— from Emergency Operations Center, Camp Murray —
Numbers. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health’s website.
Gov. Inslee issues proclamation on K-12 reopening. Gov. Jay Inslee today issued a proclamation outlining the state’s plan to possibly re-open schools in the fall for the 2020-2021 school year. The plan follows the state’s Safe Start phased approach to reopening on a county-by-county basis. Read the full proclamation.
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction releases guidance for reopening schools. OSPI’s priority is reopening schools in the fall while keeping students and staff safe and healthy. Given the social distancing requirements and varying conditions of school buildings statewide, school leaders recognize that a ‘one size fits all’ model will not work. Instead, in partnership with their students, staff, families, and local health departments, school districts will create a schedule that works best for their school community. Find out more by reading OSPI’s Reopening Washington Schools 2020 District Planning Guide. Specific guidance to summer and fall school reopening is also available.
Skamania County approved to move to Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. Today Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman approved Skamania County to move into Phase 3 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan. Read the full news release.
Washington families get help to buy food during school closures. Because schools closed due to COVID-19, Washington families will soon have food benefits to help buy groceries while children have been home from school. The Department of Social and Health Services received federal approval to implement P-EBT and is collaborating with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to distribute these benefits by early July. Read the full joint news release.
Food assistance update. Washington National Guard soldiers and airmen hit a major milestone this week. Since being activated to support the Covid-19 response, National Guard soldiers and airmen have packaged more than 25 million pounds of food to support local food banks. This past week alone, more than 650 Guard personnel helped box more than 2.6 million pounds of food and assemble more than 68,000 meals.In addition, this week WSDA’s Food Assistance program distributed 1.5 million pounds of food and served more than 171,000 clients.
DOH Shares Lessons from the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Pandemics don’t come when convenient. In March 1918, when the first cases of pandemic flu were identified, we were fighting World War I. During the 1918 pandemic, about 500 million people got flu and 50 million people died from it. There was no vaccine or good treatments. Health care systems around the country were overwhelmed, and people could not get the care they needed. Read more.
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The flood gates have been opened. Yesterday, at a take out restaurant here on our glorious island, the employees, another local customer and I wear all wearing our masks. However,I was astounded that several other groups of people did not. One couple had young children – all without masks. I wish to clarify if there is a directive in place that EVERYONE wear masks here on the island in public places? If that directive is in place, whose job is it to confront folks who are not choosing to act in a safe and considerate manner? How is it or could it be enforced?
Susan: Thinking that what I might do is vote with my feet, at that moment! Let the shop owners force compliance or lose local business and goodwill.
The similarities to open carry laws and firearms are not lost on me in this situation; if a state or county outlaws open carry, isn’t it against the law to do so? How about breaking the San Juan county rule about masks in businesses?
On Friday morning I observed two checkout cashiers at Island Market who were not wearing masks. They had face shields but nothing to protect themselves from any contaminated aerosol particles that could have been drifting in the air. Or to prevent their exhaling such particles if they had happened to be infected. Island Market managers, please take note!
Mr. Riordan,
One size does not fit all. Early on Dr. James cautioned about harsh conclusions regarding those who have underlying issues that preclude masks, so please consider:
1. At least one of these ladies has had real problems with the cloth masks. Is she somehow less than the rest of us?
2. Order 2020-4 defers employee face coverings to the Governor’s directive.
3. Shields provide an impermeable barrier for projectile exhalation, primarily directing aerosol particles downward onto clothing. Without motive force the drift you note is minimal.
4. Cloth mask effectiveness varies so widely that their benefit can easily fit under the same umbrella with shields “something is better than nothing”.
5. Shields provide a reasonable alternative and community protection that allows most of those with medical constraints to retain equal access to public places.
6. The risks we face have been well identified, but risk assessment, management and mitigation to protect oneself is, and should remain, an individual decision.
So I encourage your empathy, compassion and inclusiveness of those less fortunate than yourself. I know you can do it,yours is one of the brightest minds we have!