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COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County continue to fall and are now at levels not seen since October, but they likely won’t stay on that path without continued caution and more people getting vaccinated, a virtual press conference was told Tuesday.
County Executive Dave Somers and Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District, briefed reporters about the community’s COVID response.
The declining number of COVID cases reflects the increasing numbers of people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus. Tens of thousands of people here each week are opting to join the ranks of those protected by vaccination, but an estimated 250,000 eligible county residents still have not taken their shot.
“We are continuing to make progress but there is still a ways to go,” Dr. Spitters said.
It is important for people who haven’t been vaccinated to continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors too, when social distancing is not possible, Dr. Spitters said. The same advice applies to people who are immunosuppressed, he said.
COVID vaccine remains plentiful in the community and is available through health care providers, pharmacies and at community-based clinics. The Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce has been shifting its focus from operating mass vaccination sites and putting more effort into helping stage smaller mobile clinics at schools, churches and other places where communities gather.
Many of the clinics are being arranged at the request of people who, for a variety of reasons, face additional challenges in accessing vaccines. The focus remains on making free vaccination against COVID an option for everybody who wants that protection.
“It’s the ground game, and we are going to keep doing it,” Executive Somers said.
The Executive also discussed ordinances he proposed last week along with County Council members Stephanie Wright and Megan Dunn. One would provide about 1,500 front-line county workers with a one-time payment of $1,250 in recognition of essential work done during the pandemic. The other encourages a $4 per hour boost in pay for workers at larger grocery stores in the county’s unincorporated areas.
“We believe this is a balanced proposal to help our workers, provide incentives for folks to stay in their jobs, and give an extra stimulus to our businesses that are still struggling,” Somers said.
Find a video recording of the full briefing here: https://youtu.be/eRaPgjmGYV4
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Nearly two-thirds of Snohomish County residents ages 16 and older have at least one dose of COVID vaccine. Each week, thousands more get vaccinated, improving protection against the virus in our community.
Lots of options to get your shot: http://bit.ly/snocovaccine
#vaxupsnoco
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday released a statement on the numbers used to determine when Washington state will fully reopen from COVID-19 restrictions. Key sections are excerpted below:
Many people, myself included, are eager for our state to fully reopen. I have said repeatedly we are going to do this on June 30 or when we hit 70% of people 16 and up initiating vaccinations – whichever happens first. We use age 16 and up as that population was eligible when we made the announcement.
I am hopeful Washingtonians will get vaccinated for their own health and that of their loved ones, and to help move our state closer to a full reopening.
For those who would advocate changing our strategy, we are on the two-yard line. We are not going to change the game plan now. We are going to see this through.
I said this last week, but it bears repeating: We need to compare apples to apples. Many on social media have chosen to compare data that don’t belong together, giving Washingtonians incomplete or misinformed data on our progress.
Our state uses data for people age 16 and up; the federal government uses data for ages 18 and up. We use the most recent Census data from 2020; the federal government uses older data.
See the press release for the governor's full statement and more information, including details about the differences between how the state and federal vaccination data is compiled.
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The map below gives a rough idea by ZIP code of the percentage of eligible population in Snohomish County who had at least initiated vaccination against COVID-19 by June 5.
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Looking for easy access to your COVID vaccine? Stop by one of the community-based clinics this week. To sign up to reserve your dose, find registration links and more info at http://bit.ly/snocojuneclinics. Ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult parent/guardian.
Meanwhile, the Ash Way mass vaccination site in Lynnwood is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. No appointment is necessary, but it is encouraged. See http://bit.ly/snocovaccine
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The Attorney General’s Office and Washington’s Lottery are urging Washingtonians to be wary of potential scams associated with the state’s “Shot of a Lifetime” lottery for vaccinated Washingtonians.
The program’s drawings will be held on Tuesdays through July 13, and feature $250,000 and $1 million cash prizes, sporting event tickets, technology and tuition credits, among other incentives. Vaccinated individuals who are in the state’s Immunization Information System are automatically entered into the drawings.
The primary method the Lottery will use to contact drawing winners is by phone, but representatives with the Lottery will never ask for bank account information or Social Security numbers over the phone. The Lottery may also contact some winners by email or, as a final method of outreach, text message.
If you are wary of a call, voicemail, email or text that purports to be from the Lottery, contact Washington’s Lottery directly at 360-810-2888 to verify that they are a Lottery representative.
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The Lottery has received some reports of callers attempting to use the program to scam Washingtonians.
See the full press release for more details.
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Everett Community College has scheduled a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 19. Shots will be administered at EvCC’s Walt Price Student Fitness Center, 2206 Tower St.
Appointments are strongly encouraged but not required. Ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian.
Sign up for your appointment here: https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/clinical-experience -- Use organization code: KYOVB
Free shuttle service is offered to three partnering sites. The locations are:
- South Everett/Casino Road, 525 West Casino Road
- Trailside Village, 1300 100th Place SE
- Cascade Boys & Girls Club, 7600 Cascade Dr.
Shuttles will run throughout the clinic and will be sanitized between each trip. For the shuttle schedule, see EverettCC.edu/Vaccination
The Communities of Color Coalition will be raffling off prizes at the clinic. Get vaccinated for a chance to win!
The vaccine is provided through President Biden’s new vaccine partnership between federal retail pharmacy partners and community colleges.
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“Getting the vaccine as soon as possible was a big priority for me. While people experience the vaccine differently in the days after getting their shots, I felt a little sore, was tired, and had a small headache for the day. That was all worth it to do my part to crush this virus and get us back to normal.”
- Congresswoman Suzan DelBene
Why do you vax?
#vaxupsnoco
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This is the fifth installment from the state Department of Health exploring questions about COVID-19 vaccines. Among other things, this post addresses:
- It’s my choice to get the vaccine. Why does it matter to anyone else if I skip it?
- If most cases of COVID-19 are mild, why do I need the vaccine?
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The Internal Revenue Service late last week posted two new, separate sets of frequently-asked-questions to assist families and small and mid-sized employers in claiming credits under the American Rescue Plan.
Both the child and dependent care credit as well as the paid sick and family leave credit were enhanced under the ARP, enacted in March to assist families and small businesses with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery underway. The two sets of FAQs provide information on eligibility, computing the credit amounts, and how to claim these important tax benefits.
For 2021, the ARP increased the maximum amount of work-related expenses for qualifying care that may be taken into account in calculating the credit; increased the maximum percentage of those expenses for which the credit may be taken; modified how the credit is reduced for higher earners, and made it refundable. Eligible taxpayers can claim qualifying work-related expenses up to:
- $8,000 for one qualifying person, up from $3,000 in prior years, or
- $16,000 for two or more qualifying persons, up from $6,000 in prior years.
The paid sick and family leave credits reimburse eligible employers for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees for reasons related to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations. Self-employed individuals are eligible for similar tax credits.
The FAQs include information on how eligible employers may claim the paid sick and family leave credits, including how to file for and compute the applicable credit amounts, and how to receive advance payments for and refunds of the credits.
See the full press release for more information.
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Washington’s average annual wage grew by 10.1% in 2020 to $76,741, according to the state Employment Security Department.
It’s the largest percentage increase in the average annual wage year over year on record. It also is an artifact of the economic disruption caused by the COVID pandemic.
The average annual wage is calculated only using wages from those in the workforce that are covered by unemployment insurance. The average weekly wage rose from $1,340 in 2019 to $1,475 in 2020.
The increase was driven by a 4.9 percent decrease in covered employment and a 4.7 percent increase in total earnings, which grew by nearly $10.9 billion in 2020. Overall, the average number of workers in Washington covered by unemployment insurance decreased by just over 164,161 workers in 2020.
The higher than normal increase in reported average wages can be attributed to the fact that thousands of lower-paid workers lost their jobs during the pandemic and higher-paid workers remained employed. While it is common for the average wage to rise during recessions, since lower wage workers are more likely to be laid off than higher paid ones, the shift during the pandemic recession was much more dramatic than during the Great Recession.
In 2020, while there was an historic loss of jobs in accommodation and food services, one of the lowest wage industries, at the same time, higher paid professionals were able to work remotely from home and therefore experienced relatively few layoffs.
See the full press release for more information.
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Confused about HIPAA and how it applies to information about your status for COVID vaccination? This quick video explains the basics. Learn more about health information privacy by visiting www.hhs.gov/hipaa.
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Case rates are declining in Snohomish County, more activities are resuming, and people are looking to the future. It’s exciting, but we want to make sure we take our next steps with respect, compassion and some caution.
A new blog explores four ways to help: http://www.snohd.org/Blog.aspx?IID=51
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Cumulative from January 2020 through June 14, 2021.
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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