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Communicable Disease

Director: Jennifer Johnson

Page Updated 3-12-20 2:25pm

Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID19) | Español

DOH Hotline: If you have questions about what is happening in Washington, or how the virus is spread, please call 1-800-525-0127. Phone lines are staffed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Without insurance? The Washington Health Benefit Exchange has opened a limited-time special enrollment period for qualified individuals. This special enrollment period runs through April 8, 2020. Call 1-855-923-4633; TTY: 1-855-627-9604, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, or a local certified broker or navigator.

Skagit Regional Health is providing free telehealth for anyone in Washington State seeking COVID-19 screening. Learn more at www.skagitregionalhealth.org/myeclinic

Skagit County Public Health is closely monitoring the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID19). Public Health is coordinating with local, state and federal partners to protect public health and prevent the spread COVID19.

COVID-19 CASES IN SKAGIT COUNTY RESIDENTS | more information

	Positive*	Hospitalized	Deaths
Skagit County Residents	2	0	0

Positive Case Details

Female in her 30s in isolation at home
Female in her 40s in isolation at home

*Total confirmed and presumptive positive cases, including deaths. A presumptive positive means that a private lab has reported a positive COVID-19 test result, which we expect to be confirmed by the Washington State Department of Health.

Note: This data is changing rapidly as labs conduct tests and discover new cases.

Skagit County is asking that the public do their part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Stay home when sick, and limit close contact with others in your household who are not sick.
Call ahead and do not go to the emergency room unless seriously ill. Emergency rooms need to be able to serve those with the most critical needs. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, contact your regular doctor by phone first.
Even if you are not ill, avoid visiting hospitals, long term care facilities or nursing homes to the extent possible. If you do need to visit one of these facilities limit your time there, and keep 6 feet away from patients. The Governor has issued new rules to protect older adults in nursing homes and living facilities.
Practice excellent personal hygiene habits, including handwashing with soap and warm water frequently for 20 seconds; coughing into tissue or elbow; avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Clean and disinfect frequently touched/used surfaces.
Stay away from people who are ill, especially if you are 60 and older or have underlying health conditions that put you at higher risk for severe illness.
Stay informed and pay attention to recommendations from Skagit County Public Health and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

NEWS UPDATES
News updates from Skagit County can be found here.
Sign up for Press Releases from Skagit County here.

News updates from Washington State can be found here.

Download the poster

HEALTH OFFICER RECOMMENDATIONS

At a meeting of the Skagit County Board of Health on March 10, 2020, Skagit County Health Officer Dr. Howard Leibrand issued recommendations in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of people infected. These recommendations were made in consultation with the State Department of Health.

Social distancing measures are the best tool we have to combat COVID-19 and protect our loved ones. The Health Officer based his recommendations on the best available science on how to counter the spread of COVID-19 and the risk of a widespread local outbreak. Early steps, which might prove painful in the short term, may prevent the catastrophic long-term economic impacts other parts of the world are suffering.

Dr. Leibrand has recommended - but is not requiring - the following:

People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible. People at higher risk include people over 60 years of age; people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease or diabetes; people with weakened immune systems; and pregnant women.
Employers should maximize telecommuting options for as many employees as possible; urge employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits; consider staggering start and end times to reduce large numbers of people congregating at the same time.
The community should postpone non-essential events and gatherings of ten or more people.

The Health Officer is not recommending school closures, but individual districts may make the decision to close schools as the situation evolves. Skagit County Public Health will continue to be available for organizational consultation on these important and difficult decisions.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, and Public Health will continually re-evaluate the timeframe for these recommendations. At this time, Public Health does not have an end date for these recommendations.

You can stream the Skagit County Board of Health meeting online.

SKAGIT COUNTY SENIOR PROGRAMMING

The Washington Insurance Commissioner has posted important information on Medicare coverage and COVID-19.

Skagit County takes the Health Officer’s recommendations seriously and is adapting its senior services programming as follows based on the most recent guidance.

Meals on Wheels

There are currently no changes to the Meals on Wheels Program. Skagit County Public Health will continue daily hot meal delivery, Monday through Friday, and frozen weekend meals for Meals on Wheels clients as long as staffing and volunteer capacity allows.

Congregate Lunch Program

The congregate lunch program will be closed until further notice. Frozen meals are available for pick up. Please call your local senior center for details.

Mount Vernon Senior Center, 360-416-1585, Kristl Hobbs or Nickie McNulty
Sedro-Woolley Senior Center, 360-855-1531, Ellen Schweigert or Merrilee Komboukos
Burlington Senior Center, 360-755-0942 or 360-755-0102, Jackie Cress or Cheryl Kaufman
Anacortes Senior Activity Center, 360-293-7473, Amanda Miller or Annette Saling

Senior Center Programs and Activities

All Senior Center programs and activities are discontinued until further notice. This includes after hour use of the Mount Vernon Senior Center. All groups and activities will be cancelled.

Public Health understands that these changes have significant impacts on community members. They are designed to protect the health of those at serious risk from complications due to COVID-19. Public Health is committed to ensuring seniors are able to access nutritious food during this very difficult time.

WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH DOING?

Since the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus was confirmed in the United States, Skagit County Public Health staff have been monitoring this outbreak and taking steps to prepare and protect our community.

Our first actions were focused on screening and monitoring travelers or others with high-risk exposures to try to contain the outbreak. We regularly communicate with our hospitals and clinics on screening and preparedness, and have staff available 24/7 on call to answer questions from health care providers. As the situation evolves, we are increasing our focus on community preparedness and response.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to work closely with hospitals, health care clinics, EMS, neighboring health departments, and our county emergency management. We will also work with schools, childcare facilities, senior centers, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities to plan best practices to slow and mitigate serious impacts from the outbreak.

HOW TO PREPARE AND RESPOND

Washington State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released guidance for individuals and organizations on COVID-19 preparedness and response. These trusted sources of information are the best way to stay informed on the novel coronavirus:

DOH has specific guidance for different sectors, such as employers, event planners, faith-based organizations, and many others. It is especially important that employers, schools, parents, childcare providers, healthcare providers, travelers, and people in high-risk groups stay informed on the latest guidance and resources from DOH and CDC.

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has released additional guidance for schools, including a school closure tracker.

The Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner has important insurance-related information.

SCHOOLS

The Health Officer has not recommended school closures at this time. Please take some time to read Public Health’s additional information on this decision. The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has released additional guidance for schools, including a school closure tracker.

FOR BUSINESSES

The COVID-19 outbreak across the globe has ¾ and will continue to have ¾ significant health, social, and economic impacts on our community. We understand this impact will fall heavily on the business sector. Your business is an important part of our community.
Resources for businesses, workers and employers are being made available every day.
General Information

Financial and Benefits Resources

Facilities Resources

Public Health - Seattle & King County has provided resources and facility-based guidance. In the interest of maximizing staff time for response efforts, we are sharing what our peer local health jurisdiction has recommended, rather than recreating materials or guidance.

FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS & SENIORS

Persons who are older or who have underlying health conditions are at higher risk to develop complications from this virus. Your health and the health of those you care about are important, and it is recommended that you try to stay at home and away from other people during this time. Preparing for this requires some planning.

Make sure you can contact your regular healthcare provider when you need advice. Some clinics use the “patient portals” to communicate and most of them will have staff that can take your calls to give advice. Please keep in mind that they will likely be very busy so try to anticipate your needs.
Make a list of those medicines that you need regularly and ask the pharmacy or your healthcare provider if you can have an extra supply or prescription. Mail order is a good option to help avoid going to the store.
Talk with your neighbors, and plan for ways you can help take care of one another, such as dropping off groceries on doorsteps or taking turns with childcare. Ask for support and help if you need it.
Consider stocking up on extra food or personal hygiene supplies. Call your local stores and national chains to see if they have a curbside pickup or home delivery option available. This will help you avoid going into the store where there are lots of people. If you are trying to avoid public places and have to go to the store, consider your ability to go during times when it is less busy.
Practice good health habits including washing your hands frequently with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when you don’t feel well.

FOR TRAVELERS

Countries worldwide are reporting increasing numbers of cases. Those who have traveled to affected areas or have been in close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 are at higher risk of becoming ill.

There are travel alerts for multiple countries. The list of countries with coronavirus-related alerts may grow and change quickly, and people are encouraged to check CDC travel alerts. Returning travelers from affected countries are advised to self-monitor for 14 days and, if they develop symptoms like a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, to self-isolate and seek medical guidance by calling their health care provider.

CARE FACILITIES

This is an especially difficult time for those living in long-term care facilities and for those with loved ones housed in these facilities. Individual facilities may implement different protocols, but some statewide measures have already been put in place to protect vulnerable seniors who are more at risk for severe complications from COVID-19.
On March 10th, Governor Inslee issued new rules to protect residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Governor’s rules require that:

Visitors must be adults and the visit must take place in the resident’s room. This does not apply to end-of-life situations.
All visitors must follow COVID-19 screening and follow reasonable precautionary measures. Precautionary measures include, but are not limited to, wearing personal protective equipment, social distancing, or visiting in designated locations.
All visitors must sign into a visitor’s log. Owners and operators must retain that log for 30 days.
Employees or volunteers must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the start of each shift.
People who live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities and who test positive for COVID-19 must be isolated away from other people.
Owners, operators, staff and volunteers are prohibited from disclosing protected and confidential health information, except as otherwise provided by law or with the resident’s consent.

Your loved one’s facility may have implemented stricter protocols based on guidance from the Washington State Department of Health. You can learn more about that guidance here.