|
|
Everyone can help vaccination efforts go smoothly by seeking and sharing reliable information about vaccination sites, appointments and eligibility.
All Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce mass vaccination sites are for those who are eligible in the phased approach to vaccination. Check www.findyourphasewa.org if you are not sure if you’re eligible and to get verification. The mass vaccination sites do perform spot checks for eligibility and people without verification can be turned away at the site.
The list of who is eligible has been expanding, and by May 1 all adults are expected to be eligible. Please be patient. We know the wait can be frustrating.
Rumors circulated this week that sites were administering surplus doses to anyone. Those rumors are false. Doses administered at the sites are not surplus. Appointments continue to fill when they are available.
People who are eligible can sign up for vaccination appointments using the links under “Register” at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine. When new appointments are open for online registration, updates also are posted to the Snohomish Health District and Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management social media channels.
Some of the links circulated this week also were specifically for second doses. Unfortunately, they were shared with inaccurate information suggesting anyone could sign up for a first dose. The taskforce sent emails to those who booked appointments and shared updates via social media and to the call center to inform people to cancel appointments if they mistakenly signed up for a first dose. Hundreds of people were turned away from the vaccination site in Arlington because they arrived for a first dose at a second dose only clinic. This slowed down operations, and it was understandably frustrating for those asked to leave without a shot.
Second doses are requested and received based on first doses administered, so it is crucial that these designated second doses go toward fully vaccinating people who received their first shot.
While sharing a second dose clinic link with friends or family who need first doses may be tempting, as may sharing posts or messages you see about surplus doses, please be cautious with what you share. Misinformation hinders vaccination efforts.
Please also remember that the PrepMod system is for appointment registration. It does not serve as eligibility verification. People should check their eligibility using www.findyourphasewa.org and also refer to eligibility information provided on the mass vaccination webpage and in the PrepMod clinic information before signing up for appointments. Bring verification of eligibility to the appointment (i.e., your Phase Finder confirmation), as you may be asked to provide it.
Facebook
Twitter
The Snohomish Health District has been seeing a growing number of cases involving youth and school sports. Within the last week, the team has investigated at least 10 cases that played or practiced on school sports teams while contagious. Those cases have led to more than 100 close contacts being identified and quarantined.
Since the beginning of the year, we’ve had cases associated with numerous sports, including football, volleyball, soccer, swimming, basketball, hockey, and softball, as well as general weight training.
“Schools, teachers and students are doing a great job with prevention measures in the classroom, but we need players, coaches and families to keep that up on and off the court, field, rink or pool as well,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “The impression we get from contact investigations, and the findings from elsewhere related to sporting outbreaks, is that the breakdown in prevention is happening amongst teammates off the field or court.”
This means in locker rooms, on the bus or in a carpool to and from games, in the parking lot, when breaking for snacks or water, and during get-togethers after the games.
“We remain in the midst of a pandemic and remain vulnerable to getting hit by a fourth wave, particularly if we let our guard down prematurely,” added Dr. Spitters.
To help keep sports and other aspects of life going safely and smoothly:
- Masks should be on when you are around people you don’t live with, unless visiting with one other household and fully vaccinated.
- Spread out when riding in a bus and limit carpools where possible.
- Wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, as well as sanitizing high-touch surfaces like door handles, seatbelts, steering wheels, cell phones, etc.
- When indoors or in a vehicle with people outside your household, maximize ventilation and keep the windows open.
|
|
|
Based on data through March 23, more than 114,000 Snohomish County residents are now fully vaccinated. That represents 17 percent of all residents 16 years or older in the county.
With the increasing number of vaccine doses being administered, it is becoming harder to extract data on a regular basis and to differentiate between the type of vaccine administered. To simplify those efforts and provide a clearer bottom line on our progress, the Health District has adjusted how data will be released, as shown in the table below and online at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine.
|
|
|
The schedule for drive-thru testing for the week of March 27 remains as follows:
-
NEW Everett location located at 3715 Oakes Avenue – Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 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, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Appointments for testing 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 to schedule a testing appointment. 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.
|
|
|
Even with improving supply, it will take quite some time to get Snohomish County fully vaccinated. The goal remains to achieve complete vaccination of all eligible individuals who want to be vaccinated.
National estimates suggest up to 80 percent of adults want to be vaccinated or are interested in vaccination. In Snohomish County, a target figure of 600,000 people represents roughly 90 percent of those adults whom we estimate are interested in being vaccinated.
The speed of vaccination progress is largely dependent on supply. At mass vaccination sites in the county, the capacity to administer vaccine exceeds the current supply.
Looking at future allocations, including state allocations to providers and federal allocations to pharmacies, we anticipate nearly 50,000 doses per week. At that pace, the target of 600,000 vaccinated adults could be reached by mid-August.
If the supply is less, say closer to 35,000, that timeline stretched to mid-October. At 25,000, it would take until around the new year to vaccinate 600,000. These are hypothetical scenarios, but they point out that even with ideal vaccine supply, it will take at least several months to vaccinate everyone who wants to be vaccinated.
|
|
The Snohomish County Executive and County Council on Thursday adopted joint resolution #21-007, declaring March 29 through April 2, 2021 as “Broadband Access Week” in Snohomish County.
The goal of Broadband Access Week is to increase public awareness of broadband needs and to increase responses to the broadband access and speed survey in Snohomish County. The survey, hosted by the Washington State Broadband Office in the Department of Commerce, maps survey responses to identify areas of the county with broadband access at adequate, inadequate, or no service levels. The survey can be found at this link.
“This year we have seen how our economy, health, education, and our very future depends on reliable broadband access,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “By encouraging people to take the broadband access survey, we will have a better idea of where resources need to be focused to ensure both our urban and rural communities have access to this critical infrastructure. Snohomish County wants to see more accessible and more reliable broadband in every corner of the county.”
Broadband Access Week is part of a broader campaign by the Snohomish County Broadband Action Team (BAT) to expand broadband access to all residents and businesses in the county. The BAT has been spearheaded by Executive Somers, Councilmember Nehring, and Councilmember Low in partnership with community leaders from business, education, healthcare, service providers, first responders, and local government. To learn more about the BAT, visit their website.
“For those areas of the county where broadband access is either limited or non-existent, we will continue to champion solutions,” said Councilmember Nate Nehring. “Our partnership with the state’s Office of Broadband Access affords us an opportunity to make our case at the local, state and federal levels for more resources to help us get broadband into the hands of more people, particularly in our rural communities.”
“I am pleased to work with Executive Somers and Councilmember Nehring to highlight broadband access as a top priority for our county’s rural residents,” said Councilmember Sam Low. “Broadband access and improved speed are vital needs for many, and communities across my district will benefit from this work. We are closely collaborating with local stakeholders to make sure this survey is shared throughout the community.”
“We have learned over the past year that broadband access equates to the health and education of our residents,” said Council Chair Stephanie Wright. “We must ensure everyone in the county, whether in our urban cores or our rural expanses, can get a job, stay healthy, and go to school. Improved broadband access will do just that.”
“Our community is stronger when we all have equitable access to reliable, timely, and relevant information,” said Council Vice Chair Megan Dunn. “Improving broadband access will improve equity across the county. I encourage all of our residents to take part in the survey and help us make the case for better access.”
“Whether you live in an urban, suburban or rural part of the county, you should be able to expect reliable broadband service,” said Councilmember Jared Mead. “Our experience during the pandemic has made it only more obvious that improving broadband access will help us improve our economy, education system, and opportunity.”
For additional information about the Snohomish County Broadband Action Team, go here.
|
|
|
|
The Governor announced in a Thursday afternoon press conference that school districts can immediately adopt new CDC guidance changing the required distance between students in the classroom from 6 feet to 3 feet. The decisions were made based upon the latest data from the CDC and will give school districts the flexibility to make the best choices for their students, teachers, and families. School districts still have the option to maintain 6 feet of distance. The new guidance is available on the DOH website.
The Governor also provided brief updates on the state’s vaccination efforts, reporting 97% of doses received in the state have been administered and over 1 million Washingtonians are now fully vaccinated.
Watch the press conference on TVW.
|
|
|
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report on COVID-19, which shows the state’s progress in fighting COVID-19 since early January is slowing. These trends are cause for significant concern as variants of the virus that spread more easily and cause more serious illness become more widespread in the state. Report findings include:
-
COVID-19 transmission may be increasing. Our estimates for the reproductive number – how many new people each COVID-19 patient will infect – remain close to one, with more uncertainty in recent weeks than over the previous few months. The best estimate of the reproductive number in Washington on March 5 was 1.28. The goal is to maintain a reproductive number well below one—meaning COVID-19 transmission is declining—for a substantial amount of time.
-
Statewide daily case counts have flattened at a relatively high level of around 654 new cases per day as of March 11. Case counts began flattening over the previous month following declines that started in early January.
-
Many counties are seeing cases plateau, though there is some variation from county to county. Twenty-three of 39 counties had rates lower than 100 new cases per 100,000 people over the two-week period ending on March 11, and three of those counties had no new cases during that time. During that same time, 13 counties had rates between 100 and 200 new cases per 100,000 people, and two counties had rates between 200-300 new cases per 100,000 people. One county had over 400 new cases per 100,000 people, demonstrating how quickly the situation can shift as people change their behavior.
-
Cases among people over 60 years old are declining more rapidly as the proportion of vaccinated people in this age group grows. Across all age groups, declines in case counts began in early January and largely flattened over the last month, with some recent variability among younger adults and youths. With lower vaccination rates, these younger populations remain susceptible to the disease. This is particularly concerning as variants of concern increase, since even young people can get severely ill and die of COVID-19.
-
Hospital admission rates have declined since early January among all age groups. However, we have started to see these declines flatten among people 80 and older (a population that is more vulnerable to severe illness) and people age 40 to 49 (a population with a lower proportion of vaccinated people than older groups).
-
The number of hospital beds occupied by confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients began increasing in mid-March after steady declines since January. We see this uptick in the total number of occupied beds as well as in intensive care unit (ICU) beds.
-
The estimated prevalence (percentage of people with active COVID-19 infections) has plateaued since early February, following declines in January. High prevalence means there are a lot of people with infections who may need health care and could be spreading the virus to others. The best model-based prevalence estimate as of March 5 was 0.11%.
“I am increasingly concerned about the signs we’re seeing in our data. Previous declines have stopped, and disease activity may be increasing,” said Acting State Health Officer Scott Lindquist, MD, MPH. “We all need to recognize that the pandemic is not over and significant risk remains, even as we vaccinate more and more people. We need to limit the spread of the virus by actively making good choices in our communities, including wearing masks, keeping our distance, avoiding gatherings and delaying travel.”
Initial unemployment claims in Snohomish County continue to decline
During the week of March 14 – March 20, there were 1,206 initial regular unemployment claims in Snohomish County, down 6.2 percent from the prior week. Total claims filed by Washingtonians was 435,675 for all unemployment benefit categories (down 3.1 percent from the prior week), according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).
Read the full release.
 Payroll employment growth strengthens in February; unemployment rate falls again
Washington’s economy added 24,500 jobs in February and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate decreased from 6.0 percent in January (revised) to 5.6 percent in February according to the Employment Security Department (ESD).
The state’s labor force in February was 3,837,400– an increase of 2,200 people from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the labor force increased by 4,000 over the same period.
From February 2020 to February 2021, the state’s labor force decreased by 124,600 and the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region decreased by 2,000.
From January to February the number of people who were unemployed statewide decreased from 228,600 to 215,900. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 100,400 to 94,800 over the same period.
Read the full release.
|
|
|
When it’s time for your second dose, remember to take your vaccine card with you! Your provider will update it with the new information. This is proof that you got both of your doses.
Read more.
Cuando reciba su primera dosis de la vacuna, su proveedor le dará una tarjeta impresa de registro de vacunación. Esta tarjeta le ayudará a mantener un registro de la información de su vacuna contra el COVID-19. Con éste registro, puede asegurarse de recibir su segunda dosis en el momento adecuado.
Leer más.
|
|
The U.S. Small Business Administration is increasing the maximum amount small businesses and non-profit organizations can borrow through its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Starting the week of April 6, 2021, the SBA is raising the loan limit for the COVID-19 EIDL program from 6-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $150,000 to up to 24-months of economic injury with a maximum loan amount of $500,000.
Businesses that receive a loan subject to the current limits do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time. SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date. Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.
This new relief builds on SBA’s previous March 12, 2021 announcement that the agency would extend deferment periods for all disaster loans, including COVID-19 EIDLs, until 2022 to offer more time for businesses to build back. In order to shift all EIDL payments to 2022, SBA will extend the first payment due date for disaster loans made in 2020 to 24-months from the date of the note and to 18-months from the date of the note for all loans made in the calendar year 2021.
Read the full release.
|
|
|
The Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) marks the one-year anniversary of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act by pledging its continued commitment to investigating COVID-19 fraud.
Over the last year, IRS-CI has been combatting COVID-19 fraud related to the Economic Impact Payments, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Employee Retention Credit. The agency has investigated more than 350 tax and money laundering cases nationwide totaling $440 million. These investigations covered a broad range of criminal activity, including fraudulently obtained loans, credits and payments meant for American workers, families, and small businesses.
IRS-CI encourages the public to share information regarding known or suspected fraud attempts against any of the programs offered through the CARES Act. To report a suspected crime, taxpayers may visit IRS.gov.
Read the full release.
|
|
|
In March 2020, as offices closed and people stayed home to stay safe, Washington Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program knew it needed to make changes rapidly so that moms and their young children could continue to have access to healthy foods and guidance on nutrition and breastfeeding.
“Going to all remote services was uncharted territory for us,” said Office of Nutrition Services Director Paul Throne. “While we have an amazing team, and incredible partners, there was a lot we needed to get into place to ensure a seamless transition to remote services.”
Early in the pandemic, it was critical the Washington WIC team move swiftly to provide an alternative to in-person WIC appointments. WIC is an essential program in Washington. In 2019, WIC served 235,000 women, infants, and children across the state. In addition to food, nutrition support and education, WIC also provides health assessment, referrals and breastfeeding support.
“Almost half of all infants in Washington are on the WIC program,” said Cathy Franklin, WIC Improvement Project coordinator. “It was critical we get remote services right.”
After the initial ramp up, the team was ready to support remote services – serving families from over 200 clinic locations.
Washington WIC provided phone or video chat appointments throughout the state. They also expanded food options for participants during the pandemic.
New applications are up since supplemental federal unemployment benefits ended in August 2020. As of December 2020, participation is up nearly 16% over the expected level before COVID-19, and missed appointments have fallen to nearly zero. In the past, 10-15% of WIC participants missed necessary appointments, which were almost all face-to-face. This jeopardized their access to nutritious foods and other WIC services.
Removing these barriers and smoothing on-ramps to programs align with recommendations in the 10-year Plan to Dismantle Poverty. The Plan was created by Governor Inslee’s Poverty Reduction Work Group and approved by a Steering Committee of people experiencing poverty.
Read the full blog.
|
|
|
|
We are no longer strangers to wearing masks in Washington. They’ve been a daily part of our lives for most of the past year. Even though vaccination rates are improving in Washington, we still need to be careful. There are new COVID-19 variants showing up now that remind us we cannot drop our guard yet. In light of this, and with new guidance from the CDC, we thought we should take a moment to talk about masks again.
Read the full blog from the Department of Health.
¿Qué mascarillas son más eficaces?
Siga leyendo mientras analizamos la información mejor y más reciente que hemos aprendido durante el año pasado.
Leer más
Most of us have experienced feeling burnt out, exhausted, and overwhelmed as we navigate the challenges of COVID-19. The risk of suicide, depression, hopelessness, and substance use is typically highest during the disillusionment phase of a disaster, and it’s what we’re seeing right now. Contrary to common belief, the greatest risk of suicide is during the spring, not winter. It’s important we learn how to talk about suicide and suicide prevention when people in our lives may be struggling.
Read the full blog.
|
|
|
It’s more important than ever that we keep practicing healthy habits. These simple things can help stop the spread of COVID. #InItTogether
Facebook
Twitter
|
|
|
Cumulative cases from January 2020 through March 26, 2021.
|
|
|
ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
|
|
|
|
|
