Clark County Public Health confirmed the county’s fourth case of COVID-19 in a news release Monday.
The fourth case is a woman in her 40s, who was a close contact of a confirmed case in Oregon. It’s the first case in Clark County to be connected to a confirmed case from Oregon.
The woman is quarantined at home, and other household members have been, as well. Clark County’s four cases have varied in age. One case is a man in his 70s, who was hospitalized at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. The county confirmed his case March 6.
The other two cases are a married couple in their 80s, who lived in different long-term care facilities in Clark County. The county confirmed those cases Friday.
Clark County has not seen any COVID-19-related deaths.
The Clark County Board of Health held a special meeting Monday morning to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak, and the county’s response to it.
Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said the county is beginning to move into the mitigation portion of the outbreak, with social distancing measures becoming more stringent and increasingly important.
Clark County Public Health has also been working with Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency over the past several weeks. While the focus has mostly been on health and medical issues, CRESA is establishing liaisons with schools, businesses, churches and homelessness agencies regarding the logistical and economic impacts of the coronavirus.
CRESA is also working with schools regarding the logistics of meal programs.
“We’re quickly transitioning from a public health emergency to, really, a community emergency and one that’s going to require a much broader response,” CRESA Director Dave Fuller said.
The emergency services agency established a joint information center agency with cities and the county on Thursday. As officials continue to build the center, they hope to send out daily information.
“We’re gathering the information, but we really need to put it back out in a digestible form, the pieces that are useful to (the county council) and to the community,” Fuller said.
Find more information about COVID-19 in Clark County and across the state at www.columbian.com/news/tag/covid-19.
