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Hospitals in Snohomish County continue to struggle with a surge of seriously ill patients needing treatment for COVID-19, and there are growing concerns about the healthcare system’s capacity to absorb much more, a virtual press conference was told Tuesday.
Hospitals here are “under tremendous strain” and on Tuesday morning reported 106 COVID patients, with 30 requiring mechanical ventilators to breathe, said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District.
That’s triple the number of COVID patients on ventilators compared to just a week ago. Meanwhile, intensive care units are operating at 95% capacity, and the county's COVID case rate has climbed to 464 new cases per 100,000 people -- a new high.
“We are really in a tough spot here,” Dr. Spitters said.
Data show the virus continues to spread most easily among those who have not been vaccinated. Those same people also are requiring the most treatment, the press conference was told.
Hospital officials last week shared their “highest level of concern” since the pandemic began, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said.
He joined Dr. Spitters in continuing to urge people to get vaccinated against COVID, to wear masks indoors and to avoid close contact in crowds.
The pair said careful consideration is now being given to additional health directives and orders that may be necessary to stem the virus’ spread.
Executive Somers made clear he supports intervention taken by businesses on their own, such as requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination or a clear test result before accessing services.
Dr. Spitters said there is merit in considering mask requirements for outdoor gatherings, as recently was ordered in King and Pierce counties, but no decisions have been made.
“Stay tuned later in the week; we may have more to say on that,” he told the press conference.
Watch a video of the full briefing: https://youtu.be/TQdvsUTUlmk
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Amid worries over a rising fifth wave of COVID infection, Snohomish County took a few minutes Tuesday to focus attention on a program that has quietly fed families and supported farmers during the pandemic.
The Nourishing Neighborhoods program is a story of innovation, compassion and economic support, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers told a virtual press conference. He encouraged people to watch a newly released video explaining the program and interviewing people most responsible for its success.
Since spring 2020, Nourishing Neighborhoods has provided more than 20,000 boxes of food to 775 families at 25 different locations around the community where data show people have difficulty accessing food. Much of the produce has been purchased from local farmers, who struggled after COVID restrictions shut down restaurants, farmer’s markets and packing houses that traditionally were their best customers.
“I really think of all those kids who wouldn’t have had enough food to eat and all those parents who struggled to put food on the table during the pandemic,” Executive Somers said. “It’s been an amazing program. Nourishing Neighborhoods not only fed people but also was a lifeline for many during a really difficult time.”
He said the county plans to continue the program for as long as is necessary.
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In just seven days, roughly 15,000 people were tested around the county. Many locations in Snohomish County saw the highest volume of people seeking testing since the pandemic began during that week ending August 28. Of those tested, approximately 15 percent—more than 2,000 people—were positive for COVID-19.
Given the increased demand and high level of transmission happening locally and regionally, the Snohomish Health District is making some adjustments to testing operations. This includes a closure of one site, but the addition of two new locations.
The Health District has been operating a test site at the Lynnwood Food Bank for more than a year. It closed Saturday, Sept. 4.
"We are so grateful to the staff and volunteers at the Lynnwood Food Bank who have partnered with us for testing and vaccinations on their facility,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “This location has been one of the District’s busiest sites for quite some time.”
In recent weeks, the testing site was seeing more than 300 people per day. While staff were able to get people through, it was a strain on operations and the site. On September 9, a new testing location will open up at the Ash Way Park & Ride in Lynnwood. It will be open for testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday through Sunday.
“As we saw with the vaccine site there earlier this year, this location allows us to handle higher volumes and some added flexibility for future planning needs,” added Dr. Spitters. “We appreciate Community Transit’s partnership and support in helping us bring this location back online.”
See the full press release for more information.
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Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 significantly decreases your risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death from the disease. You can beat the odds. Get your shot. For more info: http://www.shd.org/covidvaccine.
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More than 500,000 Snohomish County residents had been vaccinated, but we still have nearly 200,000 eligible residents who haven't started. It’s not too late. Make today the day to get your vaccine. Find a location near you.
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Not only are all three COVID-19 vaccines safe and effective, they’re also free, even if you don’t have insurance. Find a vaccine location near you at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine.
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Chances are, you’ve recently heard some talk about breakthrough COVID-19 cases.
The delta variant is currently spreading through the US at an incredible rate. While it’s most contagious (and dangerous) among unvaccinated people, there are still a few fully vaccinated people testing positive for COVID-19.
The state Department of Health understands how discouraging this may sound, especially since a post-pandemic world felt so close a few weeks ago. Although this may be disappointing, it’s not necessarily unexpected. In fact, there are still reasons to feel encouraged.
Read the full post for more information.
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During a pandemic, or any widespread crisis, it’s important to have a source for trusted information. There are many unknowns that can cause fear, panic, and a perceived loss of safety. These reactions are common across all communities but can be especially heightened in immigrant and refugee groups with language barriers, historical mistrust, and a lack of resources.
There are many cultural outreach programs within the state Department of Health to address these challenges. One example is the COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach in Former Soviet Union Communities project. It’s coordinated by Vadim Kogan, an Immunization Health Educator for DOH and Ekaterina Teterina, a Health Services Consultant in the Refugee Health Program at DOH.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach in Former Soviet Union Communities project actually started before the pandemic. It was intended to help share vaccination information with Slavic communities and increase access to trustworthy health resources. Once the pandemic hit, the project pivoted to address COVID-19 concerns, including information about the virus and COVID-19 vaccine education.
This project shows how outreach programs can help immigrant and refugee communities before, during, and after a pandemic. And, it highlights some of the challenges they still face.
Read the full press release for more information.
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Soon schools across Washington will be teeming with students for the first time in more than a year. Supporting the effort to get students back into schools, and formulating plans to help keep our schools open, has been a priority for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) for months.
This year, back-to-school occurs in the midst of a COVID-19 surge in all regions of the state. So, the strategy for a healthy return includes layered protections: encouraging vaccines for all eligible students, requiring staff to be vaccinated, near-universal masking, and regular COVID-19 testing at school.
Testing at schools is a crucial way to track and prevent disease spread, so DOH has partnered with the Health Commons Project to provide districts with end-to-end testing support, including a testing strategist to help develop the best strategy and tools.
Districts can choose from a menu of testing options at school via the Learn to Return (LTR) testing program. LTR offers testing options that make the most sense for each school, including screening testing that helps identify cases early to prevent potential outbreaks.
"School-based COVID testing should help give parents peace of mind,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “It’s part of a layered approach in our schools that will allow us to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Combining testing with broad vaccination, and then adding the four W’s of washing hands, wearing masks, watching distance, and using WA Notify is the best possible approach as we restart full-time, in-person learning.”
Read the full press release for more information.
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The state Department of Health’s weekly report summarizing COVID-19 genome sequencing provides a statewide view of available data, including breakouts by county and demographics. Among other things, the data demonstrate how the highly infections delta strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 swiftly became dominant in Washington. Read the full Sept. 1 report.
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Cumulative from January 2020 to present.
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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