Weekly San Juan County COVID case update

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

Note: Current positive case numbers are available online at the County Case Data Dashboard. As indicated on that page, these numbers are only updated after case confirmation is complete, usually daily. It is possible that other information sources in community may be quicker to report on new cases, but ensuring privacy and accuracy is critical for this official information source.

Since the last update on Friday April 16, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 166 to 173. Note that there are 25 close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine.

SHAW ISLAND
There are no new cases on Shaw Island since the last update. There is one confirmed positive case under active monitoring on Shaw Island at this time.

ORCAS ISLAND
There are no new cases on Orcas Island since the last update. There are no confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on Orcas Island at this time.

LOPEZ ISLAND
There is one new case on Lopez Island since the last update. The following details are known about this new case:
-The new case is a close household contact of previously reported positive cases. Initial transmission source is related to
mainland travel.
There are three confirmed positive cases under active monitoring on Lopez Island at this time.

SAN JUAN ISLAND
There are six new cases since the last report on San Juan Island. The following details are known about these new cases:

• Three of these new cases are close household members of each other, initial transmission source is through mainland travel.
• One of these new cases is possibly tied to the hosting of off-island visitors.
• Case investigations are ongoing for two of these cases.

There are six positive cases under active monitoring on San Juan Island at this time.

OVERALL PICTURE
First off, if you’re not vaccinated – DO IT NOW. There are clinics on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez the first half of next week, and there are MANY SLOTS LEFT. Sign up at www.sjccovid.com.

Good news: while we’re not 100% out of the woods, it seems that the large outbreak that had been ongoing on San Juan Island has been contained. Great cooperation and patience from everyone involved and an almost indescribable amount of work by the County Contact Tracing Team were the key pieces of a remarkable effort to prevent further spread. So while we’re still watching the situation closely, there is cause for optimism.

Less good news: we’re starting to see cases popping up from islanders who have traveled or who have hosted off-island visitors. This is hardly a surprise but is clearly a risk going forward. That said, so far everyone involved in these cases have done the right thing by minimizing their exposures to the community once they returned home. That sort of thoughtful behavior will do a lot to keep the islands safe.

So, if you’re unvaccinated and are in a high-risk situation while traveling (indoors, unmasked, with others who are unvaccinated), stay home when you get back to the islands. This is also true for kids – keep them home for two weeks once you’re back.

And finally, please don’t take COVID lightly. We’re seeing young, healthy, perfectly strong adults who are dealing with prolonged and very difficult struggles with COVID. If you’re on the fence about getting the vaccine, get it now- while there are very, very small (like one in a million small) risks that are associated with
the vaccine, you’re chances of getting COVID and suffering from serious long-term complications are far, far higher.