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 Covid Case Update: 22 New Cases on Lopez
Jan 29, 2022
By San Juan County
Since the last update on Friday January 21st, there have been 130 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 986.
LOPEZ ISLAND: There are twenty-two new cases on Lopez Island since the last update.
ORCAS ISLAND: There are twenty-two new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are eighty-six new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
CRITICAL INFO:
-Registration for February vaccination clinics is currently open via the link below. This is your opportunity for your or your child to get a first shot, second shot, or booster. Note that due to reduced demand, clinics on Lopez have been scaled back, but local providers on Lopez are making vaccinations readily available.
Islanders are understandably curious about case trends during this ongoing surge. Are the cases in kids? Older folks? Those who travelled? The clear answer is yes to all. Recent cases are popping up in students, those who have been out of WA or out of the country, and plenty of islanders who haven’t left the islands and haven’t clearly engaged in high-risk behavior. Reality of Omicron is that transmission rates are high and the disease spreads easily.
As case numbers continue to be high, a common refrain is “well, let’s just get this over with and all get itâ€. A few quick thoughts on that:
-Being able to think like that is a luxury born from an incredibly successful vaccine and (in the islands anyway) a very successful vaccination roll-out. Without vaccinations, this current wave would be truly catastrophic and many, many more islanders would be severely ill and hospitalized.
-It is also important to keep in mind that there are islanders who have literally had to fight for their lives during this latest surge, and some of those who have ended up in the hospital were relatively young and healthy. Being vaccinated remains far and away your best move to ensure you stay out of the hospital. While any one person’s odds of being killed by COVID are relatively low, it does happen, and if getting vaccinated nearly guarantees that it won’t happen to you, isn’t it worth it?
Islanders might be interested to know that the County Health Vaccination Team has given 7,071 COVID vaccine shots since November 1. Of these: 646 were first doses (thank you!), 907 were second doses, and 5,518 were boosters. While these are encouraging numbers, the reality is that there are a number of islanders who are missing their boosters. Again, please take advantage of upcoming February clinics to get your third shot!
ORCAS ISLAND: There are twenty-two new cases on Orcas Island since the last update.
SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are eighty-six new cases on San Juan Island since the last update.
CRITICAL INFO:
-Registration for February vaccination clinics is currently open via the link below. This is your opportunity for your or your child to get a first shot, second shot, or booster. Note that due to reduced demand, clinics on Lopez have been scaled back, but local providers on Lopez are making vaccinations readily available.
Islanders are understandably curious about case trends during this ongoing surge. Are the cases in kids? Older folks? Those who travelled? The clear answer is yes to all. Recent cases are popping up in students, those who have been out of WA or out of the country, and plenty of islanders who haven’t left the islands and haven’t clearly engaged in high-risk behavior. Reality of Omicron is that transmission rates are high and the disease spreads easily.
As case numbers continue to be high, a common refrain is “well, let’s just get this over with and all get itâ€. A few quick thoughts on that:
-Being able to think like that is a luxury born from an incredibly successful vaccine and (in the islands anyway) a very successful vaccination roll-out. Without vaccinations, this current wave would be truly catastrophic and many, many more islanders would be severely ill and hospitalized.
-It is also important to keep in mind that there are islanders who have literally had to fight for their lives during this latest surge, and some of those who have ended up in the hospital were relatively young and healthy. Being vaccinated remains far and away your best move to ensure you stay out of the hospital. While any one person’s odds of being killed by COVID are relatively low, it does happen, and if getting vaccinated nearly guarantees that it won’t happen to you, isn’t it worth it?
Islanders might be interested to know that the County Health Vaccination Team has given 7,071 COVID vaccine shots since November 1. Of these: 646 were first doses (thank you!), 907 were second doses, and 5,518 were boosters. While these are encouraging numbers, the reality is that there are a number of islanders who are missing their boosters. Again, please take advantage of upcoming February clinics to get your third shot!