Unvaccinated Caregivers With Qualifying Medical Exemptions Subject to Heightened Masking, Distancing, and Regular Testing Protocols August 3, 2021– VANCOUVER, Wash. – PeaceHealth announced that starting August 31, 2021, all caregivers will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit a qualifying medical exemption. Unvaccinated individuals will be subject to regular COVID-19 testing, as well  Continue Reading

Since Friday’s Weekly Case Update, San Juan County has confirmed four new positive COVID-19 cases. This brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to 201. Three of these new cases are on Orcas Island. San Juan County is currently investigating this case cluster to determine the source and scope of disease transmission.  Continue Reading

The skilled nursing facility owned by Life Care Centers of America closed at the end of 2017. It had more than seventy beds and held the majority of the Medicaid patients in San Juan County. It left one assisted living facility on San Juan Island: the Village at the Harbor, a private pay institution with  Continue Reading

Vaccines Are Still The Best Protection Against Covid-19 We’re over a year and a half into this pandemic. We’ve learned a lot. We know how to keep people safe and now we have even better tools to do so. Being fully vaccinated remains the best protection. Healthcare providers and pharmacies on San Juan, Orcas, and  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Since the last update on July 22, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 195 to 197. There are approximately 25 close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine in San Juan County. Some of these are close contacts of locally confirmed cases, others are close contacts of  Continue Reading

  By Pegi Groundwater, San Juan County SHIBA Volunteer Coordinator   Inter Island Healthcare Foundation is the new Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors sponsor for San Juan County as of July 1. Inter Island replaces SHIBA sponsor Island Hospital.   SHIBA is a public service offered by the Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner. Volunteers  Continue Reading

From the Washington State Department of Health Safely returning to the classroom for fulltime in-person instruction this school year is important for students, teachers and staff. July 28, the Washington State Department of Health released updated guidance for the 2021-22 school year. DOH’s guidance aims to minimize transmission and maximize in-person instruction and is informed  Continue Reading

By Pegi Groundwater, San Juan County SHIBA Volunteer Coordinator Are you joining Medicare this year? If so, there’s a lot to learn.   Medicare has its own vocabulary and rules. There are deadlines to meet and penalties (some lasting a lifetime) for not doing things at the right time.  SHIBA volunteers are here to make  Continue Reading

Businesses Encouraged, not Mandated to ask Customers to Mask Up From San Juan County As a part of a regional effort to curb the rising infection rates in Washington, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James recommends that islanders mask up when entering an indoor public space, including businesses, whether vaccinated or not. Local  Continue Reading

Travelers Must Register Online and May be Randomly Tested for COVID-19 From the Public Health Agency of Canada The Government of Canada is prioritizing the health and safety of everyone in Canada by taking a risk-based and measured approach to re-opening our borders. Thanks to the hard work of Canadians, rising vaccination rates and declining  Continue Reading

Delta Variant is 225% More Infectious, Says County From San Juan County In the past week, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 191 to 195. Each of the recent cases is a breakthrough case, meaning the infected person is fully vaccinated. There are eight close contacts of positive cases. Five are currently  Continue Reading

From San Juan County After more than a month of no new cases locally, San Juan County has three new breakthrough cases of COVID-19. This means that each person is fully vaccinated and it has been more than two weeks since the vaccine series was completed. There is one case each on Lopez, Orcas and  Continue Reading

From the Washington State Department of Health An outbreak of vibriosis in Washington has already surpassed the highest number of cases ever recorded by the state for the month of July. Recent high temperatures and low tides in Washington state are likely to blame for the increased rate of illness, which is associated with eating  Continue Reading

“Island Senior” is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae.  Like cranky kids in the back seat looking forward to our arrival in a post-pandemic world, we may well ask, “Are we there yet?” The answer being, “Hang on, we’re getting there”. Things are starting to open up. According to July’s  Continue Reading

From PeaceHealth In an effort to expand access to affordable health care, the federal government has established a special enrollment period for coverage through the Affordable Care Act, now through Aug. 15. Those seeking health insurance coverage, or looking to change their plans, may be able to achieve significant savings and lower costs on coverage  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Adult Drug Court The San Juan County Adult Drug Court awarded its first certificate of graduation to Jordan Lynn-Jefferson of Orcas Island July 7. After 697 days or almost 24 months in the county’s therapeutic program, Jordan emerges a more self-confident and mature young man with goals for his life and  Continue Reading

From PeaceHealth Two months into the re-opening of the PeaceHealth Medical Group Cardiology Clinic, Leah Bosman, clinic manager, is tracking final details related to the move as staff adjust to their new environment. “We’re still waiting for our new signage,” Bosman said, “and we have a few other minor details to settle, but we are  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, June 25, total cases in San Juan County have not increased, and remain at 191. There are no close contacts of positive cases currently in active quarantine in San Juan County, and no confirmed positive cases in San Juan County at this time. There have  Continue Reading

From the Town of Friday Harbor The Town of Friday Harbor is requesting its residents and businesses to curtail their water usage over the next several weeks as the weather reports predict continued hot weather ahead. The town’s water comes from Trout Lake on the western portion of the island and high usage has been  Continue Reading

San Juan Islands Sunrise – Aaron Shepard photo By Hayley Day, San Juan Update The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the San Juan Islands through 9 p.m. Monday. Meteorologists call for “dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures in the 90s, especially areas inland and away from the water.” The weather service  Continue Reading

From Washington State Ferries Face masks are now required only in indoor areas of our terminals and vessels for all riders and employees in compliance with the latest CDC guidelines. All customers inside terminals or vessels should continue to wear face coverings. However, passengers can remove their masks while outdoors on the sun deck, car  Continue Reading

From San Juan County As of June 27, the San Juan County Health Officer Order requiring all customers — regardless of vaccination status — to wear masks inside businesses will end. However, the state requires all unvaccinated individuals to wear masks inside businesses and other public spaces. There are some exceptions for children under 5  Continue Reading