SJI Historical Museum is back with their History Column for June… Although it’s now been a little over 100 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, many of us grew up hearing a grandparent’s stories of family experiences with the double punch of world war and an influenza pandemic known as the Spanish Flu.  Continue Reading

June 1 marks a milestone for Eventide Health. It’s the beginning of our 6 month mark, but it’s also the actual start of our organization. It’s taken us far longer than anticipated to get all of the extensive governmental and insurance processes done to be a fully separate entity from San Juan Healthcare (which now  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the San Juan Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… It is summer in the San Juans and San Juan County has moved into Phase 2 of our state’s four-phased Safe Start Washington plan. What does this mean for island seniors as local businesses slowly begin to open up,  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Health & Community Services surveillance and contact tracing team is actively investigating a positive COVID-19 case with ties to San Juan Island. The case technically belongs to another county due to both the patient’s residence and the testing location being on the mainland, however the patient had recently worked in San  Continue Reading

For those who have court-ordered fines and fees, San Juan County District Court and Superior Court are offering a new, easier way to ask the courts to reduce or forgive your debts – and many people qualify for relief. Over the past few years, the Washington Supreme Court and our state legislature have greatly changed  Continue Reading

After taking a week off, “COVID-19 Community Conversations” continues with another set of videos highlighting specific efforts from organizations and people in our community that provide key services and crucial leadership around the county. You can find our entire collection of videos on our YouTube channel “San Juan County COVID-19 Response” at www.sjccovid.com/conversations. This week  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders San Juan County Health & Community Services wants to share three simple but incredibly important pieces of information about healthcare in our community. If You’re Experiencing Covid Symptoms, Talk to Your Medical Provider About Getting Tested Medical providers in the islands are  Continue Reading

Island Rec is continuing to carry classes with Jacquelyn Reiff and Katerina Wen through the end of July via Zoom. All classes will be accessed through a live Zoom video link that is sent to you each morning of class. Sign up for the whole month, or a drop-in option is also available. To register,  Continue Reading

This story has been updated since it was first published… The variance application submitted Friday afternoon was approved by the Secretary of Health mid-day on Saturday, allowing San Juan County to proceed to Phase 2 of the Governor’s four-phased Safe Start Washington plan effective immediately. San Juan County Council Chair Rick Hughes highlights the importance  Continue Reading

At the request of San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James (link to recommendation letter), and with the support of both the San Juan County Board of Health and the County Council, public health staff are preparing a variance request that, if approved by the Secretary of Health, would allow the County to move  Continue Reading

On May 22nd, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James extended his order limiting non-essential transient lodging operations. The order was previously set to expire on May 31st. In his extension (Order 2020-5), Dr. James ties the future ending of the order to the lifting of Governor’s Inslee’s ban on non-essential travel, currently scheduled  Continue Reading

COVID-19 updates from San Juan County around subjects on the minds of islanders With roots dating back to the Civil War, Memorial Day is a time for our nation to remember and honor military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. In addition, Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick-off to  Continue Reading

In many places, people are wearing masks when they’re in public because of coronavirus (COVID-19). It’s an important way to help slow the spread of the virus. At first, it was mostly doctors, nurses, and others in health care settings who wore masks. But now, as other people wear them, more and more kids are  Continue Reading

-Dr. Mark Fishaut and Dr. Frank James En muchos lugares, la gente está llevando mascarilla en los lugares públicos debido al coronavirus (COVID-19). Es una forma importante de ayudar a reducir la velocidad de propagación del virus. Al principio, quienes llevaban mascarillas eran, sobre todo, los médicos, los enfermeros y otro tipo de personal que  Continue Reading

As you may have heard, asian hornets (a.k.a: Murder Hornets) have found their way to the United States and have been detected in Washington. They are an invasive species and will decimate honey bee hives. If you would like to help the State of Washington, here is a project you can do on your property  Continue Reading

Supported by the San Juan County Council, the Board of Health, and the Department of Health and Community Services, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James issued a Health Officer order over the weekend regarding the public use of face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19 illness. A Frequently Asked Questions addressing all aspects of the order,  Continue Reading