Other News
Jan 19, 2025: Four districts, six unions, three PTAs, and county leadership all agree: legislators must take action to fully fund education no
Dec 19, 2024: San Juan County Parks and Fair Announces New Camping Software; Delaying Reservation Availability
Dec 10, 2024: County Council Considers Extending Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste to Allow for More Collaboration
Dec 5, 2024: San Juan County to Consider Updated Interlocal Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District
Dec 2, 2024: San Juan County Council Sets Public Hearing for Cultural Access Sales Tax at Dec. 10 Meeting
Nov 25, 2024: San Juan County Celebrates Completion of Lopez Skate Park and Calls for Inaugural Skaters
Nov 7, 2024: How Has Extreme Weather Impacted You? Participate in the County’s Climate Resilience Planning Effort
Nov 1, 2024: UPDATE: Sea Wall Repairs Temporarily Close MacKaye Harbor Dock and Boat Ramp on Lopez Island
Oct 22, 2024: DRAFT North Shore Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Oct 21, 2024: Reminder: You’re Invited to Attend Open Houses for the 2025 Comp Plan Update This Fall
Oct 1, 2024: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS SPONSORS OCTOBER COUNTY COUNCIL VOTER FORUMS ON SJI, ORCAS, AND LOPEZ
Sep 24, 2024: County Hosts Community Meeting on Lopez Island to Discuss Public Safety during Hunting Season
Sep 24, 2024: SJC Reviews Shoreline Habitat & Infrastructure Adaptation Strategies in the face of Sea Level Rise
Sep 23, 2024: DRAFT Watmough Bay Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Aug 29, 2024: San Juan County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Survey Sets Baseline for Ongoing Change
Aug 27, 2024: 2024 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Gardening Workshop Series, October 15-24, 2024
Aug 27, 2024: County Representatives Discuss Solutions to Ferry Service Disruptions with Governor Inslee
Aug 21, 2024: County Council’s Request to Governor for Relief from Ferry Service Disruptions Not Fulfilled
Aug 20, 2024: San Juan County Certifies Primary Election Results & Celebrates Highest Primary Turnout in Years
Aug 13, 2024: WSF Commits Additional Crews to Interisland Route to Ensure Service During County Fair Week
Aug 13, 2024: Ferry Data from Staff and Local Partners Shapes Council Request for ‘Executive Relief’ From WA State
Aug 5, 2024: The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival returns to Lopez for its 27th Summer Concert Season
May 2, 2024: WA State Governor and Assistant Secretary of WSF Talk Ferry Service & Solar Power with SJC Officials
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.