In a seesaw week of new COVID-19 cases, Clark County bounced upward again, with Clark County Public Health confirming 16 new cases Thursday afternoon.
The county also subtracted one case as the person lived outside the county. That leaves Clark County with 622 confirmed cases to date and 28 deaths. At least 12,796 people have been tested for the virus in Clark County.
On Monday, Public Health confirmed 32 cases, the second-highest daily report of cases for the county since the pandemic began. On Tuesday, two cases were reported. Another four cases were reported Wednesday.
Two more cases have been connected to Pacific Crest Building Supply employees, but neither are Clark County residents. The Ridgefield cabinet manufacturer has 23 positive cases among its employees, with 14 living in Clark County.
There are 34 employees still waiting on testing or test results, and 97 employees have tested negative.
There are two people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Clark County.
Skamania County has been approved to immediately move into Phase 3 of the state’s four phase COVID-19 recovery plan. Only 10 counties have been approved for Phase 3 so far.
Phase 3 means that more businesses can open, and some restrictions around gatherings are relaxed.
Outdoor sports activities with five to 50 people can resume, gyms and movie theaters can open at up to 50 percent capacity, as well as public pools. Gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed. Libraries and museums can also reopen.
Clark County entered Phase 2 a week ago, and if the county’s metrics around community transmission continue to trend in a positive direction, the county would likely be eligible to apply for Phase 3 in two more weeks.
Care facility testing
Washington will conduct COVID-19 testing in hundreds of nursing homes and assisted living facilities starting Friday. The comprehensive testing is an attempt to discover the prevalence of COVID-19 in senior care facilities across the state.
Clark County Public Health does universal testing in congregate settings such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have a confirmed case in staff or a resident. The state’s action aims to provide perspective of how common the virus is at this moment in hundreds of Washington senior care facilities.
The state has gathered testing supplies and personal protective equipment, and provided those materials to care homes for universal testing at facilities that have not already had testing done. Testing in all facilities is expected to be completed by June 26.
While testing now will only provide a point-in-time look at cases — new cases could emerge after the tests are done — the state feels like testing will help it learn more about the virus and its spread in long-term care facilities.
This testing initiative was first announced in late May. Gov. Jay Inslee explained the state would have liked to conduct this kind of testing sooner, but did not have enough supplies to do so. Washington, and other states, have had difficulties procuring testing supplies from the federal government.
“We have been frustrated in some of our ability to do some of these things including this testing,” Inslee said. “Testing supplies have been in very short supply. … Had we had additional testing capacity, I think we could have done these things earlier.”
