By the San Juan County Agricultural Resources Committee The San Juan County Agricultural Resources Committee was able to respond to the challenges of 2020 with creativity, resilience and collaboration. The coordinator and volunteers on this committee worked hard to address the ongoing policy and outreach work of the ARC, the emergent challenge of COVID-19, and  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Courts On Friday, Nov. 20, San Juan County Superior and District Courts entered emergency orders postponing all jury trials until after Jan. 15, 2021, due to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. San Juan County has experienced a resurgence of COVID-19 cases since late October when COVID transmission rates began dramatically increasing across  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, Nov. 20, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 59 to 63. Two of these new cases are on San Juan Island, the other two are on Orcas Island. Current positive case numbers are available online at the San Juan County Case Count  Continue Reading

The San Juan Update appreciates the opportunity to reprint this story about Hospice Northwest, written by Hayley Day for the Salish Current. We also refer you to a recent story about Hospice San Juan at this link in the San Juan Update. These two Hospice groups frequently collaborate in serving the needs of their patients…  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Since the last update on Monday, Nov. 16, the total cases in San Juan County have increased from 56 to 59. Two of these new cases are on Orcas Island and the other is on San Juan Island. Orcas Island There are a total of three positive cases being actively monitored  Continue Reading

By San Juan County From the beginning of the COVD-19 crisis, an effective and safe vaccine has been seen as the ultimate solution for ending the disruption and impacts of the pandemic. As we head into our ninth month, numerous vaccine development efforts are underway, with many giving us reason for optimism. The intent of  Continue Reading

Seven New Cases On Orcas, No New Hospitalization in County By San Juan County Orcas Island Since the last update, seven new cases have been identified on Orcas Island. This brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to 56. All of these new cases are tied to a nine-case cluster on Orcas  Continue Reading

Most Restrictions Start Nov. 16; For Restaurants, Nov. 18 By Washington’s Governor’s Office On Sunday, Nov. 15, Gov. Jay Inslee announced a four-week statewide set of restrictions in response to the recent rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in Washington and across the country. The new restrictions come as Washington sees consistent increasing daily case  Continue Reading

By San Juan Island Prevention Coalition The 2020 Washington State Prevention Summit’s Award of Excellence for Lifetime Achievement goes to San Juan Island Prevention Coalition’s own dedicated and caring Executive Coordinator Cynthia Stark-Wickman. Cynthia has cultivated an uplifting and inclusive environment so our community can grow in hope, science, and positive outcomes.

By San Juan County As we head into what may be the most challenging time yet in the COVID crisis, we want to share information about at-home testing options. To begin, a few key points: 1. If you are symptomatic, contact a local health care provider and talk about getting tested. Stay home until you  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Two new positive COVID-19 test results have been reported for San Juan County. One each was found on Orcas and San Juan. The total case count for the islands is now 49. Both cases are close contacts of previous cases. If we change our behavior, we can stop this recent surge  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Four new positive COVID-19 test results have been reported for San Juan County. The total case count for the islands is now 47. Three of these cases are on San Juan Island, and one is on Orcas. Though investigations are ongoing, early results suggest that that two of the San Juan  Continue Reading

By Washington HealthPlanFinder Washingtonians seeking health coverage can shop for more options this year along with financial assistance by visiting Washington Healthplanfinder to sign up for health and dental coverage. New for 2021 will be Cascade Care offerings that enable consumers to shop, choose and save from more options in all counties. “As more Washingtonians  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Four new positive COVID-19 test results have been reported for San Juan County, as of Nov. 9. Three of these cases are on San Juan Island, and one is on Lopez. Though investigations are ongoing, early results suggest that these cases are not related.

Members of San Juan County Public Hospital District 1 have each signed this letter regarding the potential sale of the Hospice of the Northwest. One copy is being sent to United General District 304 and the other to Skagit Regional Health. Dear Commissioners, We write to you as concerned citizens of San Juan County and  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae. How are we doing? Eight months into this pandemic and we are all tired of it; tired of staying home, tired of wearing masks, tired of washing our hands all the time. It is easy to get lulled into  Continue Reading