COVID-19
City Council ends local emergency, terminates hazard pay requirementThe City Council on July 13 approved rescinding the Proclamation of Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council took this action based on improving conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increasing rates of vaccination and decreasing COVID-19 cases.
The Proclamation of Emergency was issued March 9, 2020 just after the Kitsap Public Health District’s confirmation of the county’s first positive COVID-19 case on Bainbridge Island. A proclamation allows the City to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to an outbreak, to adjust City policies and operations if needed, and to access state or federal funds and other resources related to emergency response.
The City Council on July 13 also repealed the hazard pay ordinance (Ordinance No. 2021-13) approved by the Council earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ordinance No. 2021-13 required hazard pay of $2 per hour for grocery employers with 500 or more but less than 2,000 employees worldwide, and $4 per hour for such employers with 2,000 or more employees.
Based on the termination of the Proclamation of Emergency on Bainbridge Island and improving safety conditions for workers who are eligible for hazard pay, the Council repealed the ordinance and ended the hazard pay requirement.
Effective July 21, 2021, the additional pay is no longer required.
City Hall now open for in-person services
As of July 1, 2021, visitors are now welcome to City Hall for in-person services.
When you visit City Hall, please expect the following changes to protect you and staff:
- A mask is required for non-vaccinated visitors and is encouraged for fully vaccinated visitors. There are extra masks available for any visitors who need one.
- Plexiglass barriers have been installed at front counters to help staff and visitors maintain physical distancing.
- There are markings on the floor near the counters to allow visitors space while waiting to speak with staff.
- Hand sanitizer has been placed throughout the lobby area and counters.
As a friendly reminder, the parking spaces around the Town Square (where the Farmers Market is held) are reserved for City staff 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. There is a visitor parking lot next to City Hall along Henshaw Way.
The City is once again accepting in-person payments, so customers will be responsible for convenience fees for any credit card payments. During the closure, the City paid $52,000 in convenience fees on behalf of customers while in-person payments were not an option.
In addition to in-person services, some services will continue to be available by video conference for customer convenience. For the status of each department’s services, please see the City service delivery plan (graphic below).
All City Council and City Advisory Group meetings will continue to be held on Zoom, in accordance with state regulations. We will share additional information about when in-person meetings may resume as it becomes available.
We look forward to welcoming you back to City Hall soon.
City applauds team effort to administer more than 27,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses
The Bainbridge Island COVID-19 Response Team held its final COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Commodore Options School Gym Saturday, June 5.
Since December 2020, the partnership (consisting of the City, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bainbridge Prepares and Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy) successfully administered 27,391 vaccines at over 82 clinics. This was all done with the assistance of 451 volunteers who volunteered over 24,000 hours of their time. A huge thank you to our volunteers and community partners - without your help these clinics would not have been possible!
The Commodore clinic operations are ending as general vaccine demand has decreased, a large portion of Bainbridge Island has already been vaccinated, and additional providers are offering vaccine in Kitsap County. Those providers include:
- Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy
- Accepting walk-ups Monday to Friday for all three COVID-19 vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna & Pfizer)
- Member Plus Family Health
- Safeway
- Walgreens
- Rite Aid
- Walmart (Poulsbo)
- Costco (Silverdale)
- Kitsap Public Health vaccine clinics
Staff will continue to monitor Governor Inslee's Roadmap to Recovery guidelines, plan for any fall/winter booster clinics and monitor any new vaccine authorizations for younger age groups.
Please visit the Washington State Department of Health's COVID-19 vaccine finder page to learn more about how to find an appointment and the types of vaccine being administered.
COVID-19 Test Site
The City's COVID-19 drive-thru test site at Town Square closed March 31, 2021.
The City, in partnership with the University of Washington Medicine, Bainbridge Prepares and Rotary Club, started the drive-thru test site Nov. 4 to support public health goals and the reopening of schools and businesses in our community.
The five-month operation administered a total of 2,415 tests and identified 21 positive cases. On average, the test site gave 63 tests per day. Travel was the top reason provided for why people sought tests; the second main reason was showing symptoms or having close contact with someone who tested positive. Kitsap County maintains a list of test providers in the area.
The City will be able to offer testing on an as-needed basis if an outbreak occurs and City support is needed.