PORT ANGELES — The newest COVID-19 replace, air high quality, gun violence as a public well being problem, and recognition of people who’ve contributed to enhancing neighborhood well being dominated dialogue on the month-to-month assembly of the Jefferson County Board of Well being on Thursday.
Dr. Allison Berry, well being officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, reported that there have been no new deaths as a result of COVID-19, though Jefferson County stays within the high-risk class.
As of Thursday, there have been 251 lively circumstances for a complete of four,509 circumstances because the pandemic started. There have been no hospitalizations for COVID-19 to maintain the full variety of hospitalizations at 132.
“We’re nonetheless seeing extremely excessive transmission charges in our neighborhood and throughout the state,” Berry stated. “However regardless of our excessive numbers, we have not seen the rise in hospitalizations and deaths that a lot of the nation has seen with this most up-to-date wave. The primary driver of that’s our vaccination price.”
In accordance with the Jefferson County COVID-19 Dashboard, 78 p.c of residents are absolutely vaccinated. It ranks fourth within the state of Washington for vaccination charges, after San Juan (92 p.c), King (90 p.c), and Island (87 p.c) counties.
In mild of the latest mass shootings in america, Berry offered a public well being method to stopping gun violence that used evidence-based prevention methods to assist coverage modifications that had been proven to be efficient in lowering homicides and gun violence. suicides, he stated.
These included firearm buy licenses, high-capacity journal bans, and excessive threat safety orders (also referred to as “purple flag legal guidelines”).
Secure storage campaigns that promote gun safes and the usage of set off locks, Berry stated, have been proven to scale back the danger of suicide and unintentional use by youngsters.
Jeff Johnston, the brand new CEO of the Olympic Area Clear Air Company, and his crew offered an summary of their air high quality monitoring work.
Jefferson is one among six counties beneath the jurisdiction of ORCAA (the others are Clallam, Grays Harbor, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston), which is accountable for implementing federal, state, and native air air pollution rules.
The Jefferson County Public Well being Division honored 10 people and organizations with the Public Well being Hero Awards, which acknowledge members of the neighborhood who make important contributions to the well being of Jefferson County.
The Board of Well being sought nominations from the neighborhood for the annual award, which was not awarded in 2020 and 2021 as a result of pandemic, and a subcommittee reviewed the purposes.
The receiving certificates signed by Berry and Public Well being Director Apple Martine have been: Christie Boyd, Artwork Trainer at Blue Heron Excessive Faculty, for utilizing artwork to assist pupil psychological well being and for main fairness coaching for college district personnel;
David Codier, RN, for facilitating clinics at Jefferson Healthcare and the Division of Public Well being from Winter 2021 to current;
The paramedics and EMTs of East Jefferson Fireplace Rescue for offering residents with dependable and compassionate emergency providers in the course of the pandemic;
Meals Financial institution Farm and Gardens (FoodBank Growers) for offering recent natural produce to 4 native meals banks;
Sarah Grossman, Chimacum Faculty District Bodily Therapist, for founding JUMP! (Jefferson Common Motion Playground) for kids with particular wants;
neighborhood radio station KPTZ 91.9 FM for his or her service in the course of the pandemic by offering dependable data, interviewing public well being consultants, and internet hosting public boards with Berry;
Grace Love, for founding the nonprofit Nadine’s Home that gives providers, assets, and assist to artists;
Lisa McKenzie, former public well being nurse, for main a communicable illness crew throughout COVID-19 and coaching a brand new cohort of public well being nurses;
Jim Moffitt, who fashioned a COVID-19 activity pressure as a part of the Port Ludlow Village Council’s well being and wellness committee that created partnerships with county companies to lift consciousness of the pandemic amongst residents;
Logan Stegner, bodily schooling instructor and assistant coach at Port Townsend Excessive Faculty, who revised the bodily schooling program to give attention to college students’ bodily and psychological well being and expanded actions to attraction to a better variety of scholars.
________
Reporter Paula Hunt could be reached at [email protected]
