By Peace Island Volunteers In March, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peace Island Volunteers organized a mask-making project that would eventually include over 50 individuals making more than 4,400 masks.  The sewers were dubbed the Masketeers. Like the Musketeers, their efforts were helping to protect their community from the COVID saboteur. For the  Continue Reading

Public and Nonpublic Employees Must Wear Masks By San Juan County As cases rise, it is worth taking another look at what employers and employees can do to protect themselves and their businesses from COVID-19 impacts. The basics are nothing new: cover our faces, wash our hands, stay home when sick. That said, it is  Continue Reading

Maintain Children’s Check-Ups By Mark Fishaut, MD and William F. House, MD, Eventide Health As the number of positive COVID-19 cases in children surpassed 1 million, pediatricians continue to grapple with the pandemic’s impact on their patients, practice, work-life balance and finances. Fortunately, severe illness due to COVID-19 remains rare in children, with 133 pediatric  Continue Reading

By Washington State Department of Health The Washington State Department of Health is adopting the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to reduce quarantine for people who have been exposed to COVID-19. Although both the Washington State Department of Health and CDC currently recommend a quarantine period of 14 days, there are circumstances  Continue Reading

By San Juan County Since the last update on Friday, Nov. 25, total cases in San Juan County have increased from 63 to 66. Two of these new cases are on San Juan Island, the other is on Lopez Island. Current positive case numbers are available online at the San Juan County Case count page.  Continue Reading

Vehicle drivers may not be aware of a recent law that allows bicyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign in some instances – and may be cynically assuming that the cyclists they see are breaking the law. The so-called “Idaho stop” (also known as the “safety stop”) became law in Washington State  Continue Reading

By Brendan Cowan, Director, Department of Emergency Management As part of an ongoing effort to increase community preparedness and self-sufficiency in the islands, the Department of Emergency Management has created a new online guide at www.islandsready.org. This tool is designed to be simple, easy to navigate and smartphone friendly. With specific sections for seniors 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

By Fred Woods, Superintendent, San Juan Island School District It is with sadness and frustration that I must announce the return to teleschool for all grades in the San Juan Island School District. As a community, San Juan Island is beginning to experience increased levels of the COVID-19 virus, and though we have maintained a  Continue Reading

By Rep. Larsen’s Office Rep. Rick Larsen, Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, released the below statement on the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to unground the Boeing 737 MAX: “The FAA’s decision to unground the 737 MAX is good news for us in the Pacific Northwest. The decision provides some certainty to the aerospace jobs  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

By Rep. Rick Larsen’s Office Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, Garret Graves (LA-06), the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member, and Sharice Davids (KS-03), the Subcommittee’s Vice Chair, introduced a bipartisan resolution designating the week of Nov. 16 – 22, 2020, as National Drone Safety Awareness Week. Founded by the Federal Aviation Administration  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