||| FROM KYRA KINNAMAN for SJC HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES |||
As a part of a regional effort to curb the rising infection rates in Washington, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James recommends that islanders mask up when entering an indoor public space, including businesses, whether vaccinated or not.
Local Health Officers in counties adjacent to the Salish Sea are coming together to put forward this masking recommendation. The participating Health Officers to date are from Pierce, King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and San Juan counties. COVID-19 cases are rising across the region and there is increased circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant.
This is not a new or separate mandate for businesses. It is already a requirement for unvaccinated people to wear a mask. This recommendation does encourage businesses to ask all people to mask up when entering the space to help protect workers and the community.
The Delta variant is 225% more infectious than the original virus.
“Remember that the primary behavioral problem we are addressing is unvaccinated people not wearing masks,” says Dr. James. “To ensure easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in indoor settings, we need to have all people mask in indoor public settings. Recommending that proprietors of public indoor venues require masking for all is a key part of what we need to do at this time.”
Virus variants are expected to occur. There are four notable variants in the United States that are being monitored by the CDC. Most notable for San Juan County and our region is the Delta variant. The county’s recent breakthrough cases (infection in vaccinated individuals) are showing similar viral behavior to the Delta variant. This is a troubling development because the Delta variant is 225% more infectious than the original virus.
San Juan County is leading the state in vaccination rates; however, there are portions of our community that are unprotected or under-protected, especially against emerging variant strains. Unvaccinated people, children under twelve and those who share a household with them should be especially diligent in wearing a mask in order to keep their loved ones safe.
As cases are on the rise nationally, regionally, and locally, San Juan County is joining the effort to keep Washingtonians safe. Until these variants are understood more, the road ahead will require a shift back to what we know works best to protect against the virus: get fully vaccinated if you haven’t done so already, mask up indoors, maintain social distancing, and minimize travel.
OTHER MEDIA COVERAGE: seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/public-health-officials-in-snohomish-other-western-washington-counties-urge-mask-use-indoors-as-covid-cases-rise/
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I’m glad to see the County Health Department recommending that we go back to masking in indoor public spaces, given the virulence and transmissibility of the Delta variant virus, which unfortunately seems to be in our midst.
Michael, you need to get YOUR numbers straight. You said, “Recent studies from Israel suggest vaccination’s effectiveness against mild and asymptomatic cases of the Delta variant could be as low as 39 percent”. Well, the amount of vaccine protectiveness for the population was ZERO before the vaccine became available. And how much “community spread” was there in the San Juans before the vaccine became available? Also ZERO. There are your numbers.
Thank you Dr. James, and SJC Health and Community Services.
Focus Dan. “The Delta variant is 225% more infectious than the original virus.”
In relation to this article, Michael said, “I’m glad to see the County Health Department recommending that we go back to masking in indoor public spaces, given the virulence and transmissibility of the Delta variant virus, which unfortunately seems to be in our midst.”
I’ll go with that.
We are told that “the primary behavioral problem we are addressing” can be resolved by masking “To ensure easy verification that all unvaccinated people are masked in indoor settings”
We were told that decisions would be based on science, not politics, certainly not social engineering.
We were told Moderna, the predominant vaccine in SJC, was 94% effective at preventing infection and that it would mitigate severe effects for those who fell into the 6% ineffective (breakthrough) range. Variants have emerged that slightly alter those figures but we always knew that some of the vaccinated would get the virus.
About an hour ago KIRO reported that 96.3% of current cases are among unvaccinated people and that most breakthrough cases were “mild”. So let’s consider that San Juan County is leading the state in vaccination rates, over 80% of population. 17,500 x 0.8 = 14,000 vaccinated individuals, 4 breakthroughs: 4/14,000 =.00028 = 0.03% a statistical non-event.
I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Riordan’s freedom to make his own choice, but it seems to me that the vaccines are meeting expectations and I believe we’re at a point where my freedom to choose must be equally respected. I see no need for a mask to protect myself or others as long as applied science gives me immunity.
It doesn’t matter where the virus comes from… whether someone from off-island brings it here, or whether someone here gets it from off-island and brings it back. It’s socially transmitted… period. Relating to the current surge in cases throughout the country (including the recent increases here) as if we’re over the hump, as if everything is O.K., as if it could never happen here… is absurd.
Do you think our current good fortune here might be the end result of our having taken a cautious approach to date… you know, masking, social distancing, washing our hands, etc.? If so, common sense would then tell us that during the current rise in infections, and especially considering the new variants… that we should continue doing the same.
Someone said recently, “If it’s predictable, it’s preventable”. In light of the current reality it would seem obvious that we should be erring on the side of caution… otherwise our decision making will not be based on science.
I, for one, would like to see Inslee put the mask mandate back on. It came off too quickly. I do not trust that unvaccinated people are wearing masks, why would I?? They are unvaccinated!! duh. Anyway, wearing masks is probably here to stay, so what. Get over it people and put the thing on. We are lucky it is an easy thing to do; for our community and for our children who ARE unvaccinated. I worry about them getting this thing.