Say the word COVID more than two years after the outbreak, and we think we’ve heard it all. People shake their heads, roll their eyes, sigh – “enough” – the body language can be loud and clear. We may be done hearing about the pandemic, but — you knew there had to be a “but”…
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers Monday announced $5.2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) investments to support pandemic recovery efforts for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and tourism. These investments include the creation of a Small Business Innovation Assistance (SBIA) program, which provides technical assistance and grants to small businesses and entrepreneurs; and an expansion…
Agencies providing transit services to riders throughout the Puget Sound region announced Tuesday that face coverings will no longer be required on transit, at transit facilities or in transit hubs. The change is effective immediately, and includes the following agencies: Community Transit Everett Transit King County Metro Kitsap Transit Pierce Transit Seattle Department of Transportation…
The Washington State Board of Health on Wednesday voted not to include COVID-19 in the state’s immunization requirements for K-12 students to attend school. According to The Seattle Times, the vote comes after the board’s technical advisory group voted at the end of February to recommend against adding a COVID vaccine to the list of…
We don’t often use the words “COVID” and “money” in the same sentence. But the pandemic triggered a tidal wave of government spending — and Snohomish County is about to get another $80 million to help Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and the rest of the county recover from the upheaval of the past two years….
In an audit released Thursday morning, the Washington State Auditor’s Office found that the City of Edmonds did not comply with requirements governing the distribution of federal COVID-19 relief funds in 2020. During a Tuesday exit conference with Edmonds city councilmembers and staff regarding the findings, Assistant Audit Manager Kirk Gadbois noted the issue is…
People age 50 and older and certain immunocompromised individuals can now get a second booster dose of an mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine at least four months after receiving their initial booster dose. The Washington State Department of Health said Wednesday it has updated its booster dose recommendations following guidance from the U.S. Food…
After a brief update on COVID-19 cases in Snohomish County — which are continuing to drop — County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters spent most of his time during a Tuesday afternoon media briefing talking about the just-released results of the 2021 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, which included more than 15,000 students in the…
The Washington State Department of Health on Thursday released its long-term ForWArd plan for the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and “co-exist with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future,” the department said in a news release. To date, more than 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across Washington, which the department says…
With the statewide mask order lifting at midnight Friday, masks become optional in most public settings but still are required in certain venues or situations. Though local health jurisdictions have the authority to put in place mask requirements at the county level, the Snohomish Health District said in a Friday news release it is aligning…
Sign Up for Our Daily Edmonds Newsletter
Updated with clarification that both indoor and outdoor mandates end March 14. The Edmonds School District announced Tuesday night it will be lifting both its indoor and outdoor mask mandates in schools and district offices starting Monday, March 14. The school district “will continue to recommend masking, however, it will be an individual or family…
In the shortest COVID briefing of the pandemic — just 15 minutes — Snohomish County officials celebrated the good news as we move to end mandatory masking and concentrate on what County Executive Dave Somers called our “focus toward recovery.” A sign of that – the county will go to once-a-month COVID briefings starting in…
With declining COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday that the state will be lifting its mask requirements as of 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 11. The state is also moving from mask requirements to mask recommendations in schools. Inslee had previously announced Feb. 17 that statewide mask orders will be ending…
As Snohomish County COVID-19 case counts continue to decline — and nearly 80% of eligible residents having received at least one COVID vaccine — the Snohomish Health District said it is adjusting its current vaccination and testing operations to meet current needs. The Everett site, located at 3715 Oakes Ave., will continue to be open Monday…
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that statewide mask orders will be ending for most indoor settings March 21, including K-12 schools and child care facilities. Masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals, outpatient and dental offices, long term care settings, and correctional facilities. “The virus has changed significantly over the…
COVID is quickly releasing its grip in Snohomish County, as it is across the nation. The comments that came from county leaders In the weekly coronavirus briefing included: “amazing,” “proud” and “the trajectory is fantastic and hopeful.” As fast as the Omicron variant swept through this area, it is in an equally fast retreat. That…
Those looking to upgrade their masks for better protection can now get free KN90 masks at their local libraries, the Snohomish Health District said. Upgraded masks, like KN90, KF94 or N95, offer a higher level of protection compared to cloth or disposable procedure masks. Unfortunately, that higher quality comes with a higher price tag, especially when they…
What a difference a week makes. We have the “opportunity to continue to turn the tide,” Snohomish County Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters told the weekly COVID briefing Tuesday. Spitters’ comments were the first of a string of positive data from the county. New cases 16,000 – two weeks ago 9,000 – last week Hospitalizations…
The Washington State Department of Health is reopening a statewide portal that allows people to order COVID-19 rapid tests online, then have them shipped to their homes. For the second time in less than two weeks, Washington state residents can go to www.sayyescovidhometest.org to order up to five free tests. Recipients will get those tests…
Free N95 COVID masks are coming your way. They are not here – yet. But major grocery and pharmacy chains in Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace should have the masks in soon. The federal government last week announced the nationwide distribution of 400 million N95 masks – for free. The feds have tapped the Strategic…
In an effort to increase access to at-home rapid tests across the state, the Washington State Department of Health said Friday it is launching a statewide portal that will allow COVID-19 tests to ship directly to households. Beginning Friday, Washington state residents will be able to visit www.sayyescovidhometest.org to order rapid-antigen COVID tests online, and…
Some Edmonds School District students are planning a “sick-out” for Friday, Jan. 21 as a way to advocate for what they see as the district’s need to increase its pandemic safety measures, which includes a temporary shift to remote learning. Organizers said in an online petition they would like to see the district “switch to…
A new COVID-19 testing site will be opening this weekend at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. The site is being operated in partnership with the Snohomish Health District, Washington State Department of Health and Federal Emergency Management Agency. “Testing is a critical part of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and we are thrilled to…
According to the federal government, residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four free at-home tests via this USPS link. There is a limit of one order per residential address One order includes four ndividual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests Orders will ship free starting in late January If you need a COVID-19…
“I would love to be at the tail end of the last surge,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers told reporters gathered at the weekly COVID briefing, but “we are not there yet.” The county has seen a slight decline in the total number of cases – down from an all-time high of more than 13,000…
