The newest mass vaccination site in the county opened today at Boom City, 10274 27th Ave. NE in Tulalip. It is the sixth mass vaccination site coordinated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce. This site is in partnership with the Tulalip Tribes.

The Boom City site is set up for drive-thru access. Like the other mass vaccination sites, it is by appointment only for those eligible under the phased approach to vaccination. The phases are set to open on April 15, expanding eligibility to all adults (including 16 and older for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the only vaccine so far authorized for those younger than 18).

The other five mass vaccination sites in the county will continue operating, as well, though exact days vary based on vaccine availability. The locations are listed, along with the type of vaccine provided and registration links for appointments, at bit.ly/snocovaccine. For people who do not have internet access, need language assistance, or have other barriers to online registration, the COVID-19 call center for Snohomish County is available between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 425-339-5278.

The Moderna vaccine is set to be administered at Boom City on its first day of operations, followed by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine later in the week. The vaccine is specified in the clinic information at the sign-up link, and people should check that information before signing up for their appointment.

The vaccine taskforce also has added a waitlist feature to the online registration for mass vaccination sites. That feature is in use starting with this week’s appointments. If appointments are full, people can now sign up for a waitlist for that day only. If there is a cancellation or additional doses are otherwise available at the site that day, people on the waitlist will be notified. The waitlist does not roll over, so people will need to sign up again for the next day.

Nearly 333,000 doses of vaccine had been administered in Snohomish County and more than 132,000 people were fully vaccinated as of March 30. That’s one in every five county residents over 16. Updated information is posted weekly at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine. The Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce has administered more than 156,000 doses of vaccine since early January.

The taskforce also has mobile teams of emergency medical staff with local fire agencies who are working to vaccinate homebound individuals. These teams have begun going out to vaccinate people who are unable to access an appointment outside of their home. These efforts are focused on people who are homebound by necessity, not those who would prefer to be vaccinated at home but can access care outside of the home.

In order to vaccinate as many eligible people as possible, it is critical that the first option is to direct people to a vaccination site, medical provider, clinic or pharmacy. If the barrier to vaccination is transportation, assistance is available in the community to help them get to an appointment. If access to technology, devices, or internet to register for vaccination is the barrier, community partners or the COVID-19 call center for Snohomish County can assist with registration.

Homebound individuals who cannot access vaccination outside of the home may contact the call center at 425-339-5278 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The call center makes referrals to mobile EMS teams and vaccination providers when the only way for someone to access the vaccine is through in-home vaccination.

Mobile teams also have been assisting with vaccination clinics at senior housing complexes, senior centers, and shelters for people experiencing homelessness.

Work is moving forward on community-based clinics to increase access for historically marginalized communities, as well. An electronic survey was provided last week to service organizations that work with these communities to gather information that will assist in planning for specific clinics. Resources continue to be limited, and these clinics aim to focus on communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Data on vaccination as well as disease rates from the Snohomish Health District and Washington State Department of Health will inform planning. Those community-based clinics are expected to be underway later this month.

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.

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler on Friday extended his emergency order directing all state-regulated health insurers to make additional coverage changes to aid consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. His order is in effect until May 2 and requires health insurers to:

• Continue coverage for providing telehealth via methods including telephone and video chat tools such as Facetime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangout video, Skype and Go-to-Meeting. 
• Cover all medically necessary diagnostic testing for flu and certain other viral respiratory illnesses billed during a provider visit for COVID-19 with no copay, coinsurance or deductible. 
• Treat drive-up testing sites for COVID-19 as provider visits with no copay, coinsurance or deductible.
• To help free up hospital beds, Kreidler is directing health insurers to waive or expedite prior authorization requirements for home health care or long-term care facility services to speed up discharging patients who are ready to leave. 

“This continues to be a critical time for all Washingtonians and we need to provide safe and flexible access to care,” Kreidler said. “During this unprecedented time, people should not have to worry about their insurance coverage.” 

The new guidance from the state health officials and the Department of Labor and Industries provides information for health care workers and employers on when to use certain types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and what to do if a facility cannot obtain the recommended PPE:

• L&I and DOH Respirator and PPE for Long-Term Care Facilities
• L&I and DOH Respirator and PPE for In-Home Care Agencies

Working Washington Round 4 offers grant relief funds to small for-profit businesses, especially those that were required to close due to public health and safety measures.

Priorities for funding are:

• Businesses required to close.
• Businesses with lost revenue as a result of closure.
• Businesses with added expenses to maintain safe operations.
• Equitable distribution of grant funds across the state and to businesses owned and operated by historically disadvantaged individuals.

Applications for Working Washington Grants: Round 4 are due no later than Friday, April 9 at 5 p.m.

Visit https://commercegrants.com/ for additional information and to apply.

The IRS continues to issue the third Economic Impact Payment to eligible individuals. This includes Social Security recipients and other federal beneficiaries who do not normally file a tax return. Most of these payments will be sent electronically and received on Wednesday, April 7.

This round of third payments applies to eligible Social Security retirement, survivor or disability, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Board beneficiaries who don’t file tax returns. In addition, many federal beneficiaries who filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return or used the Non-Filers tool last year were issued Economic Impact Payments, if eligible, during the last three weeks, along with other taxpayers. These beneficiaries can use the Get My Payment tool to find out when and how the payment was issued.