We have neither the capacity nor the workforce to go out and enforce it, to be the vaccination police.”

Tom Locke, Jefferson County Public Health Officer

Second-dose COVID-19 vaccine clinic planned for this Saturday in Brinnon

Jefferson County Public Health and the Department of Emergency Management will host a single-dose/Johnson & Johnson vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 29 in the gym at Brinnon School.

Appointments for that vaccination are preferred, but county officials said walk-ins will be accepted.

To make an appointment for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, log on to https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/0115962493 or call 360-344-9791.

There will also be a Moderna vaccination clinic at the same time by invitation or walk-in.

Brinnon School is located at 46 Schoolhouse Road.

Vaccinated or not, the masks will stay on.

It could be four weeks before most Jefferson County residents will be able to take off their masks when entering a building.

In a health directive issued last week, Public Health Officer Tom Locke continued the mandate for masks for all people in indoor public places, “including all businesses and other publicly accessible indoor locations.”

The health directive — the second issued by Locke this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — was made after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines May 13 that said vaccinations against COVID-19 were highly effective in preventing infections and slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Those guidelines said people who were fully vaccinated could be indoors with those who were vaccinated and those who weren’t.

Locke said in his directive that COVID cases are still high across Washington state, and the indoor spread of the disease was still a “significant risk for all unvaccinated individuals” — both adults and children under 12 who are not yet eligible for shots.

Locke said in his directive it wasn’t feasible to verify the vaccination status of everyone entering a business or public space, so the masking mandate would stay in place.

Indoor events, however, can be held indoors if all attendees can be verified to be immunized, Locke added.

Those activities including sporting events, weddings, live entertainment, and birthday celebrations.

A vaccination card or immunization record can be used as proof, according to the directive.

During the Jefferson County Health Board meeting Thursday, Locke said people are being asked to continue to wear masks indoors until everyone can stop wearing masks.

“That is the law in Jefferson County,” he said.

“It’s a directive that does not have penalties to it,” Locke added.

“We have neither the capacity nor the workforce to go out and enforce it, to be the vaccination police.”

Business owners and employees also don’t want to be the enforcers, Locke noted.

“They do not want to try to determine who’s vaccinated and who’s not,” he said.

At Locke’s weekly pandemic update to county commissioners Monday, he again noted that it was a significant thing to ask people who are fully vaccinated to remain masked indoors.

Still, the hope remains that by the end of June, the restrictions won’t be needed.

“Four weeks maximum, maybe less,” Locke said.

“We’re near the end of it,” he added.

According to Locke’s directive, children under the age of 2 do not have to wear face coverings.

Face masks or coverings are also not needed for people who can’t remove the coverings without assistance; for people who are deaf and use facial and mouth movements to communicate; by those who can show evidence from a licensed medical professional who has advised that wearing a face covering poses a significant health risk to that individual; and by children between the age of 2 and 5, unless a parent or caregiver supervises the use of the face covering to avoid misuse.

The mandate on face coverings was the second directive this year issued by Locke. The first, made in late April, set limitations on in-person public meetings.

Nationally, the rate of new COVID-19 cases has fallen by 38 percent over the past few weeks.

Roughly 30,000 new cases, on average, are reported daily in the U.S., Locke said during Monday’s meeting with county commissioners.

“Which is still a large number, but dramatically reduced,” he said.

The current rate matches the one seen about 11 months ago, and the country is returning to the level last seen in the early summer of last year.

“That same drop in the fourth wave is starting to kick in Washington state, as well,” Locke said.

The COVID hospitalization rate has only fallen modestly, down about 7 percent, now with people in their 30s, 40s and 50s being hospitalized.

“That’s the new face of COVID in hospitals,” Locke said.

In Jefferson County, the coronavirus case rate is continuing to drop.

The county went for nearly a week without any new reports of COVID infections.

On Friday, May 14, health officials said the cumulative total COVID-19 case count stood at 412, and that number remained the same until late last week.

“We went about a week with no cases at all,” Locke said. “Then on Friday we did get a case report, then another on Saturday.”

There were six cases found the week before in Jefferson County.

The total number of cases was reported at 415 Monday.

The three new cases from Friday through Sunday included two residents in their 50s, and one in their 40s.

Two infections were reported in the mid-county area, and one in Port Townsend.

Two of the new cases involved males, and the other case was a female.

Health officials said three people were in isolation due to potential contact with people with COVID-19 Monday.

The number of hospitalizations has also remained steady since last week; 27 county residents have been hospitalized due to the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

County health officials said 23,976 local tests for coronavirus have been reported since the start of the pandemic. A total of 23,509 have come back negative.

Test results were pending for 52 residents Monday.

According to Jefferson County Public Health, 389 residents have recovered from the coronavirus. That’s up from 382 last Friday.

People are considered “recovered” at 28 days from the onset of symptoms if they are alive and not hospitalized, according to the state Department of Health.