Starting this week, the Snohomish Health District is administering COVID-19 vaccines three days per week at the Ash Way Park and Ride in Lynnwood. Appointments are required and available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays in December for people ages 12 and up. The site offers drive-through vaccinations including first and second doses, boosters…
It’s a slow start to vaccinating children 5-11 years old against COVID in Snohomish County. Not because parents are reluctant to get their kids the shot, County Chief Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters told reporters during a Tuesday media briefing. It’s because there is not yet enough vaccine for children anywhere in the state. Spitters…
Snohomish County now has the green light to vaccinate children against COVID. The Federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced it has determined the Pfizer shots can be safely given to 28 million children ages 5-11 years old nationwide A total of 75,000 Snohomish County school-age kids are eligible. In his weekly COVID briefing, County Health…
When 26 students contracted COVID-19 at Edmonds-based Madrona K-8 school this month and another 174 were tagged as “close contacts,” Madrona shut down for two weeks. But at the same time, when a dozen students at Edmonds-Woodway High got COVID and 246 others were labelled as close contacts, the high school did not shut down….
There is some good news in the fight to contain COVID in Snohomish County. County Executive Dave Somers told reporters Tuesday that “we’re making real progress, but it is rather fragile; our progress comes with caution.” Of those county residents age 12 and older, 70% are now fully vaccinated. But Somers reminded the weekly briefing…
The Washington State Department of Health is expanding the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for certain individuals following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. Last month, health care providers began offering booster…
The Lynnwood-based Korean Women’s Association is hosting a pop-up vaccine clinic offering COVID-19 Pfizer booster shots, as well as first doses for those who have not been vaccinated, on Friday, Oct. 29 at the Lynnwood Ju Clinic parking lot, 4629 168th St. S.W. Unit F. Call 425-742-6396 to make an appointment, and also to request…
An Edmonds school is the first in Snohomish County to shut down this fall because of rising COVID cases. Madrona K-8 currently has 26 active cases among students and another 174 students in quarantine because they were in close contact with the sick children. Madrona will not reopen until Nov. 1. Edmonds School District Alert…
COVID-19 case rates in Snohomish County have declined slightly from a recent peak, but health officials said at a briefing Tuesday that yet another wave of infections is possible this winter. A surge in those infections, along with potential impacts from this year’s flu season, could further strain area hospitals. Snohomish County Chief Health Officer…
With Gov. Jay Inslee’s deadline that all K-12 employees in the state be vaccinated against COVID-19 set for Oct. 18, the Edmonds School District is preparing for the possibility of fewer bus routes and hot meals for students if employees decide to quit rather than get the shot. Last month, Inslee announced that all public,…
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New vaccine mandates are coming to Snohomish County – not just to business, but to city governments, organizations, even non-profits – to any workplace that employs more than 100 people. That’s a key takeaway from the county’s Tuesday COVID briefing. New federal guidelines already mandate vaccination at businesses of more than 100 employees. The state…
COVID is “something we are going to have to learn to live with.” But how we learn to live with it still sparks debate. That’s a key takeaway from Snohomish County’s latest COVID-19 briefing. As of this week, the state has now mandated wearing masks in all outdoor venues of 500 or more people, including…
The union representing South County Fire’s nearly 300 firefighters has sent a letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, stating that union members “respectfully disagree” with the governor’s proclamation requiring that all state firefighters be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 18 or lose their jobs. “IAFF Local 1828 is not against vaccines, however we are…
Snohomish County will not – for now – order that masks be worn at large outdoor gatherings such as sports, concerts, and festivals. King and Pierce counties last week ordered masks must be worn at all large outdoor events. County Executive Dave Somers, at the weekly COVID briefing, said that what King and Pierce did…
Given the increased demand for COVID-19 testing and the high level of COVID transmission happening locally and regionally, the Snohomish Health District said Friday it is making some adjustments to testing operations. This includes a closure of one site, but the addition of two new locations. In just seven days, roughly 15,000 people were tested…
The rate of new COVID-19 cases reported in Snohomish County amid the ongoing spread of the highly infectious delta variant continue to remain near peak levels seen since the pandemic began last year. Last week, 2,042 new cases were reported through Saturday, Aug. 28. “Together with the 1,700 cases from the prior week, that corresponds…
The Snohomish Health District has identified at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 associated with the 3on3X Basketball Tournament held at the Arlington Airport Aug. 14-15. Other investigations are pending and staff are working with event organizers to get a list of all participants. However, not all spectators can be identified, and the health district…
The Washington State Department of Health on Thursday warned that people should not take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, following a Health Alert Network advisory released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug used commonly in humans and animals. Although it is approved by the U.S. Food and…
The Snohomish Health District Tuesday confirmed a small outbreak involving employees at the district’s headquarters located at 3020 Rucker Ave. in Everett. Those individuals remain isolated at home and close contacts have been notified. In accordance with the spirit and letter of health care privacy laws, the health district said it won’t be commenting further…
OK — we’re past the point of wanting to hear more about Snohomish County’s COVID outbreak. We are overwhelmed with information, bombarded with opinion from all sides, drowned in data and counter-data. We are suffering COVID fatigue. We are suffering information overload. Our circuits are melting. “People are tired of it,” County Executive Dave Somers…
The latest data report from the Snohomish Health District looked at all cases through July 31. In addition to confirming the impact that the Delta strain is having locally, the report also included a first look at cases by vaccination status. July had twice as many confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 2,670 cases compared…
A reminder that starting Monday, Aug. 23, face masks are required for everyone over 5 years of age in most public indoor settings regardless of vaccination status. These include places like grocery stores, malls, gyms and community centers. Masks are strongly recommended in crowded outdoor settings like sporting events, fairs and concerts where physical distancing…
The latest COVID-19 modeling and surveillance situation report from the Washington State Department of Health shows current COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions at their highest levels to date. These upward trends are likely to continue in the coming month due to the delta variant. With hospital staff and capacities strained statewide, both masking and vaccination…
Gov. Jay Inslee announced Wednesday that all employees in K-12 and higher education will be required to be fully vaccinated by mid-October. Inslee also announced an expansion of the statewide indoor mask mandate to all individuals, regardless of vaccination status. In response to rapidly rising COVID-19 hospitalizations, Inslee said during an Aug. 18 press conference…
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are accelerating across Washington state, and the state health department says that unvaccinated people are being hit hardest. Officials are urging those who have not yet received the shot to get vaccinated, and also say now is the time to redouble efforts around the key behaviors that keep the virus from…
