Clark County’s COVID-19 activity rate and hospitalizations fell again this week, and the county remains at low risk for disease transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The COVID-19 activity rate, which measures new cases per 100,000 population over seven days, fell from 121.2 last week to 105.4 as of Thursday, according to Clark County Public Health data. Public Health reported 450 new cases this week, for 103,172 to date.
The CDC 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. If you test positive for COVID-19, you should stay home for at least five days, according to the CDC.
People who are exposed to the virus no longer need to quarantine at home, regardless of their vaccination status; however, they should wear a mask for 10 days and get tested for the virus on day five, according to CDC guidelines.
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 fell this week from 8.6 to 7 per 100,000 residents over seven days, according to Public Health.
As of Monday, 95.7 percent of Clark County hospital beds and 96.6 percent of ICU beds were occupied. Hospitals reported that 48 beds — accounting for 11.3 percent of hospital beds and 57.6 percent of ICU beds — were occupied by people with or suspected of having COVID-19, according to Public Health.
Clark County reported eight deaths from COVID-19 this week. The deaths include one woman in her 60s, one woman in her 70s and three men and three women age 80 or older. 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, 63.4 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.
