||| FROM BRENDAN COWAN, DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT |||

A positive COVID test result has been reported for a Lopez Island resident. This is the 39th case in San Juan County. The ongoing investigation indicates that transmission was likely due to off-island travel.

The recent surge in cases across the country provides an opportunity to refresh ourselves on how to keep ourselves and our community safe from COVID:

  1. If you’re symptomatic, stay home and call your healthcare provider about getting tested. Do not spend time in public, socialize, or otherwise interact with your community until you have been tested and have received negative test results. For more info about when to stay home and for how long, take a look at this Hot Topic.
  2. If you do test positive, please do all you can to provide accurate and complete information to the San Juan County Health Department contact tracing team. They will always respect your privacy and be empathetic to your situation. Fostering a non-judgmental environment in our community is one of their top priorities. Spring
    feels like a lifetime ago for many of us, but this Hot Topic from April does a nice job of highlighting the importance of empathy in supporting our collective mental health.

We are all aware of the fact that cases are increasing drastically, including here in the islands. The days of COVID feeling like a remote threat to San Juan County are over, and we’re back to having to take strong action to prevent serious impacts to our community.


 

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