SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — It’s a bleak outlook for Snohomish County heading into the new year as long-term care facilities move back to phase one due to multiple outbreaks and COVID-19 cases surging.
Now, there’s serious concerns from county leaders about funding vital services related to the pandemic.
Snohomish County received $60 million in CARES Act funding this year.
On Dec. 31 that funding ends, putting county run COVID testing, PPE, small business relief and other COVID related services at risk.
“We’re entering the largest wave of the pandemic and our money is running out. So, it’s vitally important that we get further assistance,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers told KING 5.
If Congress doesn’t come up with a new relief package in the next few weeks, the county is looking at big cuts to COVID services.
“We’re in trouble, I think,” said Somers.
“We’re able to continue our operations as normal for a few months, but once we start to move towards late February into March assuming that our activities are going to have to continue to escalate to attempt to meet the needs of the outbreak, those dollars are going to go short of distance,” said Snohomish Health District Administrative Officer Shawn Frederick.
One of the options county leaders were considering was downsizing the county isolation and quarantine site at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. According to Somers, it takes nearly $450,000 a month to operate. The site was barely used in the summer months, but with the current surge in COVID cases more people than ever are utilizing it. Earlier this week, they had 30 people at the site.
“Downsizing is not a good option," Somers said. "But we have assistance for small business, we have the food program, nursing neighborhood program, we’d have to look at all of that and see what we can trim back to keep PPE coming and first responders safe and look at prioritizing those needs. They’re all great programs and they’re all desperately needed but something would have to go."
The county and health district are turning to Congress and hoping a new COVID relief package will be passed in 2021.
“This is not just a Snohomish County problem, it’s a nationwide problem. So, I really hope that Congress can get us the help we need,” Somers said.
“We recognize that people are relying on the county and the health district really to do everything we can,” Frederick said.