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County Public Health Report ~ 4/18/22

The following is a summary of the presentation during the Public Health briefings at this week’s Board of County Commissioners meeting made by Jefferson and Clallam County Public Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry. Also Willie Bence, Director of Emergency Management, gave a report. The summary below was provided by and used with the permission of Jefferson County Government.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry today reported local COVID-19 case rates are at 270/100,000 putting us in the higher risk zone where she strongly recommends masking indoors with a high quality mask. Our percent positivity is up to 8.5%. In Jefferson, there is an online form where people can submit a positive home test. Dr. Berry said that between 70-90% of cases reported are from home antigen tests. Here is a link to a site where you can securely report your test results: https://app.smartsheet.com/…/7146918f3f854cf6bfdfffc4f0…

The latest surge is being driven by the BA.2 variant that makes up about 75% of the positive tests in the County and the reduction in mitigation measures. People are going to stores, restaurants and school unmasked. “If we saw (hospitalizations rise) in other parts of the country, that might change our mitigations here….that’s really the trigger,” Dr. Berry said. “We’ve gotten our vaccines, we’ve gotten our boosters and so many of us had recent infection with COVID-19,” she continued. “And so between those two, we are hopeful that we can prevent severe disease.”

Influenza is on the rise in Jefferson. “Now is a really good time to get vaccinated,” Dr. Allison Berry explained. “It’s important to remember that while influenza is less dangerous than COVID-19, it still can be quite dangerous, especially people for people who are very young, for people who are elderly, or for people who have underlying chronic conditions.” Influenza vaccines are available from pharmacies, the local health office, and your physician. Dr. Berry said masking will help keep transmission of the flu in check.

County Health Officer Dr. Allison Berry addressed the need for the second booster shot. “There is an option for a second booster which is a fourth dose for anyone 50 and over in the United States,” she explained. “The data around that booster is that it is safe…It’s not clear yet that it’s needed though, because we are still seeing excellent protection from three doses.” She stressed that the most important thing to do to prevent risk of severe disease is to get vaccinated and get that first booster for a total of three doses for most. “If you are immunosuppressed, that fourth dose is really critical,” Dr. Berry continued. “If you’re taking immunosuppressive medications, if you have a genetic immunodeficiency, if you’re getting treated for cancer, or if you have had a cancer in the past, it’s been successfully treated. All of those, folks. Really good idea to get that fourth dose. Everyone else. It’s not clear yet how necessary it is. It’s certainly a reasonable option.” Fourth doses are available locally in our healthcare system, at pharmacies, and at Jefferson County Public Health.

Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Allison Berry and Willie Bence by emailing contactus@kptz.org. Note: The weekly deadline for these to be submitted is on Fridays at noon, to be answered at the following Monday’s BOCC meeting.

Home & Kitchen Tour; Plastic Recycling

(Airdate: April 18, 2022) This edition of Attention Please! is a two-part show on two quite different topics. The first segment features the AAUW’s Home and Kitchen Tour with Karena Wells and Jean Stasney of the American Association of University Women. In the second segment, PT Potential’s Roarke Jennings and Ronnie Crusta describe their vision for reducing the use of plastics in our area while at the same time recycling what we use. Hosted and produced by Phil Andrus.

From The Kitchen Table ~ April 18

On Monday, April 18 from 8 to 9pm on KPTZ, tune in for a special presentation from Bellingham musician and now podcast host Robert Sarazin Blake. Check out From the Kitchen Table, where Robert invites musical guests from near and far to join a live stream and share their music from their respective kitchen tables. In this episode, which was specially prepared for KPTZ, Kristin Andreassen joined The Kitchen Table from Nashville, Tennessee one Sunday in January, playing songs from her 2021 album, The Bright SidersThe Kitchen Table comes to KPTZ from producer Jeremy Meehan, and host Robert Sarazin Blake. Classic Jazz will return next week at its usual time.

Community Tides ~ 4/15

On alternate Fridays during the noon hour, KPTZ’s Chris Bricker and co-host Siobhan Canty, President and CEO of Jefferson Community Foundation, meet to discuss new developments, new paradigms, and the new normal, as we roll into the months ahead. The Chimakum People, who lived in the Chimacum Creek watershed, had been widely considered extinct and written out of history. In fact, however, there are many Chimakum descendants.
We speak with one of those descendants, Naiomi Kreinke, who has a very special dream that is slowly becoming a reality – a community gathering place in the form of a traditional Longhouse. We also speak with two allies with the Chimakum – photographer, designer, and writer Kerry Tremain and photographer Brian Goodman, who were prime movers in creating a book and exhibit of portraits of contemporary Chimakum families and elders. Opportunities to view the exhibit are at Chimacum High School on April 23 and May 28 from Noon to 2pm.

DJ David Bonobo Live at Finn River April 15

91.9FM Radio Port Townsend co-presents DJ David Bonobo Live at Finn River Farm and Cidery, in Chimacum on Friday April 15 from 5 to 7pm. This all-ages event features dance music and rhythms connected to the African Diaspora – from Afro-Beat to Brazilian Funk,  Electro-Cumbia and more.  

DJ David Bonobo co-hosts Radio Kilombo, with DJ Brazil Nut. The show  airs on Thursday nights from 10-11pm on KPTZ and curates the Earth’s finest collection of seductive African and Afro-Latin grooves. 

Nature Now #562
Great Horned Owls Fledge

(Reprise airdate: April 13, 2022) Guest Bob Jepperson from Fidalgo Island relates to Mary Robson the spring progress of fledgling Great Horned Owls as they leave the nest and fly.  Listen here for his sound recordings used on the show.