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To better align with the state Department of Health’s data dashboard, the Snohomish Health District has incorporated positive antigen results into case reporting.
Effective April 19, the weekly case count update now includes a bar chart with total positive cases for the week broken into molecular and antigen cases. The rolling 2-week case rate has also been updated to incorporate antigen cases going back in time. This recalibration has resulted in a slight increase in rolling 2-week case rates.
Antigen test results are still positive cases but conducted through rapid tests rather than molecular testing doing at laboratories. This addition of antigen-positive cases is not what’s driving the observed increase in the rolling 2-week COVID rate. The overall increase in case rates is due to increased transmission. Only 18% of confirmed cases over the past month are antigen-positive cases.
Regardless of how you do the math, Snohomish County is still headed in the wrong direction in fighting COVID. Cases continue to climb, and these data suggest that if we don’t act quickly, we will be over the 200-case limit when rates are again calculated to determine which phase the community will be in under the state’s Roadmap to Recovery plan.
 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.
The Ash Way site is set to be open Wednesday through Sunday with appointments from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., depending on vaccine availability. This will increase access for weekend appointments for vaccination.
 Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Snohomish Health District Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters, and Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann give updates on the response to COVID-19 in Snohomish County.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XzaSr5knmU
 Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination expanded to all Washingtonians age 16 and older starting April 15. The same thing happened nationally this morning, April 19.
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.
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
"Justice is served. The fact that a jury found George Floyd’s murderer guilty doesn’t lessen the crime nor diminish the many other criminal acts that have never been accounted for in our justice system. However, this verdict should motivate us all to work on making our justice system fairer, particularly for members of Black and African American communities, and on building a community where no one can commit murder with impunity. I will continue to work to build an anti-racist government and a Snohomish County that is safe and welcoming for all residents."
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