The latest numbers from Grays Harbor County Public Health have the county COVID-19 case count at 646, with 18 cases reported Monday.
COVID-19 reporting in the county has been delayed by a “technical issue” reported by Public Health on Oct. 14. The issue was one of the topics of a special meeting of the Board of County Commissioners on Friday, with agenda item “to discuss software” for the county incident-management team. Commissioner Vickie Raines said Monday the issue was with Google Drive, and as of Monday “the IT department is in the process of moving things over” and hoping to get things back on track by Tuesday.
Prior to the technical issue, Public Health reported 27 new cases Monday, Oct. 11, and a single case Oct. 12. Another 10 cases were reported Oct. 15. With the 18 reported Monday, it makes a total of 56 cases for about a one-week period.
The technical issues have impacted data on the number of active cases, total contact investigations, active contact investigations and new contacts.
The most current data from the state coronavirus risk-assessment dashboard has the case count per 100,000 population in Grays Harbor County for the two weeks prior to Oct. 18 at 109.2, 81 confirmed cases out of a population of 74,160. The average testing rate per 100,000 population over the previous week was 221.5 — 164.3 out of 74,160 population. The state data has 2.8% of those tests coming back positive during that time, 1,150 tests given over the week prior to Oct. 18, with 32 positive. According to state data, the county has administered 13,460 tests so far.
Also according to state data, as of Oct. 18, eight licensed hospital beds in the county were occupied by suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases — 4.9% of the available 164 beds.
Free testing
National Guard free drive-up COVID-19 testing continues for a few more days.
Today: Lion’s Club in Cosmopolis, 1-6 p.m.
Thursday: Ocean Shores Convention Center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday: Ocean Shores Convention Center, noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday: Stewart Field/Robert Gray Elementary School parking lot, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Testing is open to anyone who needs or wants a COVID-19 test. People under the age of 18 are required to be accompanied by an adult. A valid phone number and address will be necessary; however, no identification is required. No questions regarding immigration status will be asked. There are no public restrooms at test site locations. Support for testing is available in both English and Spanish at all locations. These sites will be both drive-through and walk-up with no appointment required.
Pacific County cases
Pacific County Health and Human Services received notice of five positive cases of COVID-19 in the county Friday, bringing the total to 112. Friday there were 17 active cases being monitored by public health nurses, 16 confirmed and one probable.
The county provided some specifics on each case: A female between 10-20 years old, linked to a positive case in the same household; a male between 30-40 years old, linked to out of county travel; a female between 30-40 years old, linked to out of county travel; a male between 30-40 years old, linked to a positive case in the same household; a female between 50-60 years old, linked to exposure from an out-of-county resident.
All cases are isolating at home. Case investigations and contact tracing are on-going.
