FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                
January 15, 2021

CONTACT: 
Heather Thomas, 425.508.4980
hthomas@snohd.org

Snohomish County to Remain in Phase 1 Next Week

Regional COVID-19 hospital admission rates not seeing big enough decrease

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – Based on new regional data published by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Snohomish County will remain in Phase 1 for the week begin January 18. 

The Puget Sound Region continues to meet three of the four criteria laid out in the Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery announced by Governor Jay Inslee. There reported metrics for the Puget Sound Region published January 15 are as follows:

• A region must have a 10 percent or greater decrease in the rate of COVID cases per 100,000 population in most recent 14-day period measured compared to the prior 14-day period. The Puget Sound Region had a 13 percent decrease from December 20 through January 2 compared to December 6 through December 19, meeting the target. 
• There must be a 10 percent or greater decrease in the rate of new COVID hospital admission rates per 100,000 in most recent 14-day period measured compared to the prior 14-day period. The Puget Sound Region had a 3 percent decrease from December 27 through January 9 compared to December 13 through December 26, which does not meet the target. 
• Test positivity should be less than 10 percent for the most recent 7-day period measured. The Puget Sound Region had a 7 percent test positivity for December 20 through December 26, which does meet the target. 
• Total ICU occupancy within a region must be less than 90 percent for the most recent 7-day period measured. The Puget Sound Region continued to meet this metric with 85 percent occupancy for January 3 through January 9. 

The DOH compiles updated data by region every Friday. Regions that meet all four criteria above are eligible to move to Phase 2 on the following Monday. The Snohomish Health District will publish an updated snapshot on Tuesday with data comparisons specific to Snohomish County.

The DOH and coronavirus.wa.gov data dashboards will continue to be available online. Additional data regarding the new criteria for the Roadmap to Recovery will be provided separately for the near term. The risk assessment dashboards will be revised in the future, but there should be no break in the availability of COVID-19 data.

Updates on Vaccine Distribution and Planning

As shown in this timeline, it’s been just one month since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided the emergency use authorization for the first COVID vaccine. Recommendations on who to is eligible to receive the vaccine, as well as recommended prioritization, were provided by the federal government on December 11.  

The first doses arrived in Snohomish County on December 17. In just over three weeks, 14,000 people in Snohomish County have received a COVID vaccine. More was shared during a media briefing on January 12, which can be viewed here or through the transcript here. 

The Health District is now reporting vaccine data at www.snohd.org/covidvaccine on Tuesdays, with information through the previous Saturday. Information through January 9 is as follows:

*Note: These numbers are preliminary based on what has been entered into the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) through January 9, 2021.

With more vaccine providers being approved each day, the capacity to get vaccines out is growing considerably. The Health District anticipates 8,000-10,000 doses will be administered by providers this week, with that weekly number continuing to increase as long as vaccine supply keeps pace. 

The Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce has also been working to expand options and vaccinate the early phases more quickly. That taskforce is coordinating several vaccination sites in Snohomish County. These sites are meant to enhance vaccination efforts and supplement the existing healthcare system. 

In the coming weeks and months, it is expected that the COVID vaccine distribution and administration process will become much smoother and the pace of vaccination will increase significantly. However, based on current projections, the County will likely run out of doses before the end of next week unless significant increases in vaccine distribution to Washington and Snohomish County happen. 

Answers to frequently asked questions about prioritization and distribution have been made available online. The Health District encourages people to visit www.snohd.org/covidvaccine or bit.ly/SnoCoHub for updates. 

Schedule for Drive-Thru Testing

The locations and schedules for next week’s drive-thru testing operated by the Health District are as follows: 

• 3900 Broadway site in Everett – open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Everett Community College site at 915 N. Broadway – open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Evergreen State Fairgrounds in the front parking lot off of 179th Ave SE in Monroe – open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sultan Elementary School site at 501 Date St – open Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Testing is by appointment only and registration is now open at www.snohd.org/testing. Those without internet access or needing language assistance can reach the Health District’s call center at 425.339.5278. The call center is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Callers after hours or on weekends can leave a message, which will be returned on the next business day.

Testing is open to anyone, regardless of symptoms, but remains strongly encouraged for individuals that fit the following criteria:

• Anyone with any of the following COVID-19 symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea); or
• Close contact of a confirmed case; or
• Anyone who lives or works in a congregate setting; or
• Work in healthcare, EMS, law enforcement or other fields where work settings have a higher risk of catching or spreading COVID-19; or
• Part of a family or social network that has had a case.

Data Reporting

The Health District will be closed on Monday, January 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. While testing and contact tracing will continue, data updates will not occur on Monday. The updated two-week case rate, maps and detailed reports will be published on Tuesday.

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