Vaccine on the way: EOC

Here’s what you should know about Dec. 8 to Dec. 14.

December 17, 2020 1:30 am
The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in the Seattle area this week. However, there is no clarity yet on when doses of vaccine might be administered to the first high priority groups on Vashon Island. The state Department of Health has indicated that there will be enough vaccine by mid-January to administer doses to all Washington members of the top priority group, designated as Tier 1a. Tier 1a includes health care workers and first responders caring for COVID patients, as well as residents and staff at long-term care facilities (Courtesy Photo).
The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in the Seattle area this week. However, there is no clarity yet on when doses of vaccine might be administered to the first high priority groups on Vashon Island. The state Department of Health has indicated that there will be enough vaccine by mid-January to administer doses to all Washington members of the top priority group, designated as Tier 1a. Tier 1a includes health care workers and first responders caring for COVID patients, as well as residents and staff at long-term care facilities (Courtesy Photo).

THE VIRUS

Virus statistics: Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) reports 78 positive cases of COVID-19 on Vashon since the pandemic began. There are a few new cases from testing this week that have not yet made it onto the official dashboard report from Public Health. That’s due to the continued data processing challenge of the recent massive spike in cases through the state. In fact, a big jump of cases reported on the dashboard web page last week was actually from cases tested the previous week being entered late into the database.

A better week: The number of new COVID-19 cases among Vashon residents dropped significantly this past week compared to the weeks running up to and through Thanksgiving week. The Vashon Medical Reserve Corps experts are still assessing the reasons for the drop, but one contributing factor is smaller household clusters, which underscores the importance of isolation procedures within the home. The MRC COVID testing team is eager to help those who need advice about isolation and quarantine. They can be reached at (844) 469-4554.

Staying the course: “The key thing now is for everyone to hold on to the fact that we can see an end to this because the first vaccines have started arriving in the region for first responders and care facilities,” said Dr. Jim Bristow, lead of the Vashon MRC testing and contact tracing operation. “We know from patient interviews that most people are trying to do the right thing — masking, distancing, self-quarantining when they travel — and all the other crucial steps. We would like to think that many people took heart and decided not to gather for the first of our big holidays, which would be a very promising development and the kind of community-minded behavior we’ve come to expect from Vashon residents. We also know that this is all very, very hard and people are sick and tired of the pandemic. Believe me, so are all of us volunteers. Just keep in mind that the results from our latest vaccine survey for the island suggest we can look forward to an end, but that time is still some months away.”

COVID-19 VACCINE SURVEY

Uncertainty remains: The EOC has completed its second survey of the COVID-19 vaccine situation for Vashon. The expected vaccine providers on Vashon believe vaccine may be available for the general public as early as February but are careful to point out that information changes every day and it is not possible yet to make a good estimate of when and how many vaccines will be available here on Vashon.

Vashon Community Care: Executive Director Wendy Kleppe was unable to say with certainty when her staff and residents will be vaccinated. However, all arrangements are in place to obtain and administer the doses. Much of the state’s distribution to facilities like VCC is happening through a master contract with Walgreen’s/CVS but VCC has taken action to bypass that channel and get the vaccine more directly and possibly more quickly. The vaccine will be delivered to VCC by its master pharmacy supply contractor and administered by VCC nursing staff.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue/Medic One Paramedics: Chief Charlie Krimmert participates in regional conference calls to get coordinated information. So far, all indications are that VIFR EMS staff will be vaccinated in Tier 1a, as will the Medic One paramedics assigned to the island. He emphasized, however, that dates of availability and logistics have not been announced.

Vashon Pharmacy: Owner Tyler Young has confirmed his initial order of vaccine with an option to add more. He believes the Moderna vaccine may be more available than the initial arriving supplies of the Pfizer vaccine. He has tentatively planned to acquire a mobile office to be set up outside the pharmacy as a vaccination center. Discussions are underway on how Vashon Pharmacy might be aided by volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps and the Community Emergency Response Team.

Vashon Natural Medicine: Clinic owner Kelly Wright reports they are telling patients that initial supplies will provide only a fraction of the vaccines needed for health care workers and long-term care facilities. Therefore, supplies will be short until another vaccine is approved and more doses are available. The clinic has not yet started any type of wait list. She emphasized that the criteria for who gets the vaccine, the tier system, is up to the state Department of Health. She estimates that it will be January or February before Vashon receives any vaccine for the public. When it is available, Vashon Natural Medicine will run vaccine clinics.

Sea Mar Community Health Center: Senior Vice President Jesus Sanchez believes Sea Mar at Sunrise Ridge will receive vaccine supplies for the first public phase of the vaccine roll-out (Tier 1b), but there’s no actual confirmation yet. He says there’s also no definite information yet from the state Department of Health on Tier 2 vaccine supplies for the wider general public. Sea Mar is seeking the super-cold storage capability that one of the vaccine brands requires. They are working on a patient information pamphlet in English and Spanish, in addition to emails to patients and other informational media.

Vaccine questions answered: Mayo Clinic has published a web page to address concerns and questions many people have about the COVID-19 vaccines. For example, the page responds to concerns the public may have that the speed of development of the vaccines might have compromised safety. The rapid development of the vaccines has resulted from intense advance work by researchers preparing for such an outbreak, and by running the required testing phases at the same time, not by skipping any requirements. Regulatory agencies have worked closely with vaccine developers to streamline the review and approval processes. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been tested in 43,000 people, with at least two months of follow-up. Most vaccine complications appear soon after vaccine administration. See the Mayo Clinic site for more answers at tinyurl.com/MayoQuestions.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS

Tightened safety guidelines now extended: Governor Jay Inslee has extended the rollbacks he announced on Nov. 15 until Jan. 4, covering the upcoming holiday season. Inslee stated that the extension is needed to reverse the trends of COVID spread before the state’s hospitals and medical staff is overwhelmed. Inslee said “… while the COVID is at crisis levels, what we do now literally will be a matter of life and death for many of our citizens. However, at the moment, we have to face the reality and the reality is that we are suffering a very dire situation with the pandemic.” The extended rollbacks include:

  • Indoor gatherings with people outside your household are prohibited unless participants have followed one of two protocols. They may quarantine for fourteen (14) days prior to the gathering, or they may choose to quarantine for seven (7) days prior and receive a negative COVID-19 test within two days of the planned gathering.
  • Outdoor social gatherings should be limited to no more than five people from outside your household
  • Religious services may continue, but indoor attendance must be limited to 25% of capacity, or 200 people, whatever is less. Choirs, bands or ensembles are prohibited from performing.
  • Wedding and funeral ceremonies will be limited to 30 people. Receptions of all sizes are prohibited at the ceremonies.
  • Retail stores, including grocery and convenience stores, must limit occupancy to 25% and must close food court seating.
  • Long-term care facilities can accept visitors only in outdoor settings, with limited exceptions for end-of-life care and essential support personnel.
  • Movie theaters and museums are to be closed for indoor attendance.
  • Personal services, such as barbershops and salons, are limited to 25% capacity
  • Offices are required to mandate employees work from home, if possible, and must limit occupancy to 25% if they remain open for staff. They must be closed to the public.
  • Real estate open houses are prohibited.
  • Youth and adult sports are limited to outdoor-only intra-team practices and athletes must wear masks.
  • Schools and childcare facilities may continue under current restrictions and are exempt from the new restrictions.
  • Professional and college sports following stringent safety COVID protocols can continue.

Affordable health insurance: Enroll by Dec. 15 for health insurance coverage to begin Jan. 1. Open Enrollment for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act continues until Jan. 15, however, if you want coverage to start January 1st, applications must be submitted before the 11:59 pm deadline on Dec. 15. For those eligible, Washington’s Apple Health offers access to free or low-cost health coverage year-round. To renew or apply for health insurance coverage, visit wahealthplanfinder.org. Free help is also available, virtually or in person, from qualified navigators at tinyurl.com/ycmrmngu.

School lunches resumed: The Vashon Island School District meal pick-up and delivery program has reopened. After an initial positive COVID test by an employee, they completed their period of isolation, and all other employees have tested negative. The facilities have been thoroughly cleaned. Breakfast and lunch are available free every school day for anyone between the ages of 3 and 18 years of age and any special education students through 21 years of age. Any adult may purchase a meal for $5. The program will shut down as usual for the winter school break after Friday, Dec. 18, resuming on Monday, Jan. 4.

Spanish Situation Reports: Voice of Vashon’s weekly show Mi Gente Latina includes a review of recent Situation Reports. Episodes are broadcast on Tuesdays and recordings of the show are available at voiceofvashon.org/mi-gente-latina. To receive emails for each episode or send questions for the show, email host Lydia Aguilar at laguilarkir@gmail.com.

La versión en español del Situation Report o Reporte de la Situación en la Isla: El programa semanal en Voice of Vashon, Mi Gente Latina, presenta los eventos y datos mas importantes del reporte en español. La versión en español se puede escuchar los martes y el enlace está disponible a partir del viernes por la tarde en voiceofvashon.org/mi-gente-latina. Si quiere usted recibir el enlace o tiene alguna pregunta, por favor comuníquese con la anfitriona, Lydia Aguilar Kirschner en laguilarkir@gmail.com.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS

Emergency Operations Center (EOC): The EOC activated in response to the pandemic emergency on March 12, over nine months ago (281 days ago). Four EOC operational priorities remain our goals: health, food security, housing security, and economic recovery.

Medical Reserve Corps/COVID-19 Testing: Demand at the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps testing site has dropped off to the level experienced two to four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. The MRC and CERT volunteers have been working well at the now-winterized site, despite the falling temperatures and frequent rain.

COVID-19 vaccine: A second survey of the island’s COVID-19 vaccination situation has been completed by the EOC Team and the Medical Reserve Corps. The results are shown in the Developments section of this report.

Vashon COVID Relief Fund: The eleventh disbursement of relief funds has gone out to social service partners to purchase meals, groceries, rental assistance, and other types of household support. The December relief disbursements of over $40,000 went to the Food Bank, Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, Senior Center, School District nutrition program, and St. Vincent de Paul. To date, the Relief Fund has provided:

  • 15,806 meals (many of them delivered to homes and neighborhoods)
  • 3,280 bags of groceries (many delivered into the community)
  • 249 cases of rent and other household relief.
  • 1,000 one-on-one expert counseling sessions to help unemployed file for benefits
  • 100 attendees at back-to-business workshops to aid safe reopening during Phase 2

Community Care Team/Community Engagement Team: The “Creating Strength” personal resilience campaign is in late design stages and a final decision on launch date will be made in the next week. The nine-week series will be rolled out via email, social media and the VashonBePrepared.org website. Nine videos will coach community members in ways to build resilience against the stresses of the pandemic, setting out a series of small, easily managed action steps. The series features Wren Hudgins, Ph.D., Disaster Mental Health Instructor for the American Red Cross, along with Jinna Risdal, Ph.D., Lead for the Vashon Community Care Team.

Community Engagement Team: The “Hope 2021” insert for The Beachcomber is in the early stages of the design process. The six- to eight-page insert will include material from the Creating Strength campaign (see above) as well as photos and stories of hope from our social service partners. It has been scheduled to run in early January.

ABOUT

This information is compiled from the Situation Reports produced by the EOC Situation Section and provided to The Beachcomber to help islanders stay informed and safe. To receive reports and other emergency information emails, go to VoiceOfVashon.org/AlertSignup.