COVID-19 surge continues as Pierce County’s daily case numbers remain in triple digits
Pierce County reported 450 new COVID-19 cases Thursday and six new deaths.
The latest deaths included:
▪ A woman in her 60s from South Hill.
▪ A man in his 70s from Puyallup.
▪ A woman in her 60s from Edgewood/Fife/Milton.
▪ A man in his 80s from Tacoma.
▪ A woman in her 70s from Graham.
▪ A woman in her 60s from Puyallup.
There now have been 718 deaths and 74,351 cases in Pierce County since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020. The county’s totals now include “both positive antigen and positive PCR tests on our main dashboard,” according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, which made the adjustment on Tuesday.
“Our death count will include deaths among both confirmed and probable cases. In all cases, the medical examiner listed COVID-19 as a cause of death on the death certificate.”
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 681.8 for Aug. 18-31. The rate of new hospitalizations per 100,000 is at 18.9.
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 next report is expected to be issued Sept. 15.
More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Thursday’s cumulative geographic totals, with Sept. 3 totals in parentheses.
▪ Bonney Lake: 2,361 (2,039)
▪ Central Pierce County: 3,479 (2,859)
▪ East Pierce County: 3,712 (3,220)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 2,931 (2,506)
▪ Frederickson: 2,913 (2,490)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 2,621 (2,030)
▪ Graham: 2,756 (2,270)
▪ Key Peninsula: 832 (622)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 2,860 (2,501)
▪ Lakewood: 5,645 (4,855)
▪ Parkland: 3,343 (2,879)
▪ Puyallup: 4,218 (3,578)
▪ South Hill: 4,556 (3,817)
▪ South Pierce County: 2,851 (2,338)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 1,017 (893)
▪ Spanaway: 3,423 (2,963)
▪ Tacoma: 19,357 (16,418)
▪ University Place: 2,286 (1,930)
▪ Unknown: 3,190 (3,787)
VACCINES
In Pierce County, 62.5 percent of the population 12 and older has initiated vaccination, and 55.6 percent is fully vaccinated, according to state Department of Health.
Among those 12 and older statewide, 73.9 percent has initiated vaccination, and 67 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.
