Government closures continue amid coronavirus concerns

Snohomish County, the Snohomish Health District and other localities are restricting operations.

Local governments announced more closures on Monday in effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

Snohomish County

Starting Tuesday, many county facilities will be closed to the public, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a news release.

Access to most offices at the county Administration Buildings in downtown Everett will be restricted, according to the news release.

Human Services will offer some services by phone, e-mail and mail for clients of the Energy Assistance, homeless housing, Housing and Essential Needs and Veterans Services programs.

The Snohomish County jail will continue to operate, but the reception area will be closed.

All “non-mandated fingerprinting services” from the Sheriff’s Office have been suspended, the release says.

The Diversion Center is not accepting new clients.

The passenger terminal at Paine Field, the Public Works permit office, the Medical Examiner’s Office and all county parks remain open.

Other affected offices and departments include the Assessor’s Office, Auditor’s Office, Carnegie Resource Center, Finance Department, Hearing Examiner, Human Resources Department, Performance Auditor, Prosecuting Attorney, Public Advocate and Treasurer’s Office. For more information, visit each department’s website.

“COVID-19 is impacting our daily lives, and we must adapt to a new normal,” Somers said in the news release. “We are making science-based decisions at the recommendation of our health officers. We know these measures are extremely disruptive for our families and businesses in the short term, but they are necessary for our health and the well-being of our community in the long term.”

Snohomish Health District

The Snohomish Health District closed at noon on Monday for in-person services.

Impacts include the following, according to a news release from the health district:

The customer service counter, which typically administers services including birth and death certificates and water testing, is temporarily shuttered at the district’s 3020 Rucker Ave. location.

People who wish to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases should expect delays because the district’s STD program has “limited response capacity.”

Maternal child health programs — such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children — will continue “via telehealth” instead of through in-person and home visits.

The Viral Hepatitis Outreach team has temporarily stopped all outreach, including jail visits and community-based testing.

The district’s Vaccine Preventable Disease team has suspended its quality improvement clinic visits. Under the Vaccines for Children program, compliance clinic visits will continue on a case-by-case basis.

“This is part of the ongoing effort to reduce spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” the health district said in the news release. “Businesses and organizations in our community are being required to ensure social distancing and other health measures in their operations. It is important that the District does the same. The closure of the front counter reduces person-to-person contact and lessens the risk for staff and the public.”

The Port of Everett

Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber issued an emergency declaration on Monday transitioning the port to “Emergency Operations status” through the end of the month. The declaration included closing the port’s administration and marina offices starting Tuesday and modifying workplace policies for staff, according to a news release from the port.

During the closures, port employees who can work from home will, serving customers online when possible. Port-wide security and marina fuel dock and haulout services will not be affected. Slipholders will still be able to access their boats, and the public boat launch and waterfront public spaces will stay open. Construction projects are slated to continue as planned, including the cleanup of the Kimberly-Clark mill site.

“The Port will continue to serve the needs of our maritime customers at the Seaport,” Lefeber said in the news release. “It is important to us that we maintain reliability and predictability at these critical facilities to keep our economy moving, especially in support of the aerospace community.”

Marysville

Most Marysville city buildings were closed on Monday, according to an alert from the city.

Marysville Municipal Court will be closed starting Tuesday. All hearings will be rescheduled. Defendants can contact their attorneys for more information, the alert says.

All Parks, Culture & Recreation classes and events through April 24 are canceled or postponed. The Ken Baxter Community Center is closed.

More information about city services, including paying utility bills and fines, is available on the city website.

Lynnwood

Lynnwood city buildings will be closed to the public starting Tuesday, according to an update from the city.

The Lynnwood Recreation Center will be closed through the end of the month, at least.

The Lynnwood Senior Center will be closed until at least April 30th.

Starting Tuesday, the Lynnwood Municipal Court will also be closed to the public; however, the courtroom will open briefly each morning to accommodate people in custody, the city update says. Clerks and probation officers will still be available to assist defendants by phone, email, mail or online.

All city board and commission meetings until April 30 have been canceled. The city council’s March 16 and March 18 work sessions have also been canceled.

“Our City Campus and buildings will be open to employees only, and we will continue to serve the community via the phone, email, postal mail or through our online services,” the notice states.

Many city services, including utility bill payment, are available on the city website.

Mountlake Terrace

Monday’s City Council meeting was canceled, says a news release from the city.

The Tuesday Arts Advisory Commission, the March 23 Planning Commission and the April 14 Recreation and Parks Advisory Commission meetings have also been postponed. Other community gatherings, such as March 17 Cops & Clergy and March 19 meeting to discuss the new Ballinger Park playground design, will also be rescheduled.

The Mountlake Terrace Community Senior Center has suspended senior programming through April 27, according to the news release. The Mountlake Terrace Library will is closed for deep cleaning through March 28.

Recreation programs and events, too, have been canceled through March 31.

The Recreation Pavilion’s hours have also been shortened from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, to accommodate registration for fall programs. The pavilion will be closed on the weekends.

Childcare programs Kids Krew and Junior Kids Crew will continue to operate for current clients from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The city is still providing services, but “in person contact is discouraged unless absolutely necessary,” says the news release.

For more information about the city’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, visit the city’s website or call City Clerk Virginia Olsen at (425) 744-6206.

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