It’s important for small businesses to stay open during the holiday shopping season, especially because the pandemic has financially strained some to the point of permanent closure. But with flu season in full swing and COVID cases rising, it’s essential to keep customers and the public safe and healthy while we support small businesses.

Snohomish County and local businesses around SnoCo are adapting and abiding by state and county restrictions. Below are some of the ways the County is supporting safe holiday shopping this season.

Enabling Safe Transactions

In early November, Snohomish County announced the Safe Start Kits program to help small businesses stay open and keep customers safe. These kits include a thermometer, face masks (reusable and disposable), hand sanitizer and gloves so small businesses that might not have the budget for high-demand PPE can keep serving customers and sustaining the local economy.

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said that equipping local businesses with PPE will strengthen the County’s ability to fight COVID-19 and its impact on our economy.

“I’m proud of the efforts of our business community to keep people employed and safe during these tough times,” said Executive Somers.

Sharing Expert Guidance

The Snohomish County Health District has compiled important information for businesses online, including a safe opening toolkit, Safe Start health and safety plans and resources to help businesses to prepare and conduct contact tracing.

Small businesses are doing everything they can to adapt to changing restrictions on in-person shopping and dining, but Snohomish County is working to keep these businesses safe and open well beyond the holidays.

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