|
Declining COVID-19 case rates in Snohomish County and a steady increase in people becoming vaccinated against the disease are reasons for optimism, a press conference was told Tuesday.
The rolling case rate for COVID-19 infections continues to decline. During the latest two-week period ending June 6, it stood at 103 new cases per 100,000 population. This is back to where the county was briefly in March before heading back up.
“Snohomish County has weathered its fourth wave and we’re on the road to recovery,” said Shawn Frederick, administrative officer at the Snohomish Health District. “This is thanks in large part to the growing number of people getting vaccinated. To the 423,000 people and counting here in Snohomish County who have gotten (fully) vaccinated – thank you!”
The good news comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sharing new information suggesting that COVID infection rates may have been far higher than originally believed. Nearly 40,000 people in Snohomish County became reported cases, which is roughly one in every 20 residents. The CDC believes only about 25% of infections were reported, which means it’s possible that as many as 150,000 more people in the county may have been infected but not diagnosed.
So far, nearly 2,000 people here have been hospitalized and nearly 600 lives lost to COVID-19 since Jan. 20, 2020. Compare that to an average of 26 lives lost annually due to influenza during the 2015-2019 flu seasons.
Vaccination remains the key to beating COVID, said Jason Biermann, director of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management. The Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce will continue to offer access to shots, at mass vaccination sites through the end of June, and through community based clinics in the months ahead.
We can all take steps this summer and into the fall to support our community and help our neighbors during this stage of the pandemic, Biermann told the news conference. That can take on many forms: getting your shot to protect yourself and those around you; spending time with a loved one who needs emotional support; or choosing to do your shopping and dining at local businesses.
“Everyone has a role in this,” he said.
Find a video recording of the full briefing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdMU7qenLhY
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers is proposing the use federal relief dollars for one-time payments of $1,250 to about 1,500 public-facing county employees deemed essential during the pandemic.
And another proposal would mandate $4-per-hour pay boosts to some workers in large grocery stores in unincorporated Snohomish County.
On Tuesday, Somers submitted both ordinances to the county council for consideration.
“Our frontline workforce has been putting themselves at significant personal risk for the last 17 months providing ready access to food, shelter, safety and other essential government services,” Somers said in a news release. “While these proposals are short term measures, these essential workers have earned this supplemental pay. As the labor market tightens, it is vital that we retain a healthy and motivated workforce to serve our communities.”
The one-time payments would go to people like sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers, human services specialists, park rangers, and other county employees who’ve frequently interacted with the public during the pandemic.
Read the full article here: https://www.heraldnet.com/news/somers-proposes-one-time-payments-for-some-county-employees/
The statewide goal is to reach 70% of residents age 16+ having at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
We’re now a little over 64% in Snohomish County for that metric – about 38,000 residents from reaching the 70% mark. For comparison, that number is just shy of the population of the city of Lynnwood. #VaxUpSnoco http://bit.ly/snocovaccine
 Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Emergency Management Director Jason Biermann, and Snohomish Health District Administrative Officer Shawn Frederick provide updates on the response to COVID-19.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdMU7qenLhY
|
