The small number of “breakthrough cases” — fully vaccinated individuals who test positive for COVID-19 — shows the vaccine is effective, according to Grays Harbor County Public Health.

For the entire month of May, which saw a large increase in cases throughout the county while most of the state had declining numbers, there were 33 breakthrough cases out of the 489 total reported in the county, less than 7%.

“This means that the COVID-19 vaccine is working, and is having a tremendous impact when it comes to protecting community members in Grays Harbor County,” said Maranatha Hay, Grays Harbor County Public Health COVID information officer.

Hay added, “Based on reports from the state Department of Health, the majority of breakthrough cases thus far have taken place among the elderly who have underlying conditions.”

New cases

New case numbers appear to have started trending down after the Memorial Day weekend. For the week of Thursday, May 27 to Wednesday, June 2, 99 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the county. That’s down significantly from the 148 the prior week, and 163 the week before that period.

“We have 156 active cases” in the county from May 24-June 2, said Hay.

Active cases are those currently monitored by public health staff.

“The case rates are the highest they have ever been for children. Rates would be much higher if probable cases were included,” Hay said.

The case rate among individuals ages 10-19 during the week of May 24-June 2 was 510.39, with 43 cases reported during the week. That’s the highest case rate in the county, followed by 40 new cases and a rate of 482.33 in the 20-29 year range.

Grays Harbor County’s overall rate per 100,000 population of new cases over two weeks stood at 420.2 as of June 1, second only to Wahkiakum County’s 498.8 as highest in the state. The state rate is 150.2. Pacific County’s rate as of Wednesday was 92.4 and has been declining steadily over the past three weeks.

Daily reports are trending in the right direction. From a peak of 39 cases reported in one day May 12, and staying steadily in the 20s for weeks, the last five days of data available — May 29 through June 2 — are showing shrinking numbers: 24 new cases reported May 29-30, 12 new cases on Tuesday, and 11 new cases on Wednesday.

Hay provided an epidemiological curve for the county showing “a drastic decrease in cases beginning May 28. My hope is that this trend will continue, but I am concerned that there was a gap in testing because of the holiday weekend.”

New cases have been springing up across the county. Since May 21, the number of cases in the Hoquiam 98550 ZIP code has gone up by 43 to 542; in Aberdeen, up by 64 to 2,185; in Cosmopolis, up six to 99; in Ocean Shores, up five to 134; in Westport, up 15 to 144; in Montesano, up 30 to 319; and Elma, up 28 to 371.

There were two new COVID-related deaths reported in the past week of available data, bringing the county’s total to 73.

Hospitalizations

“This week we have seen a steady increase in the number of COVID patients, with six total now hospitalized,” said Chris Majors, Harbor Regional Health Community Hospital spokesman. “That is five new COVID patients in the last week. A very significant spike. We have also seen an increase in other hospitalizations, which leads us to having zero beds available (Friday) morning.”

With discharges pending more beds were expected to be available later Friday.

The stress from COVID-19 is having an impact on health care workers, driving many around the country to get out of the field altogether, said Majors, creating bed shortages locally and necessitating transporting patients to other facilities outside the area.

“The greater the shortage, the greater the stress on those who do stay, but everyone has a point where it is too much. Then we are forced to send people out of town,” said Majors. “Maybe that’s Olympia, if they have capacity, but sometimes it’s Seattle, and it is not just COVID patients. Anyone who we can’t accept because we don’t have a bed has to be transported someplace else.”

Majors urged continued vigilance, masking, and getting vaccinated to ease the strain on the health care system and protect the overall health of the community.

“Obviously we all want this to be over, but if we just pretend or decide our comfort is more important than the health of our community, people will continue to be hospitalized, there will continue to be excess burden on our nurses, staff and providers, and some people will die,” he said.

Testing

Grays Harbor County is testing a larger number of people that most surrounding counties, in fact, most of the counties in the state, based on population, according to state Department of Health data.

Hay said 1,233 tests were given at the public health testing kiosks in Aberdeen and Elma in May, 95% of those at the Aberdeen kiosk.

For the last month, about 20% of the tests in the Aberdeen kiosk are coming back positive. The week of May 10-14, 22.5% of 404 tests came back positive; the following week, 269 tests were performed, and 22.4% were positive for COVID-19. The week of May 24-28, 341 tests were performed, with a weekly average of 18.65% positive.

Testing is available at pharmacies and at the drive-thru kiosk in the south lot of the Pearsall Building on Sumner Avenue.

Vaccinations

During the first four vaccination clinics held at the public health building at 2109 Sumner Ave. in Aberdeen, 174 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered, said Hay.

“Our vaccine clinic schedule will remain for the time being until we are instructed to do otherwise,” said Hay. There are appointments Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, and reservations are required.

Make a reservation for these clinics at healthygh.org/covid19-vaccine-appointment.

Grays Harbor County is lagging behind the state in vaccinations. As of May 31, 52.2% of the county population age 16 and up has initiated the vaccination process, and 45.53% is considered fully vaccinated.

In terms of total population, 42.84% has initiated the vaccination process, and 37.36% is considered fully vaccinated. That’s compared with 62% of the state’s total population that has had at least one dose of the vaccine, 54% considered fully vaccinated.

Vaccines are readily available at pharmacies across the county. Got to vaccinelocator@doh.wa.gov, punch in your ZIP code and you’ll find a number of options in your area.