COVID-19 case rates continue to climb in Clallam County and are starting to rise again statewide, while Jefferson County has seen a decrease in its case rate.
Jefferson County’s case rate dropped from 214.35 per 100,000 population for the two weeks prior as of Dec. 1 to 165 cases per 100,000 for the two weeks prior as of Dec. 8, said Dr. Allison Berry, health officer for Jefferson and Clallam counties, said via email Friday.
Clallam County’s case rate rose to 258 cases per 100,000 for the last two weeks as of Friday. The county had a case rate of 238 cases per 100,000 for the two weeks prior as of Thursday.
“In Washington, we are starting to see case numbers rise for the state as a whole,” Berry’s email said.
“Currently cases are still primarily tracing to Thanksgiving gatherings. We do have a small workplace outbreak in Jefferson County.”
There were no long-term-care facilities or school outbreaks on the North Olympic Peninsula as of Friday, Berry said.
Clallam County added 16 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, while Jefferson County added five new cases.
Neither county reported a new death due to COVID-19 on Friday. Clallam County has had 74 residents die from COVID-19, while Jefferson County has had 20 residents die from the disease since the pandemic began.
New cases in Clallam County are primarily in Port Angeles.
The county has calculated case rates for the three main areas of the county. Case rates for the last two weeks as of Friday, were 153 cases per 100,000 in the West End, 171 cases per 100,000 in Sequim and 344 cases per 100,000 in Port Angeles, according to Berry.
Officials do not calculate case rates in separate areas of East Jefferson County due to the small population, Berry has said.
Clallam county has confirmed a total of 5,444 cases since the pandemic began. Jefferson County has confirmed a total 1,351 cases.
A case of the omircon variant has not been genetically sequenced and confirmed on the Peninsula. But epidemiology trends based on local case characteristics such as increases in reinfection and on modeling of neighboring counties have officials believing that it is already here, Berry said.
“We’ve got good evidence from multiple countries now that omicron is in fact more transmissible than delta and that people are getting reinfected more if their only immunity is from prior infection,” Berry said.
“We have early indications of possible decreased effectiveness of the vaccines based on in vitro studies but it’s too early to tell there.”
National public health officials have seen that vaccination immunity is restored with a booster dose, Berry said.
Berry recommends that those whose immunity is from prior infection “get vaccinated so you can stay immune,” she said. “If you completed your vaccine series, we recommend you get a booster to shore up your protection against omicron as we gather more for the holidays.”
Berry also recommends continuing protections, such as wearing a mask in indoor settings, staying home and getting tested right away if you are sick, and testing in advance of higher risk gatherings if unvaccinated, she said.
Vaccines
Teenagers 16 and up are also now eligible for boosters. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the expansion earlier this week.
In Clallam County, vaccines are available at most pharmacies. To schedule an appointment at the Olympic Medical Center COVID-19 clinic at 901 E. Front St., call 360-565-0999. People also can call their primary care providers, Berry said.
Jefferson County Emergency Management and Public Health departments are conducting a children’s vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to noon this coming Saturday at Chimacum Junior/Senior High School’s multi-purpose room at 93 West Valley Road in Chimacum.
Appointments can be made at www.prepmod.doh.wa.gov/appointment/en/reg/9069924918.
In addition to the children’s clinics, officials also added an 18-and-older Moderna clinic that afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. It will allow residents to receive their first, second or booster dose of Moderna’s vaccine.
Appointments for the adult clinic can be made at www.prepmod.doh.wa.gov/appointment/en/reg/7469930321.
For those without internet access, appointments for the two clinics can be made by calling the Department of Emergency Management at 360-344-9791.
Also Tri-Area pharmacy in Port Ludlow and Safeway in Port Townsend are offering vaccinations. Jefferson Healthcare is vaccinating by appointment.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
