FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2021

CONTACT:
Snohomish County Joint Information Center
425-388-5171
eccjic.activation@snoco.org

It Takes All of Us. Take Your Shot. 

Residents to urged to get COVID vaccine now to keep Phase 2 rollback brief 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – With Governor Inslee and the Washington State Department of Health scheduled to release county-level data according to the Roadmap to Recovery metrics next Tuesday, recent trends all but guarantee Snohomish County will move back to Phase 2 effective Saturday, May 8. The next review will be on May 25.

In order to get numbers down so that Snohomish County can get back to Phase 3 in late-May, residents are urged to get their vaccines now. 

“The number of vaccines coming into our county has increased recently, which means the stress of finding an open appointment has largely gone away,” said Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District. “These vaccines are so safe and effective that they’ve virtually eliminated outbreaks in our long-term care facilities. We need all residents 16 and up vaccinated, and quickly, so that we can see that same impact countywide.”

The Health District has also updated its estimate on how long it will take to fully vaccinate 600,000 residents in Snohomish County based on recent allocations and projections for upcoming weeks. This estimate shows that timeline has shortened significantly in the last month as supplies have increased. Where it was projected to take up to early-January 2022 to vaccinate at least 70% of the county population, it’s now possible to do so by this summer. 

Note: Estimate as of April 21, 2021

“These estimates all hinge on the community taking their shot when available. If not, this could take much, much longer,” added Dr. Spitters. “If every resident follows the CDC mask guidance and unvaccinated people pursue vaccination as quickly as possible, we could be back in Phase 3 soon. Mask up when appropriate and vax up now so we can keep progressing toward enjoying all the things COVID has put on hold.”

The Snohomish County Vaccine Taskforce has made changes to improve access to the mass vaccination sites. These include:

• Expanding hours, including more weekend appointments as well as some evening appointments.
• Opening registration for new vaccination appointments a week at a time, allowing more time for patients to plan.
• Hosting second-dose catch-up clinics for anyone who is due for a second dose, regardless of first dose provider. The first Pfizer second dose catch-up clinic is being hosted Saturday at the Ash Way Park & Ride mass vaccination site, and information on a catch-up clinic for Moderna should be available by next week.
• Offering flex clinics that don’t require pre-registration. This is a vaccination event at one of the mass vaccination sites where appointments are recommended but not required. Booking an appointment reserves a dose, but people who arrive during that day without an appointment will be vaccinated as long as doses are available. The first of these is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4, at the Arlington mass vaccination site form 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aside from these flex clinics, appointments are required for all mass vaccination sites.

Appointments are much more readily available for vaccination now compared to in previous weeks and months. Everyone age 16 and up is eligible for vaccination. Getting a shot is crucial for getting past the COVID-19 pandemic.  

More information on mass vaccination sites, including registration links to book an appointment, is available at http://bit.ly/snocovaccine. Appointment information also is posted regularly via Snohomish Health District and Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management social media channels.  

For those without internet access or who are struggling to book an appointment, the COVID-19 call center for Snohomish County is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 425-339-5278. 

In addition to mass vaccination sites, there are a number of other ways to find a vaccine appointment:

• Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has updated its vaccine locator page at https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov allowing people to search by their ZIP code. 
• For a full list of Federal Retail Pharmacy Program locations, visit www.vaccinefinder.org.  
• Veterans of all ages may contact the VA’s Puget Sound Health Care System at 206-716-5716 to schedule an appointment or contact their VA primary care team directly.

COVID Testing Schedule

The schedule for the week of May 3 remains as follows:

• Everett site located at 3715 Oakes Avenue – Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lynnwood Food Bank site at 5320 176th St SW – open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Evergreen State Fairgrounds in the front parking lot off of 179th Ave SE in Monroe – open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments for testing are encouraged, and registration is available at www.snohd.org/testing.   Those without internet access or needing language assistance can reach the Health District’s call center at 425.339.5278 to schedule a testing appointment. The call center is staffed 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Callers after hours or on weekends can leave a message, which will be returned on the next business day.

##END##