Vashon Emergency Operations Center COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Reports

Here’s what you need to know about July 7 to July 13.

July 16, 2020 1:30 am
The Governor’s mandatory mask order remains in full force, including a requirement for business owners to refuse service to any customers not wearing masks. Masks are required in all public settings, including indoors at stores and outdoors in situations where social distancing is not possible (Michelle Bates Photos).
The Governor’s mandatory mask order remains in full force, including a requirement for business owners to refuse service to any customers not wearing masks. Masks are required in all public settings, including indoors at stores and outdoors in situations where social distancing is not possible (Michelle Bates Photos).

THE VIRUS

New cases: After some uncertainty about the statistics, it appears that the COVID-19 case count for Vashon Island remains steady at seven positive tests since the pandemic began. The last confirmed case was recorded on June 21, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC). No Vashon COVID-19 patients have died, and only one was hospitalized.

Good Vashon news: One resident of Vashon Community Care (VCC) initially tested positive for COVID-19 during a state-required screening of all residents and staff at the facility. However, the resident does not have COVID-19 after all. Apparently, it was a rare false positive. The response protocol for a care facility when there is a positive test requires a complete retest of all staff and residents. That was done over two days last week. In addition, the potentially positive resident was retested twice within 24 hours, in compliance with the response protocol. All the retests have come back negative for COVID-19, including a negative finding in the double retest of the resident who had initially tested positive. At press time, VCC remained in quarantine — no visitors, group activities or communal dining.

Discouraging King County news: For King County as a whole, the public health tracking dashboards continue to show discouraging COVID-19 results. The most recent update of the Key Indicators panel shows King County in the red in half of the eight metrics, failing to meet its targets in four areas — the number of new cases, the community rate of spread, the risk of being hospitalized, and the number of people being tested. For example, one goal is to have fewer than 25 new cases per day for every 100,000 residents but the dashboard shows more than five times that rate.

It’s the youth: One age group stands out in analyzing the King County spike in cases — young people. About 35% of the positive tests in King County over the last two weeks have been in the 20 to 29 age group, second only to the 80+ age group. The 20 to 29-year-olds have significantly higher case rates than 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and even 70 to 79-year-olds. Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for PHSKC, cautioned that activities that put people in close proximity with poor ventilation (typical of indoor venues) are factors that increase transmission, coupled with the length of exposure time. As Dr. Duchin put it, “just because you can do something, does not mean you should.”

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS

Safe Start extended: Governor Jay Inslee has extended the Safe Start proclamation until August 6. That’s the program that sets up reopening phases (and King County is currently in Phase 2). Along with the extension, the Governor updated restrictions for bars and restaurants in Phase 2 and 3. Bar-style seating and live music are now prohibited. However, if following guidelines, restaurants and taverns may now resume self-service buffets, salad bars, and drink stations. For full details visit tinyurl.com/y9x347ct.

Vashon testing rate: Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) reports that the testing rate on Vashon now equals the testing rate in King County as a whole. In all, about 1% of the Vashon population is being tested weekly, counting results from Vashon Medical Reserve Corps, the island’s clinics, SCAN and mainland healthcare networks. Nearly 9% of the Vashon population has been tested at least once. In the very early days of the local testing program, there were only a few tests per day. In the last few weeks, testing by our MRC increased to 60 tests per week.

How to get tested: Vashon’s Medical Reserve Corps testing program has tested roughly 300 of the more than 900 residents and those employed on the island who have so far been tested for the COVID-19 virus. COVID testing on Vashon is performed weekdays by the MRC in the Open Space for Arts & Community parking lot. Testing is done only by appointment and requires a doctor’s order following a screening to determine that you have symptoms or have had contact with someone suspected of being infected. If you do not have a doctor and need testing or an appointment for testing call (844) 469-4554 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Economic aid for nonprofits: King County 4Culture offers grants from its Reopen Fund. The funding provides support for the training, protective equipment, infrastructure improvements, systems upgrades, additional personnel and other measures needed for cultural organizations to get back into service. The application deadline is August 17. To find out more, visit 4culture.org/grants/reopen.

Are you stressed? Group gatherings: The Community Care Team — a unit of Vashon’s MRC — has launched a group connection and support program for these difficult, isolating times. The groups will be small, perhaps five to eight people each, and sessions will run for 50 to 60 minutes. Each group will be managed by two co-facilitators, at least one of whom will be a trained mental health professional. If interested in joining a telephone or Zoom group, call the Community Care Team Help Line at 206-701-0694.

Are you stressed? One-on-one: You can also get one-on-one help. You may be feeling the stress of the pandemic. Your level of anxiety or depression — feelings of isolation and uncertainty — may be high. If so, the Community Care Team Help Line is available for psychological or spiritual assistance, every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling 206-701-0694.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

Emergency Operations Center (EOC): This is day 127 since EOC activation on March 12.

Vashon COVID-19 testing: The Vashon MRC testing site has completed its transition to a new laboratory in order to speed up the turnaround time for test results. The switch to the local Atlas Genomics laboratory will restore the testing site turnaround time to 24 to 48 hours. The former laboratory service, the nationwide company LabCorp, had become swamped by increased testing load around the country and turnaround had at times degraded to seven to 10 days. The new lab has full FDA Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) certification.

Medical Reserve Corps & Community Engagement: The MRC worked with Vashon Community Care (VCC) to help it complete state-required COVID-19 screening testing. For example, MRC volunteers provided training for staff at the facility. The EOC’s Community Engagement group assisted VCC in public communications about the initial positive test for a resident, which has now been cleared as a false positive after extensive retesting. (See “The Virus” section for details.)

Logistics & Community Engagement: Another 1,000 masks and six boxes of hand sanitizer have been picked up from King County. They are being added to the island-wide free distribution of masks, primarily through the efforts of the Vashon Social Services Network, Chamber of Commerce, and the Vashon EOC. Each of these bulk distribution partners has been providing masks to their constituent organizations for distribution to residents. So far, about two-thirds of the total 13,000 free masks provided by King County have been put in the hands of Vashon residents as street-level distribution continues.

ABOUT

This information is compiled from the Situation Reports produced by the EOC Situation Section. Situation Reports are normally internal updates, but for this emergency, VIFR Fire Chief Charlie Krimmert ordered the EOC to share these reports with the public to help islanders stay informed and safe. This partnership with The Beachcomber helps achieve that goal. To receive reports and other emergency information emails, go to VoiceOfVashon.org/Alerts.