Clark County now ‘low-risk’ as COVID activity continues to decline

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Levels — a data tool that determines a county’s COVID-19 risk level based on its current number of cases, hospitalizations and overall hospital occupancy — Clark County is at low risk.

Recommendations for low-risk counties include staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and getting tested if you have symptoms.

Masks are not required in low-risk counties except in places like health care and correctional facilities and public transportation. However, it is recommended that people who are at high risk for serious illness continue to wear a mask in public and avoid crowded places.

People with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should still quarantine for 10 days and wear a mask in public for at least five days after showing no symptoms.

The CDC’s Community Levels are intended to give people the information they need to make informed decisions about what risks they’re willing to take while also preventing severe outcomes like hospitalization and death, according to Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County Public Health director.

Hospitalizations also decreased this week, though hospital occupancy remains relatively high.

New hospitalizations this week fell from 6.6 to 6.4 per 100,000 residents over seven days, according to Public Health.

As of Tuesday, 96.3 percent of Clark County’s hospital beds and 93.6 percent of its ICU beds were occupied. Hospitals reported that 34 beds — accounting for 6.7 percent of hospital beds and 6.4 percent of ICU beds — were occupied by people with or suspected of having COVID-19.

Ten new deaths were reported in Clark County this week. The deaths include one woman in her 50s, two men in their 60s, one man in his 70s and five men and one woman age 80 or older.

The new deaths push the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 in Clark County to 778. Deaths are added to the county’s total typically 10 to 12 days after they occur.

The Washington State Department of Health reported that as of March 11, 64.8 percent of Clark County residents age 5 or older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We still have one-third of the population who need to get vaccinated,” Melnick said. “Vaccines are highly effective, especially at preventing severe illness and death. I want to see higher rates of vaccination, that’s our way out of this.”