Backlog leads to more than 1,200 COVID-19 cases reported in Pierce County over 2 days
Pierce County reported 621 new COVID-19 cases Friday and four new deaths.
The latest deaths included:
▪ A Tacoma man in his 60s.
▪ An East Pierce County woman in her 40s.
▪ A Tacoma man in his 50s.
▪ A Graham woman in her 50s.
The Delta wave has created a backlog in testing results. More than 600 cases were added to Pierce County’s totals on Thursday. About 25 percent of the Thursday tally and about 30 percent of Friday’s case numbers were the result of a lab backlog going back about a month, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department noted in its daily update.
The county’s totals are 79,901 cases and 758 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 557.5 for Sept. 2-15. The rate of new hospitalizations per 100,000 is at 12.8.
From February to August, 28,695 (85.1 percent) of Pierce County’s cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the state Department of Health in its latest vaccine data report issued Sept. 15.
That compares with 3,218 (9.5 percent) cases involving those vaccinated during the same period, according to state DOH.
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 (totals now include both positive antigen and positive PCR tests):
▪ Bonney Lake: 2,601 (2,536)
▪ Central Pierce County: 3,766 (3,675)
▪ East Pierce County: 4,188 (4,047)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 3,121 (3,059)
▪ Frederickson: 3,138 (3,066)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 2,788 (2,737)
▪ Graham: 3,041 (2,961)
▪ Key Peninsula: 914 (890)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 3,121 (3,043)
▪ Lakewood: 6,080 (5,929)
▪ Parkland: 3,580 (3,506)
▪ Puyallup: 4,574 (4,485)
▪ South Hill: 4,883 (4,794)
▪ South Pierce County: 3,240 (3,103)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 1,084 (1,065)
▪ Spanaway: 3,722 (3,614)
▪ Tacoma: 21,292 (20,785)
▪ University Place: 2,424 (2,376)
▪ Unknown: 2,344 (2,792)
VACCINES
In Pierce County, 64.3 percent of the population 12 and older has initiated vaccination, and 57.5 percent is fully vaccinated, according to state Department of Health.
Among those 12 and older statewide, 75.8 percent has initiated vaccination, and 68.9 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 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.
