 | See below for today's COVID-19 information. Please forward as widely as you would like.
I want to hear from you, contact me anytime. | We know now the Stay Home order will be extended past May 4th, probably indefinitely. You will hear on Friday from the Governor about a phased reopening plan. Even with that planned announcement, my advice is to prepare plans but don't assume your Mukilteo-area business or activity will be reopening anytime in May until we hear details. This dashboard is informing decisions at the State level. Note when our region looks different from the rest of the state, and faces different risks and different levels of reopening. This King County disease modeling study shows that reopening this weekend would result in a higher case count peak by the end of May than we had in March, so physical distancing in our area is still really important. Spirit Week: Today is your chance to help small businesses! Order out or buy a gift certificate. Tomorrow is "dress to impress" day, a chance to get dressed up and wear some fancy clothes! | Our Mukiltean of April 30, 2020 is Nivideta Kumar! I nominated Nivedita for a city scholarship which is awarded statewide. She won that competition and was awarded $1500! She is among a half dozen students in our state to achieve this, and only our second student ever.
As a member of the City's Youth Advisory Committee, she worked on a mental health project, and was able to communicate her goals to the school district’s council members, which helped create a pathway for students to talk about mental health in our community. In preparation of that project, she also became QPR certified which is a method of suicide prevention used with people who are feeling depressed and hopeless. She says, "this is really important to me because I now have the power to save a life with the training I received." Reach out to tell someone you love why you are proud of them and why they matter, in honor of Nivedita. Do you know someone who deserves to be the Mukiltean of the Day? Nominate them! | Lt Governor Cyrus Habib has launched a statewide Mask Challenge. Members of the general public should be wearing some kind of cloth covering over the nose and mouth whenever going out to perform essential activities, per Center for Disease Control and State Department of Health guidelines. As a reminder, cloth masks are NOT a replacement for social distancing and proper hand-washing. IF YOU ARE A MASK MAKER:
Follow these simple instructions to make cloth face masks out of household materials. Please make a minimum of 10 masks.
Fill out this simple form so the Lt Governor's office can track mask donations.
Their office will respond by email with instructions for sending your masks to an organization in need. IF YOU ARE AN ORGANIZATION WHO NEEDS MASKS:
Visit this pageto request masks for your organization.
If you are already listed as an organization requesting masks with a United Way or Volunteer Center, there is no need to sign up here, as they are already one of the Washington Mask Challenge partners. Make sure to look into getting your own mask. Costco is now requiring them for entry, and I bet other grocers will follow. | Not only is this Mukilteo's Spirit Week, it's also Small Business Week. Today the Small Business Center suggestion is to buy an online gift certificate to support a small business. You can combine this with our Spirit Week, and the DVS auction below! Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County continues to run their online auction this week, check it out here! | Giving blood is a safe activity, and very needed. Here is a link to find donation locations(there are some mobile drives happening) and sign up! | The Everett Farmers Market will open Sunday, May 3, 2020, from 11am-2pm. The market will give customers the chance to order directly from and pre-pay vendors, and then pick up products via a drive-through (remaining in their cars) at the Everett Farmers Market location at 2930 Wetmore Avenue in Everett. Due to COVID-19, the Everett Farmers Market will be a “Pre-Order and Drive Thru Pick UP Only.” No customers may walk into the farmers market to shop. Please click here for Pre-Order Vendor Info and how to Order from Vendors.
This link has the list of vendors from whom you can order directly. Pre-order now! We don't have a Mukilteo market, and supporting these vendors is important. | ScaleUp, COVID-19 Edition: Commerce has created ScaleUp to help small businesses navigate the current economic climate while building resiliency. One hundred businesses across the state will be able to register for the online classes. The virtual classroom will help owners improve their strategic thinking and decision-making, create operational efficiencies and strengthen the bottom line in times of uncertainty.
The ideal candidate for ScaleUp is the president/owner of a business that has been in operation for two years and has annual revenues in excess of $100,000. Registration for the free course opens Thursday, April 30 at 10 a.m. | I encourage you to take a moment to complete a survey from the University of Washington on mobility impacts from COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly changed travel habits of most people in the region, with telecommuting, online shopping, virtual socializing, and remote learning becoming much more widespread. Regional leaders are interested in getting a better understanding of these changes. Results from the survey will provide important information on how to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution after the threat of COVID-19 is gone. Survey findings will be added to other data and analysis that will help shape planning activities like the update of the Regional Transportation Plan. | Here are some new posters on taking care of yourself and coworkers from King County Public Health. Good designs to print out and post when you are able to reopen. A great article from the Washington Post about fixing your wifi without spending money. Couple tips- a simple restart; dedicate a device (ipad) for video if you're getting stops and starts with your main laptop; get as close as you can to your router and run a speedtest (if it's faster, think about moving the router to where you are doing more work- I just did this. Mine used to be in a back bedroom, now it's in the living room); call your provider to ask them to reset your signal. There are more tips in the article. The IRS Get My Payment Tool is actually working now. Check it out to see your status. What does 6 feet look like? Images, and poster to print for workplaces found here. | This weekend, groups around the world participate in an event called Jane's Walks (a reference to Jane Jacobs), including the Washington State pedestrian advocacy group Feet First. We are all walking more, so here is your family activity for the weekend-- make your own walking tour! 1. Plan a route. This can be your daily walk in your neighborhood, with maybe one extra turn or road don't normally use. You can use Google Maps to make your own map, or just draw it out on paper.
2. Research, if you can. Where did the streets you’ll be walking on get their names (if they are just numbered, think about that connection to other streets in the City. If you're on 125th St SW, where is 100th, or 10th St in your city)? What stories do the stairways, street art, and houses tell? What is the meaning behind your neighborhood’s landmarks?
3. Test out your walk. Take a slow test walk, give yourself time to make some notes and take photos-- be a tourist in your own neighborhood. It’s surprising how interesting familiar things can get when you look at them with new eyes.
4. Improve. When you test out you route, you’ll find that a few tweaks can make your walk more scenic — or less exhausting. Make notes of what you can change, then go home and update your map and information accordingly.
5. Share. Share your walk and notes on social media, with your family, or with me! Email me, or tag @cityofmukilteo on instagram, or on Facebook.
I would love to hear what you learned in your neighborhoods.
| 1. | Plan a route. This can be your daily walk in your neighborhood, with maybe one extra turn or road don't normally use. You can use Google Maps to make your own map, or just draw it out on paper. | | 2. | Research, if you can. Where did the streets you’ll be walking on get their names (if they are just numbered, think about that connection to other streets in the City. If you're on 125th St SW, where is 100th, or 10th St in your city)? What stories do the stairways, street art, and houses tell? What is the meaning behind your neighborhood’s landmarks? | | 3. | Test out your walk. Take a slow test walk, give yourself time to make some notes and take photos-- be a tourist in your own neighborhood. It’s surprising how interesting familiar things can get when you look at them with new eyes. | | 4. | Improve. When you test out you route, you’ll find that a few tweaks can make your walk more scenic — or less exhausting. Make notes of what you can change, then go home and update your map and information accordingly. | | 5. | Share. Share your walk and notes on social media, with your family, or with me! Email me, or tag @cityofmukilteo on instagram, or on Facebook.
I would love to hear what you learned in your neighborhoods. | | Face Covering guidelines from the CDC available here. Interested in donating face covers? Get instructions here: https://mukilteowa.gov/news/directions-to-make-donate-and-use-face-covers-in-snohomish-county/ Follow Physical Distancing Guidelines, stay 6 feet away from anyone you don't live with. Use hand sanitizer/wipes as you enter a grocery store (the Mukilteo QFC has wet wipes available at the entrance). Wash hands immediately upon returning home. Tell Others to also stay at home and stay apart. Give blood- schedule online (to help minimize social contact) at https://www.bloodworksnw.org/donate (no mobile blood drives because they have issues transporting themselves to sites. But they have great procedures in place at their facilities). Leave Some for Your Neighbors, Your Healthcare Providers, and Emergency Responders
• Your actions matter!
• Buy what you need and leave supplies for your neighbors, healthcare providers, and emergency responders. If you feel like you need to reach out for support, do not hesitate to contact the Disaster Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to talk with crisis specialists. They are available 24/7. Looking for ways to help? This state site is a good one stop shop for individuals and businesses: https://www.coronavirus.wa.gov/how-you-can-help | All parks are closed except for 76th Street/Community Garden entrance to Japanese Gulch for trail access. If you want to access Big Gulch, I would encourage you to park at the library, rather than on the street near 92nd Street Park. Trails and sidewalks continue to be open for your physical activity! Please respect physical distance of six feet. 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. Remember the non-emergency number at (425) 407-3999 or email cv19violations@mukilteowa.gov. If you have an emergency, call 911. (But don't call with questions about the Governor's order and what's open or not). You can also report violations or questions about violations to the State via this link. For more information on city facilities, see this link. | Current case count is 51 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases identified in Mukilteo, with no deaths amongst those cases. County case counts are available at this link, updated each weekday at 2pm. If our ratio of recovery is the same as the County, approximately 33 of those cases should be recovered. | FOR BUSINESSES
• Business FAQs on State website
• Learn if your business is considered essential and can continue to operate following the Governor’s March 23 Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.
• Would you like to request to be essential (or not)? Fill out this form: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d4c155fa930f4b848f95774d610c9708 to petition this issue.
• The Washington Department of Commerce has created a list of crisis planning tools and resources where you can get information about emergency grants, disaster loans, and other small business support.
• The Washington State Department of Revenue has information about tax filing deadlines, extensions, and relief.
• Greater Seattle Partners, City of Seattle, and the Chamber have launched a survey for businesses, freelancers, and gig workers to learn about needs and help target future support.
• Comprehensive and Updated FAQs For Employers on the COVID-19 Coronavirus – Fisher Phillips
• Best practices for when a food service employee gets sick.
• Best practices for food pick up and delivery. • Snohomish County Links
• Local SnoCo resources for businesses
• Federal Small Business Adminstration Loans
• King County Public Health signs for businesses to post FOR INDIVIDUALS
• Cash assistance calculator: from the federal government’s stimulus package, of up to $1,200 per person depending on income, will be sent to households in early April.
• If you have lost your job due to COVID-19, you can file for unemployment benefits.
• Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
• Resources for Restaurant Workers
• Mortgage and Rent. If you don’t have enough money to pay your rent or mortgage, contact your lender or landlord immediately. Otherwise, some suggestions are below:
--Washington Homeownership Hotline (877-894-HOME)
--Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggestions
--Rental assistance & counseling (800-569-4287)
--List of Housing Counseling Agencies
--For renters, the Governor issued a statewide moratorium on evictions of residential tenants for non-payment of rent until April 17
• Federal Student loans. If you need help with your student loans, you may be able to temporarily suspend your payments by applying for a deferment or forbearance from the US Department of Education.
• Utility bills. If you need help paying your utility bills, contact your service provider immediately.
--Puget Sound Energy and PUD will not shut off service during the emergency. Most utilities also offer assistance programs for people in need.
--The Utilities and Transportation Commission offers energy assistance programs.
--The federal government offers assistance programs to help with telephone and heating bills.
o Comcast is offering free WiFi hot spots, unlimited data, and no disconnects or late fees.
• Health Insurance. The Washington State Insurance Commissioner has information about health insurance, as well as how to get insurance through the Washington State Exchange if you need it.
• Food assistance. If you need help with food, every school district in the state is providing grab and go lunches for children, and there is additional help at many local food banks including the Mukilteo Food Bank.
• WIC food assistance is still available, as well.
• The Mukilteo Boys and Girls club is open and available for childcare. They are open for summer camps, but space is limited. To register and secure your spot for 2020 summer camp, contact the Mukilteo Boys and Girls club directly or email unit director Kim Gaffney (kgaffney@bgcsc.org)" FOR EVERYONE
• If you feel like you need to reach out for support, do not hesitate to contact the Disaster Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to talk with crisis specialists. They are available 24/7.
• Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County has their 24 hour support hotline available for those not feeling safe at home- 425-252-2873
• Restaurants that are open for take out or delivery- access this list, https://discovermukilteo.org/2020/03/17/what-restaurants-are-open/ developed by city staff with great support from business owners in the community.
• This is another countywide link, https://localsnoco.com/ with similar info.
• Special Shopping Hours for Seniors, Other At-Risk People
A number of local grocery stores have special shopping hours for senior citizens and others with vulnerable immune systems.
QFC: No special hours, normal operations for all customers 8am-8am every day. They do have one-way aisles, cart cleaning and protections at check-out.
These stores have special hours for those over 60 and in at-risk populations:
Safeway: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7am-9am
Target: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7am-8am
Whole Foods: every day, 8am-9am.
• Discounted laptops for nonprofits and low-income households
• [Link to request free masks from the Snohomish County Mask Brigade] (https://givewelllocalneedform.squarespace.com/) • Social/Sober Support
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Unity Recovery
Suboxone Forum
Support Groups Central
LifeRing Secular Recovery
SOS
In the Rooms
Medication Assisted Recovery (MARA) | | |
