Executive Dave Somers was joined by Snohomish County’s Director of Emergency Management, Jason Biermann, to talk about the last year of pandemic response and the year ahead, focusing on vaccines and our recovery work. This event was hosted by the Economic Alliance Snohomish County.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQUtkSx_Jac
Gov. Jay Inslee today announced that the state is moving toward a June 30 reopening and that all counties in Washington will be in Phase 3 of the Healthy WA: Roadmap to Recovery plan effective May 18.
The announcements come after the governor paused phase movement for two weeks to review an emerging flattening trend in statewide COVID-19 data. As of today, the plateau observed in COVID-19 activity has become a decline.
A full reopening could happen earlier than June 30 if 70% or more of Washingtonians over the age of 16 initiate vaccination, Inslee said. Washington has administered more than 6 million doses of vaccine, and 56 percent of Washingtonians already have initiated vaccination. Roughly 60% of Snohomish County’s eligible population already has initiated vaccination and more than 40% are fully vaccinated.
The governor urged people who want the state businesses to reopen to get vaccinated if they haven’t already. The vaccines are free. They save lives. “What’s not to like?” he asked.
Inslee also announced that Washington will fully adopt masking guidance issued by the CDC earlier today that people fully vaccinated against COVID no longer are required to wear masks – even indoors.
The governor stressed that this guidance is for fully vaccinated people — meaning people who are two weeks removed from their second shot of Pfizer or Moderna or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
He also said that businesses and workplaces may continue to require masks if that is their wish.
For more information, see the full press release or watch the governor’s press conference on TVW
As of Thursday, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine now may be administered to people age 12 and older.
The Snohomish Health District recommends that parents or guardians contact their children’s primary healthcare provider to see if they are or will be offering COVID vaccination, as well as to make sure children are up-to-date on other vaccinations and wellness visits.
Several mass vaccination sites operated by the Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce offer Pfizer vaccine. Anyone age 12 to 17 will need an adult parent or guardian to accompany them to provide consent on-site. More: http://bit.ly/snocovaccine.
Please remember that not all providers are set up to vaccinate adolescents at this time, and please be patient as more providers work to complete paperwork or other requirements so they can administer COVID vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds. Parents and guardians should contact their provider for more information before they try to make an appointment or show up for a vaccine.
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