Other News
Apr 11, 2024: Community Meeting: Sea Level Rise Adaptation for Outer Bay and Agate Beach Areas on Lopez Island
Mar 11, 2024: Queers in Unexpected Places: Searching for (and Finding) Gender and Sexual Non-Conformity in the Rural and Early PNW
Mar 7, 2024: DRAFT Richardson Marsh Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Dec 5, 2023: County Council Member Jane Fuller and Senator Liz Lovelett to Host Public Meeting on Lopez
Nov 3, 2023: County and Town Send Open Letter to State Officials Regarding Impacts of Poor Ferry Service
Sep 29, 2023: Conservation Land Bank Announces Special Meeting to Discuss Watmough Bay Preserve Addition
Sep 14, 2023: The mobile dental van is coming to Lopez! // ¡La camioneta dental móvil ya llega a López!
Aug 22, 2023: San Juan County Adopts 32-Hour Work Week in the Name of Fiscal Health, Recruitment, and Islander Wellness
May 25, 2023: Recap of Lopez Neighborhood Meeting Regarding the Relocation of Public Works Facilities
May 23, 2023: District 3 Councilmember Jane Fuller Opens Office on Lopez and Hosts Community Conversation
Apr 17, 2023: Give Lopez Starts April 17th - A two week fundraiser benefiting 15 Lopez Island Non-Profits
Sep 22, 2022: Interim Watmough Preserve Addition Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Weekly Case Update: 17 New Cases on Lopez Island, 127 county-wide
Jan 7, 2022
By San Juan County
Since the last update on Friday December 31st, there have been 127 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 657.
LOPEZ ISLAND: There are seventeen new cases on Lopez Island since the last update.
ORCAS ISLAND: There are sixty-six new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are forty-three new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
SHAW ISLAND: There is one new case on Shaw Island since the last update.
OVERALL PICTURE:
-The large number of new cases is a vivid sign that the new Omicron variant spreads extremely easily and is moving quickly through the islands.
-To date, the County Health team is not seeing an equally dramatic spike in hospitalizations, but please note that some islanders are in mainland hospitals being treated for COVID- at least four at the time of this report. There may also be hospitalizations that the Health Department team has not been notified of.
-For WA overall, hospitalizations have been increasing sharply, and this is now having an impact on access to medical care for a wide range of patient needs, beyond just COVID. This current spike is in danger of overwhelming our healthcare system.
-Deaths in WA overall continue to decline, but it is too soon to assume that fatalities won’t increase as well, though there is some reason for optimism based on what has been seen elsewhere combined with San Juan County’s extremely high vaccination rate.
NEED TO KNOW:
-If you test positive via an over-the-counter test, please report that finding to the Health Department using this online form.
-COVID Positive? Note that the high case volume is preventing the Health Department team from performing standard case investigations. Please review this document carefully to ensure that you are taking all precautions and doing all you can to minimize community spread.
-Getting vaccinated is still your best move. Go here for registration links. And note that island kids age 12-15 are newly eligible for a Pfizer booster!
WHAT TO DO NOW:
-Now is the time to dramatically dial back activities or events that facilitate spread. While strict limits on activities are unlikely at this point, islanders are asked to use good judgment and take reasonable precautions to minimize risk. Any events that do not need to happen right now may be best postponed by a few weeks with hope that by the end of the month, cases will start to fall as dramatically as they have risen.
ORCAS ISLAND: There are sixty-six new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are forty-three new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
SHAW ISLAND: There is one new case on Shaw Island since the last update.
OVERALL PICTURE:
-The large number of new cases is a vivid sign that the new Omicron variant spreads extremely easily and is moving quickly through the islands.
-To date, the County Health team is not seeing an equally dramatic spike in hospitalizations, but please note that some islanders are in mainland hospitals being treated for COVID- at least four at the time of this report. There may also be hospitalizations that the Health Department team has not been notified of.
-For WA overall, hospitalizations have been increasing sharply, and this is now having an impact on access to medical care for a wide range of patient needs, beyond just COVID. This current spike is in danger of overwhelming our healthcare system.
-Deaths in WA overall continue to decline, but it is too soon to assume that fatalities won’t increase as well, though there is some reason for optimism based on what has been seen elsewhere combined with San Juan County’s extremely high vaccination rate.
NEED TO KNOW:
-If you test positive via an over-the-counter test, please report that finding to the Health Department using this online form.
-COVID Positive? Note that the high case volume is preventing the Health Department team from performing standard case investigations. Please review this document carefully to ensure that you are taking all precautions and doing all you can to minimize community spread.
-Getting vaccinated is still your best move. Go here for registration links. And note that island kids age 12-15 are newly eligible for a Pfizer booster!
WHAT TO DO NOW:
-Now is the time to dramatically dial back activities or events that facilitate spread. While strict limits on activities are unlikely at this point, islanders are asked to use good judgment and take reasonable precautions to minimize risk. Any events that do not need to happen right now may be best postponed by a few weeks with hope that by the end of the month, cases will start to fall as dramatically as they have risen.