Clark County’s COVID-19 activity rate decreased this week, causing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to lower Clark County from medium risk to low risk for disease transmission.
The COVID-19 activity rate, which measures new cases per 100,000 population over seven days, fell from 170.1 last week to 153.2 as of Thursday, according to Clark County Public Health data. Public Health reported 742 new cases this week, for 102,060 to date.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines a county’s risk level based on its current number of cases, hospitalizations and overall hospital occupancy.
Recommendations for low-risk counties include staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms. People who are exposed to COVID-19 or who are showing symptoms are still required to follow quarantine guidelines.
Clark County Public Health officials still suggest wearing masks in crowded settings, especially because disease activity could be higher due to unreported positive at-home tests.
If you test positive for COVID-19 with an at-home test, call the state’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127 to report your result.
New hospitalizations rose slightly this week from 11.6 to 12.2 per 100,000 residents over seven days, according to Public Health.
As of Aug. 2, 97.3 percent of Clark County hospital beds and 95.9 percent of ICU beds were occupied. Hospitals reported that 76 beds — accounting for 14.6 percent of hospital beds and 20.4 percent of ICU beds — were occupied by people with or suspected of having COVID-19, according to Public Health.
Clark County reported 11 deaths from COVID-19 this week. The deaths include three men and one woman in their 70s and five men and two women age 80 or older.
The new deaths push the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 in Clark County to 882. Deaths are typically added to the county’s total 10 to 12 days after they occur.
The Washington State Department of Health reported that as of Monday, 63.3 percent of Clark County residents age 6 months or older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk of becoming very sick, you may be eligible for treatments that can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death. Treatments such as antivirals and monoclonal antibodies are available, but treatment must begin within several days of testing positive or developing symptoms, according to Public Health.
Learn more about COVID-19 treatments on the state Department of Health website.
