Latest COVID-19 surge continues in Pierce County with high numbers of cases, deaths
Pierce County reported 504 new COVID-19 cases Thursday and six new deaths.
The latest deaths included:
▪ Two Lakewood men in their 70s.
▪ A Tacoma woman in her 50s.
▪ A Puyallup man in his 60s.
▪ A Graham man in his 50s.
▪ A Spanaway man in his 50s.
In total, 18 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Pierce County in the past four days.
The county’s totals are 63,547 cases and 673 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 637 for Aug. 11-24. The rate of new hospitalizations per 100,000 is at 17.4
Test positivity was at 30.1 percent the week of Aug. 15-21 with the number of tests down by nearly half over the previous week. The positivity rate for the county was lowest the week of June 13, when it hit 2.2 percent.
According to the state in its vaccination report of Aug. 25:
▪ 92.7 percent of COVID-19 cases from Feb. 1, 2021 – Aug. 16, 2021 were not fully vaccinated.
▪ 94.1 percent of COVID-19 cases who were hospitalized from Feb. 1, 2021 – Aug. 9, 2021 were not fully vaccinated.
▪ 92.4 percent of COVID-19 cases who died from COVID-19 from Feb. 1, 2021 – July 26, 2021 were not fully vaccinated.
▪ More than 92 percent of all cases, hospitalizations and deaths in individuals 12 years or older from Washington state can be attributed to individuals who have not been fully vaccinated.
▪ In Pierce County, 96 percent of all cases between February and July involved those not fully vaccinated.
The state updates its report of unvaccinated cases once a week.
More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Thursday’s cumulative geographic totals, with previous day’s totals in parentheses.
▪ Bonney Lake: 2,012 (2,001)
▪ Central Pierce County: 2,829 (2,802 )
▪ East Pierce County: 3,186 (3,160)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 2,499 (2,482)
▪ Frederickson: 2.469 (2,451)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 2,011 (1,990)
▪ Graham: 2,255 (2,236)
▪ Key Peninsula: 615 (602)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 2,481 (2,462)
▪ Lakewood: 4,836 (4,801)
▪ Parkland: 2,866 (2,848)
▪ Puyallup: 3,550 (3,517)
▪ South Hill: 3,785 (3,762)
▪ South Pierce County: 2,324 (2,298)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 892 (886)
▪ Spanaway: 2,950 (2,941)
▪ Tacoma: 16,323 (16,201)
▪ University Place: 1,919 (1,905)
▪ Unknown: 3,745 (3,698)
VACCINES
In Pierce County, 61.6 percent of the population 12 and older has initiated vaccination, and 54.8 percent is fully vaccinated, according to state Department of Health.
Among those 12 and older statewide, 71.1 percent has initiated vaccination, and 64.5 percent is fully vaccinated.
You can view vaccine participation by census tract on the local health department’s website.
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 is eligible for 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.
