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Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters provided updates Tuesday on the community’s response to COVID-19.
Topics included ongoing efforts to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to everybody who wants them in Snohomish County; the struggle to receive sufficient supplies of vaccine; the discovery of COVID variant B.1.1.7 in the county; and the COVID case rate dipping to 253 per 100,000 population for the two-week period ending Jan. 23.
That’s the lowest COVID numbers have been since November and has been accompanied by declining cases in hospitals as well, Dr. Spitters said.
“We can’t celebrate too soon or let our guard down or this is going to come right back as it has before,” he said. “ … While case counts and hospital numbers are going down, we’ve still lost more than 65 residents to COVID since the first of the year.” That’s two to three deaths every day, he noted.
Meanwhile, the county and its partners in the Snohomish County Vaccine Task Force are working hard to increase vaccination capacity here to 50,000 doses per week, in part by standing up additional drive-thru and walk-in mass vaccination sites, Executive Somers said.
The biggest hindrance has been vaccine supply.
“The sooner we can get everybody vaccinated, the sooner we can put this pandemic behind us,” he said. “From our stressed health care systems to the many businesses and workers who are under extreme economic pressure, every delay in providing vaccines just compounds the suffering.”
Last week, more than 20,000 vaccines were administered. So far, close to 42,000 people have received at least one dose, and close to 7,000 are now fully vaccinated with two doses, Dr. Spitters said.
“We know people are frustrated that appointments aren’t currently open,” he said. “We urge your patience with this. It may not be today, tomorrow or even this week, but you WILL get an appointment soon.”
Watch the briefing: https://youtu.be/c737gzXZcjo
Or read the transcript: https://www.snohd.org/DocumentCenter/View/6452/Media-Briefing-Transcript--012621
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We know there are a lot of questions right now about COVID, particularly when it comes to access to vaccines. The COVID call center is a resource: 425-339-5278. Because demand is high, we ask that people first contact their regular health care provider to determine if vaccine appointments are being made. Additional information also is available on https://www.snohd.org/564/COVID-Vaccine-Info and bit.lySnoCoHub. If you are unable to register for a vaccine appointment that likely means all slots are filled for the day.
The call center also is a resource for those who lack internet access or who may face challenges communicating in English.
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The Snohomish Health District, the state Department of Health and the UW Medicine Virology Lab on Saturday announced that the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19 has been found in testing samples from Snohomish County – the first in Washington.
The UW Medicine Virology Lab detected two cases of the COVID-19 variant, known as B.1.1.7 or SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 in specimens collected from two Snohomish County residents. The lab screened 1,035 samples between December 25, 2020 and January 20, 2021 to detect mutations associated with B.1.1.7, first identified in the United Kingdom (UK). The lab confirmed the variant by whole viral genome sequencing. Data collected so far suggests a low prevalence of the B.1.1.7 variant in western Washington. Although these are the first detected B.1.1.7 variants in the state, it is likely that other cases exist and will come to light through ongoing surveillance.
“We thought this variant of concern was here and now we know it’s here. It was a huge team effort by the UW Medicine Virology Lab and required development of several new rapid tests to detect and confirm it,” said Dr. Alex Greninger, Assistant Professor of the Clinical Virology Lab at UW Medicine.
“The Snohomish Health District had already instituted standard case investigation, isolation, and contact tracing prior to learning about these cases,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “Containment protocols are no different for B.1.1.7 variants than they are for all other cases of COVID-19. Follow-up investigation is underway to learn more about these cases and the individuals who tested positive for this strain.”
The B.1.1.7 variant, first detected globally in September 2020, emerged with an unusually large number of mutations and has now spread significantly in London and southeast England. This variant spreads more easily and quickly than other variants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no conclusive evidence that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death. In a report last week, CDC estimated that this strain will become the dominant strain in the U.S. within a few months. Data they provided show that, through January 22, there were 195 detections of this variant in 22 states.
See the full press release for more information.
More information on UK COVID-19 variant in Washington
The state Department of Health also prepared a blog post about the discovery that the COVID-19 variant that has been spreading in London has arrived in Washington, too.
“So far it seems like this variant is pretty rare in Washington, although it is likely that there are other people here who also have this variant,” the blog says. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that this new variant will be the most common strain in the coming months.”
The blog has answers for these questions out the UK variant of COVID-19:
- What, exactly, is a new variant?
- Does it have a name?
- If you get COVID-19, does it make a difference what variant you have?
- Does the vaccine work on the new variant?
- How do we protect ourselves from the new variant?
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The Snohomish Health District reports each Tuesday the latest numbers for COVID vaccinations in Snohomish County. As of Saturday, Jan. 23, 83% of available first vaccine doses had been administered.
Find data here: https://www.snohd.org/564/COVID-Vaccine-Info.
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The Joint Information Center has prepared a brief social media video to help people navigate after they receive their first dose of a COVID vaccine.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses to be as effective as possible at protecting against COVID-19. With limited vaccine supply still, there have been many questions and concerns about being able to get a second dose on time.
The Moderna second dose should be at least 28 days after the first, and Pfizer at least 21 days after the first. You should get the same brand for your second dose that you received for the first dose. However, if you do not get your second dose right on the 28 or 21 day mark, that is OK. According to the CDC, second doses may be scheduled up to six weeks (42 days) after the first dose for both Pfizer and Moderna. Even if the second dose is administered after six weeks, you do not need to repeat the first dose or restart the series.
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The Tulalip News has posted videos on Facebook featuring tribal members explaining why they have opted to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Hazen Shopbell earlier had a hard fight with the virus and understands first-hand how dangerous it can be. Misty Napeahi said she was vaccinated in hopes of safely reuniting with family and other loved ones. “I think it is really important that we get vaccinated so that we can come together as a community again,” Napeahi said.
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday announced progress toward the state’s goal of administering 45,000 vaccine doses a day. As of Monday, the state’s current seven-day rolling average was 23,960 doses administered.
The governor also announced a record number of COVID-19 vaccines administered in a 24-hour period, with around 40,000 doses reported as of Monday. Washington also officially passed 500,000 vaccine doses administered and reported.
Inslee and Secretary of Health Dr. Umair A. Shah issued the vaccination goal last Monday at a press conference. On Thursday, the state reported the previous week’s average being 16,000 doses a day. Today’s numbers mark an 8,000 increase in the average number of COVID vaccines going into Washington residents’ arms across the state every day.
“We have taken action, we expanded our distribution and infrastructure and it is working,” Inslee said Monday. “We still have a long way to go, but if Washingtonians have proven anything throughout this pandemic, it is that we are up to the task. We have taken action, and we will continue to improve until we meet and exceed our goals.”
See the full press release for more details.
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Gov. Jay Inslee and First Lady Trudi Inslee received their first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. They received their doses in front of journalists while the cameras rolled to promote the safety of the vaccine and to encourage anyone who is eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated.
The governor and Mrs. Inslee are both 69 years old, making them eligible for the vaccine along with any other state residents over the age of 65.
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The state Department of Health with assistance from the Washington National Guard and local and private sector partners, plans to launch four mass vaccination sites throughout the state this week. Announced by Gov. Jay Inslee on Jan. 18, the sites will be located in Kennewick, Ridgefield, Spokane and Wenatchee. They will be open by appointment only to people who pre-registered and are eligible for the vaccine under Phase 1A or 1B-1.
Based on current allocations for the state of Washington, the initial goal is to have enough vaccine to provide approximately 500 vaccinations per site, per day.
To get a vaccine, individuals should first confirm they are eligible using Phase Finder. Once confirmed, the next step is to make an appointment. Details, including links to register for appointments at the state sites, are available on the DOH mass vaccination page. Each mass vaccination site is currently using a different registration system.
See the full press release for more details.
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Small businesses in Snohomish County that have not yet received a CARES Act grant can apply for the third round. If you applied in previous rounds, you will be considered in the third round (no need to reapply). Snohomish County anticipates awarding eligible small businesses with a one-time cash grant of up to $25,000 through the grant’s administrative entity, Workforce Snohomish. Small businesses can follow the simple online application process to apply for a grant of $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $25,000 based on justifiable need and business resiliency.
See the Workforce Snohomish R3 Grant page for more information, including materials translated into Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
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The unemployment rate in Snohomish County was 7.8% in December, the state Employment Security Department said Tuesday. That compares to 4.9% in November. See the full report for more details.
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Verdant Heath Commission has scheduled four free, drive-thru testing events for COVID-19:
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Wednesday, Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St. SW, Lynnwood
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Friday, Jan. 29 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Ave. W, Mountlake Terrace
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Thursday, Feb. 4 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St. SW, Lynnwood
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Friday, Feb. 5 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Mountlake Terrace High School, 21801 44th Ave. W, Mountlake Terrace
Coordinated by Medical Teams International and the Verdant Health Commission, with support from the Edmonds School District, City of Mountlake Terrace, and City of Lynnwood, these clinics are intended to reduce barriers to testing, including symptom checks, insurance requirements, and access for people with transportation challenges.
See the full press release for more information.
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Cumulative from Jan. 2020 through Jan. 26, 2021
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ESSENTIAL LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION
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