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After hitting a two-week plateau, the COVID case rate in Snohomish County dropped from 69 to 60 new cases per 100,000 population.
With more activities open, we need to stay focused and keep cases down. Vax up, wash your hands, stay home if sick, and keep a mask handy – depending on where you go, you’ll need it.
All people, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear masks in certain places, such as public transportation, schools and health care settings. In most other settings, people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask.
However, the Secretary of Health’s mask order has been amended to say that no one is required to wear a mask outdoors. People who are unvaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings, such as at sporting events, fairs, parades, concerts, and similar settings where it’s harder to maintain physical distance. No one is required to wear a mask during outdoor sports practice or competition, while swimming or when engaged in water sports and recreation.
People who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask when in indoor public settings, as well as during indoor sports practices and competitions. There will be some limited exceptions that will be designated by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Details and future updates will be through the Governor’s Office and DOH websites.
The settings in which all people, including people who are fully vaccinated, are required to wear masks include:
- child care facilities, camps, K-12 schools, and other youth settings where children are present or expected to be present;
- health care settings, in accordance with CDC health care infection prevention and control recommendations;
- correctional facilities in areas where incarcerated individuals are present or expected to be present;
- homeless shelters in areas where individuals being served are present or expected to be present; and
- public transportation and transportation hubs, including airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations. Note that the Health District supports transportation agencies excluding or disembarking riders who decline to wear a mask.
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Due to COVID-19, vaccines seem to be on everyone’s mind these days. Along with COVID-19 vaccine questions, you may also be wondering: “What vaccines have I already had? Which vaccines do I still need to get? How can I find out if my kids have all their vaccinations for school?”
Another pressing question might be, “What do I do if I lose my COVID-19 vaccination card?”
There’s good news — most of your vaccine questions can be answered easily with the help of an online portal. Washington State offers an authorized service called MyIR Mobile which allows you to safely access your and your family’s immunization records online. It’s free, it’s official, and it’s secure. Once registered, you can access all of your vaccination records — including your COVID-19 vaccine records.
See the full press release for more information.
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Gov. Jay Inslee last week issued an extension of the utility moratorium proclamation, which will now expire on September 30, 2021. This will be the final extension of the proclamation and the extension will align with the end date of the tenancy preservation bridge (21-09) to give Washingtonians struggling with housing payments time to prepare and seek assistance before both proclamations expire.
"Utilities and housing are inextricably linked," Inslee said. "Our priority is to keep Washingtonians safe and housed, and give them a glide path to long-term stability."
The Office of the Governor will work closely with utilities on how they can continue to support customers once the moratorium expires. Utilities are encouraged to:
- Continue to make good faith efforts to reach customers with past-due accounts, including partnering with community organizations, and provide information about their various assistance options.
- Help customers identify utility, local, state and federal financial assistance programs they may be eligible for.
- Offer extended payment plans of 12 months or longer.
- Waive disconnection, reconnection, site visit and late fees accrued during the disconnection moratorium, if customers sign up for payment assistance.
- Refrain from reporting overdue accounts to credit bureaus or placing liens on customers with overdue accounts for at least 180 days.
See the full press release for more information.
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This state’s latest bimonthly morbidity and mortality report for COVID-19 was released last week. It provides an overview of confirmed or probable COVID case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths by race and ethnicity across Washington. Read the full report for more information.
Below are some key findings:
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- Confirmed or probable case rates for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations are approximately 3.5 times higher than case rates for Asian and white populations.
- Confirmed or probable case rates for Black populations are approximately two times higher than case rates among Asian and white populations.
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander populations have death rates among confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases that are six times higher than white populations.
- American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic populations have death rates among confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases that are three times higher than white populations.
- Black populations have death rates among confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases that are about twice as high as white populations.
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