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Snohomish County is facing a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections and is at risk of restrictive rollbacks unless people redouble efforts to stem the spread of coronavirus.
That was one of the key messages during a virtual press briefing Tuesday about the community’s response to the pandemic delivered by Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters and county Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann.
The press conference shared news about emergency rental assistance for people who have suffered economic injury from COVID; the opening of a seventh mass vaccination site in the county; and the success of ongoing efforts to ensure equitable access to COVID vaccines. Even so, rising case rates commanded the most attention.
“I’m very concerned and regret to report that it looks like we are on our way up a fourth wave of COVID here in Snohomish County and throughout the region,” Dr. Spitters said.
There have been more than 1,700 new COVID cases in the county during the two-week period ending April 7 – a 250% increase compared to the recent lows in mid March. That’s an “amazing and impressive, but also alarming reminder” of the virus’s ability to unravel progress, Spitters said.
Unlike earlier rounds of infection when older people and those living in nursing homes were hardest hit, the virus now is showing up most frequently in younger adults. A combination of people lowering their guard during social gatherings and increased presence of more-infectious COVID strains appears to be fueling the increase.
The county’s COVID case rate now stands at 205 per 100,000 population, which is higher than allowed under Phase 3 of the state’s Roadmap to Recovery plan. Meanwhile, hospital rates remain just below the threshold, but they’ve been rising and could be high enough to force the county to go backward when the numbers are reviewed in early May, Dr. Spitters said.
The county is “on the threshold and in serious jeopardy” of going backwards on restrictions, Spitters said, and warned that without mitigation, the reversal could be even more severe. He stopped short of predicting that will happen but said “that’s where we are headed” without immediate change.
Executive Somers said there is still time to drive down case rates, if only people will again be rigorous about wearing masks and limiting their gatherings, particularly indoors.
“We can turn this around if people just take action, protect themselves, don’t gather, particularly with groups of unvaccinated people indoors,” Somers said.
Watch the full briefing here: https://youtu.be/5XzaSr5knmU
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday visited the mass vaccination site in Arlington. Members of the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce talked with the governor about the ongoing work to vaccinate Snohomish County residents, at the mass vaccination sites as well as through mobile vaccination teams and community-based clinics. The governor thanked the staff and volunteers who are working hard to get as many people protected as possible against COVID-19. He recognized the multiple efforts and access points for vaccination, and admired the efficiency of the mass vaccination site.
“These vaccinations are safe, they are saving lives, they are convenient, it’s as easy as getting a hamburger and a milkshake to get a vaccination,” Inslee said. “…We are very encouraged by this operation.”
The work being done to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic wouldn’t be possible without amazing volunteers. During the visit, one of those volunteers, Stephanie Dickson, was recognized by the governor as Washingtonian of the Day. Stephanie is a volunteer with the Snohomish County Medical Reserve Corps and an Arlington resident who has put in hundreds of hours, including at the mass vaccination site in Arlington.
To learn more about mass vaccination sites or book an appointment, visit http://bit.ly/snocovaccine.
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Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination expanded to all Washingtonians age 16 and older starting April 15. The same thing happened nationally April 19.
In Snohomish County, we are still seeing more demand than availability of vaccines, and we know the opening of eligibility has increased that demand. This could make it difficult for older adults to book an appointment.
Please don’t get discouraged. Here are four reminders to help make sure you and those around you get vaccinated.
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Make the call. If you’re having trouble finding available appointments online, consider calling your primary healthcare provider or pharmacy, or the COVID-19 call center for Snohomish County. The call center is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the number is 425-339-5278. They can help register for appointments at the mass vaccination sites or connect with resources to overcome barriers to vaccination. This includes referring homebound individuals to mobile vaccination teams, or providing information on transportation or other assistance.
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Bring a friend. If you are signing up for an appointment, consider seeing if a friend or family member wants to book one, too. Help them get a time on the same day as you, if another spot is available. You can even carpool if you’ve both got appointments at the same location.
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Get the vaccine that is available. We know people may have preferences on which vaccine brand they want to get, based on convenience or what they’ve heard from friends and family who received that vaccine. While you have the ability to wait for appointments to be available for the brand you want, the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce encourages people to get the vaccine that is available to them soonest, unless there is a medical reason to get one vaccine over another. The vaccines currently in use are all safe and effective, and if you are waiting for a brand that has less supply, it could delay your vaccination unnecessarily.
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Get both doses of a two-dose vaccine. You might not feel great after the second dose – side effects like headache, chills, mild fever, aches and fatigue are fairly common. That can be discouraging. But the second dose of a two-dose vaccine is important to be fully vaccinated and as protected as possible from COVID-19.
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Share your experience. If you have been vaccinated, share your experience with friends and family. Let them know what it was like, how you felt, and why you chose to get vaccinated. Hearing from trusted loved ones is one the most impactful ways to encourage vaccination.
More info: http://bit.ly/snocovaccine ; www.snohd.org/covidvaccine
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A new mass vaccination site is scheduled to open Wednesday, April 21, at the Ash Way Park & Ride in south Snohomish County.
This is the seventh mass vaccination site in the county operated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce. It is located at 16327 Ash Way, Lynnwood.
The site offers a combination of drive-thru and walk-up vaccination. Transit riders can take the bus to the location and will be directed to the walk-up vaccination station and waiting area. Anyone who arrives in a car will use the drive-thru vaccination station – the location is not designed for on-site parking for walk-up appointments.
The Ash Way site was planned in partnership with Community Transit, which has information available on how to access the location using public transportation. That information is available at www.communitytransit.org/ashwayvax.
Community Transit operates 17 bus routes that directly serve the Ash Way Park & Ride from throughout Snohomish County, as well as many other routes that require only one transfer to get to the vaccine clinic.
Like the other mass vaccination sites, Ash Way is by appointment only. People can schedule an appointment online at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine using the registration link provided for the Ash Way site. Please note there are separate clinics and registrations for walk-up and for drive-thru appointments.
The registration system also offers a waitlist option. People can sign up for a same-day waitlist to be notified if there are cancellations or openings for appointments at the site. However, the waitlist does not roll over for future dates.
People can also call 425-339-5278 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to reach the COVID-19 call center for Snohomish County. The call center can help with over-the-phone registration for mass vaccination sites, as well as assisting with other resources, such as referring homebound individuals to the taskforce’s mobile vaccination team.
Details on which vaccines are offered at the mass vaccination sites are available along with the registration links at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine. For sites that have administered more than one vaccine, the brand currently being administered is specified in the clinic information at the registration link.
The Ash Way site is set to be open Wednesday through Sunday with appointments from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on vaccine availability. This will increase access for weekend appointments for vaccination.
The vaccine taskforce also is looking to adjust days and hours for other sites. Planning is underway to increase weekend availability, as well as coordination for potential evening vaccination clinics, as vaccine availability allows. While some weekend appointments have previously been available at multiple mass vaccination sites, the taskforce wants to ensure that access is expanded for those who cannot make it to appointments during weekdays.
More than 434,000 doses of vaccine had been administered in Snohomish County and more than 170,000 people were fully vaccinated as of April 13. That number is roughly equal to the population of Everett and Marysville, combined, now fully vaccinated. Updated information is posted weekly at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine.
Eligibility for vaccination has expanded to all Washingtonians age 16 and older. At the mass vaccination sites operated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce, people who are 16 and older may be vaccinated with parent or guardian consent for the Pfizer vaccine. No other vaccine has been authorized for people younger than 18 at this time. An adult parent or legal guardian must accompany anyone under 18 to a vaccination appointment for the Pfizer vaccine to sign the consent form on site. They should also bring identification showing proof of age for the minor, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate. The registration process is the same as for any other eligible patient – they can sign up via the registration links at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine or call the call center at 425-339-5278.
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Snohomish County, in partnership with the Volunteers of America Western Washington and key partner organizations, is now accepting applications for Snohomish County’s new Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program.
ERA is funded through the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which included the Emergency Rental Assistance Act administered through the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The ERA is intended to help prevent evictions by paying past due, current, and future rent for eligible households.
The ERA is directing rental assistance to those in greatest need who have been impacted because of income loss or other factors affecting housing stability due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many households in Snohomish County are significantly impacted and may lose housing when the eviction moratorium ends. The funding will not be able to meet all rental assistance needs but is expected to make a significant impact for those most in need.
“There are many families in every neighborhood in Snohomish County suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the idea of losing their homes in the midst of this crisis is another heavy burden,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “We are grateful that these federal funds are available to keep people in their homes and prevent even more suffering. We are in this crisis together, and together, we’ll get through it.”
Families and individual residents are struggling and will need assistance until they are able to get back to work, secure childcare, and resolve other issues that affect their ability to keep up with rental payments. Housing stability is central to the wellbeing of our families and community, and across Snohomish County, our neighbors need housing assistance as they work to recover from the pandemic.
“We appreciate the work our congressional delegation has done to target resources to communities in need during the pandemic,” said Snohomish County Council Chair Stephanie Wright. “We have known that rent assistance will be a critical part of our recovery and key feature of reducing the negative consequences of the pandemic in our community.”
To be eligible, households must have an income at or below 80% of Area Median Income, experienced a financial hardship directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted their ability to pay rent, and are at risk of experiencing homelessness or current housing instability.
See the full press release for more information.
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“We really want to protect everybody, especially those who are really, really vulnerable, and we need everybody to do that … it takes all of us.” -
@Marysville_Fire firefighter Nick Arnold Why do you vax? #vaxupsnoco
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Former Seattle Seahawks star running back Marshawn Lynch on Friday released a video of a recent talk with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s highest-profile COVID-19 expert. The 32-minute discussion focused in part on reluctance toward vaccination reported among some members of historically marginalized groups, including Latinx and Black people.
Lynch was candid about a complicated history surrounding public health and race.
“When it comes to the government giving back to communities that look like me, we don’t seem to be on the well-received end of those situations,” Lynch said. “It gets to the point where it’s almost like a gamble.”
“You are absolutely right,” Fauci said. “The history of how the federal government, going back decades, particularly in the area of medical issues, how they’ve treated African Americans, has not been something to be proud of. That’s for sure. We’ve got to recognize that. So, the reluctance that you’ve expressed is a reluctance that is founded in historical reality.”
The challenge now is making sure people have the facts they need to feel confident in taking advantage of vaccines that have proven safe and effective against COVID, Fauci said. People from BIPOC communities have been disproportionately affected by the most-severe COVID cases, including deaths, he added.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration will soon be accepting applications for assistance under the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.
“We are starting the process to help restaurants and bars across the country devastated by the pandemic, and this is our message: Help is here,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said last week. “With the launch of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, we’re prioritizing funding to the hardest-hit small businesses – irreplaceable gathering places in our neighborhoods and communities that need a lifeline now to get back on their feet.”
Details on application requirements, eligibility, and a program guide are now available in English at www.sba.gov/restaurants or in Spanish at www.sba.gov/restaurantes.
The SBA plans to spend the next couple weeks in outreach and training as well as a seven-day pilot period to address any technical issues ahead of the public launch. Participants in this pilot will be randomly selected from existing PPP borrowers in priority groups for RRF and will not receive funds until the application portal is open to the public.
Once the application portal opens, the SBA plans to use the first 21-day period to prioritize reviewing applications from small businesses owned by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
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The state Department of Health has prepared a quick read that answers many COVID vaccine questions:
Everyone over age 16 is now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine here in Washington state! There’s a lot of vaccine information out there, and it can feel overwhelming sorting through it all. Sometimes, it’s even hard to tell what’s true and what’s not.
We’d like to take a moment to address some common questions we here at DOH to help you make an informed decision about getting the vaccine. But as always, you should talk to your health care provider if you have more questions. They can help you decide what is best for you and your health.
Topics addressed:
- I already had COVID-19 and recovered. Do I still need to get a COVID-19 vaccine?
- Will the COVID-19 vaccine make me sick?
- What about blood clots from the J&J vaccine?
More frequently asked questions about vaccines.
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Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler last week extended two emergency orders related to COVID-19.
His order requiring health insurers to waive copays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for coronavirus (COVID-19) and his order protecting consumers from receiving surprise bills for lab fees related to medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID-19 are both extended until May 16, 2021.
Kreidler's order waiving cost-sharing applies to all state-regulated health insurance plans and short-term, limited-duration medical plans. The order on surprise billing applies to both in-state and out-of-state laboratories when a provider orders diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
See the full press release for more information.
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The state Department of Health has released new guidance documents for child care, youth camps and vaccinations for critical workers.
Child Care, Youth Development, and Day Camps During COVID-19
- Updated physical distancing, cohorts, and sensory materials recommendations
- Updated program types that are included and not included in this document
- Added a new section providing information on reporting cases and working with local public health
COVID-19 Vaccination FAQs for Critical Workers' Employers
- Common questions and answers about COVID-19 vaccination from employers in workplace (non-health care) settings
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Below is the state’s three-week vaccine allocation forecast as of April 14.
This Week: 364,700 total doses (191,680 first doses, 173,020 second doses)
This includes 210,600 doses of Pfizer and 154,100 doses of Moderna
Week of April 25: 370,340 total doses (191,680 first doses, 178,660 second doses)
This includes 212,940 doses of Pfizer and 157,400 doses of Moderna
Week of May 2: 377,360 total doses (191,680 first doses, 185,680 second doses)
This includes 219,960 doses of Pfizer and 157,400 doses of Moderna
In addition to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the forecast shows Washington should receive 4,300 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine each week. State health authorities have reached out to federal partners to see if these allocations will change following the decision to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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There have been many COVID outbreaks among youth sports teams in Snohomish County. These outbreaks are putting the community at risk.
Be like a Seahawk and practice COVID-safe behaviors. The Seahawks were the only NFL team to not have a COVID case in their 2020 season. Let's beat COVID!
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Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through April 19, 2021
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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