COVID-19 cases confirmed Wednesday in Pierce County climb above 100
Pierce County reported 116 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday with one additional death, a woman in her 60s from Tacoma.
The county’s totals are now 41,158 cases and 521 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
The 14-day case rate per 100,000 is 200.2, with six-day data lag. The 7-day hospitalizations rate per 100,000 was 7.5 as of April 10, the most recent data point from TPCHD.
The numbers differ from those reported for the Roadmap to Recovery metrics, based in part on different points of time in measurement.
Testing is available at various places. More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Tuesday’s cumulative geographic totals with previous day’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 1,124 (1,122)
▪ Central Pierce County: 1,869 (1,865)
▪ East Pierce County: 1,866 (1,855)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 1,639 (1,637)
▪ Frederickson: 1,501 (1,495)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 1,287 (1,284)
▪ Graham: 1,380 (1,379)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 378 (no change)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 1,549 (1,539)
▪ Lakewood: 3,352 (3,346)
▪ Parkland: 2,016 (2,014)
▪ Puyallup: 2,352 (2,345)
▪ South Hill: 2,356 (2,349)
▪ South Pierce County: 1,338 (1,333)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 595 (no change)
▪ Spanaway: 1,935 (1,930)
▪ Tacoma: 11,338 (11,307)
▪ University Place: 1,321 (1,318)
▪ Unknown: 1,962 (1,951)
VACCINES
As of April 10:
▪ About 412,581 total doses given in Pierce County, according to the state Department of Health. More than 4 million have been administered statewide.
In the county, 27.66 percent of the population has initiated vaccination, and 18.36 percent are fully vaccinated, according to state DOH, compared with 34.13 percent in the state initiating vaccines, and 22.25 percent fully vaccinated.
▪ On April 15, vaccine access will be open to all people 16 and older in the state with no qualifying conditions required. President Joe Biden on April 6 announced that all states must open vaccine eligibility to all U.S. residents 16 and older by April 19.
Go to tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture for information on local sites offering vaccines and for mass vaccine event registration. Locations of individual vaccine sites also can be found on the state’s vaccine finder: vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.
Starting March 31, the state’s Phase Finder tool was no longer required as part of vaccine enrollment. People should still check DOH’s online prioritization guidance to see when they are eligible to get vaccinated, with the state’s expectation that you only seek an appointment if you qualify.
▪ The health department’s call center to help those eligible now for vaccines is 253-649-1412.
▪ Pierce County has launched a call center to help those searching for vaccines. Residents who qualify within the WA State Phase Finder and need assistance signing up for an event can contact the call center at 253-798-8900 or email pcvaccine@piercountywa.gov for help.
PHASE 2
Pierce County was rolled back to Phase 2 on April 12, with the new phase to take effect on April 16.
In new guidance issued Friday, April 9, counties can miss one of the two metrics and stay put. If they miss both, then they backslide.
▪ Fewer than 200 new cases per 100,000 over two weeks
▪ Fewer than five new hospitalizations per 100,000 over one week.
Additionally, if the statewide intensive care unit capacity reaches greater than 90 percent, all counties will move back one phase.
According to the latest metrics released by DOH, Pierce County showed 267.9 new cases per 100,000 over two weeks, and 6.4 new hospitalizations per 100,000 over one week.
The time period measured for case rates was March 20-April 2. For hospitalizations: March 24-30.
The statewide ICU bed occupancy was measured at 77.8 percent, according to the data from March 29 to April 4.
This story was originally published April 14, 2021 at 2:55 PM.