Fairgrounds Site to Remain Closed Due to Weather; Vaccine and Tests Available At Public Health Next Week

Reading Time: 2 minutes

December 30, 2021

The Skagit County Fairgrounds Testing and Vaccination Site will remain closed until further notice due to severe weather conditions. Once it is determined that it is feasible to reopen the Fairgrounds location, Public Health will announce via usual channels including press release and social media.

In lieu of the Fairgrounds location, Public Health will be making new evening COVID-19 vaccination services available next week at the Public Health office. A limited supply of at-home testing kits will also be provided next week at the downtown location during evening clinic hours—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 3pm to 7pm (while supplies last). Kits will be limited to one kit (two tests) per household.

All vaccines, including primary doses, pediatric, and booster doses will require an appointment at the downtown location—please, no walk-ups. The Public Health office is located at 700 S 2nd Street in Mount Vernon on the 3rd floor.

Some booster appointments are currently available for next week during daytime hours. Links for these appointments can be found on our website at www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine. Booster appointments are available to anyone 16 years and older who are currently time eligible; details about eligibility can also be found on our website.

New primary vaccine, pediatric vaccine, and evening booster dose appointments for the week of January 3rd will be added on Thursday, December 30th at 5pm. To access these appointments, please go to www.skagitcounty.net/COVIDvaccine. If you need assistance, call Public Health at (360) 416-1500.   

If testing at home and you receive a positive test result, please call the state’s COVID-19 Hotline as soon as possible at 1–800–525–0127.

Also, please know that since individuals will be administering their own tests at home, Public Health will not be able to verify tests results and will not be able to provide record of a positive or negative test for those who need proof for school or their employer. 

For-purchase at-home testing options are also available at locations such as Walgreens, Rite Aids, Bartell Drugs, CVS, Walmart, Safeway, and Albertsons. Additionally, test kits can be ordered online directly through retailers.

For a full list of testing providers in Skagit County, go to our website at www.skagitcounty.net/coronavirus.

For those who are feeling ill and cannot get tested, please isolate at home until you are able to do so. Do not gather or visit with other people if sick or recently exposed to COVID-19. Please get familiar with the CDC’s newly updated Isolation and Quarantine Guidance by going to https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html. If you have questions or concerns, call the state’s COVID-19 Hotline at 1-800-525-0127.

Public Health to Close Fairgrounds Testing and Vaccination Site After January 28, 2022

Reading Time: 2 minutes

November 19, 2021

The Skagit County Fairgrounds Testing and Vaccination Site will close permanently after Friday, January 28, 2022. The site, located at 501 Taylor Street in Mount Vernon, has operated since November of 2020, with a temporary closure between July – August 2021. Prior to this, COVID-19 testing was provided by Public Health at Skagit Valley College.

To date, Public Health has administered approximately 55,492 vaccine doses in Skagit County. Since the Fairgrounds reopened in August 2021, over 11,400 antigen tests have been conducted. When the site closes, Public Health’s COVID-19 response will have included 17 months of testing (no services between March – July 2021), and 13 months of vaccination services.

“We are extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished at the Fairgrounds. After nearly a year and a half of providing critical pandemic response services to our community, its time for our staff to shift and refocus on the many other responsibilities that fall on Public Health.” 

Jennifer Johnson, Skagit County Public Health Director

Antigen testing will continue to be offered until the site closes after January 28. Testing is available to people 5 years and older who live, work, or go to school in Skagit County and who are symptomatic or have been recently exposed to COVID-19. No appointment or insurance is required for testing services.

First, second, and third doses of vaccine for people 12 years and older will also continue to be offered—no appointment required—through January 28. The final day to receive a first dose of vaccine with a second dose guaranteed at the Fairgrounds will be January 17, 2022. After this date, people will be required to seek their second dose elsewhere.

The final day to book an appointment for a COVID-19 booster will be November 24, 2021. To make an appointment for a booster, go to https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov/ and search for “Skagit County Public Health.”

Lastly, beginning December 1, 2021, the Fairgrounds will be increasing the daily number of pediatric vaccine appointments for children 5-11 years old. Please note that at this time, appointments are still limited. To schedule a pediatric vaccine appointment, go to https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov/ and search for “Skagit County Public Health,” or use Vaccine Locator to find another provider. 

For a full list of testing and vaccination providers in Skagit County, visit our website at www.skagitcounty.net/coronavirus or call the COVID-19 Information Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.