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The number of COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County appears to have stopped climbing, but the near-record transmission rate is still creating havoc, particularly at area hospitals, a virtual press conference was told Tuesday.
New cases were down about 14% compared to the week prior. Hospitals continue to struggle, however. On average, each day has brought one death and roughly 100 patients receiving treatment for COVID at area hospitals, the press conference was told.
While it is good to see new cases declining, the rate of transmission remains high.
“Although the change in direction is reassuring and hopeful, we are far from out of the woods and this is not cause for celebration,” Dr. Spitters said.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers joined Dr. Spitters in continuing to urge people to get vaccinated.
The Executive said county government expects it will be subject to the pending federal mandate requiring vaccination at workplaces employing 100 or more people. Officials are waiting to learn more details from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the state Department of Labor and Industries.
County government likely will see at least some employees opt to leave, the press conference was told.
“Since over 70% of our employees are already vaccinated, we don’t have a great deal further to go. We are in pretty good shape, but this will certainly cause some additional requirements,” Executive Somers said.
Vaccination works, Dr. Spitters said. Data for August show the rate of COVID infection for unvaccinated people topped 800 cases per 100,000 population, four times the level for vaccinated people. Similarly, COVID hospitalizations were five times higher among the unvaccinated.
Watch a video of the full briefing: https://youtu.be/xBdtqtlyxoc
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The virus that causes COVID-19 is making its presence known at Snohomish County schools and childcares, but data continue to show the overwhelming majority of young people are safely receiving in-person instruction.
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Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer with the Snohomish Health District, told a virtual press conference Tuesday there were 1,000 local students quarantined last week from K-12 schools because of potential exposure to COVID.
While that number is troubling, it still represents a small fraction of the roughly 200,000 area students, Dr. Spitters said.
There were 367 confirmed and probable COVID cases and more than 2,000 close contacts involving childcares, schools, and youth sports identified in a two-week period ending September 16.
“Our Childcare and Schools team has been inundated with cases and have been working just about nonstop to support these case investigations,” Dr. Spitters said.
Unlike last year when schools went to a remote environment, the focus this year is ensuring effective mitigation so students can keep learning the classroom. From time to time there may be classrooms temporarily closed, but that likely won’t trigger major changes, Dr. Spitters said.
The Health District last week released a Back to School COVID-19 Information Toolkit with practical advice for a healthy school year.
“We need students, families, and teachers to continue working with us to get cases down and keep the impacts small,” Dr. Spitters said.
For more information, see the full press release on the tool kit
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In three graphics and a table, here is a snapshot of key indicators showing how Snohomish County measures up in the fight against COVID-19.
More than six in every 10 people living here have now at least initiated vaccination. Residents with Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or Asian heritage have the highest vaccination rates, while white people have the lowest, the latest data show.
Meanwhile, the ZIP codes with the highest COVID case rates are, for the most part, also the places with the lowest percentage of vaccinated population. For more information, read the Snohomish Health District’s latest demographic data analysis report.
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| Place |
ZIP |
Initiating vaccination |
Percent vaccinated |
| Bothell/Mill Creek |
98012 |
51,403 |
80% |
| Edmonds |
98020 |
15,655 |
77% |
| Bothell |
98021 |
24,721 |
80% |
| Edmonds |
98026 |
27,339 |
74% |
| Lynnwood |
98036 |
28,947 |
73% |
| Lynnwood |
98037 |
20,787 |
71% |
| Mountlake Terrace |
98043 |
14,914 |
71% |
| Woodinville |
98072 |
111 |
0% |
| Lynnwood |
98087 |
26,485 |
68% |
| Everett |
98201 |
18,891 |
64% |
| Everett |
98203 |
22,708 |
64% |
| Everett |
98204 |
25,283 |
59% |
| Everett |
98208 |
38,124 |
67% |
| Arlington |
98223 |
23,120 |
54% |
| Darrington |
98241 |
986 |
51% |
| Gold Bar |
98251 |
2,295 |
60% |
| Granite Falls |
98252 |
5,259 |
55% |
| Lake Stevens |
98258 |
29,377 |
89% |
| Marysville |
98270 |
30,073 |
59% |
| Marysville |
98271 |
17,384 |
61% |
| Monroe |
98272 |
17,465 |
56% |
| Mukilteo |
98275 |
16,189 |
76% |
| Snohomish |
98290 |
21,813 |
61% |
| Stanwood |
98292 |
13,891 |
62% |
| Sultan |
98294 |
3,756 |
53% |
| Snohomish |
98296 |
17,913 |
59% |
| Total |
--- |
514,889 |
62% |
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Here are some COVID-related numbers we are happy to see on the rise. Another 6,435 people in Snohomish County completed vaccination by the week ending Sept. 14, while 6,006 took their first shot. Weekly vaccination totals are trending up. Take your shot: https://www.snohd.org/587/How-to-Get-Your-Shot.
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Stop by and get your free COVID-19 shot! Community vaccination clinics are being offered this week in the following locations:
- Park Place Middle School, 9/22, 4pm-7pm
- Everett Farmers Market, 9/26, 10:30am-3pm
For more information, or to pre-register, please visit www.snohd.org/community-vax-clinics.
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Everett Community College is forgiving $1.2 million in student debt accumulated during the pandemic.
EvCC is using institutional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to cancel student debt for 3,442 students who attended classes spring quarter 2020 through summer quarter 2021.
Student debt more than doubled during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to EvCC’s College Financial Services office.
“The pandemic has hit our students hard, personally and financially. Students have lost jobs, faced food insecurity and some battled COVID-19 infection,” said EvCC President Daria Willis. “By eliminating this debt, we are removing a barrier preventing students from continuing their education. We will continue seeking innovative ways to support our students.”
The U.S. Department of Education encouraged institutions to use their HEERF funds to cancel student debt to support students facing challenges due to the pandemic. EvCC is one of a growing number of community colleges using HEERF funds for student debt.
EvCC students whose debt is being forgiven are also being provided financial literacy resources and support to prevent them from accruing future debt.
See the full press release for more information.
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Gov. Jay Inslee sent a letter Monday to Jeff Zients, federal COVID-19 response coordinator, requesting federal staffing resources, including clinical and non-clinical staff, to support the Washington health care system in response to rising COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The letter reads, in part:
"In Washington State, our hospitals are currently at or beyond capacity, and we need additional assistance at this time. Our hospitals were nearing capacity this summer – before the Delta variant hit our state. Much of this volume was due to delayed care during the early part of the pandemic.
"Once the Delta variant hit Washington state, COVID-19 hospitalizations skyrocketed. From mid-July to late August, we saw hospitalizations double about every two weeks. The hospitals have surged to increase staffed beds and stretch staff and have canceled most non-urgent procedures, but are still over capacity across the state.”
See the full press release for more details. Read the full letter here.
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The state Department of Health has published the first of a two-part series exploring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) full approval of Pfizer’s vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19. Part 1 focuses on some of the myths circulating about the Pfizer approval:
“Full FDA approval means that more people will choose to get vaccinated, which gets us closer to putting the pandemic behind us. In fact, rates have already increased since the announcement, and that’s terrific news. But while FDA approvals are well-known as the “gold standard” for proving a drug is safe and effective, the process isn’t always easy to understand. Unfortunately, this confusion provides ways for rumors to spread on and offline.”
Read the full blog post.
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Booster shots and third doses – What you should know: Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a third dose of the vaccine for immunocompromised people. This is because their bodies have limited ability to learn how to make antibodies from the vaccine. For this small group of individuals, a third dose may help them create a more lasting immunity. So, upon hearing this, you might wonder, “do I need another shot too?” and that’s a great question. Read on to learn what you need to know about getting vaccinated again. Read more
Las dosis de refuerzo y las terceras dosis – Lo que debe saber: Recientemente, la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA) autorizó una tercera dosis de la vacuna para personas inmunocomprometidas. Los expertos médicos están monitoreando cuidadosamente la efectividad de las vacunas. Están tratando de determinar si la inmunidad que salva vidas proporcionada por las vacunas disminuye con el tiempo, y exactamente cuándo disminuye. Esto se conoce en la comunidad médica como la inmunidad menguante. Leer más
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Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? It’s easy to get an online copy of your immunization records. Go to www.MyIR.net and follow the instructions to print a copy of your info. If you still have issues, contact covidvaccine@snohd.org.
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It's important to wear a face mask that properly protects you from COVID. Look to this video as a guide for what kinds of masks comply with the statewide orders. #MaskUpMaskRight #MaskUpWA
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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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