‘Don’t Travel, Don’t Host’: With San Juan Island COVID Cases Up, County Urges Restrictions

Contributed Image/CDC

From San Juan County

Due to a significant surge in positive COVID cases in the San Juan Island community, residents are instructed to take the following actions to prevent further spread.

Immediately limit high-risk indoor contact with those outside of your household. This includes vehicles, workspaces, socializing between children, and other sources of prolonged high-risk contact. High-risk activity includes unmasked contact or masked but for an extended time in close proximity. Note that fully vaccinated individuals may socialize with other fully vaccinated individuals, or with one other unvaccinated household.

Limit high-risk outdoor activities. Note that it is much easier to minimize risk outdoors through masking, sanitizing of hands and surfaces, and thoughtful social distancing.

Those who know they have had high-risk close contact with a confirmed COVID-positive individual should limit all contact with those from outside of their household and monitor carefully for symptoms. If symptomatic, contact your healthcare provider to discuss treatment and the need for testing. Public health staff will be reaching out to close contacts directly. Due to the large caseload and the number of potentially exposed individuals identified, this may take several days.

Don’t travel, don’t host. If you do choose to travel, don’t fly, or take other public transit of any kind (other than staying in your car on the ferry) and eliminate all contact with anyone outside of your household (unless all members of the traveling party are fully vaccinated). If you must travel, and are unable or unwilling to do so safely, quarantine for 2 weeks upon return to the islands. See this simple diagram for full guidance.

Assume that new COVID variants are responsible for new cases. This means the disease spreads much more easily and potentially has more serious health impacts.

Get vaccinated as soon as you are able.

High School Guidance

In addition, the following specific groups should follow the guidance below.

Friday Harbor High School AM and PM Cohorts:

• Restrict social activities until further notice, as case investigations and contact tracing efforts are completed.
• Call your healthcare provider if you develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Friday Harbor High School Boys Baseball Team:

• Quarantine through the end of day April 16.
• Call your health care provider if you develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Health Departments Contacts

Individuals who have had close contact with a COVID positive individual may contact San Juan County Health & Community Services at 360-370-7500 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., weekdays, or the after-hours and weekend line at 360-370-7532.

Caseloads are very high at this time and you should expect to leave a message for a return call within 48-72 hours. You may also contact the state hotline from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily at 1-800-525-0127 and press # when you hear the message. Interpretation services are available over the phone.

The next few weeks are going to be a race between variant spread and vaccine roll-out. For now, the variant spread is winning.

We all need to dial back our activities and reinstate our protocols, with the knowledge that we are getting considerably closer to vaccinating everyone. Once that happens, we can finally relax.

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