PDF Archive of items before August 1 here
Governor. Inslee has announced a phased plan for reopening long-term care facilities to visitation. The care facility phases are not the same phases as the Safe Start county-by-county reopening plan. Effective next week, long-term care facilities that have gone 28 days without a positive test in the facility will be eligible to allow visitations.Among many other detailed requirements, facilities will be required to have on hand at least a 14 day supply of personal protective equipment as well as maintaining a consistent testing program for residents and staff. In the first phase, which is essentially all of the long-term care facilities at the moment, the plan would allow compassionate care visits, window visits, remote visits, and outdoor visits that are limited to two a day. Regardless of their reopening phase, facilities must continue to practice social distancing, universal masking, and other COVID-19 safety measures. For information on other phases visit https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-guidance-for-long-term-care-facilities-fe43b2183495(8/7/20)
Vashon Community Care Executive Director Wendy Kleppe described the Governor’s announcement as a first step, but said many details must be handled and the Governor's final proclamation will not be released until Monday, August 10th. So, visitation is still prohibited at VCC until everything is final and VCC has taken the required steps. "The Governor’s announcement contained many mandates and requirements that must be met by each building before visitors can be allowed,” Kleepe stated.While the announcement did talk through criteria for visitation, the new proclamation will not be final until Monday. As Long Term Care Providers we all have been privy to a lengthy document outlining the stringent criteria and regulations around what 're-opening' means.There are several criteria that MUST be met at each phase for each building before we can allow visitation." (8/7/20)
Vashon's artists get national coverage for COVID-19 performance art that makes a point. Three Vashon performance art projects have been featured in Newsweek and on the widely read BoingBoing.com blog. (https://boingboing.net/2020/08/06/island-community-uses-quirky.html) The projects include the big red coat at the ferry dock encouraging mask use, the van with its own oversized mask leading the EOC delegation in the July 4th Pop-Up Parade, and the giant nose and swab uptown spreading the word about on-island testing. Both articles expanded on the VashonBePrepared and EOC Team efforts and linked to the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/health/coronavirus-vashon-washington.html?referringSource=articleShare) article about the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps’ island testing program.Red coat artist Mik Kuhlman talked about worries that island visitors might bring COVID-19 and spoil the island’s low infection rate record: ""We're not in normal times, we're in a pandemic. And we're not asking you to not enjoy our beaches, but if you're going to come in and shop, if you're going to come into any of our places, be aware that there is a possibility that you're bringing the virus with you," Masked van artist Michelle Bates said: "We are all very concerned about safety for our community and for everyone around the globe, and realized quickly that pieces like this could not only get the word out to locals who stumbled on them, but that their images would be a way to share the word about masking and safety and concern for those around you to a wider audience, through the joy and magic of art."(8/7/20)
More details have been published on Governor Inslee’s recommendations for resuming in-person instruction in public and private K-12 schools for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. Similar to the state’s county-by-county phased approach to reopening, the plan allows local health departments and school districts to decide if and how they will allow students back in the classroom.
Plan Summary: https://medium.com/wagovernor/inslee-announces-education-recommendations-for-2020-2021-school-year-4d510fe16f4
Decision Tree: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/DecisionTree-K12schools.pdf
Full list of counties and their risk status: https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Cases%20per%20100K%20over%2014%20days%20by%20county%20August%204.pdf(8/7/20)
The EOC Unemployed Worker Branch conducted 653 consultation sessions to date to help islanders file unemployment applications to the state Employment Security Department (ESD).To access this free assistance for obtaining unemployment benefits, email deborah@vashonbeprepared.org or call (206) 200-3236.(8/7//20)
A CDC study found that 15 individuals from Arizona and New Mexico were hospitalized for methanol poisoning in May and June after ingesting hand sanitizer.Hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropyl alcohol to be effective, but it should not contain methanol, which can be toxic to humans. The FDA is closely monitoring hand sanitizers, and it has generated a list of unsafe products and issued numerous orders to stop production and recall unsafe products. The current list includes 115 products, added between July 2 and August 3, including more than 100 that contain methanol or were produced at facilities that made other products contaminated with methanol. Methanol can be absorbed through the skin, but methanol poisoning via this route of exposure is relatively rare. Unsafe product list at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use#products(8/7/20)
Gov. Inslee today announced a framework for opening Washington schools based on pandemic risk level in each county. Risk being defined as number of new cases per 100,000 over a two week period.King County, including Vashon, joins most Washington counties in the high risk group. For the high risk counties, the Governor and the state’s top education and health officials recommended remote or distance learning, saying classroom learnings would be unsafe given the rate of community spread.All after school and extracurricular sports and activities are recommended to be cancelled. Any group or in-person learning is still subject to the health requirements previously announced.Inslee also has made $8.8 million available for high speed internet and other programs to assist with online learning. (8/5/20)
Anticipating today’s statement by the Governor, Vashon Island School District has already been planning steps to ensure they provide an improved online learning approach -- Distance Learning 2.0 – compared to the one rolled out on very short notice in March. More details on VISD plans will be announced over the next couple weeks. As a start, VISD will hold a Reopening Schools Family Q&A via Zoom on August 10th from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The Zoom program will be recorded and shared afterward for those who are unable to attend.To attend go to https://zoom.us/j/95407814012. (8/5/20)
If you lost your health insurance or had a reduction in income you may now qualify for the free Apple Health Insurance. King County Public Health is offering to assist people signing up for Health Insurance including Apple Health, Food Stamps and Orca Lift cards. Contact Miguel Urquiza directly at 206-491-3761 (cell) or 206-477-6965 or email miguel.urquiza@kingcounty.gov.Miguel speaks Spanish and had been helping Vashon residents on Island until the coronavirus. (8/5/20)
Also, on Vashon the Brown Agency offers free health insurance consultation and assistance for the Chamber of Commerce Ask the Expert program. Call 206.567.4600, or visit Washington Health Plans at www.wahealthplanfinder.org. (8/5/20)
The Washington Employment Security Department (ESD) announced it has resolved all claims included in the Operation 100% initiative. These include all individuals who had applied between March 8 and June 18 who had yet to receive payment and needed ESD to take action to resolve their claims. Additionally, ESD launched a new benefits data dashboard to report information about payments, the claimant population, status of claims processing and more. This dashboard, which will be updated weekly, will allow the public to stay up to speed on the status, progress and performance of benefits claims and processing as the pandemic continues. https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment/dashboard (8/5/20)
The Washington State Department of Commerce is distributing approximately $100 million in state Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding through its existing network of homeless services grantees and organizations serving homeless youth to operate a new rent assistance program launched Aug. 1. The program will focus on preventing evictions by paying up to three months of past due, current and future rent to landlords for eligible participants. https://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/homelessness/ (8/5/20)
Clarifications for Phase 2 indoor fitness guidance have been posted by Gov. Inslee as part of Washington's Safe Start phased reopening plan.The updates cover indoor fitness facility guidance such as facial coverings requirements in indoor fitness facilities, changes to capacity limits for groups, and requirements for one-on-one fitness training.Full guidance at https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/COVID19Phase2FitnessGuidelines.pdf? (8/5/20)
Vashon Heritage Museum is offering a Zoom webinar titled Virginia V: Restoring a 100 year old Ship to Glory, presented by Greg Beardsley.Due to the pandemic the annual round-the-Island cruse will not be offered this year.The talk will cover the Steamship Virginia V., part of the Mosquito Fleet, from her launch to the years of fundraising and restoration work to bring her back to life.In 2021, the Virginia V will celebrate 100 years of service. Friday, August 7th at 1:00 PM via zoom webinar. Click HERE to register for the free webinar. (8/5/20)
Fire Chief Charlie Krimmert, Incident Commander of the island's pandemic response activation, reacted today to the series of new COVID-19 cases on the island. "In less than 30 days, we have added five cases. In just one month, we equaled the number of cases in the entire first four months of our activation, That's a very troubling trend." Chief Krimmert cautioned islanders that COVID-19 is all around us and this is no time to let down our guard. "Nobody wants family or neighbors to get sick, especially when it is so easy to take the steps to stay safe. We all know what to do by now. Keep your distance. Wash hands frequently. Wear a mask if you must go out." (8/3/20)
Pandemic spreading into rural areas, like Vashon. "To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus," Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, said in a CNN interview."What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. It's into the rural as equal urban areas.”Birx stressed that Americans need to follow health recommendations, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.She said "If you're in multi-generational households, and there's an outbreak in your rural area or in your city, you need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that you're positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities." (8/3/20)
Gov. Inslee has announced that job search requirements for filing unemployment will remain suspended through Sept. 1. This means the soonest claimants will be required to actively seek work is Sept. 6. You can continue to answer “no” to the job search question on your weekly claim until the suspension is lifted. https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-30.6%20-%20COVID-19%20Job%20Search%20%28tmp%29.pdf? (8/3/20)
Additionally, Gov. Inslee has extended the moratorium on service disconnects and late fees through Sept. 1 for all energy, landline telephone and water utilities. If you need help with Food, Housing and Utilities Support, visit https://coronavirus.wa.gov/information-for/you-and-your-family (8/3/20)
Gov. Jay Inslee announced clarification to the recent rollback guidance for restaurants, taverns, breweries, wineries and distilleries.The changes include clarification about which establishments can offer indoor seating, temporary outdoor seating and counter-style seating.https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Memo%20SafeStart%20Changes%207.28.pdf?(8/3/20)
Washington's Safe Start phased reopening plan guidance for overnight group summer camps have been released.For Phase 2 areas, which includes King County and Vashon, regular operation with individual campers is not permitted. Camp operations are limited to household cohort group camping. Members of a single household may occupy a sleeping cabin with a maximum of 10 people per household group.All meals must be eaten outdoors or provided as take out to be consumed in the household cabin.Full guidance at https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/COVID19%20Phase%202-4%20Summer%20and%20Overnight%20Camp%20Guidance.pdf? (8/3/20)