COVID-19 cases among Pierce County children increase; rural areas see outbreaks
Cases of the coronavirus have jumped in Pierce County and across the state, leading to mandated vaccinations for some and the return of mask mandates for all.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department presented data in a Wednesday Board of Health meeting that showed more than 400,000 residents remain unvaccinated, COVID-19 cases are increasing among children and rural areas are seeing more outbreaks.
Gov. Jay Inslee announced mask requirements statewide regardless of vaccination status on Wednesday. The move came hours after Pierce County’s top health official, Dr. Anthony Chen, said people in Pierce County should wear masks in public indoor settings and outside where social distancing was not possible.
There has been exponential case growth within the last two weeks, more than doubling since early August.
On Aug. 4, the reported COVID-19 case rate was 190.5 per 100,000 over 14 days. On Wednesday, the health department reported 466.3 cases per 100,000 over 14 days.
“We need to get this under control, and that’s going to take everyone,” board Chair Derek Young said at Wednesday’s meeting.
The deputy operations chief of COVID-19 response, Kejuan Woods, told the board almost 90 percent of the cases tested between July 11 and 24 were the Delta variant.
The health department noted that most of the hospitalizations within the last six weeks have been among people aged 50-64 years old and from Tacoma or Lakewood. Since Aug. 4, hospitalization rates have shot up from 4.4 per 100,000 to 9.1 per 100,000.
“There’s been over 200-plus percent jump just in the last couple weeks between cases and hospitalizations,” Woods told the board.
There has been an increase in younger populations being admitted. Staffing at local hospitals has become a concern, the health department said.
The health department said these are some highest rates since December for 18-39 year olds. Case outbreaks are highest in Parkland, Tacoma’s Eastside, Sumner, East Pierce County and Frederickson.
There has been a substantial increase in outbreaks at childcare centers within the last week, surging from two to nine ongoing outbreaks, the health department reported.
Chen told board members that 8 percent of the COVID-19 cases have been among children under the age of 10 and 20 percent have been among teenagers.
“We’re hearing from Mary Bridge (Children’s Hospital) they are getting more admissions for COVID-19,” Chen said.
More than 90 percent of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated, Woods said. The health department estimates more than 400,000 of Pierce County’s 904,000 residents remain unvaccinated.
Rural white populations continue to have the most vaccine resistance, the health department said. Vaccination rates among Black and Latinx residents have recently increased.
Central Pierce County — Tacoma’s Hilltop, Spanaway, Parkland, Lakewood — has some of the lowest vaccination rates. Other areas with vaccine resistance include Key Peninsula and rural East Pierce County, including Graham.
The governor has required all state employees, health care workers and first responders to be vaccinated or face termination by Oct. 18.
On Wednesday, he expanded the order to include K-12 educators, school staff and employees at higher education institutions, early education staff, and public, private and charter schools.
The state will allow for medical or religious exemptions.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 4:29 PM.
