Clark County Public Health reported 302 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in its weekly update Thursday, exactly doubling the 151 new cases reported July 15.
The new cases include 251 that were confirmed with molecular PCR testing, for a total of 24,931 to date, and 51 probable cases diagnosed using antigen testing, for a total of 1,626 to date.
No new deaths were reported for the week, leaving the death toll at 292 since the first COVID-19 deaths were reported in March 2020. Six deaths were reported July 15.
While the number of cases jumped in the most recent report, the rate of new cases per 100,000 population dropped to 50.1 — from 53.3 as of July 15. The disease activity rate looks at cases over a 14-day period but that stretch starts six days prior to the current date to account for the lag in reporting, according to Public Health.
Rates for the last six weeks were:
- June 14: 169.3 cases per 100,000
- June 21: 134.8 cases per 100,000
- June 30: 95.4 cases per 100,000
- July 8: 67.5 cases per 100,000
- July 15: 53.3 cases per 100,000
- July 22: 50.1 cases per 100,000
New hospital admissions rose slightly, with 2.8 new admissions per 100,000 residents over seven days, up from a rate of 2.2 last week.
According to Public Health, 75.9 percent of licensed hospital beds in Clark County are occupied, with 5.3 percent occupied by COVID-19 patients or individuals awaiting test results. The number of active cases rose as well, with 301 people currently in their isolation period, up from 161 on July 15.
On Sunday, Public Health and PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center said the hospital had an outbreak of cases among patients and workers. As of Wednesday, Public Health reported that the total in the outbreak is now 20 patients and nine health care workers.
Across the state, there has been a total 424,407 confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 39,130 probable cases. More than 6,000 people in the state have died, with the death rate at 1.3 percent, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
Vaccines
Public Health reports that 470,748 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Clark County as of Monday. Currently, 257,193 Clark County residents — or 62.2 percent of residents age 16 or older — have had at least one dose.
More than 230,000 residents — 56.7 percent of those age 16 or older — have been fully vaccinated.
Some 8 million doses of the vaccine have been given, and 70 percent of Washington residents age 16 and older have been vaccinated.
