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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 10, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 10, 2020
 
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Page A-10 Shelton-Mason County Journal — Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 Mason County takes stock of COVID status in August ' By Kirk Boxleither kbox/e/tner@masoncounty. com For Dr. Daniel Stein, health officer for Mason County Public Health, one of his goals for the county’s response to COVID-19 is simple. “Our target for deaths is zero,” said Stein. “We don’t want to see any more.” Mason County’s only confirmed CO- VID—19 death was April 25. Stein’s prognosis was echoed by the Sept. 4 assessment of Renee Was- senaar, executive assistant for the North Mason Regional Fire Authority, who reported a “stabilization” in cases over the course of that week. “Although we continue to see posi~ tive cases, the daily increase in new cases has slowed from double digits down to single digits,” Wassenaar said. Stein offered a similar assessment in an interview Sept. 2 with the Journal, reporting “a spike just recently, that’s already started to drop back down.” St. Michael Medical Center in Bremerton had been experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak among patients and staff members, Wassenaar said, and had requested that North Mason ‘ Regional Fire Authority crews Send all wSu MAKING A DIFFERENCE their nonlife-threatening transports to Mason General Hospital for “several days.” Stein expressed confidence that Mason County had kept its cases low enough to “not overwhelm the system,” and had done “a great job limiting the impact” of the pandemic. Mason County Public Health report- ed July 30 the county had performed .4,966 tests for COVID-19, and had confirmed 166 cases, of which 48 were active, one was hospitalized within Ma- son County, and one (Mason County’s sole confirmed COVID-19 death) was hospitalized outside of the county. On Aug. 31, Mason County Public Health reported the county had per- formed 8,406 tests for COVID—19, and had confirmed 344 cases, of which 56 remained active, four were hospitalized within Mason County and one was hos- pitalized outside of the county. “We’ve been very well-prepared to test and treat these individuals,” Stein said. Stein noted the county had focused on high-risk populations such as nurs- ing home residents and other senior citizens, and inmates, which seems to ' be borne out by comparative increases in COVID—19 cases among older age groups. From July 30 to Aug. 31, COVID-19 cases Went from 58 to 88 among people ages 40-59; from to 41 among peo- ple ages 60-79; and from three to eight among people ages 80 and older. But the number of COVID-19 cases during that same period soared from 20 to 62 among people ages 0-1-9 and from 63 to 145 among people ages 20-39. Younger people have experienced a dramatic growth in COVID-19 cases, and not just in Mason County, Stein said. “We have to work against COV— ID fatigue,” Stein said, saying limited social interaction has exacted a toll. “When you want your normal life back, it’s more tempting not to take it as seri- ously. And we need to address the sec- ondary impacts of this pandemic, not just economically, but also on mental health. We’re likely going to see im— pacts such as increases in suicides and substance abuse for years to come, and we need to be working now to prevent that.” Mason County Public Health is working with schools as they reopen. “Children can be a vector for spread- ing this disease, especially since they experience fewer symptoms, so we don’t want them spreading it to their fami- lies,” Stein said. “We’ve worked with the schools to adopt what measures they can to prevent super-spreading, and we’ve developed some positive re- lationships there.” .Stein praised his counterparts in surrounding counties, with whom he continues to discuss COVID-related issues so they can coordinate effective responses. Mason County has a high number of people whose primary language is nei4 ther English nor Spanish, which poses challenges when it comes to contact tracing, Stein said. “We’ve tried to target those popula? tions by finding interpreters for them,” Stein said. “We’re also a particularly rural county, and while COVID has seen a greater spread among higher population areas, we can’t forget those areas whose populations aren’t as dense, because COVID is starting to reach them now. Even if you live in a less-populated area, it’s not unlikely that you’ll go to more populated areas to run errands such as grocery shop- ping. Those population groups are still going to interact.” Fresh farm guide: Connecting people to local farm goods re you looking for a source of local, Afresh food? How about somewhere you can purchase goods while also supporting local businesses? Are you con- cerned with knowing where your food comes from and how it was raised or cultivated? If this sounds like you, then the 2020 Mason County Farm Fresh Guide is the best place to start. With 25 featured farms around Ma- son County, you can find some‘wonderful homegrown goods. The guide features an assortment of businesses and farmers who provide a wide assortment of goods such as from shellfish, beef, poultry, produce, mushrooms and flowers. Most of these farms are small and family-owned, Slug; la! 41ml NW Us, Serving Shelton since 1932! Family Owned and Operated for 32 years! Alex LeCault, Owner Besides prescriptions, Vitamins, diabetic supplies, and home healthcare, we are also known for our gift shop! Monday through Friday 9 - 6 l Saturda 512 W Franklix‘n St. in Shelton 360-426-3327 CARMAN ers Markets. '10a1n-2 m I Closed Suuda so supporting them is a great way to sup- port your local economy. The guide contains contact information for each business and short descriptions of what each business offers. Once you have reviewed the farms and what they offer in the guide, you can consult the provided map and determine which farm is closest to you. “ " Inside the guide you will also find details for By KENDALL both the Shelton and Harstine Island Farmé This guide is intended to help support and raise awareness of local businesses while helping Mason County residents connect with these services. The guides have been provided for distribution to many restaurants and businesses throughout Mason County. However, if you have not received one, you can pick one up at the WSU Mason County Extension Office located at 303 N 4th St..in Shelton. Please call ahead to schedule pickup at 360-427-9670 Ext. 680. ' i .If you are unable or do not wish to visit the office, download an electronic copy at the WSU Extension Office website at https://extension.wsu.edu/mason We hope this guide serves its intended purpose in connecting Mason County residents with local farmers and'other service providers. If you own a business that would like to be displayed in the bro- chure, please call the extension office, I Kendall Carman is the small farm natural resources coordinator at Washington State Univer- sity Mason County Extension. She can be reached at 360-427-9670 Ext. 680 or kendall.carman@wsu.edu. Exam ‘82 X-Ray ' with paid cleaning Exam & X-Ray Valued at $198 See office for details awhmwuumm. mm mm on mumm- . \ lulu (llxmlm ll\\\I QCSI‘)