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A fifth mass vaccination site for the county opened Friday at Angel Of The Winds Arena in Everett.
It is the second walk-up site coordinated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce. 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.
The other four sites remain in place at the Boeing Everett Activity Center, Arlington Municipal Airport, Edmonds College, and Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. The two Everett sites are walk-up locations, while the other three are drive-thru. Exact days and hours of operation for the sites vary based on vaccine availability.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is being administered at Angel Of The Winds Arena by clinical staff coordinated through the Snohomish Health District. This represents the first use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by the taskforce. It is the third vaccine to receive authorization in the U.S., and the first single-dose vaccine.
Information on which vaccine (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna or Pfizer) is being administered at each mass vaccination site is provided at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine, along with appointment registration links.
In general, the best vaccine is the one you are able to get. All of the vaccines that have been authorized are shown to be safe and effective in multiple rounds of clinical trials, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention encourages people to get the first vaccine available to them. While people may have a preference on which vaccine they would like to get, it is best not to wait if another vaccine brand is available sooner, unless they have talked to their doctor and there is a medical reason to avoid a certain brand of vaccine.
All mass vaccination sites run by the taskforce are by appointment only for those eligible in the current phase. Those with limited or no internet access, or who need language support, can call the COVID-19 call center at 425-339-5278 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
A new registration system is in use for the Angel Of The Winds Arena appointments, and will soon replace the Sign Up Genius system for the Arlington and Monroe locations, as well. The system is called PrepMod, and it is already used by the Washington State Department of Health and several other counties. PrepMod is expected to streamline record keeping for the mass vaccination sites as well as improve the user experience for registration.
Keep in mind that the number and timing of appointments are based on vaccine availability, and the demand for vaccine continues to exceed the supply. It may take time to get an appointment.
For more information, please see the full press release here.
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A population in Snohomish County close in size to that of Everett has now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. #InItTogether bit.ly/snocovaccine
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For the second time in three days, Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday announced changes to state rules that govern who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. His plan will make hundreds of thousands of more people eligible for shots, even as supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses lags far behind demand.
In response to a directive from President Joe Biden, Inslee on Tuesday added teachers and school staff, plus childcare workers, to the rolls of those who now can seek vaccine appointments. Previously, that list was largely limited to health care workers and people aged 65 and up.
On Thursday, the governor said that starting March 22:
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Eligibility will be extended, regardless of age, to many more critical workers, including those in certain congregate settings; grocery stores; food processing plants; public transit; public safety, and others.
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Vaccines will be available to all pregnant people, age 16 and older; and anyone who lives with disabilities that put them at higher risk.
Additional high-risk groups will be included as follows:
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April 12 – people with 2+ comorbidities who are 50 and older (1B-3)
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April 26 – People with 2+ comorbidities who are 16 and older (1B-3)
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April 26 – People, staff, and volunteers in congregate living settings (1B-4)
All of these dates are tentative and subject to change based on vaccine demand and supply.
“Since the beginning, our state vaccine prioritization process has been focused on helping those who are most at-risk first. This next phase continues with those values and I am glad that we can provide a pathway for this next group to get vaccinated as soon as possible," Inslee said.
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The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has released a three-page Q&A that details COVID-19 vaccination opportunities for educators, and offers guidance on access.
The state Department of Health estimates that 260,000 people in Washington earlier this week became eligible for vaccination because they are Pre-K-12 school staff or childcare workers. President Biden on Tuesday directed that people in those jobs receive at least one dose of vaccine by the end of March.
At this time, vaccine supply for teachers and childcare workers is planned to come in part from the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. There are six pharmacy chains in the state that are part of the federal program: Safeway/Albertson’s, Kroger (Fred Meyer/QFC), Costco, Walmart, Rite Aid, and Health Mart Independent Pharmacies.
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The Snohomish Health District has been monitoring patient volumes and positivity rates at the community-based testing sites, and will be consolidating testing sites effective March 8. The 3900 Broadway site in Everett will no longer operate seven days a week, and the Sultan Elementary site that had been operating on Fridays will close. These moves allow staff and other resources to be reallocated to support vaccine site operations.
The schedule beginning March 8 is as follows:
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3900 Broadway site in Everett – Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Evergreen State Fairgrounds in the front parking lot off of 179th Ave SE in Monroe – open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Appointments for testing is are encouraged, and registration is available 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.
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The state Department of Health has prepared a blog post with details about the new Johnson and Johnson vaccine against COVID-19:
“There is an old saying that ‘all good things come in threes.’ That’s now true on the COVID-19 vaccine front. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J), or Janssen, COVID-19 vaccine. The J&J vaccine is the third vaccine is authorized for emergency use in the United States. It joins the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in the fight against Coronavirus. And its arrival will soon make an impact on our state’s supply. So how does the J&J vaccine differ from others? And how will it impact our state’s distribution? Let’s dive in.”
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Were you unable to catch the Snohomish County Vaccine Town Hall on Tuesday? The event, co-hosted by County Council Chair Stephanie Wright and Vice Chair Megan Dunn, still can be viewed online. Opening remarks were from County Executive Dave Somers. Panelists included Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann, Rochelle Lubbers of the Tulalip Tribes, and Dr. Chris Spitters and Shawn Frederick from Snohomish Health District.
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The Tulalip Tribes continue to share access to COVID vaccines to the benefit of the entire community. In addition to vaccinating tribal members, tribal health care workers have administered doses to first-responders, teachers at area school districts and others in critical jobs. EvCC nursing students who work in area hospitals and clinics took to Twitter on Thursday to share their thanks after also being vaccinated.
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Unemployment claims in Snohomish County rose 3.5% during the week of Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, the Employment Security Department said Thursday. There were 1,460 claims filed in the county, up 50 from the week before, according to state data. It was the second consecutive week with a modest increase. Claims nudged up 1.6% during the week of Feb. 14 through Feb. 20, data show.
Statewide, there were there were 12,958 initial regular unemployment claims during the most recent data collection period, down 7.7% from the prior week. Overall, claim levels in the state are 128% above last year’s weekly levels claims.
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COVID deaths in Washington surpassed 5,000 cases this week. Gov. Jay Inslee had these observations:
“As we recognize the loss of 5,000 Washingtonians to COVID-19, let us both mourn for the families who have lost loved ones and be thankful for the Washingtonians who have pitched in to prevent further passing. Each of these 5,000 lives were more than a number to us. Each represents the loss of a unique individual who has left an empty chair in the lives of family, friends, and community.
“At the same time, it is fitting and proper to be thankful for the efforts of our citizens to fight COVID-19. Our residents have kept each other safe. If we had suffered the same death rate as other states, such as South Dakota, we would be mourning an 11,000 additional Washingtonians right now. Washingtonians do right by each other. We will continue to do all we can to help reduce infections, hospitalizations and deaths, so that more Washingtonians can emerge from this pandemic to enjoy healthy lives.”
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Blind COVID assists people who are blind or who live with low vision to ask questions regarding access to COVID-19 resources. People can get help by calling 360-947-3330.
The program is funded by the state Department of Health under a grant given to the Washington State School for the Blind. The goal is to create and find accessible resources for people who are blind, specifically in Washington, but the hope is to reach other individuals as well. These resources specifically deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this time, information about Snohomish County resources is limited, but the program offers help in locating accessible testing and vaccination sites.
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We are more than a year into the COVID-19 response. Many people are waiting patiently for their turn to get a vaccine. We are excited about the vaccine and hopeful for an end to this pandemic. But with all the recent focus on vaccines, you might be wondering what else is happening with COVID-19 right now. How are we doing with cases and hospitalizations? Who is getting the vaccine? Here’s where Washington is at right now.
We are moving in the right direction. In early January, we saw a sharp decrease in case counts. That brought us back to where we were in early November, before the December spike. Right now, case numbers are still higher than we’d like, but the spread of the virus is clearly slowing down across the state. This is great news! It means that we are all doing the right things to stop the spread. Thank you for doing your part!
Hospital admissions were pretty high in November. They were admitting over 100 people every day. But since mid-January, hospital admissions started to go down. If cases continue to go down, there will be fewer cases requiring hospitalization. That means more rooms will be available for hospitals to treat other people.
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Postpartum Depression (PPD), a common experience for new moms, can show up within a year of a baby’s birth. Many women suffer needlessly because the medical condition goes unrecognized and untreated, especially during the current pandemic.
Many preventative measures can help reduce the impact of PPD. And everyone can help new moms by recognizing the PPD symptoms and point them towards the help they need.
“Pregnant people are at higher risk of severe illness resulting from COVID 19, leading to increased anxiety and stress around risk of infection. And they also worry about transmitting the virus to their fetus. The social distancing measures have led to disruptions of the social support network, and isolation,” states Amritha Bhat, MBBS, MD, MPH. Bhat is a perinatal psychiatrist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington.
“The perinatal period is a time when you need your whole village around you and the pandemic has made this difficult. All of this has led to increased depression, anxiety and stress,” Bhat adds.
For many of America’s workers, choosing between unsafe employment and refusing work to avoid the risk of coronavirus infection has serious consequences. Too often, those who do not return to work or accept a job offer over concerns about workplace exposure lose their state unemployment benefits.
In response to a directive from President Biden, the U.S. Department of Labor is issuing guidance to state unemployment insurance agencies that expands the number of instances in which workers may be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.
“Our nation cannot afford to continue compounding the already-devastating effects of the ongoing pandemic-related economic crisis by leaving workers destitute and living in fear for their health and their lives,” said Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Labor Patricia Smith. “Today’s guidance opens the door to relief for workers who have faced difficult, if not impossible, choices between accepting employment in an unsafe workplace to receive a steady source of income, and protecting their health and that of their loved ones.”
The new guidance expands eligibility to three categories of workers:
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Workers receiving unemployment benefits who had their continued regular unemployment benefits’ claims denied after they refused to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite not in compliance with coronavirus health and safety standards.
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Workers laid off, or who have had their work hours reduced as a direct result of the pandemic.
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School employees working without a contract or reasonable assurance of continued employment who face reduced paychecks and no assurance of continued pay when schools are closed due to coronavirus.
“Until now, many workers have faced a devil’s bargain: risk coronavirus infection, or choose some level of safety and live without income support,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Suzi Levine. “Today’s guidance means more workers and families will be able to put food on their tables as our nation fights this virus, while we work to help millions of Americans return to good jobs.”
Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through March 4, 2021.
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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