Clark County’s COVID-19 activity rate decreased this week, and the county remains at medium risk for disease transmission.
The COVID-19 activity rate, which measures new cases per 100,000 population over seven days, fell from 178.3 last week to 170.1 as of Thursday, according to Clark County Public Health data. Public Health reported 715 new cases this week.
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. Clark County is listed as medium risk.
Recommendations for medium-risk counties include staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms. Masks are not required in medium-risk counties, though masks and social distancing are still recommended for people at high risk for serious illness. 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 this week rose from 9.4 to 11.6 per 100,000 residents over seven days, according to Public Health.
As of July 27, 96.3 percent of Clark County hospital beds and 93.2 percent of ICU beds were occupied. Hospitals reported that 69 beds — accounting for 13.5 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 six deaths from COVID-19 this week. The deaths include one woman in her 60s, one man and one woman in their 70s and one man 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 871. 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, 63.2 percent of Clark County residents age 6 months or older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Despite high levels of reinfection among vaccinated people and people who have been previously infected, getting vaccinated and boosted still provides the best protection against severe disease, according to Public Health.
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.
