Other News
Apr 25, 2025: New Daily Service Schedule, Growing Ridership & Other Insights on County’s Pilot Transport Services
Apr 24, 2025: Building and Land Use Permits, Long-Range Planning Projects, & Staff Recruitments: DCD Leadership Provides Spring Update
Apr 4, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Transportation Element, Plan Intro, & Administration Piece Ready for Review
Mar 19, 2025: San Juan County Establishes Interim Inter-Island Transportation Services as RFP Process Continues
Mar 7, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Climate Element and Draft Official Map Amendments Available for Review
Mar 6, 2025: Governor Ferguson announces plan to restore Washington State Ferries to full service by this summer
Mar 4, 2025: Public Meeting: Land Bank Using Prescribed Fires to Manage Wildfire Risks & Restore Ecosystems
Feb 19, 2025: San Juan County Seeks Proposals from Transportation Service Providers for Pilot Project
Feb 12, 2025: Call for Candidates: Three-Day Special Filing Period for Lopez Metropolitan Park District Commissioners
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: 19 New Cases on Lopez Island, 106 County-Wide
Jan 21, 2022
By San Juan County
Since the last update on Friday January 14th, there have been 106 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 856.
LOPEZ ISLAND: There are nineteen new cases on Lopez Island since the last update.
ORCAS ISLAND: There are twenty-three new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are sixty-three new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
OUTER ISLAND: There is one new case on an outer island since the last update.
CRITICAL INFO:
-While the rate of new COVID cases appears to be slowing nationally, it is expected that Washington, and San Juan County are still at least a couple of weeks behind. The volume of cases in the islands remains extremely high. It is encouraging news that the surge does appear to decline fairly quickly after peaking. With luck that same trend will be seen in the islands in the weeks to come.
-At home testing supplies are finally beginning to become more readily available. If you haven’t ordered your four free COVID tests for your household, please do so at:
www.covidtests.gov
and/or you may order up to five kits through the WA State program at:
www.sayyescovidhometest.org
Also note that if you purchase kits yourself, most insurers will now directly cover or pay you back for up to 8 at-home tests per month, for each person on your plan.
-Sadly, San Juan County did experience its first fatality due to COVID. General information has been posted on LopezRocks.
-San Juan County Public Health staff continue to monitor islanders who are hospitalized due to COVID. To date in 2022, all hospitalizations are in unvaccinated individuals. Getting vaccinated makes more sense than ever. Go to the link below for vaccine clinic registration links.
-This document provides critical information for islanders who test positive for COVID, including info on how to report your test result.
OVERALL:
Astonishingly, it has been two years since the pandemic began. Two years of struggle, sacrifice, disruption, and uncertainty. Nothing about it has been easy or smooth and the weight of the pandemic has laid heavy on nearly all. While this is not an anniversary worth celebrating, it is worth noting.
Islanders have suffered, but also been strong and supportive in ways that are remarkable and long-lasting. Take a moment to reflect on the efforts of volunteers, neighbors, school staff, medical professionals, island kids, public health staff, front-line workers, and many, many others who have given so much over these twenty-four months.
It is so easy these days to 'go negative'. It only takes a moment, and the path from simmering anxiety to anger seems to be well trodden by many. Yet there is much to celebrate about how the islands have responded to and weathered this storm. None of us would choose this calamity of course, but there is still much of worth to take from our experiences.
Hopefully we'll find normalcy again in 2022, find space to heal and repair frayed nerves, and reflect not upon the ways the pandemic brought out the worst in some, but the ways it brought out the best in most.
ORCAS ISLAND: There are twenty-three new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are sixty-three new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
OUTER ISLAND: There is one new case on an outer island since the last update.
CRITICAL INFO:
-While the rate of new COVID cases appears to be slowing nationally, it is expected that Washington, and San Juan County are still at least a couple of weeks behind. The volume of cases in the islands remains extremely high. It is encouraging news that the surge does appear to decline fairly quickly after peaking. With luck that same trend will be seen in the islands in the weeks to come.
-At home testing supplies are finally beginning to become more readily available. If you haven’t ordered your four free COVID tests for your household, please do so at:
www.covidtests.gov
and/or you may order up to five kits through the WA State program at:
www.sayyescovidhometest.org
Also note that if you purchase kits yourself, most insurers will now directly cover or pay you back for up to 8 at-home tests per month, for each person on your plan.
-Sadly, San Juan County did experience its first fatality due to COVID. General information has been posted on LopezRocks.
-San Juan County Public Health staff continue to monitor islanders who are hospitalized due to COVID. To date in 2022, all hospitalizations are in unvaccinated individuals. Getting vaccinated makes more sense than ever. Go to the link below for vaccine clinic registration links.
-This document provides critical information for islanders who test positive for COVID, including info on how to report your test result.
OVERALL:
Astonishingly, it has been two years since the pandemic began. Two years of struggle, sacrifice, disruption, and uncertainty. Nothing about it has been easy or smooth and the weight of the pandemic has laid heavy on nearly all. While this is not an anniversary worth celebrating, it is worth noting.
Islanders have suffered, but also been strong and supportive in ways that are remarkable and long-lasting. Take a moment to reflect on the efforts of volunteers, neighbors, school staff, medical professionals, island kids, public health staff, front-line workers, and many, many others who have given so much over these twenty-four months.
It is so easy these days to 'go negative'. It only takes a moment, and the path from simmering anxiety to anger seems to be well trodden by many. Yet there is much to celebrate about how the islands have responded to and weathered this storm. None of us would choose this calamity of course, but there is still much of worth to take from our experiences.
Hopefully we'll find normalcy again in 2022, find space to heal and repair frayed nerves, and reflect not upon the ways the pandemic brought out the worst in some, but the ways it brought out the best in most.