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Here is your Mayor's update, some COVID-19 information, some other useful information! Please forward as widely as you would like.
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Today, We Are Under New Restrictions

It’s time for all of us to toughen up and resolve to meet the challenges of this virus head-on. Yes, we’re facing four weeks of tight restrictions on gatherings and activities. The fact is that the current surge in our state is far worse than the outbreaks we lived through last spring and summer.

The number of COVID patients in Snohomish County hospitals has almost doubled in the past 7 days, from 25 to 44 as of last week. Six of those patients are on mechanical ventilators. These numbers are below what we experienced last March and April, but they are rapidly advancing in that direction. With hospitalizations generally trailing 2-3 weeks after transmission occurs, the recent spike in cases suggests that we are in the beginning of a surge in demand for hospital care that may become overwhelming.

New Safe Start restrictions announced Sunday, November 15, through December 14

The Governor announced new statewide restrictions on Sunday. They are effective as of yesterday at midnight (12:01 am Tuesday), except for where noted as in the case of restaurants (detailed below). If the activity is not listed, it should follow its current guidance. All K-12/higher education and childcare is exempt from the new restrictions and will follow current guidance. These restrictions do not apply to courts and court-related proceedings.
To help mitigate financial impacts on businesses and their employees, the state will commit $50 million in aid.
Indoor social gatherings with people from outside your household are prohibited.
• Outdoor social gatherings should be limited to 5 people from outside your household.
Restaurants and bars are closed for indoor service. Outdoor dining and to-go service is permitted. Outdoor dining must follow the outdoor dining restriction. Table size limited to 5 for outdoor dining. These restaurant restrictions go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, November 18.
Fitness facilities and gyms are closed for indoor operations. Outdoor fitness classes may still occur but they are limited by the outdoor gathering restriction listed above. Drop off childcare is closed.
• Bowling Centers are closed for indoor service.
• Miscellaneous Venues: All retail activities and business meetings are prohibited. Only professional training and testing that cannot be performed remotely is allowed. Occupancy in each meeting room is limited to 25% or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Movie Theaters are closed for indoor service. Drive-in movie theaters are still permitted and must follow the current drive-in movie theater guidance.
• Museums/Zoos/Aquariums are closed for indoor service.
• Real Estate open houses are prohibited.
• Wedding and Funeral receptions are prohibited. Ceremonies are limited to no more than 30 people.
In-store retail limited to 25% indoor occupancy and must close any common/congregate non-food related seating areas. Food court indoor seating is closed.
• Religious services limited to 25% indoor occupancy or no more than 200 people, whichever is fewer. No choir, band, or ensemble shall perform during the service. Soloists are permitted to perform. Facial coverings must be worn at all times by congregation members and no congregational singing.
• Professional Services are required to mandate that employees work from home when possible, and to close offices to the public. If they remain open, occupancy is restricted to 25%.
• Personal services are limited to 25% of maximum occupancy.
• Long-term Care Facilities are allowed outdoor visits only. Exceptions can be made for essential support person and end-of-life care.
• Youth (school and non-school) and adult sporting activities limited to outdoor only for intrateam practices, masks required for athletes.

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In addition to the new guidelines, Governor Inslee issued a travel advisory for Washington Friday, recommending a 14-day quarantine for interstate and international travel and asking residents to stay close to home. Inslee joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown in urging visitors entering their states or returning home from travel outside these states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the virus.

Local News

shoplocalmuk

Sign-up Your Business for Shop Local Mukilteo

Now through December 24, The Chamber of Commerce will be highlighting local businesses and special offers they have for the holiday season. Businesses who sign-up on the Chamber website will have their business listed on their Shop Local webpage, along with contact information, an interactive map, and gift ideas.

Businesses- sign up here, and shoppers- don't forget to check the Chamber's website before you start shopping!

letsglowmuk

Let's Light Up Mukilteo this Holiday Season!

The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a residential and business lighting contest! Let's bring joy to our community and decorate our businesses. Participating businesses will be listed on an interactive map so community members can vote on the best display. The winner will win a picture in the Beacon. Contact the Chamber if you'd like to sponsor this event or sign-up online to participate. Space is limited.

Other News

Tips for Limiting COVID risk: KUOW

Puget Sound Energy announced a $300,000 contribution to the new All In WA’s Child Care Initiative. That is part of a pool of grant funds that will support expanding access to affordable child care for working parents in Washington State. The Initiative will prioritize grants for families and child care providers who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as families in rural and remote areas, recognizing that BIPOC and rural residents make up a higher percentage of the essential workforce and have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. You can learn more about the Child Care Initiative here.

My Northwest: Seattle nurse: ‘We need to make sacrifices’ amid new lockdown restrictions

Give thanks, not COVID

Being apart is hard, especially during the holidays, but we need to connect and care for each other in new ways this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage you not to gather in person for Thanksgiving this year, but if you choose to do so, there are actions you can take to keep everyone safer. Find that guidance here. The state Department of Health also has advice for safer gatherings, and it is available in multiple languages.

Changes to drive-through testing registration and notification

The Health District successfully transitioned to UW Labs for processing of tests and their platform for results notification. These moves have helped decrease the turnaround time from an average of 3-4 business days to 1-3 calendar days.
Registration is now open for appointments through the end of November. All information will still be accessed at www.snohd.org/testing.

Vaccine News

With data on two Covid-19 vaccines, more answers — and questions — about the road ahead (analysis below from StatNews).
Moderna announced yesterday that its mRNA Covid-19 vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing the infection. The early data, based on a 30,000-person trial, came just a week after Pfizer and BioNTech shared their vaccine was more than 90% effective in a 60,000-person trial. The data from both trials are encouraging, but there are still a lot of unknowns. Here's what the situation looks like:
* Efficacy: The fact that both vaccines have similar efficacy rates isn't too surprising, since they both rely on mRNA technology. Moderna's data showed efficacy in important patient groups, including older individuals and some patients of color, but Pfizer hasn't yet disclosed data on its vaccine effect in these subgroups.

* Distribution: Moderna and Pfizer have said they'll apply for emergency use authorization from the FDA in the coming weeks, and if they get that approval, frontline and other emergency workers could get them as soon as the end of this year. For everyone else, spring 2021 is likely the earliest the vaccines could be available. Pfizer, which can manufacture many more doses, has said its vaccine requires an ultra-cold freezer for storage, but Moderna's can be stored in a conventional fridge.
* Long-term protection: Researchers think that, unlike a measles vaccine that offers lifelong protection, a Covid-19 vaccine will only offer short-term immunity and may need booster shots. But just how long immunity will last is still an unknown.

COVID News

Pfizer may be within days of filing emergency authorization request for Covid-19 vaccine Pfizer, which is producing a messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccine, was the first to announce preliminary results from its Phase 3 trial. It is expected it will be the first Covid-19 vaccine cleared for use in the United States. If all goes according to plan, vaccinations could begin sometime in December

Federal government strikes deal to make a Covid-19 vaccine widely available at U.S. pharmacies

Federal health officials have reached an agreement with pharmacy retailers across the U.S. to offer a Covid-19 vaccine for free once one is approved and available. The agreement covers 3 out of 5 pharmacies — including chain drugstores like Rite Aid and pharmacies in stores like Walmart and Costco — in all 50 states and territories such as Puerto Rico, with the goal that a Covid-19 vaccine would be available in the same way that the flu shot currently is. This latest agreement follows similar deals with chains CVS and Walgreens to make a Covid-19 vaccine available to nursing home residents and staff. Because initial supplies will be limited, states will likely have to allocate them to high-priority groups such as health workers and other first responders.

With a meteoric rise in deaths, talk of waves is misguided, say Covid-19 modelers

With the current meteoric rise in Covid-19 cases and deaths in the U.S., modeling experts say that this is not an indication of a second or even third wave of infections. For that, the U.S. would have needed to level off much more than it did after the initial spike in infections in the spring, but there was never really a significant trough here in the same way as there was in other countries. What does that mean for the trajectory of the pandemic in this country, which has recorded more than 10.4 million cases as of this morning and nearly 242,000 deaths? “We may have passed the point of no return in terms of getting it to a place like levels we’re seeing in China right now,” biostatistician and Covid-19 modeler Nicholas Reich tells STAT's Elizabeth Cooney. More here.

StatNews: How might a mask mandate play out? Look to the battle over seat belt laws

What lockdown looks like in France

In France, which is enduring its second pandemic lockdown, police are breaking up large parties and stopping people in order to inspect signed papers or forms on their mobile devices that justify being outside their homes. Trips to buy food or other essential goods, or to get an hour of exercise, are allowed, but fines for not complying start at €135, or about $169. This article included because of my love of France.

State Guidance Updates

Inspiration and Diversions

As we are all thinking about how to give thanks and celebrate Thanksgiving away from our bigger family groups, here is a great story about a former Mariner High School who gave thanks in a big way. From the Seattle Times:

When James Abbott pulls at the threads of his childhood memories, he describes one in particular like a scene from a movie. “A car comes up, you are told to get in the car, and the car drives away. The last picture you have is your mom on the porch crying.” That was the moment when Abbott, who is now 60, left his family and entered foster care.

Abbott, who grew up in Snohomish County, spent most of his high school years with a foster-care family. He was a computer geek in the 1980s, spent his career as a certified public accountant in the 1990s and has worked for Microsoft since 2001. Now, he’s giving back to the high school he says changed his life with a $42,500 donation to the Mukilteo Schools Foundation, the majority of which went to Mariner High School. Microsoft added to his gift with an additional $38,000.

Most of the funds will help pay for low-income high schoolers to take college classes for credit; the remainder will go to the district’s foundation and ACES High, an alternative high school.

“I wanted to pay back Mariner for the opportunity they gave me,” he said. “And I wanted to help foster kids, like I was.”

Read the rest of the story to learn more about him!

City Information

Lighthouse Park, Edgewater Beach and 92nd Street Park reopened on May 5. Bathrooms are open only at Lighthouse Park 7am-7pm. Playgrounds are open, with warnings about cleaning schedules and advise to use at your own risk posted.

Trails and sidewalks continue to be open for your physical activity! Please respect physical distance of six feet, and put your face covering on as you pass others.

All City Facilities closure: City operations will continue via primarily phone, email and online. The public is encouraged to call (425) 263-8000 for assistance with City services or visit our website at www.mukilteowa.gov. Government services are not slated to reopen until Phase 3 of the new reopening plan, whenever that might be.

For more information on city facilities, see this link.

Case Count

Current case count is 231 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases identified in Mukilteo (30 new cases), and 154 individuals who are recovered (6 new recoveries).

County and city case counts are available at this link, updated each weekday at 2pm.

General Resource Links

City of Mukilteo COVID-19 page

Snohomish Health District
Washington State Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
COVID-19 Testing Guidelines from Public Health – Seattle & King County
Find information in other languages
Washington State COVID-19 Response
Snohomish County COVID-19 Phone Line: 425-388-3944
Línea telefónica COVID-19 del condado de Snohomish: 425-388-7120
Washington State COVID-19 Hotline: Call 1-800-525-0127 or text 211-211 for help

What to do if you are sick: CDC Resources

 
   
 
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