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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The Health District's new snapshot will come out later today at this link. That look back is what the District and State use for decision-making. We can also look at more current data, which I took from the state site, below:

COVID-19 utility assistance information is now available in more than 30 different languages. To view the translated information, visit the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission’s multilingual resource center. Please share these with anyone you know that may need help. You can always speak with our staff and an interpreter, free of charge. Simply call the commission at 1-888-333-WUTC (9882) and ask for an interpreter.

The State Commerce is funding an additional $10 million in state small business emergency grants (more information on qualifications here). These will go through the local economic development agency, for us, Economic Alliance of Snohoish County. They report that they will open for applications in mid-September, and will review a limited number- so early applications for this will matter.

For families starting school this week, here are a couple good reminders, just in case you don't have these links at your fingertips:
School District Family Technology Resources website
Two paths to get support:
1. Distance Learning Technology Support Form
2. Call 425-356-1207 –Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

Families in need can request a student laptop or internet resources on the School District Family Technology Resources website. There are 6,000 laptops available for checkout, which are then picked up at the student’s school.

Additional information about distance learning is on the MSD Distance Learning page

And, separate but related, childcare options in the County are increasing with federal CARES dollars. Programs by the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Clubs will include paraeducators and mental health support staff. The Herald details the program.

The Snohomish Health District is continuing testing at 3900 Broadway in Everett, in the large parking lot near Everett Memorial Stadium.

For the week of August 31, the schedule is as follows:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am-4pm
Tuesday and Thursday: 12-7pm

In addition to the Everett site, the Health District will also be offering testing at the Lynnwood Food Bank on Tuesday, Sept 1. Appointments will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5320 176th St SW.

COVID-19 testing is available to anyone, and strongly encouraged for individuals that fit the following criteria:

Anyone with any of the following COVID-19 symptoms (fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea); or
Close contact of a confirmed case; or
Anyone who lives or works in a congregate setting; or
Work in healthcare, EMS, law enforcement or other fields where work settings have a higher risk of catching or spreading COVID-19; or
Part of a family or social network that has had a case.
Registration is now open at www.snohd.org/drive-thru-testing. Insurance information is collected and the lab will bill insurance. There are no co-pays for COVID-19 testing. If you do not have insurance, the test will be provided at no charge.

A new State Department of Health blog post shares the story of a recovered patient’s bout with COVID-19 and its repercussions.

New unemployment claims in Snohomish County declined by 20% during the week of Aug. 16-22, dropping to 2,083 compared to 2,617 the week before, the state Employment Security Department reported Thursday. Statewide, initial regular unemployment claims saw a 16.2 percent decline, totaling 18,389. Since the week ending March 7, when the COVID-19 job losses began, the state has paid out more than $10.1 billion in unemployment benefits. For more information on current claimants and claims processing progress, see the benefits data dashboard on the ESD website.

Sno-Isle Libraries and the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management are working together to make 90,000 reusable face masks available at no charge. A federal CARES Act grant to the county is funding this program as part of the fight against COVID-19. Masks are also available at additional locations.
To receive a mask at any Sno-Isle Libraries community library, call the contact-free phone number for that library during open hours. Masks will be made available to customers using the library’s contact-free delivery process. Masks may also be requested when picking up materials at a community library.
At this time, masks aren’t being distributed at Island County branches.
Full details: https://www.sno-isle.org/contact-free#masks

As news feeds feature more shots of crowded events, we must remember the importance of keeping COVID transmission rates under control. As restrictions have eased, communities across the U.S. are seeing a rise in cases and deaths. By now, most of us are well acquainted with the concepts of mask use and social distancing to help slow the spread, but what does the impact of those measures really look like? The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the UW has created visualizations simulating scenarios of virus transmission based on mask use.

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

The state has updated agri-tourism guidance to allow for additional activities:
• Animal viewing
• Hay/wagon/train rides
• Children’s play equipment/games
• Private firepit/bonfires

The Seattle Times reports that 100 years after the last sighting, a female wolverine and her two babies have been spotted in Mt. Rainier National Park. According to the article, only about 300 to 1,000 wolverines remain in the lower 48 states of the U.S.

Remote working? The irony of Covid-19 is that while we remain homebound, long-term remote work can be an opportunity to live somewhere else—without putting your job on hold. It’s a travel experience unique to the Covid-19 era.
* A perennial destination for cruise ships, Barbados reopened for American tourism on July 12. The Barbados Welcome Stamp allows workers to stay for 12 months from the date of approval, and the visa itself costs $2,000 for individuals or $3,000 for a family at the time of approval.
* Promising a five-day turnaround, the Work from Bermuda Certificate allows workers to live on the island for up to 12 months, buy a car, and even enroll their children in local schools. It’s possible to apply now for $263.

* While applications are now being accepted for Estonia’s Digital Nomad Visa (DNV), Americans will have to wait to apply until the European Union reopens for American tourism. However, once available, the DNV allows the holder to work not just in Estonia, but also while traveling through other Schengen Zone countries.
* Georgia previously allowed select foreigners to stay up to a year, and now the Georgian government has announced that it will begin taking applications for remote work visas imminently.

Lighthouse Park, Edgewater Beach and 92nd Street Park reopened on May 5. Bathrooms are open only at Lighthouse Park 7am-7pm. Playgrounds are now 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, which is mid-June at the earliest.

For more information on city facilities, see this link.

Current case count is 111 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases identified in Mukilteo (1 new case), and 93 individuals who are recovered.

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