The Vashon Emergency Operations Center produces this briefing for our emergency workers and for the community. The situation report is published Tuesday and Friday and includes information on Vashon community response actions and support.
Spanish translations of each Situation Report are available.
Vashon Vaccine Availability:
The Overview: Vaccine supplies continue to meet or exceed demand, with plenty of vaccine doses in stock to provide islanders with their injections, although fewer people need the service now that the island’s first-dose vaccination rate has hit nearly 90%.
Vaccinations Free to All: All COVID-19 vaccinations are free to all. If you have insurance, you’ll be asked for your information so providers can recover the cost of administering the free vaccine, but there’s no co-pay. If you do not have insurance, the cost is covered anyway and you will not be charged.
School Vaccinations: Two days of vaccination clinics were held this week at Vashon High School and McMurray Middle School, completing the mobile vaccination clinic project at the School District. Students who still need a first or second dose of vaccine, but were not able to participate in the school clinics, can make arrangements at Vashon Pharmacy or Sea Mar Clinic (see details below).
Get Your Second Dose: Vaccination completion by Vashon residents continues to improve, but there is still a 16-point gap between first-dose recipients and those who have gained full vaccination protection by getting two doses. Even if you got your first dose at an off-island provider, you can go to Sea Mar Clinic or Vashon Pharmacy to complete your vaccination (see details below). When coming for a second dose, bring your vaccination card, so the vaccinators can be sure to give you the correct vaccine and check for proper spacing between your first and second doses. Nearly all vaccine recipients in our community have received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which each require two doses. But anyone who got a Johnson and Johnson injection has already completed their vaccination course, since the J&J vaccine requires only a single dose.
Vashon Pharmacy Vaccinations: To get your first-dose vaccination, you are encouraged to go to VashonPharmacy.com/COVID to pre-register and make an appointment, which could save you some time. However, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 4:00pm), you may also drop in without an appointment if you prefer. Just go to the white vaccination tents at the rear of the Pharmacy, or look for a sign directing you to go inside the Pharmacy. If you need your second dose to complete your vaccination, you may call the Pharmacy at (206) 463-9118, or you can drop in without an appointment on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday to see if the vaccine type you need is on offer, either at the tents or inside the Pharmacy. Tomorrow, Saturday, all three vaccine types will be available: Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J.
Sea Mar Clinic Vaccinations: As demand for vaccinations has declined, Sea Mar has been adjusting its vaccination operations. In order to avoid wasting leftover vaccine from the multi-dose vials they are trying to concentrate patients into a few days a week. To find out when Sea Mar is offering vaccinations, and what vaccine is on offer, go to SeaMar.org/COVID-Vaccine. You can also make an appointment in advance and be sure of getting your injection by calling the Sunrise Ridge clinic at (206) 463 -3671.
Current Virus Statistics:
Vashon Island COVID-19 Case Count as of 6/11/21:*
- 121 confirmed positive cases, 4 people have been hospitalized, 3 deaths
- Since the last report, Vashon has had 0 new cases
- 8,578 (89.7%) 12+ year-old residents have received one vaccine dose, and 74.4% received 2 doses
King County COVID-19 Case Count as of 6/11/21:*
- 106,254 confirmed positive cases, 741 new since last Situation Report
- 1,613 deaths, 14 new since last Situation Report
- 1,484,440 (75.5%) 12+ year-old residents have received one vaccine dose, and 65.6% received 2 doses
Washington State COVID-19 Case Count as of 6/10/21 (vaccinations data as of 6/9/21):*
- 443,454 confirmed positive cases, 4,191 new since last Situation Report
- 5,815 deaths, -30 since last Situation Report
- 7,375,424 (64.3%) 16+ year-old residents have received one vaccine dose, and 56.7% received 2 doses
*Note 1: The statistics above are from the Public Health – Seattle & King County dashboard as of the date listed. Numbers may not be complete, as data processing lags and the actual number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths may not yet match the dashboard.
Note 2: The federal HIPAA Act prohibits Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) from releasing the names of patients. For consistency of day-to-day data reporting for Vashon, the EOC uses only the ZIP code data from the Public Health – Seattle & King County dashboard.
Health Tips:
Researchers say Washington State’s COVID-19 exposure notification tool, WA Notify, saved an estimated 30 to 120 lives and likely prevented about 6,000 COVID-19 cases during the first four months that it was in use. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) conducted a modeling study of the free tool, and released their results this week. Their analysis offers the first estimate of the public health value of Bluetooth exposure notification systems in the U.S. More than two million people have enabled WA Notify since its launch on Nov. 30, 2020. The tool sends alerts to users if they may have been exposed to COVID-19. It works through smartphones without sharing any personal information. One-third of all smartphone users in the state have activated WA Notify, and Washington ranks highly compared with other states for adoption of the exposure notification tool. “The goal for exposure notification is to help more people get the information and care they need more quickly, so they can avoid spreading COVID-19 to others,” says Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy Secretary for COVID-19 Response at DOH. “We are thrilled to see how well it has worked so far.” https://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/Articles/ID/2827/Researchers-from-UW-and-DOH-find-WA-Notify-exposure-notification-tool-is-saving-lives
New Developments since Last Report:
Washington State will reopen, with one exception, on June 30 or earlier, Gov. Jay Inslee confirmed at a media briefing. Limits on capacity will be lifted for all businesses, except for large indoor event venues. Venues that can accommodate 10,000 or more people will continue to be restricted to 75% capacity as a precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. However, other businesses, including restaurants, bars, theaters and fitness centers, will no longer be limited to 50% of capacity. Inslee also said that in Washington State, 66% of people ages 16 and older have received at least an initial dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; that in King County in April and May, 98% of people hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment had not been vaccinated; and that people who are not vaccinated against the disease are 21 times more likely to contract COVID. https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/coronavirus/article252008683.html
The governor and the legislature are reinstating the job-search requirement for anyone claiming unemployment benefits. Beginning the week of July 5, 2021, claimants will be required to conduct and report at least 3 job-search activities each week to continue claiming benefits. The Employment Security Department (ESD) has a preliminary list of acceptable job search activities (https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/job-search-requirements) and will publish additional guidance starting next week. For career-development and job-search assistance, contact the Chamber’s Ask the Expert barb@mcmahonconsult.com. For questions about unemployment benefits, contact deborah@vashonbeprepared.org.
Seattle is the first major American city to fully vaccinate 70% of its residents 12 years-old and older against coronavirus, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced. “When we launched our vaccination effort earlier this year, I said that I wanted Seattle to become the first major American city to fully vaccinate 70% of its residents,” Durkan said. Seattle beat San Francisco as the first city to fully vaccinate 70% of residents, however San Francisco has a higher proportion of residents with at least one dose of the vaccine. Currently, 78% of Seattle residents 12 years old and older have gotten at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. https://mynorthwest.com/2958300/seattle-becomes-most-vaccinated-city-in-us
King County Council passed a $631 million COVID-19 relief budget. Council members said the COVID-19 pandemic underscored how important it is to drive equitable investments into our communities, and this principle guided their budget priorities. This emergency funding includes:
- $36 million to help local arts and culture industries recover.
- $67 million for jobs and economic recovery.
- $117 million for vaccination efforts.
- $256 million for rental assistance, food security, and other essential community supports.
https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/mkcc/members/McDermott/enews0621.html
Vashon’s COVID-19 RV dump service now comes to the island every other Wednesday. People wanting this service need to first sign up, and then the Honey Bucket pumper truck can come regularly to the place the RV or trailer is located. This is a trial program running through December. Contact Hilary Emmer at 206-463-7277 or email: hilonvashon@yahoo.com
Public Health – Seattle & King County has released a merged COVID-19 guidance for housing managers, staff and residents. The State of Washington does not have specific guidance for housing managers and staff, but much of the guidance for different industries that are included on this page will provide relevant information and resources for apartment buildings, condominiums, and other residential communities. https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/housing.aspx
Gov. Inslee extends the Family Emergency Assistance Program (FEAP). The extension to cover families without children, effective starting on June 14, allows for the FEAP to assist families, both with and without children, who continue to suffer economic hardship during the pandemic. The program is in effect until June 30 or until funding is exhausted, whichever occurs first. For more information, visit https://www.dshs.wa.gov/esa/emergency-assistance-programs/emergency-assistance-programs-additional-requirements-emergent-needs-aren
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has extended two emergency orders. One requires health insurers to waive co-pays and deductibles for any consumer requiring testing for COVID-19. The other protects consumers from receiving surprise bills for lab fees related to medically necessary diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Both are extended until July 11, 2021. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAOIC/bulletins/2d942df
Progress on Community Support Operations:
Emergency Operations Center (EOC): Vashon’s pandemic emergency response was activated 15 months ago (457 days). Our current operational priorities are health, food security, housing security, and economic recovery, as established by the Incident Commander, Fire Chief Charlie Krimmert, and approved by the VashonBePrepared Board.
MRC/Testing: Plans are almost completed to make sure Vashon residents will still have access to COVID-19 testing on the island, even after the pandemic activation winds down to monitoring/standby mode. The plan will include continued testing and contact tracing services for anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, as well as access to home testing for those who need testing for other purposes, such as travel or prior to a medical procedure.
EOC/MRC/CERT: Collaboration continues with both of the island vaccination sites, Sea Mar clinic and Vashon Pharmacy, to ensure that island residents will have local access to COVID-19 vaccination. The ongoing gradual wind-down of the intensive volunteer support at Vashon Pharmacy will not end local vaccination.
VashonBePrepared.org: We launched a project this week to begin transitioning the coalition’s website back to its pre-pandemic status. Initially, the COVID-19 information page will continue to greet visitors first, as the dominant topic of island interest. Over the next few months, the website will begin moving to emphasize other hazards in the mission of the VashonBePrepared coalition, such as wildfire risk, winter weather, and next year’s multi-state Cascadia Rising earthquake exercise.
Vashon COVID Relief Fund: The June disbursement to VashonBePrepared’s social service and economic recovery agencies is in preparation stages. The VashonBePrepared Board will meet next week to discuss next steps, including the establishment of a permanent reserve fund to make it possible to activate rapidly in response to a future emergency.
