Clark County reported 99 new COVID-19 cases and one new death Friday as disease activity rose slightly from last week’s levels, according to data from Clark County Public Health.
The fatality was a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions, according to Public Health. His was the fifth death added to the county’s total this week; deaths are usually recorded 10 to 12 days after they occur. To date, 264 deaths have been ascribed to COVID-19 in Clark County.
The new cases included 76 confirmed by molecular (PCR) testing, putting the county’s running total of COVID-19 cases to 22,860, with 23 probable infections diagnosed by antigen testing, pushing that total to 1,267.
There have been a total of 587 confirmed and probable cases reported since May 14 — an average of about 84 new cases per day. That is up from last week’s average of about 80 cases per day but below the previous week’s average of about 95 cases per day, according to Public Health data.
The number of active cases, counting confirmed and probable cases still in their isolation period, rose to 641, up from 630 on Thursday, according to Public Health data. Hospitalizations fell slightly Friday, with 40 people hospitalized with COVID-19, down from 46 on Thursday, and three people hospitalized awaiting test results, up from two on Thursday.
Hospital capacity also opened up Friday, with 82.8 percent occupancy of the county’s licensed ICU beds, down from 93.8 percent on Thursday. Capacity counts all patients, not just COVID-19 patients. People with or suspected of having COVID-19 occupied 7.4 percent of all licensed hospital beds, down from 8.3 percent Thursday.
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 at a number of sites in Clark County, including the Tower Mall vaccination site, 5403 E. Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver. A mass vaccination site near Ridgefield at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds is scheduled to close May 28.
