From San Juan Island Fire & Rescue… On Thursday afternoon, August 13, 2020, emergency responders from San Juan Island Fire and Rescue, San Juan Island EMS, and Airlift NW responded to a 911 emergency call reporting an unconscious person who was not breathing at the Roche Harbor Marina. Several bystanders at the scene immediately went  Continue Reading

Update from from the County… There has been one new confirmed positive test result in San Juan County since the last case summary on August 3rd. The case investigation was completed today (Thursday, August 13th). This is the 31st case in San Juan County and the 12th on Orcas Island. The case occurred in an Orcas Island  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders As we head into the second half of August, local public and private schools are pursuing a range of options for the start of the school year. This article will not be addressing the specifics of school reopening plans-that will come directly  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders This Hot Topic will provide a broad overview of confirmed positive cases to date in San Juan County. This information is very general in nature to ensure privacy, but hopefully is a useful way to convey the nature of cases in San  Continue Reading

We are pleased to announce that Jesse Nye, DO, has joined PeaceHealth Medical Group Friday Harbor in the Family Medicine clinic. He is an experienced physician who will provide comprehensive acute, chronic and preventive medical care services for his patients. Nye grew up in Washington state and graduated from Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg  Continue Reading

At last evening’s special board meeting, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors approved a fall reopening plan for schools.  After several months of planning with the district workgroups and steering committee, Superintendent Fred Woods recommended to the Board that the San Juan Island public schools begin the 2020-2021 school year under a  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders To be clear: Face shields have absolutely no ability to minimize the spread of droplets from someone infected with COVID. There is simply too much air flow around the shield for them to be effective. They are not an acceptable alternative to cloth  Continue Reading

Governor Inslee announces education recommendations for 2020-2021 school year… San Juan County is among 5 counties in Washington State that are considered “Low Risk” for COVID-19. Plans regarding school reopening are made by the local health jurisdiction and school district. Gov. Jay Inslee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal and DOH’s state health officer, Dr.  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Department of Emergency Management… San Juan County is shifting to a weekly roll-up of new cases. This is the first of those reports. Going forward, the report will be issued on Thursday of each week. In addition to providing for additional time to review results of case investigations and draft releases,  Continue Reading

The San Juan Update is pleased to reprint this interview by Minor Lile with San Juan County Public Health Officer Dr. Frank James as published 7.30.2020 in Orcas Issues News & Views… As Public Health Officer for San Juan County, Dr. Frank James has played a prominent role in the community response to the Coronavirus  Continue Reading

Since March, OPALCO has helped more than 450 members to pay their bills. Other members have given generously to the member assistance programs: donating solar production credits or directly to the low-income programs. Many other members have benefited by not accruing fees or being disconnected for non-payment during these difficult times. OPALCO is closely monitoring  Continue Reading

San Juan County Public Hospital District No. 1 is providing notice of a Special Meeting to be held jointly with San Juan Island Fire and Rescue on Tuesday July 28, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. This meeting will be online due to COVID-19: members of the public may call 509-824-1884 and enter 919 848 360# This  Continue Reading

As positive test results continue to occur in San Juan County, the County COVID-19 Response Team is going to adjust the reporting strategy and schedule. Going forward:   – The Case Count Page will be updated when positive test results are received and initial investigation has confirmed the result.  – A weekly summary of positive  Continue Reading

On July 23, Governor Inslee issued new requirements for all of Washington State in response to increasing infections. In addition, Washington Secretary of Health Wiesman added additional requirements to the existing face covering order. Below is some preliminary information on what the new requirements mean for San Juan County. This summary is based on initial  Continue Reading

One new positive COVID-19 case has been reported on San Juan Island, which brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to date to 26. The initial case investigation is complete. A small number of close contacts have been identified and are in quarantine and the patient is isolating. The findings from the  Continue Reading

One new positive COVID-19 case has been reported on Orcas Island, which brings the total number of cases in San Juan County to date to 25. The initial case investigation is complete. Close contacts are in quarantine and the patient is isolating. The findings from the case investigation suggest the transmission source was a large  Continue Reading