Pierce County nears 1,000 COVID-19 deaths since the start of pandemic as cases balloon
Pierce County reported 11,327 new COVID-19 cases for Jan. 2-8 and 21 new deaths.
The latest deaths include:
▪ A Graham woman in her 60s.
▪ A Central Pierce County woman in her 70s.
▪ A South Hill woman in her 70s.
▪ A South Hill man in his 70s.
▪ A South Pierce County man in his 60s.
▪ A Frederickson man in his 60s.
▪ A Tacoma woman in her 80s.
▪ An East Pierce County man in his 50s.
▪ A South Pierce County woman in her 90s.
▪ A Tacoma woman in her 90s.
▪ An East Pierce County man in his 40s.
▪ A Tacoma woman in her 70s.
▪ A Graham man in his 80s.
▪ A Tacoma woman in her 80s.
▪ A Tacoma man in his 50s.
▪ An East Pierce County man in his 70s.
▪ A Tacoma man in his 50s.
▪ A Graham woman in her 60s.
▪ A South Pierce County man in his 70s.
▪ A Lakewood man in his 60s.
▪ A Puyallup woman in her 80s.
As of Jan. 11, 68.5 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 127,597 cases and 998 deaths since the first confirmed coronavirus case was reported in March 2020.
Pierce County’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 was 1,678.4 for Dec. 19-Jan. 1, 85.6 percent higher than the previous 2-week period.
The 7-day rate of hospitalizations per 100,000 is at 27.2 for Dec. 26-Jan. 1, 54.1 percent higher than the previously reported 7-day period.
From February to November, 43,644 of Pierce County’s cases involved unvaccinated people, according to the state Department of Health in its vaccine data report issued Jan. 5.
That compares with 9,436 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 Jan. 4 totals in parentheses (totals now include both positive antigen and positive PCR tests):
▪ Bonney Lake: 4,643 (4,123)
▪ Central Pierce County: 5,944 (5,353)
▪ East Pierce County: 7,561 (6,693)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 5,027 (4,407)
▪ Frederickson: 5,213 (4,600)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 4,925 (4,215)
▪ Graham: 5,179 (4,661)
▪ Key Peninsula: 1,553 (1,383)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 5,324 (4,667)
▪ Lakewood: 9,215 (8,173)
▪ Parkland: 5,392 (4,883)
▪ Puyallup: 7,365 (6,624)
▪ South Hill: 8,045 (7,145)
▪ South Pierce County: 5,414 (4,888)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 1,955 (1,634)
▪ Spanaway: 5,815 (5,189)
▪ Tacoma: 32,475 (28,600)
▪ University Place: 3,864 (3,329)
▪ Unknown: 2,688 (1,951)
VACCINES
Pierce County’s vaccination rate is at 72.7 percent fully vaccinated for those 12 and older, according to the state DOH.
Among Pierce County’s total population, the county is 55.2 percent fully vaccinated, compared with King County at 73.9 percent and the state rate of 63 percent.
Percentage of those in each age range who have received at least one dose of vaccine in Pierce County as posted Jan. 5:
▪ 5-11: 18.9 percent
▪ 12-17: 57.2 percent
▪ 18-19: 71.5 percent
▪ 20-34: 67.7 percent
▪ 35-49: 74.8 percent
▪ 50-64: 76.8 percent
▪ 65-79: 82.4 percent
▪ 80 and older: 91 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
As of Jan. 6, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department reported that 139 businesses saw outbreaks totaling 1,172 cases, a 43 percent increase over the previous week.
Among business outbreaks, the Fred Meyer Distribution Center in Puyallup had the most cases listed as active with 86, followed by Northwest Retirement Center in Tacoma with 77 and the Lakewood Walmart with 52.
Schools saw 27 outbreaks and a total of 220 related cases.
In the past 28 days, long-term care facilities in the county 57 sites with outbreaks accounting for 501 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 43 percent, with schools second at 19 percent.
The county updates its outbreak list on Thursdays.
This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 3:30 PM.
