After several weeks with no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Grays Harbor County, a resident tested positive on Wednesday, county health officials said.
This brings the total to 13 cases in Grays Harbor County. No deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported to date here.
Case investigation has begun, and investigators anticipate having contact tracing completed soon, according to a joint statement from the county Public Health Incident Management Team and Emergency Operations Center.
Grays Harbor County remains in Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan for reopening the state. The governor has said some rural counties with low numbers of positive COVID-19 tests, can move into phase 2 more quickly. Local health and public safety are working to see where the county stands in terms of metrics the governor says need to be met before moving into other phases.
“Like everyone else, we are eager to see our county’s businesses get back to work,” said Leonard Johnson, COVID-19 incident commander for Grays Harbor County Public Health. “We understand the impacts this is having on our community. The health of our economy affects the health of our people.”
The Incident Management Team is receiving assistance from the Washington State National Guard in developing the continuity of operations plan. The plan is designed to help guide the COVID-19 response in the county into the future, according to the statement. “Our goal is to have a plan that will allow the county to apply for variance as soon as possible,” said Johnson.
“We are using the best guidance we have right now about what readiness and preparedness look like for COVID-19,” he said. “We are working to get our first responders, hospitals and long-term care facilities the personal protective equipment that they need to continue to serve our community. We are working at getting more public health staff and volunteers trained to do contact investigations. And we continue to work with the hospitals to make sure people can get tested quickly.”
With the identification of a new case, Public Health officials are working closely with the state to identify any impacts this may have on the ability to apply for a variance. A request to clarify the impact has been sent to the Department of Health.
Grays Harbor County Public Health will continue to operate a COVID-19 call center at 360-964-1850 to assist people with testing referrals. Assistance is available in both English and Spanish. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Local officials are still advising residents to continue to stay home and stay healthy, and to wear a cloth face covering when engaging in essential activities outside the home.
For questions about COVID-19 and the county’s response to it, call 360-964-1850, email covid19@co.graysharbor.wa.gov or visit www.healthyGH.org. The Facebook page is www.facebook.com/healthyghc.
