Clark County reported 71 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases Tuesday as the county’s disease activity continues to rise, according to Public Health data.
Clark County Public Health reported 61 new COVID-19 cases confirmed by molecular (PCR) testing, bringing the county’s total to 20,520 cases to date. The county has been averaging 66 new confirmed cases a day since Friday, up from last week’s average of 59 cases a day and the previous week’s average of about 46 cases a day.
That increase was reflected in the latest activity rate, which rose to 147.6 new cases per 100,000 population over 14 days. That rate is up from 139.82 per 100,000 last week but remains in the “moderate” activity range set by state health officials. The rate has varied from a high of 473.7 per 100,000 on Jan. 18 to a low of 88.8 per 100,000 on March 16, according to Public Health.
COVID-19 testing positivity rates continued to rise in the latest data available. For the week of March 28 to April 3, 303 of 6,882 tests came back positive, for a rate of 4.4 percent. That’s up from 4.34 percent the previous week and 3.66 percent the week before.
Public Health also reported 10 new probable COVID-19 cases, counting cases diagnosed by faster but less accurate antigen testing, bringing that total to 864 cases to date. The county began reporting probable cases last week.
The number of active cases, which counts both confirmed and probable cases still in an isolation period, fell to 537 on Tuesday, down from 540 on Monday, according to Public Health data.
No deaths were reported Tuesday, leaving the total number of fatalities from COVID-19 at 252. Deaths are added to the county’s total 10 to 12 days after they occur. Three deaths were reported Monday.
Hospitalizations rose slightly, with 23 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday, up from 19 on Monday, and four people hospitalized awaiting test results, down from five Monday, according to Public Health.
As of Saturday, there have been 241,462 vaccine doses administered in Clark County, according to Public Health data. The county reported 158,327 people had received a first dose and 109,334 people had received a second dose.
Clark County has been allocated 10,320 first doses and 8,120 second doses to be administered through Sunday, not counting vaccines allocated by the federal government through its retail pharmacy program.
Anyone age 16 or older is now eligible for vaccination. To schedule an appointment at the Clark County Events Center at the Fairgrounds, visit this website; for the Tower Mall vaccination site, visit the this website. Appointments for both are handled through Safeway/Albertsons. The scheduling links are also available on the Public Health COVID-19 vaccine webpage, as is the Washington Department of Health’s Vaccine Locator.
Those who do not have internet access or need help scheduling an appointment can call Public Health from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 888-225-4625. Call center representatives can assist with scheduling. Language assistance is available.
