Skagit County Public Health says to cancel summer events

Scratch the Town of La Conner’s July 4th parade, picnic, concert and fireworks from your summer calendar. Ditto the Chamber of Commerce’s annual August Classic Boat & Car Show. There will not be a La Conner Live Summer Concert Series at Gilkey Square, either. And for the first time in 116 years pioneer family descendents will not gather for the Pioneer Picnic come August.

The Pleasant Ridge Cemetery Memorial Day celebration May 25 is canceled, also. There will not be a May 31 celebration of the La Conner Marina’s 50th Anniversary. It is postponed until large public gatherings are allowed.

Skagit County is recommending the cancelling of all large scale summer events where people gather, including fairs, parades, festivals, overnight residential camps and fireworks displays. Skagit County Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Leibrand provided this guidance May 6 for applying Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan. Inslee’s four phase plan mandates a minimum three weeks for each phase. Phase 4, allowing gatherings of more than 50 people, could start July 28 if every metric was met at every phase.

Mayor Ramon Hayes wrote the Weekly News: “The cancellation of the 4th of July festivities is disappointing for sure. However, I don’t think any of us were surprised by this news. Although the ‘no congregating’ order has been put in place for the summer, it will likely be extended through the end of the year. La Conner is focusing on keeping event budgets in place for 2021.”

Heather Carter, director of the La Conner Chamber of Commerce, noted her sadness “that traditional summer events like the music series in Gilkey Square and the Classic Boat & Car Show are cancelled, especially since 2020 was the 20th year celebration of the Classic.”

The governor’s order requires counties to have robust testing, isolation and contact tracing capability. In its May 6 press release, Skagit County Public Health Director Jennifer Johnson said “Skagit County Public Health has a robust contact tracing and disease investigation team that has been working tirelessly since day one of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our drive-through testing site is able to test up to two hundred people per day. These capabilities will help us support Washington State moving to phase two of Governor Inslee’s plan as soon as possible.”

“This is a guidance to help provide clarity to Skagitonians and guide decision making,” Dr. Leibrand said. “I wish I could guarantee that large events and gatherings will be safer later in the summer, but we can’t be certain. We will have to reassess the data as we get closer.”

Port of Skagit staff are waiting on the County’s recommendations approving large scale events before rescheduling the La Conner Marina’s 50th anniversary celebration. Carter is doubtful that the Chamber’s October Brew on the Slough will take place.

Skagit County Public Health notes it “is ahead of other communities in its ability to test COVID-19 patients, contact trace throughout the community, and provide isolation and quarantine space for those who may need it.”