Pierce County sees nearly 100 new COVID-19 cases on Friday
Pierce County reported 97 new COVID-19 cases Friday and no new deaths.
The county’s totals are now 50,331 cases and 583 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 140.3 as of June 9, down from 172.2 as of June 3, with an eight-day reporting delay, according to the state’s Roadmap to Recovery metric. That compares with the state’s rate of 116.8.
New hospitalizations per 100,000 over seven days was at 5.1, compared with the state’s rate of 4.8. The rate of new hospitalizations locally and statewide both are following downward trends.
Test positivity was at 6.5 percent from the week of May 23-29, the most recent data on the health department’s website and down from 7.3 the previous week, with the number of tests also down.
Pierce County, along with the rest of the state, moved into Phase 3 of the Healthy WA: Roadmap to Recovery reopening plan on May 18, which allows for 50 percent capacity for most indoor activities. The state plans to move to a full reopening (full capacity at all businesses) as of June 30, sooner if the rate of Washingtonians over age 16 initiating vaccinations hits 70 percent or more before that date.
Rollbacks are possible if statewide hospital ICU capacity reaches 90 percent at any time.
Testing is available at various places. Local libraries in Tacoma and Pierce County also have test kits available for curbside pickup. More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Friday’s cumulative geographic totals with Monday’s totals in parentheses:
▪ Bonney Lake: 1,477 (1,464)
▪ Central Pierce County: 2,266 (2,259)
▪ East Pierce County: 2,428 (2,414)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 1,986 (1,978)
▪ Frederickson: 1,904 (1,898)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 1,550 (1,542)
▪ Graham: 1,723 (1,712)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 451 (447)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 1,945 (1,930)
▪ Lakewood: 3,997 (3,967)
▪ Parkland: 2,432 (2,415)
▪ Puyallup: 2,844 (2,828)
▪ South Hill: 2,968 (2,955)
▪ South Pierce County: 1,761 (1,749)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 700 (699)
▪ Spanaway: 2,397 (2,382)
▪ Tacoma: 13,348 (13,291)
▪ University Place: 1,558 (1,553)
▪ Unknown: 2,596 (2,563)
VACCINES
As of June 9:
▪ About 748,542 total doses have been given to Pierce County residents, according to TPCHD. More than 7.3 million doses have been administered statewide.
In the county, 47.6 percent of the total population has initiated vaccination, and 38.4 percent is fully vaccinated, compared with 51.27 percent in the state initiating vaccines and 44.98 percent fully vaccinated.
Among those 16 and older statewide, 63.88 percent have initiated vaccination and 56.04 percent are fully vaccinated.
You can view vaccine participation by census tract on the health department’s website.
TPCHD includes vaccines administered to Pierce County residents at Joint-Base Lewis McChord in its total. It does not, however, have access to Veterans Affairs vaccine totals, which are also not entered into the Washington state Immunization Information System.
JBLM data is not included in any demographic information or on the health department’s vaccine map.
The state’s goal is to have at least 70 percent of those 16 and older having initiated vaccination by June 30. As of June 5, the state was at 64 percent.
Go to tpchd.org/vaxtothefuture or the county’s FindYourCovidShot.com website for information on local places offering vaccines and for vaccine registration. Walk-up vaccine sites run by the county and most TPCHD events now no longer require an appointment, and all TPCHD events are for first or second doses. Anyone age 12 or older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. Those younger than 18 need parent or guardian approval. Locations of individual vaccine sites also can be found on the state’s vaccine finder: vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.
▪ The health department’s call center to help those seeking vaccines is 253-649-1412.
▪ Pierce County also has a call center to help those searching for vaccines. Residents who need assistance signing up for an event can contact the call center at 253-798-8900 or email pcvaccine@piercountywa.gov for help.
This story was originally published June 11, 2021 at 1:58 PM.
