Clark County reported 66 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths on Tuesday as new data confirms declining disease activity.
Clark County Public Health reported that the rate of new cases has fallen to 169.3 per 100,000 population over 14 days, down from a rate of 194.1 last week and 276.6 in the period ending May 10. The rate of new hospital admissions rose, however, to 8.6 per 100,000 over seven days, up from 7.0 a week ago.
The new cases include 56 that were confirmed by molecular PCR testing, for a total of 24,154 cases to date, and 10 probable cases diagnosed with antigen testing, for a total of 1,493 to date, according to Public Health data.
Deaths are recorded 10 to 12 days after they occur. No deaths have been recorded this week, leaving the total at 280. Seven deaths were recorded last week, according to Public Health data.
The number of active cases, counting both confirmed and probable cases still in their isolation period, rose slightly on Tuesday, with 346 cases, up from 337 on Monday, according to Public Health data.
Thirty people were hospitalized Tuesday with COVID-19, down from 33 on Monday, and three people were hospitalized awaiting test results, up from one on Monday, according to Public Health data.
The percentage of occupied ICU beds by all patients, a measure of hospital capacity, fell to 80.3 percent on Tuesday, down from 81.8 percent on Monday, and the percentage of all hospital beds occupied by people with or suspected of having COVID-19 fell to 5.7 percent, from 5.9 percent on Monday.
On Monday, the Washington Department of Health changed how it reports vaccination rates, switching from all those age 16 and older to all those 12 and older.
Under that new reporting system, 56.5 percent of Clark County residents age 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 48.2 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the Department of Health. It reported that 48.1 percent of the total population had received at least one dose, with 41 percent fully vaccinated.
Vaccination information
Data for Clark County and the state show that COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at preventing COVID-19 infections as well as hospitalizations and deaths. According to county data, there were only 124 cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated people reported as of May 25, the same day the county reported a total of 24,327 COVID-19 cases.
Anyone age 16 or older is eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and anyone age 12 or older is eligible to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, though a parent or legal guardian must accompany minors ages 12 to 15. Underage teens are advised to check with vaccination sites about what sort of parental consent might be needed.
Vaccinations are available without an appointment in Clark County, including at the Tower Mall vaccination site, 5403 E. Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver, though it will close at the end of June.
