Local News for 12/17
Intergovernmental Collaborative Group Meeting on KPTZ
On Wednesday December 16 at 5pm, KPTZ will broadcast a special meeting of the Intergovernmental Collaborative Group. The Intergovernmental Collaborative Group is composed of the elected officials of Jefferson County, the City of Port Townsend, the Port of Port Townsend, and Jefferson PUD. The ICG was established last spring for Jefferson county’s four elected entities to join forces and work together with the community to develop a COVID-19 Recovery & Resiliency Plan. The Plan is being presented and will be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting. Listen live on KPTZ.
County Public Health Report ~ 12/14
Today, Public Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke shared about the recent Jefferson County increase in COVID-19 cases. He answered questions from KPTZ listeners about:
• The infection rate and death numbers are up, nationally and statewide.
• Jefferson County is the 3rd lowest infection rate, although we have dropped to 94/100,000. Cumulative case number is 195.
• The Pfizer vaccine is on its way, will be here shortly, and will be available through Jefferson Healthcare. First-line medical workers are first, then long-term-care residents, followed by government essential workers and then those over 65.
• You can reduce your risk through isolation for at least 7 days, have the PCR test on day 8, then stay in isolation until day 10.
• Evidence shows people are immune for at least 3 months following COVID-19 infection.
• The Pfizer vaccine research and trials information is public.
• Yes, our hospital does have the advanced treatment drugs on hand.
• Excess deaths: If death is from another cause, it is not counted as a COVID-19 test even if the person is infected.
• Good websites: CDC, WADOH, also NY Times and Washington Post information.
• Each test has pros and cons: none of the tests are 100% accurate.
• The old test swabs that were painful have been replaced by an easier, less invasive swab that is self administered.
• When flying, use a high-efficiency mask and meticulous hand sanitizing; take direct flights; avoid lengthier flights.
• You are more likely to become infected from droplets, which are larger, than from smaller aerosols.
• Municipal wastewater studies are not as useful, though these studies are valid.
• The Pfizer vaccine may offer reduction in severity of illness, but it is still unknown whether people can spread the disease. This will become known as more people take the vaccine.
• Proof of vaccination: everyone will have a record. At first, the same restrictions will apply, whether vaccinated or not. It requires a 70% vaccination rate for these to be lifted.
• The new CDC quarantine guidelines have been revised. For high-risk situations, the wait time is still 14 days. In some cases, 10 days may be sufficient. The 7 days with test quarantine is not practical, due to efficacy.
• For a PCR positive test confirmed case, with no symptoms, the quarantine is 10 days.
Submit your Public Health questions to Dr. Tom Locke by emailing [email protected].
Nature Now #493
Bird Rehabilitation
(First airdate: December 16, 2020) Christie Lassen, with Mary Robson, discusses bird rehabilitation: where and how are injured birds helped locally?
Local News for 12/16
#166 – Dr. Molly Parker
(First airdate: December 15, 2020) DR. MOLLY PARKER: FAMILY CAREGIVER. Our Town Host Maryanne McNellis interviews Dr. Molly Parker, family medicine specialist at Jefferson Healthcare. After a childhood on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Dr. Parker decided that she wanted her family to experience that same community closeness. Besides, she loves the variety of family medicine. She can be “catching babies” one day and diagnosing a nasty rash (or something much worse) the next. Of course, there’s also the pandemic to contend with! Dr. Parker talks about COVID-19 planning from behind the front lines. She’s also involved in a variety of medical initiatives. She helps train nurses to gather forensic evidence in sexual assault cases. As Director of Population Medicine, she’s attempting to change the reality that right now Jefferson County is a child care “desert.”
Local News for 12/15
Through Science to Health ~ 12/11/20
Through Science to Health’s conversation between Lynn Sorensen, RN and Chris Bricker, KPTZ host included a select reiteration of Jefferson County’s Health Officer, Dr Tom Locke’s COVID-19 update to the BOCC on December 7, 2020, along with current COVID-19 vaccines soon to be available in the US. Lynn stressed that the vaccine roll out will be in stages starting with the frontline healthcare workers, first responders, and nursing home residents and their caregivers. Also that the vaccine will not take the place of masks or other hygiene measures until at least 70% of the US population is vaccinated.
Dr. Locke’s Advice for Our Community
Data source: Jefferson County Public Health Department website, graph created by KPTZ.*
The COVID-19 pandemic is steadily worsening throughout the U.S., including Washington state and Jefferson County. Exposure risk is likely to remain high for the next three to four months. People are tired of having their lives disrupted and are willing to take more and more risks. Activities like social gatherings that were low risk during the summer are now much more likely to result in COVID-19 transmission.
Dr. Locke’s advice is to try to forgo as much preventable risk as possible, including club meetings, social events, non-essential travel, and alike. We’re experiencing the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will almost certainly be worse than anything we’ve previously experienced.
On a hopeful note, vaccines are on the verge of licensure and deployment. Vaccine supply will be very limited at first, but as winter gives way to spring supplies will improve and the end of this long public health emergency will finally be in sight.
– Dr. Tom Locke, Jefferson County Public Health Officer
*For current cumulative case count in Jefferson County, since December 8, visit the WADOH website.
Compass for 12/12/2020
What with all of the commotion around the Presidential race and the ongoing battle for control of the U.S. Senate, you can’t be blamed if you somehow missed what may turn out to be the most historic ballot measure passed in the 2020 General Election. That would, of course, be Oregon’s Measure 110, which dealt a death blow to the War on Drugs in that state by decriminalizing the possession of all drugs, while dedicating tax revenues from the sale of cannabis products to drug addiction rehabilitation services, thus moving substance abuse problems firmly into the realm of public health and out of the criminal justice system.
This week on the Compass we get the thoughts on the Oregon ballot measure of two local experts – Public Defender Richard Davies and Jefferson County Health Officer Dr. Tom Locke – on how society addresses drug abuse issues.
