||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN for DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT |||
Since the last update on Friday December 17, there have been 13 new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current case count is now 479. However, there are a number of suspect cases currently under investigation that are not yet counted in the total case count pending confirming test results, but may contribute to a spike in case numbers in the days ahead.
There are approximately six unvaccinated close contacts of positive cases currently in quarantine in the islands. Six of the thirteen new cases have been identified as being fully vaccinated.
- LOPEZ ISLAND: There are five new cases on Lopez Island since the last update, all of which are tied either directly or indirectly to a previously reported case. There are seven positive cases under active monitoring on Lopez Island at this time.
- ORCAS ISLAND: There are five new cases on Orcas Island since the last update. There are seven positive cases under active monitoring on Orcas Island. Note that there is an active outbreak investigation underway on Orcas at this time tied to a holiday gathering. More cases are anticipated.
- SAN JUAN ISLAND: There are two new cases on San Juan Island since the last update. There are two positive cases under active monitoring on San Juan Island at this time.
- NOTE: There is also one new case tied to Decatur Island, but the individual is isolating at a mainland location and there is no exposure risk to the Decatur community.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
There is a strong sense within the local public health contact tracing team that WA and San Juan County are on the verge
of a significant surge in cases. Whether it happens this coming week, or soon after, it seems clear that the Omicron
variant will lead to many more infections. While the severity of illness from this new variant is unknown (initial signs
suggesting it is somewhat less severe than Delta are encouraging), the sheer number of cases happening all at once will
likely lead to a significant drain on healthcare resources. Please review the info below in advance of the anticipated
surge.
- Being vaccinated continues to offer significant protection from severe illness and is the single most effective way
to help reduce your chances of ending up in the hospital from COVID. Many local and mainland providers continue to offer doses, and the current schedule and registration links for upcoming County vaccine clinics is at www.sanjuanco.com/1737/COVID-Vaccine-Info. January booster clinics will be posted to website next week. - The County Health & Community Services team gave away more than 3,000 mail-in test kits last week. For those
who received those kits, please note that the expiration date for those kits that were due to expire 12/21 has been extended out one year by the manufacturer. The County and some local providers are actively working with WA DOH and the federal government to secure more at-home testing kits. Details will be provided when additional info is available. - From the very beginning of the pandemic the local Health & Community Services contact tracing and
surveillance teams have taken tremendous pride in the high level of attention and effort they have put into
managing the risk of spread from every positive case that is reported. Please note that as cases spike due to
Omicron, the teams will likely be unable to support that high level of service. Email may replace phone calls as
the primary form of outreach, staff may be less available or unavailable to answer individual questions, and
those who test positive may be asked to do the notification of their close contacts themselves and to share info
provided by Health & Community Services staff. Islanders are asked to be patient and understanding of the
limitations placed on the response due to a potentially record volume of cases. - If cases spike as expected, WA and San Juan County residents may expect increased limits on activities. Specifics
of what those limits may look like are unknown, but they may include increased testing or vaccination
requirements in some settings, limits on social gatherings, or scaling back of activities that may be seen as high
risk. Hopefully the spike in cases won’t lead to a dramatic strain on hospitals but given the relatively large
number of individual choosing to remain unvaccinated, it seems likely that it will. If there is good news in this, it
is that initial data suggests that the Omicron spike will be over relatively quickly, perhaps in just a few weeks. If
so, that suggests that any new limits may be somewhat short in duration.
As always, the Health & Community Services team is tremendously appreciative of the ongoing support, patience, and cooperation of the community. The current situation is not what any of us wanted, but the islands continue to shine amidst the struggle, and our team wishes all islanders a safe, warm, and peaceful holidays.
Omicron, a weak variant. Bring it on so we can all get over the booster merry-go-round (And the financial windfalls received by Big Pharma).
Protect the vulnerable, let the healthy young gather herd immunity.
I’ve had two Moderna’s and have read virologists that suggest that we simply can not continue to throw questionable gene-therapy tools at this designer disease.
In this country, there is virtually no pre-hospital covid protocol. That is why in other, (less first world) countries, Covid infections are going way down. Other countries re-purpose drugs already in use, and are having way better results than the USA and Europe, where Pharma rules Congress.
In the beginning of all this Covie Time, we heard lots of discussion about HOW people were being infected, and the behavior of the actual viral particle, in terms of wet, dry, aerosol, etc., and whether we sneezed, coughed, sang or spoke into another’s face. We also heard about places in which it was better to congregate than others: outdoors, well-ventilated public places with the latest systems, at home with few family, etc. Later, we learned that the stay apart, wash hands, wear well-fitting masks, get vaccinated adages kept us pretty well protected. And, I’d think we’re slowly, ever so slowly going to a time when we have develped herd immunity, at least enugh not to have these outbreaks.
So now, with most of us knowing all the above, HOW is the Omicron variant doing the infecting??? Please give us some clues, so we can continue to feel safe with the protocols we’ve adopted.
Thanks….
We all need to recognize what a fabulous job Brendan Cowan, Dr. Frank James and the County health department have done in keeping us safe for nearly two pandemic years now. Despite the fact that a third of the county population, or about 6,000 citizens, are over age 65 (including Yours Truly) and therefore highly vulnerable to this disease (which kills over 1% of those infected), we have yet to experience a single death. No other WA county can make that claim. And last time I looked, only 14 of us had been hospitalized — much less than 1% of the 470-odd folks who have been infected here.
We owe these leaders a debt of gratitude, and should pay close heed to their recommendations.
OMG! It’s the Omicron Variant, run for the hills! A total of (1) person, in the U.S., as of Dec. 21st has been reported to have died of The Omicron! https://www.webmd.com/…/unvaccinated-texas-man-omicron… The virus fear scare is just a smokescreen for this global restructuring of the financial systems of the planet. There seems to be a war going on between planetary “Globalists” (The Great Reset plan) and the planetary “Nationalists” with the (Global Currency Reset plan). You are going to have to look that stuff up for yourself if you want to figure out what is going on. There is a lot of stuff to sift through. This has never really been about a virus, that was the cover for a major shift on how this planet is run. They shut down the planetary economy for something that kills LESS people (if you can even believe the liars’ official numbers) than cancer, heart disease, third world starvation, potentially even medical mistakes in the U.S kill every year. If YOU ARE HEALTHY you have nothing to worry about!! It’s all Just Fear, that is how they control a population. Think about it. 2 years in? Constant fear mongering? This is now a fake problem, people. It’s all scare tactics. They are about to shut down the global economy, again, for 1 person dying in the U.S.? How much more blatant can this be?? Start thinking about it. It doesn’t make any sense. And no, I do not recommend risking getting a vaccine, they don’t seem to be safe, at all. The Media is lying to you just like they always have. Media is just population thought control. Herd the sheeple whatever direction they want. Blessings and Peace, Merry Christmas. The TV has never told you the truth, stop watching and believing it. You will be much happier. Fear is just “False Evidence Appearing Real”, remember that. If you are Healthy, you have nothing to worry about. If you are not healthy, srat taking vitamin C, D, and Zink. Get some excersize. Boost your immune system. Stay away from the Vaccines. STOP believing the BS. Blessings. Peace. Love. Merry Christmas, everybody. PEACE. LOVE. COURAGE. THINK FOR YOURSELF, please.. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-covid-omicron-death-texas-b1979890.html?fbclid=IwAR3-32Gcw46C-mTEHCXu2cWim7pKGt4g0zqgPh6VHx2p7iiHSYxnD2rqjXY
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20211221/unvaccinated-texas-man-omicron-death
Take a Break, Merry Christmas Everyone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91hHw1YPqxE
Unfortunately, fantastically wacky conspiracy theories are spreading even faster than omicron. It is time for a mental quarantine from social media to maintain a sense of reality in these ludicrous times.
I do find it amazing that The Orcasonian provides a voice for the conspiracy-theory fringe, and helps amplify their madness.
I guess that the anti-vaxxers would prefer that no Polio vaccine was ever developed.
Just survival of the fittest.
Polio would likely be eradicated by now if not for vaccine myths propagated in war-torn areas.
Here is a description of the 1916 Polio epidemic:
6/17/1916
New York City Polio Epidemic
Health officials announced a polio epidemic centered in Brooklyn, New York. As was typical with polio outbreaks, infections surfaced in the summer months.
More than 2000 people would die in New York City alone. Across the United States in 1916, polio took the lives of about 6,000 people, leaving thousands more paralyzed.
Summer epidemics would come to be common in this era and would lead to widespread closures of pools, amusements parks, and other places where children gathered.
Yes, David, this is real whacko stuff.
I find it amazing and wonderful that the Orcasonian will print divergent viewpoints, like the diversity of choice to think for myself.
“Thought Criminal! How dare you Question the Narrative of the State!?? Censor Him!” Now, what period of history does that remind you of? Eigh?
If the “Truth” that you believe in is constantly determined by the shifting winds of viewpoint of the majority, then you are not thinking for yourself, and likely will never figure out what is going on. Trying to stay in the middle of the consciousness herd may seem like a safe place to be, but it is highly unlikely you will ever see the glorious vistas of the Truth. And to those who are heavily addicted to trying to stay in the middle of the safety of the herd, should not spend their time criticizing the souls who are willing to sacrifice the collective safety to find the real vistas of the Truth. For it is the sovereign minded way showers who ultimately guide the possibilities of the direction of the herd, and without them, the herd would likely stagnate, and not progress at all.