The sign outside the vaccination site Lumen Field COVID-19. (MyNorthwest photo)
King County hovers right below the threshold to remain in phase 3, and the next reassessment date is May 3.
Business organizations are urging government Inslee to postpone the decision to roll back
Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer at Public Health – Seattle & King County, said Friday the 14-day incident rate was 198.5 per 100,000 residents, which is comparable to last week and about double the fall-winter wave.
The number of hospital admissions has been increasing since March. Duchin said last week that 97 King County residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19, which is 15% more than the week before.
That’s currently one person who is hospitalized every hour and 45 minutes. The number of hospital admissions fluctuates around 3.5 to 4 per 100,000 inhabitants per week, which is double the number of early March.
The greatest number of recent hospitalizations is among adults aged 40-69, Duchin said. The next age group is 20-39 year olds.
To stay in phase 3, major counties need 200 or fewer new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week for two weeks and five or fewer hospitalizations per 100,000 residents. Counties with a population of less than 50,000 require a total of 100 or fewer new cases over two weeks and three or fewer hospitalizations in the past week.
Gov. Inslee announced on Monday that Cowlitz, Pierce and Whitman counties would return to phase 2 of the reopening. Those three provinces were reversed on Friday.
Government Inslee defends the decision to roll back three provinces to phase 2
Previously, any province that does not meet one of these two criteria had to go back to phase 2. Government Inslee announced at the beginning of April that a province should not now have to meet both criteria before going back.
Covid deaths
Weekly deaths have fallen dramatically since the fall-winter wave, according to Duchin. 1-2 residents of King County have died from COVID-19 every day in the past week. That is compared to nine a day during the winter peak.
In the past 14 days, 9% of deaths fell in the 25-49 age group, compared to 2% overall during the outbreak.
In the past 14 days, 27% of deaths fell under the 50-64 age bracket, compared to 13% during the outbreak as a whole, Duchin said. The death rate for over-65s has dropped from 65% to 27% in the past two weeks.
Covid cases
Duchin says the province has seen nearly two months without lowering the level of COVID-19. He says the recent increases are likely due to the reopening of operations, combined with the presence of more contagious variants.
As for cases, the highest rates are among 18-34 year olds, but every age group is increasing except those over 65 and under 5.
Cases remain highest in towns in the south and southeast of King County, including Covington, Enumclaw, Auburn, Kent, Federal Way, Burien, Renton, Seatac and Tukwila.
“In the past 14 days, these places have doubled to tripled the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths compared to north and central Seattle, Shoreline, the Eastside and Vashon Island,” said Duchin.
Vaccination in King County
Thursday, 51% of King County residents over the age of 16 had received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Duchin said. He expects cases to decrease as more people are vaccinated, but until then, he says, it is up to residents to mask social distance, avoid meeting people outside of your household who have not been vaccinated, and good ventilation. to pay attention.
About 32% of all King County residents are fully vaccinated.
For those 65 and older, across all racial and ethnic groups, the province has exceeded 75% or higher vaccination coverage for one or more doses, Duchin said. Inequalities are more prominent in groups aged 16 and over. He expects the numbers to improve if they qualify, and as the county works to make vaccination events more easily accessible.