Public Health Reminder: Masking Still Critical this Holiday Season

Reading Time: 2 minutes

December 1, 2021

The holidays are upon us. As Skagitonians are out and about preparing for holiday festivities, please remember: masking is still critical—and required—in all indoor public spaces AND certain outdoor settings. This includes all local businesses, chain outlets, and grocery stores.

The statewide mask mandate requires that all people five years of age and older must wear a mask in public indoor settings and at large, outdoor events with 500 or more attendees, including sporting events, fairs, parades, and concerts, regardless of vaccination status.

There are some exceptions to the mask requirement, including children under five years of age, and people with a medical or mental health condition or disability that prevents them from wearing a mask. Children between 2 and 4 years of age can, and are encouraged, to wear a mask under close adult supervision. Children under 2 should not wear masks.

Face masks remain an important tool in preventing transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Though Skagit County is just over 60 percent fully vaccinated, there are still many folks, including young children, who are not protected.

Science has shown that masking works. COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets when infected people—many of whom do not exhibit COVID-19 symptoms—cough, sneeze, or talk. Evidence shows that wearing a mask reduces an infected person’s chance of spreading the infection to others.

Furthermore, it is imperative that people wear their mask properly. To be effective, a mask must cover the nose, mouth, and chin, and must fit snuggly against one’s face. For tips on getting the best fit, visit the CDC’s mask guidance webpage here.

Wearing a mask when out in the community is an easy way to show your neighbors and favorite businesses that you care this holiday season. Please help our local businesses operate smoothly this season by following all state and local rules and guidance.

Another great way to ensure that things run smoothly for the holidays is by taking precautions at home. If unvaccinated, please remember that masking is still recommended when gathering with non-household members, especially when indoors. COVID-19 can easily spread in these types of environments, causing folks to miss out on school, work, and fun, festive holiday events.

Have a wonderful holiday season, Skagit! Be well!

Skagit Business and COVID-19: EDASC Perspectives

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) began the year of 2020 focused on its mission of strengthening local businesses and expanding our economy. EDASC was set to leverage Skagit’s great geographic and business-friendly location to attract industry and entrepreneurs to our beautiful area. While economic planning is a fine art, no financial crystal ball anticipated a sudden and global blow to businesses. Of course, COVID-19 changed everything within a matter of weeks.

The Skagit economy is facing the chaos and alarm that seems to be everywhere. But who has a better finger on the local pulse than EDASC, even in the middle of COVID-19? So – in what is our new normal – EDASC CEO John Sternlicht and Communications Manager Aaron Weinberg joined me for a conversation through video-conferencing.

Resilience

Times are bad, without a doubt. But Skagit has always been resilient. Part of that is the nature of our people. Aaron also sees resilience in Skagit’s diverse economy. “When there is diverse business and industry, there is more resiliency and a greater ability to recover.” He added, “We have a range of prosperous industries including manufacturing, health care, maritime, informational technology, construction, retail, tourism and agriculture. This diversity will help us as we move forward.” In the meantime, businesses will need some help and solid advice.

EDASC and COVID-19 Resources

John and Aaron are frank about our current financial predicament. Workers and businesses have both been hit and hit hard. So, EDASC is doing what they can to give businesses access to the relief that is available. John described how opportunities like the federal Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) have complex application processes that can be daunting. “We make the application process understandable, especially to smaller businesses with limited resources. We do the research and extra support. We don’t just send out links.” You can contact EDASC by checking out its website at https://www.skagit.org/.

Going the extra mile is obvious when viewing EDASC’s COVID-19 Resource Guide at https://www.skagit.org/covid-19-resources-for-businesses-employees. Some of these resources will be key to local businesses and their workers. For others, the assistance may not be enough. Sadly, some businesses will not make it through the pandemic. John noted other businesses “were in a position to able to pivot to manufacturing PPE. Also, local distilleries switched to making sanitizers.” There is always innovation during times of upheaval. Opportunities will appear for entrepreneurs despite the tough times ahead. Aaron describes that to support businesses, EDASC “is constantly getting crucial information out to businesses, with our website and newsletter being up to the minute.” In a time of disruption, having EDASC as a trusted information source to our business community is critical.

Re-opening

Skagitonians are waiting for the day that businesses re-open and jobs are restored. We long for a sense of normalcy by heading out to a few shops or sitting down to a good dinner at a restaurant. But to keep ourselves, neighbors and the most vulnerable members of our community safe, businesses need to plan now for the day that reopening arrives. Planning includes how to resume operations while maximizing the safety of customers and employees. This means assuring at least 6 feet of distance, face coverings for staff to wear for as long as it is recommended, providing places for handwashing or hand sanitizing for both employees and customers, and ensuring no one comes to work sick. John underscored the need for wearing face coverings. “When we wear a mask, it’s not so much for protecting ourselves but protecting others. It’s a main way to stop the spread of COVID.”

Businesses need to create an environment in which both workers and customers take necessary precautions.  Some businesses will struggle if their facilities make it difficult to create 6 feet of space between people. On the other hand, some organizations can get work done through telecommuting, and may continue this effective physical distancing practice. Fortunately, EDASC is offering guidance on re-opening. Small Business COVID-19 Prevention Best Practices for Businessesoffers information and further resources.

Another resource is Skagit County Public Health. In this time of COVID-19, Public Health is focused on helping businesses be successful in re-opening. The department provides guidance and support so workers and customers can be safe, and re-opening successful. Everyone has a stake in this response – owners, workers and customers. If all of us strive to take care of each other, transmission can be minimized and we can advance through the phases of the Governor’s Safe Start Washington. If we fall into reckless habits, COVID-19 can take hold again. This would be tragic to those who suffer infection and greatly undermine our economy. Check Public Health’s coronavirus webpage for business guidance as well as a vast range of information and resources regarding COVID-19: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HealthDiseases/coronavirus.htm.

Recovery

EDASC will be a leader in the Skagit County Economic Recovery Strategic Plan, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders. John notes, “Recovery is not yet in its early stages. It will require multistep planning with multiple phases. Recovery needs to be strategic – very well planned and thought out. This won’t be months – it will be years in the making in order to be successful.” The length of time should not be a negative. It shows we are in a marathon, not a sprint, but with the goal of recovery at the finish regardless.

Hope

The COVID-19 pandemic will come to a close after the historically mammoth scale of producing worldwide levels of immunization. This effort will be an economic driver in itself. But what will happen in Skagit then?

John has “hope that we will learn that political boundaries are meaningless to a virus or climate change. There is no separate city, county or country when it comes to COVID-19 or our impact on the planet. And addressing both are part of a job-creating economy.”

As Aaron described above, the ranging diversity of our economy provides Skagit with the resiliency necessary to recovery. This diversity gives us the foundation to bounce back in the future.

Things are dire for us – and it’s not right to be cheerily optimistic when so many are suffering. But Skagit is fortunate to have leaders who cautiously point out that, at the end of the tunnel, there is light.

Here are some more resources for businesses: