Summary for August 5, 2020

  • In this section we are providing a M-W-F summary of the current changes in the Situation Report.  For a PDF of the full Situation Report click on the link to the right. To receive these daily updates via email, sign up for alerts here or view email version here. See archived items in the PDF section to the right on this Situation Report page.

Current Virus Statistics:

Vashon Island COVID-19 Case Count as of 8/4/20 (latest as of report time):

  • 1,330 COVID-19 tests reported, 6 additional tests since last Situation Report on Monday
  • 12 positive tests returned, however 1 patient was negative on retesting
  • 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 0 new cases since last Situation Report on Monday
  • Date of last positive test: August 2
  • 1 person had been hospitalized. Date of last hospitalization: April 10
  • 0 Vashon deaths

King County COVID-19 Case Count as of 8/420 (latest as of report time):

  • 15,779 confirmed positive cases, 145 new since last Situation Report on Monday
  • 657 deaths, 1 new since last Situation Report on Monday 

Washington State COVID-19 Case Count as of 8/3/20:

  • 59,375 confirmed positive cases, 3,576 new since last Situation Report on Monday
  • 1,619 deaths, 23 new since last Situation Report on Monday

NOTE: Federal law prohibits Public Health - Seattle & King County from releasing the names of patients (HIPAA Act). 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 (PHSKC) dashboard.

    Health Tip of the Day:

Researchers are investigating potential lingering long-term health effects after COVID-19 patients recover from the acute stage of the disease.  A report in the journal Science found much of the early COVID-19 research focused on addressing treatment for severe acute- and life-threatening disease symptoms.  More recent studies are tracking patients after their initial recovery and release from the hospital, to identify conditions and symptoms that could last for months or longer.  Some of the documented conditions include “brain fog,” which impairs individuals’ cognitive function; respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath; and heart symptoms, such as arrhythmia and hypertension.  Long-term symptoms vary both in terms of severity and the tissues or systems affected.  These long-term conditions could hinder the ability of some COVID-19 patients to resume normal levels of activity, which could have long-term effects on societal and economic recovery as well.  With all the potential acute and long-term health conditions, the best defense is wear face coverings, social distance and get tested if you have symptoms. 

New Developments since Last Report: 

      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. 

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.

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.

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.

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  

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 

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   

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.  

Progress on Community Support Operations

Emergency Operations Center (EOC): This is day 147 (21 weeks) since EOC activation on March 12. Currently activated at Maintenance & Monitoring level.

School Reopening: Work continues with Vashon Island School District regarding support for school reopening plans as they begin to firm up. The EOC has assigned a logistics task force to work on potential solutions for small group outdoor teaching at the elementary school, depending on guidance due this week from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The logistics task force will meet next week with School District stakeholders to refine requirements for outdoor teaching.

Vashon COVID Relief Fund: The EOC staff has been keeping a close watch on the negotiations underway in Washington, D.C. regarding a potential new relief package. The decision about continuing the federal unemployment boost and local government funding will be important factors in deciding how to prioritize spending from the Relief Fund. A new major donation of $50,000 announced earlier this week gives the Relief Fund options that it did not have even a week ago as funds ran out for assistance with food, housing and economic recovery. The EOC Team is engaging social service partners to assess needs going forward and how the needs might be affected by a new federal relief package.

Community Care Team: The CCT has been focusing on the mental health landscape as the pandemic drags on, creating unprecedented pressure for everyone. Seniors and others are isolated. Families are out of work and struggling for food, housing and paying bills. Fear and stress have been ratcheting up as new cases just keep coming. Two teams are working on suicide prevention campaigns, nationally and here on Vashon.

Items from Previous Situation Reports:

PDF Archive of items before August 1 here

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)

Vashon's COVID Resource Center

Situation Reports

The Situational Awareness team of the Vashon Emergency Operations Center is tasked with monitoring the COVID-19 event and reporting relevant information and updates to the VashonBePrepared teams and public.

Below you'll find links to PDF's of the full Vashon Situation Reports. As of June 29, 2020, they will be published Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.

To the left we have posted the first three sections which contain the latest report updates.

We update Voice of Vashon Alerts: Subscribe for email updates and check Vashon Emergency News for additional sources of regional emergency news.