The recent COVID-19 activity in Clark County experienced another decrease in the latest report as hospitalizations associated with the virus also dropped.
Clark County Public Health’s Dec. 29 report included 61.3 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over seven days, down from the 66.5 per 100,000 reported on Dec. 22. The latest data ends seven weeks of increases and is the lowest it has been during the month of December.
The statewide case rate also dropped. As of Dec. 29, Washington had 74.5 cases per 100,000 population, down from 77.8 per 100,000 the prior week.
Recent case rates lag behind the most recent counts of cases. The health department’s most recent case rate was based on activity from Dec. 13 to Dec. 19.
As the case rate decreased, so has the weekly number of cases. The health department reported 189 new COVID-19 cases between Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, fewer than the 795 reported between Dec. 15 and Dec. 22. In total, there have been 109,937 confirmed and probable cases in Clark County since the outbreak began, although that number does not include at-home tests, which often go unreported.
Clark County Public Health’s Dec. 29 report included five additional confirmed COVID-19 deaths and no deaths suspected to be due to the disease since its Dec. 22 update. The number is more than the three confirmed deaths reported last week. The deaths bring Clark County’s total to 985, which includes 838 confirmed and 147 suspected deaths.
The number of COVID-19 patients occupying hospital beds in Clark County increased. As of Dec. 29, 13% of beds had either patients with confirmed COVID-19 or patients awaiting test results, up from 11.5% reported on Dec. 22. The number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds occupied by COVID-19 patients and patients awaiting test results landed at 13.8%, slightly more than the 13.6% the prior week.
New COVID-19 hospital admissions dropped in the latest data. In its Dec. 29 report, the health department reported 7.4 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, down from 9.4 admissions per 100,000 population reported on Dec. 22.
Clark County’s statewide share of COVID-19 cases stayed about the same as last week, though the percentage of deaths dropped slightly. The Washington State Department of Health reported the county had about 5.8% of cases and 6.5% of deaths.
