Clark County experienced its first increase of recent COVID-19 cases in a month in the latest health department update, though fewer deaths from the disease were reported week-over-week.
In its Oct. 28 update, Clark County Public Health reported 397.4 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 14 days, up from 379 cases per 100,000 on Oct. 21. The relatively small increase was the first uptick reported after four weeks of declining case amounts.
The health department’s update showed 986 additional COVID-19 cases between Oct. 21 and Oct. 28, which included 827 confirmed cases and 149 probable ones based on antigen testing. Those new cases put Clark County’s total at 37,410 confirmed cases and 4,037 probable cases since the outbreak began. There were 1,098 active cases as of the Oct. 28 report, which are ones in the isolation period.
Clark County Public Health reported 13 more confirmed COVID-19 deaths and one suspected death on Oct. 28, down from 21 confirmed deaths and one death suspected to be because of the disease reported the week prior. The confirmed deaths included three men older than 80, one man in his 70s, one man in his 60s, two men in their 50s, one man in his 40s, three women older than 80, one woman in her 70s and one woman in her 60s. The suspected death was a man older than 80.
Those deaths put the county’s total at 487, including 446 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 41 suspected to be because of the disease, Clark County Public Health reported.
Slightly fewer COVID-19 patients occupied hospital beds in Clark County as of the health department’s update. As of Oct. 28, 14% of beds had either patients with confirmed COVID-19 or ones awaiting test results, down from 14.7% on Oct. 21. COVID-19 patients occupied 27% of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the county, down from 30.2% the prior week.
New COVID-19 hospital admissions continued to drop, as Clark County Public Health reported 9.2 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, down from 10.2 per 100,000 the week prior.
Total hospital bed occupancy saw a slight increase in Clark County as of the health department’s Oct. 28 report. The health department reported 97.5% of hospital beds and 92.1% of ICU beds were occupied in the county, compared to 93.1% and 73%, respectively on Oct. 21.
Clark County’s share of confirmed COVID-19 cases saw a slight increase as of Oct. 28. Washington State Department of Health data showed the county had roughly 5.9% confirmed cases and about 5.7% of deaths in the state.
