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As of October 24 (the latest map by zip code that has been released), the City of Mukilteo is in the 90-119 cases per 100,000 range.

Public Health Advisory: Increased Suicide Risk

Since August of 2020, there have been four student suicides in Snohomish County reported to public health. These tragedies appear to be unrelated to one another and are an increase from recent months and from the same time period last year. Local data and disaster research suggest that suicide rates throughout our population may rise as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
A health advisory from the Snohomish Health District sent Wednesday highlights best practices to promote well-being and safety. The COVID pandemic and civil unrest in our country have increased uncertainty for all of us, including our youth, and we cannot underestimate the impact. Physical and social distancing, increased isolation as cold weather approaches, school concerns, changes in relationships, and worries for family and friend’s health and the future of our country all contribute toward increased anxiety and despair. We must work to mitigate this to prevent further tragedy. This health advisory addresses the increased behavioral health challenges during this disillusionment phase of disaster response and provides resources.
This is a difficult time for everyone. The on-going pandemic and the corresponding exhaustion and emotional fatigue that we are feeling continues, combined with seasonal changes and more difficulty connecting with the people and supports that typically help us cope. Young people may be even more at risk due to less access to their typical social networks.

Edmonds encourages free COVID-19 testing Nov. 23

The City of Edmonds is partnering with Verdant Health Commission and Medical Teams International to provide free, non-invasive COVID-19 testing Monday, November 23rd from 10am–5pm at the Edmonds Woodway High School South parking lot (enter off of 76th Ave W). This is a drive-thru event, but walk-ups will not be turned away.
“The goal is to test as many people in the community as possible,” said Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson. “You may not be showing symptoms, but could still spread the virus. Getting tested protects your loved ones.”
The City encourages residents to put the family in the car and get everyone tested. See the full Facebook post for more details

Lane Closure This Weekend

Construction crews will have single lane closures on State Route 525 near Second Street (and Arnie's) from about 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on this Saturday, November 21. The closures will give crews the needed space to stripe a new crosswalk across the Speedway. Some pedestrians in the area may need to follow a signed detour to get around the work. This will not affect vehicle passengers.

State added 1,000 jobs in October

Washington’s economy added 1,000 jobs in October and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate for October decreased from 8.3% to 6.0%, according to the state Employment Security Department.
The state’s labor force in October was calculated at more than 3.9 million people, up 60,700 from the previous month. In the Seattle/Bellevue/Everett region, the number of people who were unemployed decreased from 117,900 to 82,000 from September 2020 to October 2020.

Inslee seeks extension of National Guard mission for pandemic

Last week, Governor Inslee requested an extension of federal authority and funding from the federal government for Washington National Guard employment in support of COVID-19 pandemic emergency response operations through March 31, 2020. The current federal funding authorization runs through Dec. 31.
Currently, more than 800 members of the Washington National Guard are continuing to support the state’s pandemic response, including more than 500 members who are supporting nearly 50 foodbanks across the state. To date, they have assembled and have helped deliver more than 3 million meals, or 62.3 million pounds of food, to struggling families.
Additional Guard personnel continue to help operate community-based test sites and build test kits. Together they have helped test nearly 61,000 individuals and assemble more than 300,000 test kits since the beginning of the pandemic.

Boards and Commissions Volunteer Opportunities

The City is seeking applicants for our Parks and Arts Commission. Learn more here. Duties of this Commission include advising and making recommendation to the Council for the management, control, improvement, beautification and planning of all city parks and of all play and recreational grounds and facilities. They meet monthly.

This website lists all of the different openings on various County boards, and here are a few vacancies that County Councilmember Megan Dunn wanted to highlight, some of which need to be filled by someone who lives in District 2 which includes Tulalip, Mukilteo, and Everett:
• Snohomish County Children’s Commission is a group of 25 members, including two youth, who serve as advisors on issues of health, safety, and the welfare of children. They are currently looking to fill vacancies by members who represent business/labor, state human services, healthcare, and law and justice. Please email Karen Matson, the Developmental Disabilities and Early Learning Division Manager at karen.matson@snoco.org for more information or how to apply.

• Veterans Assistance Fund Executive Board meets on the third Friday of every month at 9am to administer and coordinate county programs that serve veterans. There are two vacancies on this board, and an applicant from District 2 has been encouraged. Board members need to be honorably discharged veterans and be a member of a nationally recognized veterans’ service organization or the veterans’ community at large. For more information on this board, or to apply, please contact Cammy Hart-Anderson, Behavioral Health and Veteran Services Division Manager at Cammy.hart-anderson@snoco.org or 425-388-7233.

• Snohomish County Marine Resource Committee is a citizens advisory group made up of 13 members who represent various backgrounds. The group provides our county’s Surface Water Management division with advice and insight on managing the 130 miles of shoreline in our County. They currently have three vacancies and are encouraging applications from people who have knowledge of commercial fishing, building, and economic development – specifically on the shoreline, commercial boating and marinas, and the BNSF railroad. For more information, please get in touch with Elisa Dawson, Senior Planner at Surface Water Management at elisa.dawson@snoco.org.

• Snohomish County’s Council on Aging meets monthly to advise, assist, and advocate for older persons and adults with disabilities in Snohomish County. They currently have several at-large positions that are open, and you don’t have to be a senior to apply. For more information on this active board, or to apply, please email Linda Vizmanos with the County’s Long Term Care and Aging division at linda.vizmanos@snoco.org, or you can call her at 425-388-7317. A flyer is also below.

Holiday Trees for Salmon

Northwest Stream Center is hosting their “Holiday Trees for Salmon” event again this year. You can purchase a live potted tree, and after you decorate it for the holiday season, you can either plant the tree on your own, or return it to the Stream Center so that they can plant it next to a local salmon stream! Trees will be available for purchase starting Tuesday, December 1. Visit the website for more information, or to make a reservation to do the stream walk.

737 MAX Returns to the Skies

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has lifted the order that suspended 737-MAX operations for airlines under its jurisdiction, including those in the U.S. The Boeing Company continues to work with other global regulators and airlines as they take action to return the airplane to service in their jurisdictions. Throughout the past 20 months, Boeing has worked closely with airlines, providing them with detailed recommendations regarding long-term storage and ensuring their input was part of the effort to safely return the airplanes to service.
Rep. Rick Larsen released information on the passage of H.R. 8408, the Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act. This bill passed the House yesterday. It does a few things:

• Locks in new requirements on the disclosure of safety-critical information
• Increases civil penalties for violations
• Provides resources to FAA to recruit and retain highly-qualified staff
• Strengthens whistleblower protections
• Requires focused reviews of pilot training standards
Read More on the 737 MAX Updates

Hospitals across the country are facing a massive shortage of staff

As Covid-19 cases surge across the U.S., hospitals in at least half the states are in dire need of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. The situation has gotten so bad that patients are being transferred to hospitals hundreds of miles away from where they came in for an available bed — from Texas to Arizona, for instance, or central Missouri to Iowa. And with such dire staffing shortages — 20% of the 240 hospitals in the Ohio Hospital Association are reporting shortages, for instance — the medical supplies that many hospitals spent months stocking up on are of little use. “Care is about more than a room with a hospital bed. It’s about medical professionals taking care of patients,” John Henderson, chief executive of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, tells STAT. “If you don’t have the staff to do that, people are going to die.”

Longer-term outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 infected patients are still not well understood.

A recent observational study examined 60-day outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across individuals in 38 hospitals in Michigan. The authors found that nearly 1 in 3 patients died either during hospitalization or within 60 days of discharge and that the remaining patients commonly reported an inability to return to normal activities, physical and emotional symptoms, and financial loss.

Other News

Immunity to the coronavirus may last years, new data hint. The New York Times

Public health programs see surge in students amid pandemic. PBS NewsHour

A kids' guide to coping with the pandemic. NPR (see below!)

All guidance can be found here.

King County guidance on what to do when an employee is diagnosed with COVID-19.

Getting to Safe Toolkit for Businesses

Last Thursday was GIS Day, and our GIS team at the City celebrated with a few cool links. First, in Mukilteo:
• Plans are moving ahead in the development of the CCTV tracking tool to enable us to better inspect our stormwater pipes which will include video of each pipe.
• The creation of several interactive maps this year helped assist Mukilteo PD to track suspects using location data from their cell phones.

And, our GIS Technician's favorite maps of the year:
• The Musical Time Machine: A fun map that allows you to, not only go back in time to a different decade, but to a different decade in each country!

• Light Pollution Maps: This map comes in quite handy when you want to get a clear view of the Milky Way or plan for the next meteor shower or full moon.

• Two Maps with the Same Scale: A great tool that allows you to compare side-by-side the area of one map to that of another all at the same scale. The map below is my current neighborhood, and where I went to college in New York City! I think the land use comparison is so interesting.

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.

Current case count is 236 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases identified in Mukilteo (5 new cases), and 154 individuals who are recovered (no new recoveries).

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