Thousands infected with COVID-19 in Pierce County in the last week, report shows
Pierce County reported 6,271 new COVID-19 cases for Dec. 26-Jan. 4 and eight new deaths.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, in its Tuesday report, noted that the county’s case rates and hospitalizations “have tripled in recent weeks.”
The latest deaths include:
▪ A South Hill woman in her 60s.
▪ An Edgewood/Fife/Milton man in his 70s.
▪ An East Pierce County woman in her 80s.
▪ A Parkland man in his 50s.
▪ A Puyallup woman in her 70s.
▪ A Lakewood man in his 60s.
▪ A Central Pierce County woman in her 70s.
▪ A Parkland man in his 60s.
As of Jan. 4, 68.3 percent of the people who died of COVID in the county had underlying health conditions, according to the health department’s dashboard.
The county’s totals are 112,518 cases and 977 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 841.6 for Dec. 12-25, 114 percent higher than the previous 2-week period.
The 7-day rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 is at 16 for Dec. 19-25, 78 percent higher than the previously reported 7-day period.
According to state Department of Health totals reported Monday, which tend to run higher than the county numbers, Pierce County’s rate of cases and hospitalizations ranked the highest in the state.
From February to November, 43,626 of Pierce County’s cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the state Department of Health in its vaccine data report issued Dec. 29.
That compares with 9,431 cases involving those vaccinated during the same period, according to the state DOH.
More information on testing is available on the health department’s website.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Tuesday’s cumulative geographic totals, with Dec. 21 totals in parentheses (totals now include both positive antigen and positive PCR tests):
▪ Bonney Lake: 4,123 (3,645)
▪ Central Pierce County: 5,353 (4,857)
▪ East Pierce County: 6,693 (5,900)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 4,407 (3,912)
▪ Frederickson: 4,600 (4,101)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 4,215 (3,723)
▪ Graham: 4,661 (4,183)
▪ Key Peninsula: 1,383 (1,251)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 4,667 (3,979)
▪ Lakewood: 8,173 (7,432)
▪ Parkland: 4,883 (4,416)
▪ Puyallup: 6,624 (5,935)
▪ South Hill: 7,145 (6,350)
▪ South Pierce County: 4,888 (4,503)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 1,634 (1,413)
▪ Spanaway: 5,189 (4,676)
▪ Tacoma: 28,600 (25,665)
▪ University Place: 3,329 (2,952)
▪ Unknown: 1,951 (2,300)
VACCINES
Pierce County’s vaccination rate is at 65.7 percent fully vaccinated for those 12 and older, according to the state DOH.
Among Pierce County’s total population, the county is 54.9 percent fully vaccinated, compared with King County at 73.7 percent and the state rate of 62.8 percent.
Percentage of those in each age range who have received at least one dose of vaccine in Pierce County as posted Dec. 29:
▪ 5-11: 17.6 percent
▪ 12-17: 57 percent
▪ 18-19: 70.7 percent
▪ 20-34: 67.1 percent
▪ 35-49: 74.2 percent
▪ 50-64: 76.4 percent
▪ 65-79: 82 percent
▪ 80 and older: 90.6 percent
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 5 or older is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and anyone 16 or older is eligible for a booster six months after completing a two-dose mRNA vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) or two months after receiving the single shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 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.
OUTBREAKS
In an update Dec. 30, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported that 97 businesses saw outbreaks totaling 612 cases last week, a 29 percent increase over the previous week.
Among business outbreaks, the Fred Meyer Distribution Center in Puyallup had the most cases listed as active with 49, followed by Park Rose Care Center in Tacoma with 29 and McLane NW in Lakewood with 27.
Schools saw 25 outbreaks, up from 22 the previous week, and a total of 176 related cases.
In the past 28 days, long-term care facilities in the county have seen 30 outbreaks accounting for 189 cases, according to TPCHD’s data on its website. They account for the largest percentage of COVID-19 cases among business or facility outbreaks at 31 percent, with schools second at 29 percent.
The county updates its outbreak list on Thursdays.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 3:36 PM.
