Vashon Emergency Operations Center Final COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Report

This serves as the final COVID-19 situation report in The Beachcomber, and a resource guide.

July 1, 2021 1:30 am
Last Day at the COVID Test Site (Friday, June 25, 2021): An MRC volunteer bagged up the last seven nasal swab test kits (top left). CERT greeters had a bit of costume fun but like clockwork still performed the meticulous check-in process for arriving patients (top right). On the testing line, MRC and CERT volunteers made their final well-practiced and coordinated moves to supervise one of the final self-administered tests (bottom). Long-time CERT volunteer Allen de Steiguer reminisced about the experience. “Most of our volunteers signed up on day one, and they have been working without a stop for 15 months of the activation. We couldn’t make them stay home! This work became our lives,” he said. “We learned a lot about ourselves, our CERT team and what we can do, along the way, sharing about our families, and way too many bad jokes. We experienced, over a long time how CERT fits into the whole VashonBePrepared coalition, how our skills dovetail with the Medical Reserve Corps and the Emergency Operations Center. This was essentially a very long training exercise, but in this case, it was real because we were helping people stay healthy.” CERT volunteer Patricia Toovey added, “And one very special part of this work has been the appreciation from our community. People would come through the testing or vaccination line and be full of gratitude, or they’d walk up to us in the grocery store to say thanks” (Rick Wallace Photos).
Last Day at the COVID Test Site (Friday, June 25, 2021): An MRC volunteer bagged up the last seven nasal swab test kits (top left). CERT greeters had a bit of costume fun but like clockwork still performed the meticulous check-in process for arriving patients (top right). On the testing line, MRC and CERT volunteers made their final well-practiced and coordinated moves to supervise one of the final self-administered tests (bottom). Long-time CERT volunteer Allen de Steiguer reminisced about the experience. “Most of our volunteers signed up on day one, and they have been working without a stop for 15 months of the activation. We couldn’t make them stay home! This work became our lives,” he said. “We learned a lot about ourselves, our CERT team and what we can do, along the way, sharing about our families, and way too many bad jokes. We experienced, over a long time how CERT fits into the whole VashonBePrepared coalition, how our skills dovetail with the Medical Reserve Corps and the Emergency Operations Center. This was essentially a very long training exercise, but in this case, it was real because we were helping people stay healthy.” CERT volunteer Patricia Toovey added, “And one very special part of this work has been the appreciation from our community. People would come through the testing or vaccination line and be full of gratitude, or they’d walk up to us in the grocery store to say thanks” (Rick Wallace Photos).

SHIFTING DOWN TO STANDBY/MONITORING LEVEL

Resource guide: We are replacing the Situation Report we have been publishing for the last 15 months with a Resource Guide of COVID-19 information, testing, vaccines, and social services. It appears here and will be posted at VashonBePrepared.org. The Resource Guide will also be posted on social media, and printed copies will be distributed by our social service partners.

It isn’t over: As we make this move into a new phase, we share your relief that things are going well on Vashon, even as we remind ourselves of the suffering our neighbors have faced, not only from illness but also from the economic and psychological disaster brought to the island by COVID. There are still variants that have the potential for rapid virus transmission, and all around us, there are still people getting sick, needing testing, needing vaccination. We recognize that it isn’t over, and the worst public health crisis in a century will have effects for years to come.

SNAPSHOT OF 15-MONTH ACTIVATION

  • The Vashon Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the VashonBePrepared coalition was activated 68 weeks ago, in March 2020, to respond to what became a global pandemic.
  • The activation included all of the VashonBePrepared coalition partners and many community service partners who joined the effort.
  • The data dashboard at Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) shows 121 Vashon residents tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. That is 11.2 cases per 1,000 residents, compared to the county-wide case rate of 49.6 per 1,000.
  • Unfortunately, Vashon recorded 3 deaths, for a rate of 0.3 per 1,000 residents, less than half the 0.7 per 1,000 rate for the county overall.
  • Our COVID-19 testing center performed 3,571 COVID-19 tests — 38% of all tests for Vashon residents. The program identified 80 of 121 reported cases on Vashon, about half of which occurred during the third spike over the winter. The site was operated by Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Vashon Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the EOC team.
  • Growing out of the testing site, the MRC conducted contact tracing on behalf of PHSKC. MRC traced 42 case clusters on the island, identifying 178 contacts and 47 additional cases among contacts.
  • Our vaccination site helped Vashon achieve the highest vaccination rate in the county, with 91% of residents 12 years of age and older receiving at least one dose, compared to the county average of 77.9%. The percentage of Vashon residents who completed the vaccination series is at 78.7%, compared to the county average of 71%.
  • The vaccination site was a partnership with Vashon Pharmacy, supported by MRC, CERT, and the EOC. The operation administered over 10,000 doses of vaccine. That works out to 62% of all first and second doses for Vashon residents.
  • The Ask an Expert program, a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, assisted over 400 residents with unemployment benefits and handled 1,600 telephone consultations.
  • Over the last week, volunteers have contributed over 31,500 hours to the response effort, which is more than $1 million worth of in-kind value based on the FEMA reimbursement grant rate. Actual volunteerism on the island was much higher, as this does not include our island social service and economic relief partners and the CERT volunteers who staffed the testing and vaccine sites, because they are tracked in separate systems.
  • Through the generous contributions of hundreds of island residents, donations to the Vashon COVID Relief Fund exceeded $456,000. About two-thirds of the donations were doubled by reimbursements to VashonBePrepared, with the help of King County Office of Emergency Management and funding from the federal and state CARES Act program, as well as reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), gained with help from Vashon Island Fire and Rescue (VIFR).
  • To date, Vashon COVID Relief Fund community distributions total almost $536,000. Funds have supported the testing and vaccination programs and numerous outreach and communications efforts. Moreover, the Fund contributed directly to support local social service agency programs for food, housing, and economic recovery.

INFORMATION SECTIONS IN THIS GUIDE

Vaccinations: I still need to get vaccinated…

Testing: I need to get a COVID test…

COVID information: I would like to know…

Social, psychological, economic recovery: I need help with…

Remembering: What happened on Vashon…

Helping: I want to help out…

Note: Some of the website links in this resource guide are case-sensitive, meaning upper and lower case letters matter. If you are typing, save time by following the capitalizations.

VACCINATIONS

COVID-19 vaccinations are available free on the island at Vashon Pharmacy and Sea Mar at Sunrise Ridge, as well as other locations off-island. At this time, anyone age 12 or older is eligible for vaccination. All vaccinations are free, whether or not you have insurance.

  • Vashon Pharmacy: VashonPharmacy.com/COVID or (206) 463-9118
  • Sea Mar Clinic: SeaMar.org/COVID-Vaccine or (206) 463-3671
  • King County Vaccine Site: bit.ly/3jkDSkl
  • Pierce County Vaccine Site: bit.ly/PierceVaccine
  • State Vaccine Site: bit.ly/StateCOVIDvaccine

TESTING

Vashon’s (MRC) has shut down its COVID-19 testing site at Open Space but continues to provide contact tracing for Vashon, in support of Public Health — Seattle & King County. The MRC stands ready to respond to developments if needed.

Exposed? If you have been exposed to someone known to have COVID-19, please call the MRC at (844) 469-4554 to assess your risk and to facilitate testing and possible quarantine.

Tested positive? If you have tested positive for COVID-19, please call the MRC at (844) 469-4554 to discuss isolation and notification/testing of those you may have exposed.

Symptoms? If you have symptoms of COVID-19 but have not been exposed to anyone with COVID-19, the MRC recommends you talk to your healthcare provider and seek testing from one of the sites listed here. This is especially important if you have not been vaccinated.

Travel, medical procedure, work? If you need a COVID-19 test for travel, a medical procedure, or for work, you can be tested at one of these testing sites. You can also get more locations and updated information by calling the King County COVID-19 information line (206) 477-3966. Be sure to inquire, but most locations administer the test at no charge to the patient, billing the patient’s insurance.

  • Vashon Pharmacy: VashonPharmacy.com/COVID, (206) 463-9118. Online registration is required for PCR home test, with a 48 to 72-hour turnaround. Requires UPS drop-off.
  • Sea Mar Clinic: seamar.org/king-medical-vashon, (206) 463-3671. Rapid antigen tests are available giving immediate results; best suited for symptomatic patients.
  • Vashon Natural Medicine: VashonNaturalMed.com, (206) 463-4778. Provides testing for Vashon Natural Medicine patients by appointment.
  • UW West Seattle: UWmedicine.org/CoronaVirus/Testing. Drop-in PCR testing with online registration. Provides 24-hour turnaround.
  • Curative: Curative.com. Locations in West Seattle and Tacoma provide self-collected PCR tests with a 24 to 48-hour turnaround for those with COVID-19 symptoms or exposure.
  • SCAN – Seattle Coronavirus Assessment Network: ScanPublicHealth.org. At-home testing via online request for a home test kit. Tests are PCR, with a 48-hour turnaround after sending them back.

COVID-19 INFORMATION

For current information about the pandemic, including data dashboards, vaccine resources, and much more, access these links to the King County, Pierce County, and Washington State public health departments, the CDC website, news media, and more.

Local News

  • • Vashon Beachcomber: vashonbeachcomber.com
  • • KOMO News: komonews.com/news/coronavirus
  • • Seattle Times: seattletimes.com/tag/coronavirus
  • • Q13 Fox: bit.ly/3doOjiN

COVID Data Dashboards

Follow case numbers, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccination rates.

  • King County: kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/data
  • Pierce County: bit.ly/pierceCOVIDdashboard
  • Washington State Department of Health: bit.ly/stateCOVIDdashboard
  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC): covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker
  • World Health Organization (WHO): covid19.who.int
  • General COVID Information
  • King County: kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19
  • Washington State: coronavirus.wa.gov
  • CDC (national): cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
  • WHO (international): bit.ly/WHOcovidinfo

General Vaccine Information

  • Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC):bit.ly/PHSKCvax
  • Washington State: bit.ly/StateCOVIDvaccine
  • CDC: bit.ly/CDCvaccineInfo

Additional Information

  • State COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: Call 1-800-525-0127, then press # or text 211-211 for help.
  • King County masking: bit.ly/KingMasks
  • Life after vaccine: bit.ly/LifeAfterVaccine
  • CDC travel guidance: bit.ly/CDCcovidTravel
  • State reopening guidance:bit.ly/WAreopening

SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC RECOVERY

These resources are available for the Vashon community and businesses still affected by the pandemic.

Openings and Closings

  • Vashon Chamber of Commerce business status: vashonchamber.com/virtual-essential-vashon
  • Vashon Events food and beverage guide:vashonevents.org/togo

Schools

  • • Vashon Island School District:vashonsd.org
  • • Harbor School: harborschool.org
  • • King County Schools COVID Response: bit.ly/KingCOVIDschools
  • • Pierce County Schools: bit.ly/PierceCOVIDschools

Psychological Help

  • Vashon Youth and Family Services: vyfs.org (206) 463-5511
  • The DOVE Project: vashondoveproject.org, email nyn@vashondoveproject.org, or call (206) 490-0911
  • Community Care Team collections: bit.ly/VashonCOVIDpoems, bit.ly/VashonCOVIDprayers, bit.ly/VaschonCOVIDpractices
  • Washington Listens: (833) 681-0211 waportal.org/partners/home/WaListens
  • King County Crisis Line: (800) 621-4636
  • Crisis Text Line: text HEAL to 741741
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:(800) 273-8255
  • King County Sexual Assault Resource Line: (888) 998-6423

Unemployment & Job Search

  • Ask an Expert Unemployment Assistance:deborah@vashonbeprepared.org or call or text Deborah Diamond at (206) 200-3236.
  • Ask an Expert Career Development & Job Search Assistance: barb@mcmahonconsult.com
  • Housing & Financial Assistance
  • Vashon Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness (IFCH):ifchvashon.org. For virus rent relief: Hilary Emmer at 206-463-7277 or hilonvashon@yahoo.com
  • St Vincent de Paul Vashon: svdpvashon.org, call or text their Help Hotline at (206) 450-7577, or email svdp.vashon@gmail.com for emergency help with rent, utility bills, food, clothing, transportation, health care, and other necessities
  • Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program (EPRAP): A King County tenant assistance program can help with past, current, and future rents. bit.ly/KingEPRAP

Food Assistance

  • Vashon-Maury Community Food Bank: vashonfoodbank.org
  • Vashon Senior Center Meals for Seniors: vashoncenter.org/our-services
  • Vashon Senior Center Lunch Delivery: vashoncenter.org/lunch-delivery
  • St. Vincent de Paul Vashon food assistance: (206) 450-7577 or svdp.vashon@gmail.com
  • Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness meals: call (206) 643-5169 or ifchvashon.org
  • Vashon Island School District Food Services: bit.ly/VISDfood
  • King County Food Stamps: bit.ly/KingFoodStamps
  • Washington Basic Food Program: bit.ly/WAbasicFood

More Resources

  • Vashon Youth and Family Services Resource List: vyfs.org/resources
  • Vashon Household Community Partners: vashonhousehold.org/partners

REMEMBERING

From March 2020 through June 2021, a massive response involving many island organizations and hundreds of volunteers kept islanders informed, guided businesses through closures and exposures, provided testing and counseling to those who contracted COVID-19 and made the vaccines available to everyone who wanted them. These archives will help us remember this historic time.

  • Situation Reports: Here is an archive of the 191 Situation Reports provided to the community by a team of people which tracked island cases, hospitalizations, and deaths; business closures; COVID-19 testing and vaccination availability; and information from off-island to keep us informed. Visit vashonbeprepared.org/News/SitReps.
  • Timeline: This timeline tracks events on the island throughout the pandemic. Visit vashonbeprepared.org/Archives.
  • Archive and share your own experience: Add to the archive of Vashon’s pandemic life by submitting your story to the Vashon Heritage Museum. The Museum is archiving information and images from this time. You can contribute to the Vashon COVID Archive Project using the online form at bit.ly/VashonCOVIDarchiveProject.
  • Gallery: Images from throughout the pandemic response of activities by VashonBePrepared, the testing and vaccination sites, the Food Bank, Vashon School District, the Senior Center, and many more, at VashonBePrepared.org/gallery.

HELPING

Vashon Island was shepherded through the COVID-19 pandemic with the assistance of many island organizations, and enormous amounts of time and money donated by hundreds of islanders. Preparedness is an ongoing process, and most of these groups will move on to getting ready for the next disaster — an earthquake, extreme weather, or the next pandemic. Getting involved is a great way to meet neighbors and prepare to help when things get difficult for our loved ones and community.

Volunteer

Fill out our volunteer form to have someone get in contact with you: VashonBePrepared.org/Help-Out/Volunteer. Or email volunteer@VashonBePrepared.org.

You can get a list of our community’s response organizations at vashonbeprepared.org/Partners.

Donate

Donate to VashonBePrepared to help us be readier for whatever comes next to our island, at VashonBePrepared.org/Donate.