools.
- Families of students who are at increased risk of severe illness or who live with people at high risk should be given the option of virtual instruction regardless of the mode of learning offered.
- In-person instruction should be prioritized over extracurricular activities including sports and school events, to minimize risk of transmission in schools and protect in-person learning.
- Schools are encouraged to use cohorting or podding of students to facilitate testing and contact tracing, and to minimize transmission across cohorts.
- Students, teachers, and staff who are at high risk of severe illness or who live with people at high risk should be provided virtual options.
The CDC notes that educators hold critical jobs and consideration should be given to making their vaccination a high priority. But it takes this position: “Access to vaccination should nevertheless not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction. Even after teachers and staff are vaccinated, schools need to continue mitigation measures for the foreseeable future, including requiring masks in schools and physical distancing.”
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The Washington State Department of Commerce has been authorized by Gov. Jay Inslee to distribute $87 million in rental and business assistance across the state. This funding will be split fifty-fifty to support both residential rental assistance and business support. In addition, $2.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding was approved for allocation by the state legislature (HB 1368). Funds included in the bill headed to the Governor’s desk for signature will go to a wide range of COVID impacts beyond rental assistance and small business support, including vaccinations, testing, support for schools, and childcare assistance.
Rental assistance from Washington state during pandemic
Small business support from Washington state during pandemic
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With below-freezing temperatures forecast this weekend, Snohomish County cold weather shelters are opening to serve people experiencing homelessness. To determine if shelters in your area are operating, please visit www.snohd.org/cold. This website is updated frequently during periods of inclement weather. Please note that COVID-19 precautions are being taken, which may cause changes at shelters and transportation resources. If you have questions regarding a particular shelter, contact them directly.
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More than 70,000 people in Snohomish County have received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. That’s 11% of adults, or a population equal to Marysville, the county’s second-largest city. Nearly 15,000 are fully vaccinated, having received a second dose.
Vaccination information: www.snohd.org/covidvaccine or https://bit.ly/36ZY2ZZ
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Donate blood and save a life.
When you donate blood Feb. 15 or 16 at the Bloodworks Northwest Pop-Up Donor Center in Marysville, you'll also receive a free pair of shoes courtesy of Northside USA!
Donors at the Monroe pop-up event Feb. 22 and 23 will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a new car. Terms and conditions: www.bloodworksnw.org/winacar.
Appointments are required. No walk-ins, guests or people under age 16 are permitted onsite. Make your appointment at https://www.bloodworksnw.org/donate or call 1-800-398-7888
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Unemployment claims in Snohomish County declined by more than 8.6% during the week of Jan. 31 through Feb. 6, the Employment Security Department said Tuesday. There were 1,555 claims filed in the county, down 148 from the week before, according to state data.
Statewide, there were 15,644 initial regular unemployment claims, down 2.8% from the prior week. Overall, claim levels remain nearly 1.5 times where they were last year at this time, prior to the most serious disruption from COVID-19 pandemic.
See the full press release for more information.
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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the COVID-19 Outbreaks in Washington State K-12 Schools report. The report is yet another tool that school districts and local health jurisdictions like the Snohomish Health District can use to inform decisions about when and how to bring students, educators and staff back for in-person learning.
The report includes data about K-12 schools across the state of Washington that experienced a COVID-19 outbreak from August 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, including both public and private schools and all learning modalities.
A COVID‐19 outbreak in a K‐12 school is considered when the following criteria have been met:
- There are two or more laboratory‐positive (PCR or antigen) COVID‐19 cases among students or staff.
- The cases have a symptom onset within a 14‐day period of each other.
- The cases are epidemiologically linked.
- The cases do not share a household.
- The cases are not identified as close contacts of each other in another setting.
The report showed that Snohomish County had 12 outbreaks from August through December. The total number of cases associated with the outbreaks was 53, with the median of three cases per outbreak. For more information, see DOH’s press release.
The Health District has also published its first COVID-19 report for schools. From August 1, 2020 through February 11, 2021, there have been 285 cases in staff or students attending public and private K-12 schools throughout Snohomish County. Those cases impacted 201 school facilities, with the majority of them being one case that did not result in further transmission. Note that these numbers may differ from reports by DOH, which are based on outbreaks of two or more cases within a 14-day period.
“With several thousand students, staff and teachers having returned to the classroom at least part-time, this report shows that the prevention and intervention measures are working,” said Dr. Spitters. “Our schools have been working hard to make the classroom as safe as possible. I hope community keeps masking up and physically distancing so trends continue decreasing in order for more middle and high school students can resume in-person learning.”
The school report will be updated every 2-3 weeks for the remainder of the school year and posted online at www.snohd.org/casecounts under “Snapshots and Reports.”
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The state Department of Health on Friday announced that an important milestone has been reached in vaccinating people against COVID-19.
As of Friday, roughly eight weeks after the first shipment of COVID vaccines arrived in Washington, more than 1 million doses have been administered, the state announced. Washington is currently averaging 26,857 vaccine doses given each day. This information can be found on the DOH data dashboard under the vaccines tab, which is updated three times per week.
Vaccine supply
Supply from the federal government continues to be the greatest challenge. This week Washington state providers requested more than 440,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including 281,100 first doses and 165,750 second doses. In all, the state received just over 200,000 doses from the federal government, which is less than half.
Although doses are not where the state would like them to be right now, there is reason to be optimistic about future shipments. DOH has been informed by the federal government that allocations for both Pfizer and Moderna will increase in the coming weeks and months.
The progress of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also encouraging. Last Thursday, the company announced they submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its Janssen COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The FDA could decide on a EUA by the end of February.
Allocation forecast
For the first time, DOH received a 3-week allocation forecast from the federal government. Up until last week, weekly allocation numbers were not received until Tuesday morning, making it difficult for DOH staff, providers, and the public. The allocation forecast is a blend of first and second doses and is subject to change as vaccine availability from the federal government may change.
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Week of February 14: 206,125 total doses (113,800 first doses, 92,325 second doses)
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Week of February 21: 240,620 total doses (123,160 first doses, 117,460 second doses)
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Week of February 28: 242,360 total doses (128,560 first doses, 113,800 second doses)
This information allows the state and local health districts to develop a multi-week strategy that helps with consistency and predictability.
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The state Department of Health released a new data report Thursday showing low percentages of Hispanic, Black and multiracial people have received COVID-19 vaccine when compared to those groups’ proportion of the state population.
The report provides race and ethnicity data for people who have received at least one dose of vaccine and for people who are fully vaccinated, with breakdowns for all ages and for people 65 years and older. It also includes the percent of vaccinated people by age group across all races/ethnicities.
The report does not provide county-level data.
Report findings include:
- The percentage of vaccinated people who are Hispanic (4.7% of people who have received at least one dose, 5.9% of people who are fully vaccinated) is lower than Hispanic representation in the state population (13.2%).
- The percentage of vaccinated people who are Black (2.2% of people who have received at least one dose, 2.7% of people who are fully vaccinated) is lower than Black representation in the state population (3.9%).
- Multiracial groups are also underrepresented compared to the overall state population.
- American Indian or Alaska Natives make up a slightly larger proportion of vaccinated people compared to their representation in the population.
- Asians are slightly overrepresented among people who are fully vaccinated.
The state also updated its strategies for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The race, ethnicity and age metrics in the report will be incorporated into DOH’s COVID-19 data dashboard within approximately one week.
See the full press release for more information.
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With significant snowfall and bitter cold temperatures forecast, travel may become tough in Snohomish County in the days ahead. Please stay COVID-19 safe by practicing the 3 Ws: Wearing masks; Washing hands; Watching distance.
Tips here for preparing for severe weather and other challenges during COVID: https://bit.ly/3jGK6Jj
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The U.S. Small Business Administration and lenders are taking more strides to improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) so that small businesses can access much needed PPP funds to persevere through the pandemic, recover, and build back better.
This week, the SBA hit a major milestone of approving $103 billion of PPP funds to more than 1.4 million small businesses. Highlights from this round include:
- Reaching more of the smallest businesses; 82% of all loans going to businesses requesting less than $100K
- Reaching rural communities in a meaningful way; 28% of businesses who have received funding this round are in rural communities
- Increasing partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) who are trusted agents in extending economic relief to minority communities and underserved populations
The SBA is also following through on its commitment to take additional steps towards improving the speed to resolve data mismatches and eligibility concerns so that small businesses have as much time as possible to access much needed PPP funds, while maintaining the integrity of the program.
See the full press release for more information.
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Keep your family as strong as an ox this Lunar New Year by having a COVID-safe celebration today. Protect your elders by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and watching your distance.
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Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through Feb. 12, 2021
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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